Do you guys turn off your propane powered fridges when filling up with gas? Don't they have an open flame??

Thanks!!

We've never shut anything off when fueling, except the engine. I believe the fridge is operating on 12 volts when you're towing.

It is recommended to do so although I admit I never have.Mine will only run on propane when towing and can run either electric or propane when hooked up .

We shut our gas off when traveling for safty reasons. We attended Mac McCoy's fire safty course with Life On Wheels. He recomends turning you gas off when traveling. We have never had a problem with the food staying cold as long as we keep the refrigerator door shut . It would be very dangerous to have a flame of any kind in the vicinity of gas pumps.

Like Dream Reachers, we NEVER travel with the propane on. At a course we went to before we bought the trailer a film was shown of an RV accident. One line was ruptured and the propane fed the fire till no RV was left. THe instructor explained that you should always turn the propane off when moving. I know most do not but we do.

The propane control switch on our rig has a safety mechanism that shuts off the flow if a line breaks and the gas flow becomes too high. I believe that all newer propane systems have this safety now.

Luvglass wrote:

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The propane control switch on our rig has a safety mechanism that shuts off the flow if a line breaks and the gas flow becomes too high.

I believe that all newer propane systems have this safety now.

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Fred,

I don't think the issue is a line break; the issue is that on propane the fridge uses an open flame to heat the ammonia. Any open flame is potentially dangerous in a gas station.

We turn off both the fridge and the propane while traveling and the fridge always stays cold.

Grant

 

The turning off of propane tanks while traveling is an absolute safety.

However, the instance of a propane line rupturing is so seldom as to be non-existant. In the event of a line break, the excess flow valve in the tank will stop the flow instantly.

If you don't believe that, turn off the tanks, open a burner on the stove, quickly open the tank valve. Flow stops immediately. This is built into the tanks since the old POL valve was removed from the industry. After this test, the issue is to get the excess flow valve open again. Pressure has to be almost equal on both sides to get it to open again.

Fueling while the fridge is in operation is also a moot point. Most of us are diesel users, and mostly go to the truck lanes to get access to the high flow pumps. The flash point of diesel is somewhere in the 130 to 150 degree range. Meaning the temperature of the diesel has to be that hot to evolve gasses that will ignite if contact with a spark or flame is met.

However, with all that said, you will do what you wish or feel safe doing. For one, I leave the fridge in operation on propane while traveling and fueling. In all my years operating gas plants and refineries, I never had a propane fire, even at the truck loading racks. Once, a naphtha rail car was ignited by lightening (the loader had failed to ground the car), once a tower overfilled and released light straight run out the relief valve, once a valve failed and released kerosene.

End result, in a wreck, the least worry is propane escaping.

-- Edited by 53 Merc on Wednesday 27th of January 2010 09:01:18 AM

We have always turned off our propane when traveling. I read some literature published by Mac McCoy and followed his advice since we have been full-timing. Our food stays cold while we travel because we try our best not to travel more than about 200 miles per day and even when we go further it is ok.

I wish everyone could attend one of Mac Mcoys' fire safty classes it is very enlightening. He bases his advise on actual fires that have been investigated not on speculation. Safty is not always based on probabilities but possibilities. Just like the no smoking signs at the gas pumps. I have seen people smoke near the pumps and not explode or cause a fire but it isn't a safe practice just as filling up near gas pumps with a flame going on a gas water heater isn't a safe practice. If I can travel with the propane off and my food can stay cold why would I take a chance of harming myself or others.

I saw a video from a security camera at a gas station where a person was filling their motorhome tank and a fire erupted, the ignition cause was determined to be the flame from the refrigerator of the motorhome. The gas tank fill was located near the refrigerator vent door (bad design) so the flame was close to the gas fumes. With a TT or a 5th wheel the chances of a fire of this type are very slim, since the tow vehicle gas fill is located far from the fridge flame. I'm still cautious when filling if another RV pulls up next to me, I look to see if their fridge vent is near. Although, I nearly made the mistake of filling my generator gas tank, from a leaky plastic gas can with the water heater flame going. The filler for the generator tank is located about 2 feet from the water heater. Always be aware of flame vs. gas situations..... The suggested method is to shut off the propane when travelling for better safety. If the refrigerator has reached peak cold, the food will be OK for 8-10 hours as long as the door remains closed. I don't follow this method and for over 30 years haven't had a problem...knock on wood.

I really don't think about it because I pull a TT and my pick up is a diesel, however I do try to fill up without the trailer simply because then I don't have to watch for overhead clearances or drive way approaches.

With our motorhome, we travelled with the frig running on propane, and didn't really think about it too much.  We had this similar discussion at the rally in Branson, and started to feel a little less comfortable with running the frig while travelling, but we still did it -- especially on the way TO a vacation.  On the way HOME, the frig is usually almost empty and I would sometimes turn it off.

Now with the new 5er, I've been turning the frig off (I usually turn it on and get it loaded with food about 1 day before we leave) when we travel.  We haven't gone on any really long trips (distance-wise), and we're not in the rig, opening and closing the frig, while we travel, and we haven't had any issues with stuff not staying cold enough.

I think we'll stay with this method, especially when we're finally full-timing, since we don't plan on travelling more than 250 miles in a day, for the most part.

I do believe the question was *while fueling up* ? Not the debate about driving with LP on or off. Before we pull into any fuel station, we do turn the fridge to OFF and sometimes the propane furnace if it was needed. I clip a white clothespin to the steering wheel with the word FRIDGE written on it when I do turn it off. So then we remember once we drive away from the pumping area, we then turn them back on. I personally feel that if any of the three appliances (the fridge, the furnace or the LP water heater) are dangerous if they automatically ignite the pilot light or burner while fueling up, as all are located close to the front of our rig on the driver's side where the fueling takes place. We are diesel, which I guess has a lower flammability? Even still, I feel better with it turned off during fueling. We also may be situated next to some other pump where someone else is filling up with gasoline.

I always intend to but almost always forget. Anyway the fridge is a good 20' or so away from the fuel fill tube anyway.