Community Forums

trode · 06-12-2014, 02:43 PM

Still curious and confused about the policy of turning off appliances while you fuel up. Since I am pulling into a gas station with potentially 1-10-15 cars already there and fueling, and my refrigerator, water heater (not mine but some), heater is already on, what would be the point of turning them off just while I fuel my rig? I guess to be effective you would have to stop a block before the station and turn those things off. I just don't get the point of them being off only while you fuel your rig.

edgray · 06-12-2014, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trode

Still curious and confused about the policy of turning off appliances while you fuel up. Since I am pulling into a gas station with potentially 1-10-15 cars already there and fueling, and my refrigerator, water heater (not mine but some), heater is already on, what would be the point of turning them off just while I fuel my rig? I guess to be effective you would have to stop a block before the station and turn those things off. I just don't get the point of them being off only while you fuel your rig.

My gas fill and refer intake, with a fan SUCKING air into the area behind the refer, are about 3-4 feet apart. I confess there have been plenty of times when I "forgot" to turn of the LP burner of the frig while fueling, but I think it is prudent to do so, and consider myself lucky. YMMV.

TeJay · 06-12-2014, 04:29 PM

Well I don't want to appear that I don't care or that I don't think that there is some hazard when filling a fuel tank but I am reminded of the years, and years that we drove into a SERVICE STATION and the attendant filled our tank with a butt hanging out of the corner of his mouth. We never once exploded. I never read once that anybody else exploded.

Ever wonder why the first 10 pages of every owners manual is filled with CAUTIONS, CAUTIONS don't do this and don't do that etc. LIKE: Don't drink gasoline if might hurt you. Don't stick your finger in a light socket it might kill you. Don't point a gun at your face it might kill you. LAWYERS TRYING TO MAKE A BUCK

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO USING COMMON SENSE???? WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL??? I'm off the box

We have never turned off our fridge while fueling and don't plan to start now.
TeJay

al2ride · 06-12-2014, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeJay

Well I don't want to appear that I don't care or that I don't think that there is some hazard when filling a fuel tank but I am reminded of the years, and years that we drove into a SERVICE STATION and the attendant filled our tank with a butt hanging out of the corner of his mouth. We never once exploded. I never read once that anybody else exploded.

Ever wonder why the first 10 pages of every owners manual is filled with CAUTIONS, CAUTIONS don't do this and don't do that etc. LIKE: Don't drink gasoline if might hurt you. Don't stick your finger in a light socket it might kill you. Don't point a gun at your face it might kill you. LAWYERS TRYING TO MAKE A BUCK

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO USING COMMON SENSE???? WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE INDIVIDUAL??? I'm off the box

We have never turned off our fridge while fueling and don't plan to start now.
TeJay

trode · 06-13-2014, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeJay

Well I don't want to appear that I don't care or that I don't think that there is some hazard when filling a fuel tank but I am reminded of the years, and years that we drove into a SERVICE STATION and the attendant filled our tank with a butt hanging out of the corner of his mouth. We never once exploded. I never read once that anybody else exploded. TeJay

Wow that brought back a memory, when I was a kid our local service station (for real back then) was owned and operated by a man who smoked a pipe, always. When working on cars, pumping gas, writing up your bill, etc... Never without that lit pipe in his mouth. My Dad used to get upset by it when he stopped for gas on rainy days, because the guy would turn the pipe upside down when he came out to pump you gas so the rain would not put it out! His place never blew up either!!

Gordon Dewald · 06-13-2014, 10:40 PM

One of the scariest times ever was when we stopped to fuel the MH in a small town in Colorado. Friend and I were skiing and stopped for fuel on the way to next ski hill.

Friend came over and tapped me on the shoulder while I was filling tanks. There was a fuel truck sitting in one of the bays. There was a small stream of gasoline coming from a crack in the tank, falling on the floor and running into the sump.

Needless to say we filled quickly, paid the bill and left. Never heard of the place blowing up. But . . . . . . .

Now that I have grown older, learned a bunch of things about life and would like to stay in it a good while longer I have come to some conclusions about not doing things to increase the chances of leaving early.

Yes we did a lot of things that were stupid then and still seem stupid now. Just because we got away with it is not justification to continue doing it now. I used to sneak out of the house and jump off the roof to do it. Wont find me doing that now, I am smarter, I own a ladder and have set it up!! When I get smarter I likely will just walk down the stairs and use the door. LOL

It is amazing that guys who will replace a set of tires for 3000+ just because they are 8 years old are defending their ability to fuel their 100,000+/- motor home without pushing the button to turn off the fridge, turning the thermostat down so the furnace does not cut in and turning the switch off so the water heater does not fire up.

