Do you drive with your fridge on propane?

markopolo · 09-25-2007, 05:39 AM

lzcamper · 11-17-2007, 06:49 PM

My latest refrigerator is a 3 way, so for safety reasons, I'll be using the DC setting while driving. I understand that the DC setting does not efficiently cool down a refrigerator, but can be used to maintain a low temperature while driving.

Rick

renrut · 11-19-2007, 01:26 AM

I do use the propane if I'm on the road a long time and it's hot out. For short trips, I just turn it off and let everything inside keep it cool. I only have an AC and propane fridge.

I've tried using an inverter to run the fridge on AC but it caused such a load off the charging system, my gas mileage went down quite a bit. It took a little too much out of the alternator. It did work good but it cost too much on gas to keep using it.

I know how bad it is too use propane and did look into replacing the fridge. I priced new ones and was quite shocked at the prices. I looked into used and they weren't too bad but, I can't figure out how to get the fridge out of my RV. I don't think it would fit out any of the doors.

PJRACER · 12-10-2007, 05:54 PM

Yes we do

WAPITI · 12-10-2007, 08:48 PM

Yes, we do on long trips. I tried off the battery but had a hard time remembering to change over when we stopped. Just remember to turn off the gas when filling your gas tank. My dad had just bought his and the dealer had been showing him how everything worked, started the fridge, etc., then sent one of the men out back with it to a gas station to have the gas tank filled. Neither the driver nor the kid filling the tank turned off the propane. It blew up and messed up the whole passenger side of the van. Seats, carpet, windshield, wiring harnesses, etc. had to be replaced. Luckily, no one was hurt. If it was mine, I would have said, I want a different van, but Dad didn't want to wait for another one, so accepted this one once it was repaired. Just a lesson about how explosive propane is.

Whiskyecho · 12-29-2007, 10:03 PM

DC power is able to regenerate itself.

paulm · 12-29-2007, 10:33 PM

renrut

Running through an inverter or running on DC is almost the same thing. Howerver on AC/inverter the fridge really works, less some eff. so it would cost you a little more. Propane still cost too.

So the best bet on short trips. Shut it off and hopefully it stays cold until the campground's free hydro is available. (Or get a compressor fridge)

For safety reasons run on DC. But really the only difference is a possible standing flame and propane leak in an accident as opposed to just a propane leak. (of course we shut the tanks off

).

IT'S NOT WORTH IT. (but than how often do you have an accident)

renrut · 12-30-2007, 02:04 AM

Paulm

The Inverter really adds a drain to the alternator. Running on an Inverter is not worth the extra load and gas mileage. The inverter will draw over 20amps from the charging system. Believe it or not, my RV only has a 45amp alternator. If I had an actual DC fridge, it would draw far less. I think the DC fridge only draws about 5 to 10amps vice over 20 with the inverter.

I looked at replacing the fridge but I can't get it out of the door. The fridge is too big. I would have to take it apart piece by piece and then figure out how to get a new one in. New fridges are not cheap either. I may look at one of those coolers that run off DC. They only cost about $100. I might try to covert my fridge to that system. It would draw far less power and not use the propane at all. It just wouldn't allow me to use the freezer.

The only time I've used the Propane is when we are on a long trip. We use to travel a couple hours to a campground and we just left it with nothing running. When we moved this past summer, we needed to run the fridge on something. We had a lot of food and were on the road for about 8hours a day for 6 days.

I'm not too worried about an accident. My RV is a 1977 Dodge 1 ton van with everything re-enforced. It's actually made of steel not aluminum foil and plastic. I had the frame re-enforced on the back end too for the trailer hitch. The propane tank is well under the RV and is behind a heavy metal frame. Believe me, I did not feel comfortable with the propane on but we had to do something. Where we live now, there's all kind of campgrounds around. We won't have to drive far to go camping. When we were in the Prairies, it was at least 2 hours to anything.

Barman · 01-05-2008, 01:16 AM

I have, but I try not to make a habit of it.

ambow · 05-15-2008, 03:29 AM

I know betterr, but sometimes I do.

