Fridge while travelling

Dylan

Well-known member
If you have a six hour ride, are there some folks out there who run the fridge on propane while travellin? Is it safe????
 

jnbhobe

Well-known member
If you have a six hour ride, are there some folks out there who run the fridge on propane while travellin? Is it safe????

I run mine on gas all the time when traveling, unless I have to turn it off for a bridge or tunnel.
 

cookie

Administrator
Staff member
Ours is always on.
Did turn it off a couple of times to board a ferry though.

Peace
Dave
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Ours is on also. Note that Heartland and Dometic both recommend shutting the refrig off when refueling. It's not safe to have an open flame around fuel vapor. If you are using gasoline, it's much more dangerous because gasoline vapor is much more flammable than diesel.
 

JJnLilly

Well-known member
Eventually you will get lots of comments. It is a matter of choice. We've done it both ways and now I generally turn it off just before I leave the house. Have traveled as long as 13 hours and still had ice in the freezer and the frozen things did not thaw nor did the milk spoil. I look at it as a savings; why burn gas when you don't need too. But then that is just my humble opinion.
 

TXBobcat

Fulltime
I always turn off my propane when we travel. I have a Sears 5 Cuft freezer and my normal Fridge. I never had a problem with anything thawing out and we have gone at least 6 hrs and a few times a bit longer.

At the Rally in Gillette Mac McCoy, The Fire Guy, gave a siminar about RV fires and things to know about. He strongly encourages to turn the propane off. But about 90% of those traveling don't turn the propane off.

Do what you think is best.

FWIW
BC
 

ZNK

Well-known member
As far as I understand it is completed okay to drive with it on. This past weekend we had to travel with it on, when it was 105 degrees. There is no way our food would have lasted...
 

Birchwood

Well-known member
We travel with it ON .Its the only time the fridge operates on propane and if you
don't use it some it may not work when you really need it.
 

boatto5er

Founding VA Chap Ldr (Ret)
All the tunnels in VA have designated pull off check stations with a person checking that the propane is indeed turned off (although they usually just watch from the front of the vehicle while you go thru the motions - er, I mean turn the tanks off).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

rick_debbie_gallant

Well-known member
Do you pull off to the side of the road or use an exit to turn it off when approaching a tunnel or bridge? Just curious. Mark

because we only travel two hours at a time and sometimes 2.5 hours (we takes lots of bio-breaks, just because) we usually shut them off on our last stop before we get to them.
 

nander

Texas North Chapter Leaders-retired
I guess ignorance is bliss....I never even thought about NOT having the fridge on when traveling. What kind of bridges do you turn it off for?

Thanks,
Nancy A.
Terrell, TX
 

RuralPastor

Well-known member
because we only travel two hours at a time and sometimes 2.5 hours (we takes lots of bio-breaks, just because) we usually shut them off on our last stop before we get to them.

That makes sense. In October we'll be ripping across I 76 in Pennsylvania. There's four tunnels we will go through in a fairly short order. I'll probably just pull over before the first one and shut the fridge down for a couple of hours. It shouldn't be too hot in October...hopefully. Mark
 

boatto5er

Founding VA Chap Ldr (Ret)
I guess ignorance is bliss....I never even thought about NOT having the fridge on when traveling. What kind of bridges do you turn it off for?

Thanks,
Nancy A.
Terrell, TX

I've never seen it required for a bridge, although there may be some that do. Every tunnel I've ever been through (except for a few very short ones here in the DC area) have either required the propane to be turned off, or in some cases do not allow propane at all (the I-95 Tunnel in Baltimore is an example).
 

kakampers

Past Heartland Ambassador
We've lived in our BH for five years...have NEVER turned the fridge off except to defrost, AND we've put over 75,000 miles on ours. Haven't had a problem...don't expect one.
 

rockerdude

Member
I have been driving with the gas to the fridge for 16 years and have had no problems. The only time I turn it off is when the fridge is already cold and we have less than a 10 hour drive. The fridge holds the cold temp for at least that long.
 
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