In both cases they are risking their lives, the lives of their partners and pets, and their motor home. Tires are costly, switches are an inconvenience. What is the rationale?

Solask · 06-13-2014, 10:47 PM

I just read in my manual that my coach has a 15 minute LP lockout that happens automatically after turning engine off! So I suppose I don't have to worry about it.

TeJay · 06-14-2014, 07:57 AM

Gordon,
I don't disagree with your thoughts concerning fueling any vehicle. Simply pointing out the standard practices of the times. We are all aware of the things that were done as a matter of course for years and years with apparent few mishaps.

Just the other day I read that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 2 men will get some form of cancer. That's a 25% & 50% chance. Those are very high percentages and I guess we don't have much control over it either. What are the odds of a vehicle catching on fire during a fill-up??? Maybe 1 in 50,000, or even 100,000 or even greater. We never buy lottery tickets because of the very high odds against winning. Others will say, "Yes the odds are high but somebody has to win."

Odds are a funny thing. If two or three 777 or 747 airplanes crashed over a 3-6 week period killing all on board the FAA would ground the fleet to determine the cause. Yet 250 people die everyday day from smoking and yet we/they do nothing as drastic or dramatic. Many, many individuals still make their bad choices (smoking) and want the docs to fix them and the insurance to pay for it.

We never travel with our furnace operating. Well at least so far. Usually the engine heat keeps the coach warm enough. Maybe we will start shutting the fridge off since we've pushed the envelope long enough. We can always improve our ODDS of survival by doing so perhaps only to be taken by a drunk driver (which is also a choice) or by cancer.

Happy miles,

TeJay

Doc Hugh · 06-14-2014, 11:17 AM

Regarding Fuel (Engine and LP Gas) our MH Owner's Manual states, in part, the following safety precautions, among numerous others:
1. Do not smoke when filling vehicle fuel tank, generator fuel tank (if separate) or LP gas tank.
2. Extinguish all pilot lights/turn off all appliances before refueling.
3. Do not fill the fuel tank or LP gas tank when the vehicle engine or generator are running.
4. Do not bring or store fuel or LP gas containers or other flammable liquids inside the vehicle. Vapours can be vented or released causing breathing difficulties or an explosion or fire.
5. Etc.

Our MH has the LPG auto-shut off on engine shut-down feature as well, but what if re-ignition happens to occur while refueling is in process?

I concur with a number of others that the safest practice by individual RVers when refueling is to shut down the vehicle engine and generator, turn off all appliances (or turn off LP tank in one step) and mitigate any static discharge risks to the extent possible within our control.

Safe Travels!

mel s · 06-14-2014, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doc Hugh

I concur with a number of others that the safest practice by individual RVers when refueling is to shut down the vehicle engine and generator, turn off all appliances.

Doc Hugh
I agree

Common sense should tell everyone that everything should be turned OFF when fueling.
However, as will Rodgers said “common sense ain't common”, judging by some of the replies!

Mel
'96 Safari

al2ride · 06-14-2014, 01:12 PM

We are more likely to die from a heart attack after years of eating bad food than we are of being blown up at a gas station.

Doc Hugh · 06-14-2014, 06:10 PM

While the risk of dying from a heart attack is indeed significantly higher than being blown up refuelling at a gas station, we should try to mitigate the risk factors in both cases in any event. Just sayin'.

Alan Wilson · 06-15-2014, 05:59 AM

I guess I will not be fueling up when I see another RV fueling up. I can't believe no one will take 30 seconds to turn off a flame. Gas vapors flash ignite and they can get into your MH. Live with your son in an IC burn unit for a month and you will get whole new respect for what fire can do in seconds. PLEASE, PLEASE, TAKE A FEW SECONDS AND TURN OFF THE FLAMES IN YOUR RV WHEN YOU FUEL UP! Even if you care nothing for yourself, the life you save may be someone else's.

al2ride · 06-15-2014, 06:39 AM

I'd guess that thousands of RVs pull into a gas station every year with their propane refrigerators running. I have never heard of a gas station incident caused by an RV. I understand safety first, but I think this one is OCD. Instead of obsessing about an RV blowing up in a gas station, why not obsess on what you eat, what you smoke, or what you drink....those statistics are real. Jus' sayin'