Community Forums

Lukeaa · 02-26-2011, 11:37 PM

I don't want to be in the burn unit. I will travel with the propane off.

Luke

danf7 · 02-27-2011, 03:40 AM

I leave the propane off at the tank. In case of an accident one less thing to deal with. I run my genny when I'm traveling so the ac's and the frig run of of that.

Dan

TXiceman · 02-27-2011, 07:45 AM

We have run with the propane on for well over 20 years. The tanks all have an OPD as well as a relief valve to keep it from rupturing. A propane tank will not explode easily. A 20 gallon tank of gasoline is much more of a hazard than the UL or ASME certified tanks.

In Texas, 90 plus temperatures, the frig will NOT stay cool enough on the road during the day to protect the food. Some will freeze blue ice and use that during the day, but the frig may not recover enough during the nigh to refreeze the ice for the next day. Besides, I use my frig space for food, not blue ice.

Other than the refrigerator recall, I do not know of any RV fires caused by running with the propane on.

On another issue, some RVs use a propane fueled generator....how do you run it with the propane off. Some vehicles use propane of CNG (compressed natural gas) for fuel. They run with the fuel on.

Like so many things, propane gets the bad rap by a few running around screaming...the sky is falling, the sky is falling.

So run the frig and keep the food cold.

ken

Possum · 02-27-2011, 10:56 AM

TXiceman I guess we better not tell the "OFF" group of the explosive dangers of the flour they may have in the cupboards. The worst explosion I ever witnessed was in what is Now Thunderbay Ontario and it involved nothing more volatile than plain old flour being loaded into a huge laker.

Given the right circumstances pretty well anything will go up in flames.

Been RVing for better than 30 years (much better) and always travel with the fridge on propane.

CD · 02-27-2011, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Possum

TXiceman I guess we better no tell the "OFF" group of the explosive dangers of the flour they may have in the cupboards. The worst explosion I ever witnessed was in what id Now Thunderbay Ontario and it involved nothing more volatile than plain old flour being loaded into a huge laker.

Given the right circumstances pretty well anything will go up in flames.

Been RVing for better than 30 years (much better) and always travel with the fridge on propane.

Also dust can ruin your day. Probably more than most will accumulate in their RV.
We also run with frig on. Have been Rving for over 40 yrs.

RustyJC · 02-27-2011, 11:46 AM

Ever look inside a starter motor when it's engaged? It's a regular spark and light show. Maybe it would be a good idea to push vehicles 50 feet away from the fuel islands before starting them after refueling - you never know when gasoline vapors might be present at ground level, after all.

20 years of traveling with the propane on here.

Rusty

dajudge · 02-27-2011, 03:04 PM

Always on when travelling except when refueling. Having the refer on is no worse than a sevent five gallon tank full of gasoline, The propane tank is probably the safest thing on your rv.

autojohn · 02-27-2011, 07:00 PM

on for me

jawildman · 02-27-2011, 10:29 PM

Off. Fridge stays cold enough. Someone pointed out, that in the case of an accident, there are 3 lines that can be broken: fridge, hot water, furnace. Why make a bad situation worse?

CD · 02-27-2011, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jawildman

Off. Fridge stays cold enough. Someone pointed out, that in the case of an accident, there are 3 lines that can be broken: fridge, hot water, furnace. Why make a bad situation worse?

Your point is not without merrit but I had an experience last week that proved to me that a broken line probably won't be a big issue. I was using a weed burner and apparently shut the bottle off without shutting the burner off. When I turned it back on I couldn't get any propane. I had to shut it all off and leave it for a while then when I tried again (properly) it worked fine.

Roadhouse · 03-04-2011, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dayle1

If this was so critical, what about the 1000s of reefer vans on the road every day, traveling cross-country? They all use propane to keep the produce cold, and they are traveling for hrs/days, so there is no option to keep the propane shut off. Also, their unit is at the very front of the trailer, directly over the HDT's fuel tanks. My frig is a full 30 ft behind the truck's fuel tank and never near the fuel pumps. Also, today's propane regulators shut off the propane flow in the event of excessive gas flow due to a ruptured line.

I would worry more about gasoline fumes and a spark from cell phone use or static spark from someone climbing into and out of a car during fueling.

Now days most all reefers are are run on diesel fuel, They actualy have a small diesel unit running to power the reefer.

wa8yxm · 03-04-2011, 10:34 AM

The manuals always say PROPANE OFF when traveling.

My take on it: Let's say my maintenance on my fridge has been a bit lax. I did not have the recall satisfied and such (Which by the way is what I call a MAJOR assumption, as in I did have the recall satisifed and I do maintain it) I'm going down the road, Propane (and fridge) on, and it catches Fire, now smoke and flames are shoting out the side of my RV.. You in your 200,000 plus RV are following me on the freeway.. Are you going to pull up on the flaming side and hold position so your rig burns? (I do not think you are that stupid)

My rig is toast.. Yours.. Unharmed.

Now, option 2: I turn off propane while traveling so no fire.. You are still following me to the FMCA rally down the road.. You park your 200,000 dollar plus rig next to me in the sardine can, er, parking lot so close that if I put out my awning, it hits your rig.

Now I turn on propane, activate the firdge and the same fire happens.. Not only is my rig toast, but yours, and the person on your other side, and the person on my other side and.

Yet the insurance companies would rather I not have the propane on while driving.

Possum · 03-04-2011, 11:31 AM

I have never been informed by the provincial insurance company that I am FORCED to deal with here in BC that the propane has to be on or off. Like i said earlier in this thread I've been RVing on and off for forty years and always travel with it on. Hot water tank is always on too.