The battery setting just barely keeps the fridge as cool as when we unplug from electric.
I am going to start just putting a bag of ice in there when we travel in the heat!!!
We are , however, very careful to be sure the propane is off at the tank before buying fuel.

Ms"B"Haven · 06-02-2008, 03:07 AM

The fridge runs on the house battery - no propane.

Mike · 08-22-2008, 04:06 AM

After reading one previous post (WAPITI), I think I'll try hard to follow the manufacturer's recommendation.

Davydd · 08-22-2008, 04:38 PM

The manufacturers recommend running off the battery when driving for the obvious safety reasons. Why have a three way if you don't use DC? We can actually freeze drinks and veggies using DC with our refrigerator. With a good house battery you can stop for a couple of hours without draining it too much. If you add those blue cell freeze containers in the freezer they will turn your refrigerator into a cooler when everything is shut off. My house battery does not discharge while driving and running the refrigerator. It's doing its job.

I suppose you can run on propane without too much fear if you know you are not going to stop at a service station for fuel. With a range of over 500 miles in our Sprinter that can be easily predicted. However, one can forget. I don't buy the argument of those who say they will stop short of a gas pump, get out and turn off the propane, drive on up, fill up, pull away, stop again and restart the propane refrigerator. I'd be willing to bet those people have forgotten more times than they remembered. The manufacturers all recommend this procedure but they don't necessarily say not to drive with propane on.

I drove home 175 miles last weekend from La Crosse, WI with the propane on the refrigerator. I didn't remember until underway for about 50 miles. Knowing I was not stopping for fuel I did drive on home with it on. That was the first time I had done that. It is so easy to forget.

Mike · 08-22-2008, 05:44 PM

We're driving an '02 RT 190P with dual house batteries, and our fridge is a Dometic 3-way, so we're hoping the DC source while driving will be as efficient as your experience. Oddly, after I noticed the poll question and saw some of the answers, including WAPITI's tale, I thought of the folks we bought from, mentioning that sometimes when they drove in windy conditions the fridge pilot would go out. Sheeeesh!!!!

Luckily for us, they never blew the rig up, or we'd still be looking for one.
I never figured out if the explosion was at the propane fill or the gas fill station. I see it was petrol. I don't think I'll be "allowed" to forget if the propane is on, after I told my wife about the exploding rig story. She was shocked, and immediately asked if we "needed" to use propane. I said yes, if she wants warm showers and BBQ'ed food.
The blue freezer packs sound like a good idea.

Mike.

Ron J. Moore · 08-22-2008, 08:56 PM

We have never tried running the refrig on lp while underway; if the batteries cannot handle - a cooler would have to be used. I just cannot feel comfortable or safe with it running while I'm moving down the road or to a gas station (we do forget!) Ron

billtheduck · 10-05-2008, 06:28 AM

Yes I did this a couple of times on my way to the campground but would shut the propane down before filling the gas tank. Open flames and gas fumes don't react well together... you could get a big bang

rvcamping · 10-17-2008, 05:28 PM

I've heard too many horror stories to make this mistake.

www.rvcampingworld.com

pete · 08-12-2009, 09:11 PM

When I bought my RV, the dealer told me it was common practice to run the fridge on propane while driving. It does work great and is nice that it switches automatically when you pull the electric power. Then when I went to the gas station and looked at my fridge vent next to the gas pump... Fortunately nothing happened but I will never do that again. II do have ideas for a simple safety device that would allow the fridge to operate without danger of explosion but now I drive with the gas turned off.
Pete

leslane · 10-01-2010, 02:56 AM

The frig in my old class B is a 3 way and when travelling it is always on 12volts, DC. I had the unfortunate experience of seeing a class A rig that was refueling when the rig erupted at the gas pumps and that made a believer out of me. I will use the propane only when stationary and only when 110 volts AC is not available.

VernM · 10-01-2010, 08:36 AM

No running with propane on here. In fact, no propane. In fact, once underway, I forget about the refrigerator. It is hooked to a solar panel system and Group 27 battery that take care of each other just fine for more days on end than I've yet discovered. 'fridge, by the way, is an Engel chest type. Love it! Its "swing compressor" technology draws less than a third of the current as the other types out there.

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