Generator Use
- Thread starter mr8118
- Start date
Deepsky3539
Active Member
I don't neccessarily know that it would be dangerous. I don't think that I would but mostly since I don't have any reason to.
cliffhanger
Member
My dealer suggested running it the last 1/2-1 hr from your destination if your heading somewhere really hot like the desert. That way the a/c and refer have a head start when you arrive. I haven't done it, but thought it a good idea.
grizzlygiant
Well-known member
cliffhanger said:
An hour for the refer is not going to do much---when traveling keep the refer on propane.
Running the ac does work and we do this if it is really hot.
Loco
Well-known member
We live in GA and let the dog and cat ride in the trailer. We run our Gen Set all the time in the summer when on the road. It does great when we get to where we are going the rig is nice and cool. The Gen Set will run for about three days on a full tank of gas, running 24 hours a day. It will not hurt the Gen Set at all. We have over 600 hours on our set. I just make sure I change the oil and filter and air filter ever 100 hours
grizzlygiant
Well-known member
2Uteggs said:
The only place I am aware of where propane must be turned off is in some tunnels in the NYC area. I don't intend top EVER get close to NYC, trailer or not .
I could be wrong--not the first time!
big kahuna
Member
RV's are designed to run the fridge on propane even when driving. It is completely safe. Been doing it for over 30 yrs. Never seen or heard of anything happening to those that do but there are alot of scaremongers out there that say you should not but can never give evidence as to why not, just what if's. Heck, if I lived my life on "what if's", I may as well just dig a hole and stay there.
Be sure to take a Radon detector with you in that hole 
Just kidding.
Just my humble opinion only, but I look at all of this as a risk vs. convenience balance. And to your point, if we went totally extreme on this, we wouldn't even take our rigs on the road for safety reasons.
Each has to decide for himself, how much risk he is willing to take for himself and his family. It's when those risks start affecting others that it really gets to a point where we all care about decisions others have made.
For the record, I drive with the propane on. I began doing this out of ignorance and continued doing so for the convenience of the refer being on. As I get older, wiser (questionable), more learned on RVing and rub elbows with all of you who are wiser than me on RVing, I have changed some of my ways and may even later consider turning off the propane.
I think this is all good discussion, regardless of how I do it vs. the next guy.
Keep on discussing...
Jim
Just kidding. Just my humble opinion only, but I look at all of this as a risk vs. convenience balance. And to your point, if we went totally extreme on this, we wouldn't even take our rigs on the road for safety reasons.
Each has to decide for himself, how much risk he is willing to take for himself and his family. It's when those risks start affecting others that it really gets to a point where we all care about decisions others have made.
For the record, I drive with the propane on. I began doing this out of ignorance and continued doing so for the convenience of the refer being on. As I get older, wiser (questionable), more learned on RVing and rub elbows with all of you who are wiser than me on RVing, I have changed some of my ways and may even later consider turning off the propane.
I think this is all good discussion, regardless of how I do it vs. the next guy.
Keep on discussing...
Jim
NewCyclone
Active Member
When I purchased my unit about two weeks ago the dealer told me (in New Mexico) that it was illegal to travel down the road with the propane bottles on. He told me that it was in case of accident so there isn't a increased risk of explosion. I am finding by reading this thread that he probably wasn't correct. It only makes since that if you want a cooled frig you need to leave propane on to get it cooled. Some of us are not able to keep our TT at our house with hook ups so we can not charge and get the unit preped for the trip. I keep mine on a military base in a locked storage yard that I can only access during business hours. Kinda sucks, but at least I know the trailer is safe.
Niles
Well-known member
I think if you check the laws, it is illegal to run with propane on, Mack the fire safety guy is dead set against having propane on and if you do one of his classes you'll see why. You can buy a battery operated fan to put in the refrigerate and it will keep stuff cool from the air circulating. The refrigerator in campers are pretty well insulated and will keep stuff cold for quite some time. Now with all that being said I run mine on propane when I travel.
superduty08
Tennessee Chapter Leaders
I run a converter off of my battery and wired an outlet to my frig because I too have been taught not to run with open propane bottles. At work our safety regulations have us disconnect the regulator from the bottles. In Tennessee we are told this is a T.D.O.T. requirement.This is the first that I have heard of a high flow shut off. Sounds like a good idea for those that run propane on the road.
theharveys
Active Member
We do not run the propane when we travel...and I live in Texas where it is often 100 degrees or more when we travel. We find that if we run the refrigerator for a couple days prior to leaving and then only open it very sparingly while on the road, everything stays fine. We have never had anything spoil, even after 10 hours on the road. If it is going to be particularily hot, we will freeze a two-quart milk jug full of water and put that into the fridge. It will soak up a lot of heat, melting that ice.
If you do run with the propane on. I would strongly recommend you remember to turn it off if you stop to fuel up. Dragging an open flame past the pump island may result in some spectacular fireworks!
If you do run with the propane on. I would strongly recommend you remember to turn it off if you stop to fuel up. Dragging an open flame past the pump island may result in some spectacular fireworks!
creeper
Well-known member
I don't know why so many people are afraid of propane. I'd be more worried about the 30 or so gallons of fuel under your butt, then a couple bottles of propane 20 feet away.
In my past vocation as Hazmat driver, we delivered propane motor fuel tanks and we slammed those things around, rolled them, dropped them, crushed them and only one got split(backed a fork lift into one) , nothing really happened. Gas blew away in the wind.
In an accident the propane will dissipate in the wind if the tank is split. If your fuel tank is split it will spill all around you.
I run with the propane on. Start it the day before the trip and run it till we pull into the driveway, only shutting it down on fuel stops.
In my past vocation as Hazmat driver, we delivered propane motor fuel tanks and we slammed those things around, rolled them, dropped them, crushed them and only one got split(backed a fork lift into one) , nothing really happened. Gas blew away in the wind.
In an accident the propane will dissipate in the wind if the tank is split. If your fuel tank is split it will spill all around you.
I run with the propane on. Start it the day before the trip and run it till we pull into the driveway, only shutting it down on fuel stops.
The OP was about the generator.
I have not seen anything that says I shouldn't - so I have run the generator on the road to run the AC prior to arriving at our destination. I cannot think of a reason to avoid this - but I don't do it often since gasoline is not free and so I need a reason to burn it up.
For the propane - I leave it on. I have read about concerns the fridge ignition will spark at a gas station - but I fuel up with diesel at truck stops and don't worry about that idea. Where required (eg tunnels) I pull over and shut off the propane first, then turn it back on at the next stop.
I have not seen anything that says I shouldn't - so I have run the generator on the road to run the AC prior to arriving at our destination. I cannot think of a reason to avoid this - but I don't do it often since gasoline is not free and so I need a reason to burn it up.
For the propane - I leave it on. I have read about concerns the fridge ignition will spark at a gas station - but I fuel up with diesel at truck stops and don't worry about that idea. Where required (eg tunnels) I pull over and shut off the propane first, then turn it back on at the next stop.
