Using the propane while traveling - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Auburn War Eagle · RV-Dreams Family Member

Using the propane while traveling

Linda · Hostess

We learned at Life on Wheels that it is very unsafe to travel with the propane on. If you are in an accident with your propane on there is a better chance of leakage and the fumes igniting. Most fire departments tend to treat RV fires like car fires and forget about the possible propane consequences. We were told by Mac the fire guy that Firemen are not trained to handle RV fires as they should treat them as an aircraft fire.

Mac says that the refrigerator will hold it's cool temperatures for up to 6-8 hours and suggests putting in a battery operated aerator fan for better circulation while traveling.

We were told by our RV salesperson that the refrigerator would switch to propane for travel just like you have been doing. So for the year that is what we did until Life On Wheels. Now we travel with propane off and have not had a problem with anything spoiling or unthawing. I will say that ice cream gets a little soft. Meats and other solid frozen items show no effects.

Safety FIRST!!!!!

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Mac is a fire guy but Norm Payne contacted his RV insurance company after going to one of Mac's seminars and asked if they had ever had a claim related to running the fridge on propane while driving and they told him it had never happened. Lots of people do it and I don't care how often Mac says the fridge stays cold for many hours with a battery powered fan, in our two rigs our freezer would start to defrost within a few hours. Mac has his bias, others have theirs.

Some rig their fridge's so they run off a big inverter and they charge the batteries with the alternator while driving. They need to manually move the fridge to propane when dry camping and learn quickly not to forget since the fridge will kill the batteries in 10 to 12 hours. Since most RV fires come from the 12 volt wiring some of us suspect it would be more dangerous to run the fridge off an inverter than on propane. We had our old RV wired this way so we could run down the road using electricity for the fridge and didn't bother this time, now we use propane.

Dick Nason · RV-Dreams Community Member

We leave our Refrig. on propane while travling, but if we need to fuel up during the trip (we try not to) we turn off the propane before pulling up to the fuel pumps. I not really worried if the only fuel being pumped is diesel but if there is gas being pumped nearby I just don't want to take the chance of the pilot light igniting the gas fumes.

Old Snipe · RV-Dreams Family Member

I'm unfamiliar with towed Rv's. Don't they use the same type 'fridges that run on both propane and 12V battery power like most motorhomes? Or are they only 120V or propane only?

I respectfully disagree with what Mac teaches at the LOW. There are enough built in safety devices in the LP systems found in modern RV's that the propane danger is minor, compared to gasoline and diesel fuel. I don't thing RV manufacturers would leave themselves open to litigation if the propane appliances were so dangerous. Just my opinion and I could be mistaken.

That being said, it's wonderful that we all have the freedom to do as we feel best. If you're more comfortable keeping the propane off, it's all about having fun and getting away from worries. If you feel running the 'fridge while going down the road is fine, then go for it.

I'm much more worried about drivers that merge into my lane on the freeway without yielding, now that's really terrifying!

Best Regards!

-- Edited by Old Snipe at 18:50, 2006-10-09

blijil · RV-Dreams Family Member

Propane will operate the refrigerater safely while traveling. There are risks when traveling at the fuel pump, with an accident, and when things don't work like they are supposed to because of road vibration etc. A fire in a RV is always bad and fire extinquishers might keep you safe but don't often stop extensive damage to the RV. Firemen always arrive too late to help in an RV fire. So IMO the risk to a trailer is in damage to the unit, the risk in a MH is primarily to the unit but increases the risk to the operator or passengers. New modern units are safer than those of the past but why take the risk?

One day in the hospital or one day watching your home burn down is not worth the inconvenience to us. By the way we did watch our houseboat burn to the water after we jumped in the lake but it wasn't caused by propane. (That is another dumb dumb dumb story.) The propane fireworks were spectacular when the bottle valves melted off (they were closed), so stay away from the fire and watch it burn.

Just be safe,

Larry

jomago · RV-Dreams Family Member

As an answer to old snipe- yes some MH ref had 3 way boards. But several I am familiar with had a lot of trouble with the circuit board and quite often only worked on 120 vac and propane.The problem may have been worked out, but several of my friends still have only 120 and propane , even after several new/replaced circuit boards. But again that has no direct application to the posted comment.

Do know that when we got all three of our MH's it was clearly stated not to use propane while traveling. Do know that once back east I had to make a long detour because I could not take propane thru a tunnel.

We always run our genset to provide roof top a/c and ref electricity when on longer trips. Shortewr trips up to 5-6 hrs, just load ref and cool down good over night before starting out next moring. But it's your RV so do what you think best suits your want/needs.

Think for me it is what is safest and not what I can get away with. Lately if something can go wrong it will go wrong for "ME".

Again be safe--- not sorry is my motto.

Dick Nason · RV-Dreams Community Member

I just recently sold our 2000 Tradewinds MH and bought a 2007 NUWA Champange fifth wheel. Our Tradewinds had a propane gen set so if we wanted to use the the roof air conditioners while taveling we had to run the gen set which we did when ever it was hot outside. However, the gen set had a seperate feed from the main tank than the rest of the coach. Our refrig was only 120vac and propane, no 12vdc. Our fifth wheel only has 120vac and propane as well.

If one is only traveling short distances it's probably wise to turn off the propane, but if its hot and a long day of traveling I know the refrig will warm up and the ice cream will melt.

jomago · RV-Dreams Family Member

Gee whiz - whats with the ice cream that melts,

After my broad shoulders slide south and my pants shrunk from hanging in the closet to long, I had to stop buying ice cream and cookies.

Enjoy that ice cream and other good stuff, and have another bite for me.

Howard · Host

Those that have mentioned that RVs are now built to travel with the propane on and have numerous safety features built in to the propane system are correct. Propane appliances in an RV are not inherently that dangerous (although I wouldn't go as far as to say RV manufacturers wouldn't open themselves up to litigation - they will do anything their customers want ).

And propane rarely causes RV fires, which is why there will rarely, if ever, be any insurance claims filed citing traveling with propane on as a cause.

So traveling with the propane on is not the dangerous part (relatively speaking). Having an accident with the propane on causing damage to the system and letting the propane flow freely is the dangerous part. The fire guys simply say, that in an accident, it's best if the propane had been turned off as that will reduce the further risk.

So, to each his own. It's a matter of weighing the risk of losing food with the risk of being in an accident with the propane on and having increased damage or harm result.

By the way, it is illegal to have locks on propane compartment doors. Your RV shouldn't have any locks on those although some owners have been known to put them on in violation of the law.

Luvglass · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hi,
One of the safety features we have in our system is that the regulator is designed for a measured amount of flow, and if the line breaks or is otherwise totally opened the system shuts off completely.
Fred