Propane: On or Off?

[Craig P.]

I've read a couple of articles now that advise against running your refer on propane while traveling. Both articles went a step further and said that the propane should be turned off at the tank.

I run my refer on AC current while traveling during the summer months, as I will usually have the genset running anyway, but there are cooler times when I don't need the A/C, so I run the refer on propane. I always try and remember to turn it off while refueling, especially since it's the law.

Some will probably consider me reckless, but I never shut off my propane, even while my RV sits idle during the winter. It has always been too much of a pain to purge the air out of the system when spring rolls around. But now that my youth if behind me , I'm wondering if I have been putting my family at risk. I'll admit, I've seen my share of RV fires along the side of the road, and each and every time the blaze is tremendous. The last one we saw was so frightful, that I went out and bought several new fire extinguishers (including one foam extinguisher) and stowed them in about 5 different places throughout the interior and storage bays of my RV.

All of this has left me wondering if I'm really unsafe, or is my practice the norm. Will shutting off my propane while in storage or on the road really render it safe?

What do you practice?

[Craig P.]

I've read a couple of articles now that advise against running your refer on propane while traveling. Both articles went a step further and said that the propane should be turned off at the tank.

I run my refer on AC current while traveling during the summer months, as I will usually have the genset running anyway, but there are cooler times when I don't need the A/C, so I run the refer on propane. I always try and remember to turn it off while refueling, especially since it's the law.

Some will probably consider me reckless, but I never shut off my propane, even while my RV sits idle during the winter. It has always been too much of a pain to purge the air out of the system when spring rolls around. But now that my youth if behind me , I'm wondering if I have been putting my family at risk. I'll admit, I've seen my share of RV fires along the side of the road, and each and every time the blaze is tremendous. The last one we saw was so frightful, that I went out and bought several new fire extinguishers (including one foam extinguisher) and stowed them in about 5 different places throughout the interior and storage bays of my RV.

All of this has left me wondering if I'm really unsafe, or is my practice the norm. Will shutting off my propane while in storage or on the road really render it safe?

What do you practice?

[digNbubbs]

I use propane for my fridge when driving, and even the furnace if it is especially cold outside. I have not read or seen or heard anything compelling enough to make me do otherwise.

However, your safety and comfort is not up to me, and I suggest doing what you feel comfortable with. Doesn't matter if everyone tells you it is safe, if you are not feeling it, shut it off. No sense in being nervous the whole time you are "enjoying" yourself

I use to shut mine off at the tank when it was in storage. It is pretty easy to fire up the stove to purge the air out. I found that once I got all three burners lit, everything else would fire up pretty easily.



--kev

[AL]

Hi All,

Craig P my answers to your poll questions were no to both. However I do always shut it down when refueling, and think that should have also been one of your poll questions!

[Craig P.]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by AL:
I do always shut it down when refueling, and think that should have also been one of your poll questions! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Thanks Al. I didn't add that as a poll question since it is required by law. It's something I plan to continue doing despite the poll.

Craig

[Paul Heuvelhorst]

Craig P.,
I only shut off my propane when the trailer goes into winter storage, 'cause I remove the tanks and store them at home in my garage.

During the season, when the trailer is parked in our driveway (6-7 mo/yr) the propane stays on as it does while we travel. The only time the refer runs on propane is when we are traveling. The rest of the time the controls switch it automatically to electric.

It's not a problem for us. When I fuel the truck, the trailer is well behind the pumps, and the refer is on the opposite side of the pumps from the gas filler on the truck. I always pull into the outside gas island, and never pull to the front pump for that very reason.

[Cruzer]

To clarify one thing - I do not shut off my propane when in storage. But, it's stored in my driveway and we may want to access it. If it was stored inside a storage facility you can bet that the tank valve would be shut off.

The reason for shutting the gas off when refueling is so that no pilot lights are lit or anything kicks in via a thermostat while there are gasoline vapors present. On my present RV I don't bother to shut it off because we have an all electric coach and the only thing that it runs is the cooktop, which has no pilot light. I also refuel at the truck pumps, where there are no gasoline fumes. I do however, shut off the hydronic heat when refueling because, while it is fueled by diesel instead of propane, it still has that ignition spark that could light any gasoline vapors wafting around. It may not be propane but it can light up any fumes just as well.

[RustyJC]

Just something to keep the discussion interesting:

Consider the case of a gasoline fuel island at a service station. Have you ever looked inside an engine starter motor when it's engaged? There's all kinds of sparking between the brushes and the commutator, as well as at the starter solenoid contacts. So, why don't we hear about explosions when vehicles are restarted, even when the vehicle might be sitting over a puddle of spilled gasoline?

Rusty

[AL]

Hi All,

A very good point Rusty JC, but sorry to say one that I don't have an answer for !!

However there is a big difference between a puddle of spilled gasoline and gasoline vapors, the second is much more easy to ignite!!

[RustyJC]

Gasoline vapors would certainly be present in the vicinity of a puddle of spilled gasoline on a hot day under a vehicle that's just pulled off the Interstate with a hot catalytic converter. Yet we don't see explosions taking place left and right as vehicles are started after fueling up.

Rusty

[Craig P.]

All very good points. Being fairly new to DP ownership, I didn't realize that diesel fuel wasn't as volatile as gasoline, but it only makes sense. Still, I plan on shutting mine off while re-fueling since it is the law and for peace of mind, as I suppose a lot of this is.

[rebelsbeach]

Mark, it's a bit interesting that you have an "all electric" coach and still have propane?

Isn't the moniker "all electric" meant to describe such a coach that is without said propane?

[Cruzer]

Yeah, technically they should call it a "95% all electric coach". The 2 burner cooktop is the only thing that uses LP. They've shrunk the tank down to 26 gallons but even so, I figure I'll probably trade the coach before I ever need to refill the LP tank. That's too bad because I have a 1,000 gallon bulk tank at work and I can have all the LP I want.

But I wouldn't trade my Amana 22 cu ft side by side residential fridge for my old Norcold 4 door RV fridge for any amount of money. I love the consistency of the residential fridge.

Tiffin probably figures that 95% is close enough. Then again, they refer to my HydroHot as "hydraunic" heating instead of "hydronic". I think they're confusing it with "hydraulic". Tiffin builds a great coach but sometimes I gotta wonder about what kind of grammar they learn down in Red Bay.

[Craig P.]

Mark,

Sorry for getting off topic, but since your refer is a residential electric type, are you forced to run your generator all the time, or does your inverter handle it?

Craig