jreeves Report post Posted November 9, 2015 New to the RV life style and needing a lot of advise. Will be making a long drive cross country. Would like to keep the refrigerator running. I also realize it is not safe having the propane on with a pilot going when filling up. What is the best and safest procedure to follow? Thanks - Jim Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildebill308 Report post Posted November 10, 2015 New to the RV life style and needing a lot of advise. Will be making a long drive cross country. Would like to keep the refrigerator running. I also realize it is not safe having the propane on with a pilot going when filling up. What is the best and safest procedure to follow? Thanks - Jim Jim welcome to the forum. If you put your coach info in your signature you can get better answers. The safest way is to turn off the refrigerator and the hot water heater before you fuel and don't forget to turn them back on after. Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted November 10, 2015 Yup, turn off the refrigerator vs turning off the propane. The reason-- it the refrigerator PC board calls for "cooling", the igniter will spark. Not what you want around gasoline. Even if you have a diesel rig, the guy filling next to you may have a gasoline rig! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbutler Report post Posted November 10, 2015 Regarding propane rules. There are certain tunnels which prohibit vehicles with propane. I know of tunnels around Boston and New York City with this prohibition. I'm not aware of others but there likely are a few other locations. Just be watching for signs regarding vehicles with propane in those situations. Also, loading your coach on any ferry will require shutting off the propane at the tank. They will typically issue a tag that must be attached to the propane tank valve stem indicating that the propane is turned off. In your travels you may never encounter these rules but it is good to be aware of them since you are transporting propane. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jana0623 Report post Posted November 10, 2015 Or you could take the other approach and turn the appliances off, and the propane at the tank when you leave one place, and turn it back on when you stop for the day. It is my understanding that the refrigerator should be good for 8-12 hours off, even in warm weather, particularly if you keep the door closed. If you have a residential refrigerator (many newer high end motorhomes) you can go much longer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted November 10, 2015 If you do decide to leave the refrigerator off, PLEASE invest $11 and put a remote read thermometer in it so you know when it is getting too hot. You can set the display on the dash when driving and know what is happening. Better than HOPING not to get food poisoning. http://www.acurite.com/indoor-outdoor-thermometer-00380.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaypsmith Report post Posted November 10, 2015 There should be no problem with using the fridge on propane while traveling, but if you choose to turn it off, in addition to Brett's suggestion for thermometer, you can use a bag of ice in the fridge for prolonged cooling. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildebill308 Report post Posted November 10, 2015 I think turning off the refrigerator is not the best way to go even with a monitor. RV refrigerators don't cool down like your home unit. Remember how you have to turn it on 12-24 hours before the trip so it will be cold when you stock it to leave. So you are watching your temperature monitor and it is creeping into the danger zone. You turn on the refrigerator and it takes several hours before it starts to bring down the temperature. In the mean time the temperature will continue to rise and you can't stop it. I leave my refrigerator on (except for fuelling) all the time. Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
robfmca Report post Posted November 10, 2015 My preference is to shut down the propane while traveling and run the generator. Refrigerator stays on all the time and allows me to use the house AC if needed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildebill308 Report post Posted November 10, 2015 My preference is to shut down the propane while traveling and run the generator. Refrigerator stays on all the time and allows me to use the house AC if needed. Cost a whole lot more if you don't need the roof air to run the generator just to power the refrigerator. Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted November 10, 2015 Cost a whole lot more if you don't need the roof air to run the generator just to power the refrigerator. Bill AND, bad for the generator. Bad for any engine to run at or close to no load. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
