Community Forums

pmaen · 06-20-2021, 12:56 PM

We have a problem and I am hoping someone can help. We have a 23IKSS Forest River Shamrock, (exactly the same as a 23IKSS Roo) My husband was a safety trainer before he retired and hence, our problem. He refuses to run the propane while we are traveling, safety first... Always

!! We put ice paks in our fridge and turn it off while traveling, but the last couple of days it was 106 and the fridge couldn't stay cool enough, got up to 60 degrees, there goes the food. My question is, we are plugged into the truck during travel, can we just not turn off the fridge and run off the truck battery? or will this drain the battery too quickly? are there other problems with this idea? or is that people just don't do it because they run off propane? We are getting solar soon and they say that we can run the fridge while we are traveling if our solar batteries are charged, but don't know much about that either. Anybody have a good idea?

wolfe10 · 06-20-2021, 12:59 PM

What refrigerator do you have?

Some (few) have a 12 VDC element.

Others only propane and 120 VAC for heat sources.

If the latter, the 120 VAC element will only run while you are on the road if you have an INVERTER.

Do you have a refrigerator with 12 VDC element OR do you have an inverter?

TXiceman · 06-20-2021, 07:48 PM

First off, these units were designed to be used mobile and there is not a thing wrong to operate them while traveling. Just be sure to shut them off at the control panel when getting fuel.

Some insurance and RV safety "experts" have made a big deal of refrigerator fires. There have been a few documented cases of a frig fire due to a faulty design on the fridges.

We have RVed since 1984 and always ran with the fridge operating as have thousands of others and we have yet to blow up the world.

So run the fridge and keep the food safe.

Ken

Old-Biscuit · 06-20-2021, 08:33 PM

If husband is concerned with fridge on propane while traveling then I would suggest to NOT run fridge on propane while stationary

That propane is dangerous....probably should remove the propane vessel and get rid of them propane appliances like the furnace/stove which are propane only.
Cap off the propane to fridge and water heater.

Just disregard all those built in safety features.

Doubt your fridge as a DC Heater Element....3 way fridges are not that common anymore
Yes fridge needs DC to function but that is for the controls, display, functions
W/O a DC Heater Element......propane OR blocks of Ice while traveling

Ray,IN · 07-01-2021, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pmaen

We have a problem and I am hoping someone can help. We have a 23IKSS Forest River Shamrock, (exactly the same as a 23IKSS Roo) My husband was a safety trainer before he retired and hence, our problem. He refuses to run the propane while we are traveling, safety first... Always

!! We put ice paks in our fridge and turn it off while traveling, but the last couple of days it was 106 and the fridge couldn't stay cool enough, got up to 60 degrees, there goes the food. My question is, we are plugged into the truck during travel, can we just not turn off the fridge and run off the truck battery? or will this drain the battery too quickly? are there other problems with this idea? or is that people just don't do it because they run off propane? We are getting solar soon and they say that we can run the fridge while we are traveling if our solar batteries are charged, but don't know much about that either. Anybody have a good idea?

All your propane appliances comply with NFPA compressed flammable gas safety codes for use while driving. He doesn't have to be a member of NFPA to use the website to look up and read the applicable codes.