bukhrn
Lanexa, Va
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BB_TX wrote:I always have mine cooled and ready at least the day before we leave. Then I have it in auto during the entire trip. It switches from electric to propane and back as I connect or disconnect to electric hookups. Always on propane while traveling. X-2, always travel with it on, as far as level,close is good enough.
2007 Forester 2941DS
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fla-gypsy
North Florida
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That is what it is designed to do
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ElbyJ
Meridian, Idaho
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CA Traveler wrote:ElbyJ wrote:Thanks much for all the replies on the question. They were very helpful. Yes, we do keep the RV in off-site storage. No way to plug in the RV the night before departure, since there is no room in front of the house to park the RV and the SUV. Another alternate is to run a cord from the house to the RV, but that would be approximately 150-200 feet in length. I like a lot of the ideas, but still there wasn't a positive yes or no answer. It is basically up to your choosing and how much you care about safety. Or should I say, how much disagreement you get from your wife. For me the risk of propane on while driving is very small.
Another area to turn off the propane is while at a gasoline station.
You should be fine with 200' of cord. See if you can borrow some and check the voltage. Plug in, wait for the charger to charge the battery and use less amps, start the refer and then measure the voltage. No AC or other heavy loads.
Use 12ga cords either 2 100' or 100' + 50'. I would NOT use a smaller cord. I seriously doubt that you will need 10ga cords.
You might want or need to consider a dedicated 20A plug. Most household circuits are multiple plugs on a circuit so there could be other draws.
Having enough cords is not a problem for me, it is having to lay the cords on the street to get to the RV. I have several dedicated 20AMP breakers in the garage that I use for holiday decorations, so that is not a problem either.
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BigBoy11
Chambersburg, PA
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Joined: 06/03/2012
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One method to help cool down the fridge before we leave and help keep it cold while traveling is freeze bottles of water (the 16.9 oz size) and put some in both the freezer and fridge section. This is in addition to pre-cooling prior to leaving (a couple of hours is fine on ours) and running the fridge on propane while traveling except when re-fueling or in tunnels of course. That way you have nice, ice-cold water for drinking in addition to getting the fridge nice and cold for food storage. We also bring frozen homemade chili, soup, etc. which helps cool everything down. Every little bit helps.
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JC2
Mo
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Joined: 11/05/2004
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This is so simple and shouldn't be difficult to do. 24 hrs before you get ready to leave, turn the fridge on and switch to auto mode. It will automatically switch to lp mode to cool down in this time frame since ac is not present. Make sure your battery fluid is up and the batterie(s) is in good condition. This cool down can be done whether it's at the storage lot or parked at your house. Lp usuage will be minimal and the fridge will be set for packing food stuff in 24 hrs. Leave the fridge on lp while travelling and only momentarily shut it off when required in tunnels, etc or if fueling up. They are designed to run this way and should an accident happen, safety devices will shut the propane off. You can what if all day long or repeat what someone else may have said or heard about an rv catching fire but it doesn't mean these things are unsafe. When you get to the cg and plug in, it will revert to cooling by ac by default. Keep it simple and enjoy yourself.
2004 Newmar DSDP 4015,370hp Cummins ISL,Spartan MM Chassis,2008 Saturn Vue,FMCA #402879,NKK 19776
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popeyemth
owensboro ky
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I call BS on any claims to have seen any motor home or travel trailer or camper of any kind "catch fire" or "blow up" in any gas station anywhere because "gas fumes ignited from the pilot light /burner"
BS !
Give some particulars if this is true
Gas fumes are heavier than air and it's virtually beyond belief they could possibly build to the height of a burner even if the gas station was in a hole in the ground
Classic "Myth" or just speculation repeated till its believed to be fact- never happened
Much more likely your electric brakes dragging across the backing plate will spark a fire- and yet that never happens either
"wine is a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy" ben franklin
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wbwood
Mooresville/Troutman, NC area
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popeyemth wrote:I call BS on any claims to have seen any motor home or travel trailer or camper of any kind "catch fire" or "blow up" in any gas station anywhere because "gas fumes ignited from the pilot light /burner"
BS !
Give some particulars if this is true
Gas fumes are heavier than air and it's virtually beyond belief they could possibly build to the height of a burner even if the gas station was in a hole in the ground
Classic "Myth" or just speculation repeated till its believed to be fact- never happened
Much more likely your electric brakes dragging across the backing plate will spark a fire- and yet that never happens either
Not jumping in on the BS quote, but I've wondered this at times to. My refrigerator in my camper sits probably 20 ft back and on the opposite side of my gas tank fill on my truck. In between that, is my battery on the front of my camper that could spark. When I crank up my truck, there are spark plugs less than 8-10 ft away sparking plus another battery in the truck that could cause a spark. We don't smoke, but would that mean people inside the cars stop smoking? I see them doing it all the time. I think you have a more highly likelihood of a spark starting a fire in the winter time with static electricity. And even then, those are rare.
On another note. We keep ours in storage as well and don't pull it out until the day of or the day before our trip. I have gone over to storage and turned on the fridge with the propane and let it cool while sitting there. No issues.
Brian
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popeyemth
owensboro ky
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wbwood wrote:popeyemth wrote:I call BS on any claims to have seen any motor home or travel trailer or camper of any kind "catch fire" or "blow up" in any gas station anywhere because "gas fumes ignited from the pilot light /burner"
BS !
Give some particulars if this is true
Gas fumes are heavier than air and it's virtually beyond belief they could possibly build to the height of a burner even if the gas station was in a hole in the ground
Classic "Myth" or just speculation repeated till its believed to be fact- never happened
Much more likely your electric brakes dragging across the backing plate will spark a fire- and yet that never happens either
Not jumping in on the BS quote, but I've wondered this at times to. My refrigerator in my camper sits probably 20 ft back and on the opposite side of my gas tank fill on my truck. In between that, is my battery on the front of my camper that could spark. When I crank up my truck, there are spark plugs less than 8-10 ft away sparking plus another battery in the truck that could cause a spark. We don't smoke, but would that mean people inside the cars stop smoking? I see them doing it all the time. I think you have a more highly likelihood of a spark starting a fire in the winter time with static electricity. And even then, those are rare.
On another note. We keep ours in storage as well and don't pull it out until the day of or the day before our trip. I have gone over to storage and turned on the fridge with the propane and let it cool while sitting there. No issues.
I afraid my point was missed-it's not the SOURCE of possible spark /flame that is supposedly responsible for igniting gas fumes but the virtual impossibility that gas fumes can build up in a gas station-even poured on the ground, gas fumes are HEAVIER THAN AIR and immediately disperse.
I only mentioned brake wiring/sparks because they are the lowest ignition sources that sprang to mind-yet they never start fires at gas stations
Untold millions of gallons of gas have been pumped and spilt around people smoking or lighting tobacco products but fires from that are less likely than meteor strikes
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jetboater454
Camping or home
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popeyemth wrote:
Untold millions of gallons of gas have been pumped and spilt around people smoking or lighting tobacco products but fires from that are less likely than meteor strikes
Great,now with looking for smokers by the pumps I need to look up at the sky.
"If momma not happy  ....Who cares.I have my TH AND my toys  .
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popeyemth
owensboro ky
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Or just wait for one of the rumored /mythical explosions to launch someone's camper into the sky
Happens all the time in the movies
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