Is it safe to run your RV fridge on gas while traveling?

[M Wilkie]

Nope.

https://youtu.be/i2MeLDAMWiA

 

[Hotwife]

Not a good idea at all.

 

[dennis smith-FUN]

We have been on the road for 12 months out of the last 24. Have pulled our 23 foot fun finder about 17,000 miles. run it on gas the entire time.

 

[Hotwife]

The Question is, "Is it safe."

I am sure you can do this. But all it takes is a rock to fly up and crack your gas line or a vibration or a shift in trailer construction for a disaster to happen.

Your propane is turned on and flowing, it ignites at the broken pipe and whammy! You now attached to a flaming ball being dragged down the highway behind you.

Anyone familiar with motorhomes and trailers will tell you leaving your propane on and driving is a bad idea.

Not just a bad idea in theory. There are many burned up rigs out there that have proved it a bad idea.

Good luck

 

[twinster2]

The Question is, "Is it safe."

I am sure you can do this. But all it takes is a rock to fly up and crack your gas line or a vibration or a shift in trailer construction for a disaster to happen.

Your propane is turned on and flowing, it ignites at the broken pipe and whammy! You now attached to a flaming ball being dragged down the highway behind you.

Anyone familiar with motorhomes and trailers will tell you leaving your propane on and driving is a bad idea.

Not just a bad idea in theory. There are many burned up rigs out there that have proved it a bad idea.

Good luck

Isn't that what insurance is for. If I'm going a long distance, you bet I have my frig running on gas. What else are you going to do, carry everything in a cooler with ice. Further, the manual says it is save provide you are not pumping gas near it.

 

[profdant139]

We've run our fridge on propane while driving for the last 12 years, averaging 80 days of travel per year, with no problems. I do not see a plausible alternative -- we do not have a battery option. The fridge runs on either propane or shore power.

 

[Dakota 1120]

I always run with the frig on propane to keep things cold/froze and also have insurance on the trailer and tow vehicle. The insurance does NOT have a disclaimer for running with the propane on.

Since the insurance policy does not specify the propane must be turned off when in motion, it's can't be a real big deal. IF it were, the insurance companies would have a disclaimer in the policy ... as money hungry as they are.
:-(

 

[TCP1971]

Propane gets turned off on ferries, otherwise on for our entire trip. Every summer for ten years.

 

[snlsmith]

Do they make different types of lines? I know on motorcycles I replace the rubber brake lines with steel braided lines. While LP lines don't have to worry about changes in pressure while the gas is on (other than when running out of gas) unlike varying brake fluid pressure, the steel braiding would help protect the lines in case of minor road debris contact. You could also attach some type of metal shielding over the line where possible to reduce the chances of an incident.

 

[vttimwhite]

I know that the original post is getting pretty old, but there are still some fairly fresh replies coming in, so I thought I'd add my 2 cents.

Is it safe to travel with the gas on? In my opinion, yes.
Is it SAFER to travel with the gas off? Absolutely.

Remember that everything in the gas lines after the regulator is at low pressure, so gas isn't blasting out of the line if you break it. There's a relatively low rate of flow in the ruptured gas line, plus, you need an ignition source, which at 50+ mph isn't all that easy to establish. I doubt that a sparking chain could ignite the leaking gas in that scenario. But still, it is undoubtedly safer to turn it off.

Don't overlook the fact that many many vehicles run on either propane or compressed natural gas, so it's not a crazy idea.

Now, if you were to rupture the very short gas line between the tank and the regulator, well, then you should turn off the gas immediately if you can. If you can't, get you and everyone else away from there. The gas in the tanks themselves can be at 100+ pounds of pressure, depending on the temperature and level in the tanks.

 

[M Wilkie]

Food for thought. What is so important in the fridge that a few hours in a pre-cooled RV refrigerator could ruin? Ice packs and coolers are great but so are the fridges.
RV Propane System Safety Tips And Precautions

 

[Dakota 1120]

vttimwhite ~ you are so correct. The local propane company runs all their vehicles on propane and will/has converted other cars/pickups/trucks to run on propane and that includes farm tractors.

Some of those vehicles have large propane tanks that fill 1/2 the pickup bed and zip down the highway without any issues....and it's legal too.

 

[brackenlip]

The propane tank, by regulation has a "excess flow prevention" valve that limits the flow should a line break or similar. Here is a good article on the propane system for RV's

RV Propane: The ABCs of LP Gas Systems | TrailerLife | www.trailerlife.com

EDIT: technically as I recall, by law you are supposed to shut off any flame ( and therefore your RV fridge ) before entering a gas station. Like anybody is gonna do that !