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08-28-2016, 04:20 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 24
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Gas or electric which is better?
When cooling down your refrigerator which works better? When you are at an RV park which is better for the fridge.
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2016 StarCraft Ultralight 22BUD
2016 Chevrolet Tahoe
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08-28-2016, 04:23 PM
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#2
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Community Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 53,429
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It's best to cool it down before you get there ( 24 hours ). I would not use propane at a CG if I had electric.
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Cliff,Tallulah and Buddy ( 1999-2012 )
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08-28-2016, 04:33 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Keeseville ny
Posts: 648
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I agree totally.
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08-28-2016, 05:27 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Somewhere On the Road
Posts: 1,213
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When at home and just starting the frig cool down we use the gas setting - works faster than the electric option. After the initial cool-down and whenever power is available we use that - and all works well ...
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Steve
2015 Itasca Ellipse QD | 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
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08-28-2016, 05:56 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: SoCal
Posts: 15,749
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lv2Roam2
When at home and just starting the frig cool down we use the gas setting - works faster than the electric option. After the initial cool-down and whenever power is available we use that - and all works well ...
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This aligns to my experience.
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Vince and Susan
2011 Tiffin Phaeton 40QTH (Cummins ISC/Freightliner)
Flat towing a modified 2005 Jeep (Rubicon Wrangler)
Previously a 2002 Fleetwood Pace Arrow 37A and a 1995 Safari Trek 2830.
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08-28-2016, 07:42 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 7,469
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Always use electric when it's available.
If you are not paying separately for electric its more economical. Saves you on the cost of propane and reduces your trips to fill the propane tank.
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US Navy Vet, Liberty Tree Member of Oath Keepers, NRA & VFW Life Member, Alaska EMT.
2009 Safari Cheetah 40 SKQ
2009 Winnebago Chalet 231CR
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08-28-2016, 08:01 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Cedar Falls, IA
Posts: 2,226
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If it is hot outside, we use propane even in a campground. A refrigerator doesn't use much gas. We use electric only in moderate temps in a campground.
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08-29-2016, 06:58 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 2,750
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It's my understanding that these fridges use so little propane that it's not even worth being concerned about. I find our fridge cools better on gas and generally leave it on that setting. The big propane drain is the furnace and to a lesser degree the water heater.
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Burns & Diane
2005 Winnebago Aspect 26A/2012 Subaru Impreza toad
Illinois! - Where the politicians make the license plates......
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08-29-2016, 07:13 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Mcdonough, Ga.
Posts: 5,927
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I went to factory school on the Dometic and Norcold refrigerators. They had cutouts of cooling units that were restricted and had to be replaced. I noticed that the restrictions were right where the electric elements sat. I asked the instructor if this was caused by the heating element getting hot in a much smaller area than the gas flame area. He said the factory approach was both were equal, but he and most of the guys at the factory felt Gas was better and would prolong the life of the cooling coil. I run my refrigerator on gas almost all the time.
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1998 Pace Arrow 35 ft. F53 Ford V10 2014 Honda CRV toad
32 years mechanic at Delta Air Lines 15 year motorhome service manager. 3 popups....2 travel trailers....5 motorhomes....loved them all.
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08-29-2016, 09:43 AM
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#10
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Community Moderator
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Between the Oceans
Posts: 8,026
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do you have an 'auto' on the power selection? select that then enjoy life.
my auto always turn to electric whenever it's present.
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Steven & Polly
2000 Country Coach Intrigue 40' ISC 350
2018 Ford Explorer 4WD
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08-29-2016, 11:59 AM
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#11
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: West Palm Beach, FL. USA
Posts: 27,563
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Older fridges had weak electric heat elements and generally worked better (faster cooling) on gas. Newer ones have more powerful electric heaters and the difference in cooling time is probably insignificant.
Once the heat is sufficient to boil the ammonia coolant, adding more heat doesn't really make it any colder or cool any faster. There are no doubt some marginal conditions where electric heat is barely enough and the gas does better, but that would NOT be in high outside temperatures. Cooling in hot weather depends largely on the ability of the condensor fins at the top of the cooling unit to quickly shed heat, and then for the evaporator fins in the two cooling sections to do likewise. A hotter burner, whether gas or electric, doesn't help any.
Since it seems to be an article of faith among RVers that gas cools faster/better, I've probably wasted my energy typing this.
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Gary Brinck
Former owner of 2004 American Tradition and several other RVs
Home is West Palm Beach, FL
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08-29-2016, 12:20 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: High up in Arizona
Posts: 2,050
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gary RVRoamer
Older fridges had weak electric heat elements and generally worked better (faster cooling) on gas. Newer ones have more powerful electric heaters and the difference in cooling time is probably insignificant.
Once the heat is sufficient to boil the ammonia coolant, adding more heat doesn't really make it any colder or cool any faster. There are no doubt some marginal conditions where electric heat is barely enough and the gas does better, but that would NOT be in high outside temperatures. Cooling in hot weather depends largely on the ability of the condensor fins at the top of the cooling unit to quickly shed heat, and then for the evaporator fins in the two cooling sections to do likewise. A hotter burner, whether gas or electric, doesn't help any.
Since it seems to be an article of faith among RVers that gas cools faster/better, I've probably wasted my energy typing this.
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Most likely this is a true statement but I agree that electric works just as fast as gas in my coach and anytime I can hook into a plug I will run things that way. Interesting about the older electrical units not being as good because that seemed to be the case with my older 97 Adventurer.
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2019 Allegro Bus 37AP towing a Jeep JK Rubicon Wrangler
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08-29-2016, 12:21 PM
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#13
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ga traveler
I went to factory school on the Dometic and Norcold refrigerators. They had cutouts of cooling units that were restricted and had to be replaced. I noticed that the restrictions were right where the electric elements sat. I asked the instructor if this was caused by the heating element getting hot in a much smaller area than the gas flame area. He said the factory approach was both were equal, but he and most of the guys at the factory felt Gas was better and would prolong the life of the cooling coil. I run my refrigerator on gas almost all the time.
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I heard the exact same thing. Also, cooling unit failures on models without the ARP control happen on AC mode. Now, it's off level operation that eventually causes the failure but apparently it's been noted to occur on AC rather than LP. Maybe because it's a direct heat source on the flu tubing rather than at the bottom of the flue opening.
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08-29-2016, 02:45 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 8,638
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I turn mine on several days before a trip with electric mode then gas or genny while driving then back to electric once I reach my destination.
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2007 Fleetwood Revolution LE 40V
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