Hello,
Quick question: Is it ok to drive ( short distance 2 miles) while the refridg is on the propane setting? I'm going to be camping using only propane and each morning I want to move rig down to the lake and wondering if I have to switch refrid off propane?
thanks
Babsy
Propane Refrid
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- Weekend Camper
- Posts: 41
- Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2014 8:35 pm
- B190 Year: 1966
- WBCCI: 0
- Location: Crossville, TN
Re: Propane Refrid
Maybe it's wrong, but I drive all over with the propane on for the fridge. If I'm driving all day everything would be spoiled.
- weekender
- Seasoned Traveler
- Posts: 162
- Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2008 12:00 am
- B190 Year: 1993
- WBCCI: 0
- Location: Northampton MA
Re: Propane Refrid
Same here, maybe wrong, but I don't operate the fridge any other way -- newer dometic model in my 93
Re: Propane Refrid
We bought a new to us 93 in April. We have been camping around New York State for the week. Always on propane for fridge. Original Dometic. Fridge not too cold especially in the door. Butter on top shelf of door is pretty soft. Seal seems ok. Works well on electric.
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- lido14co
- Seasoned Traveler
- Posts: 259
- Joined: Wed Apr 25, 2012 1:12 pm
- B190 Year: 1992
- WBCCI: 0
- Location: Los Osos, CA
Re: Propane Refrid
Have done it many times without any issues. Just not on ferries. They don't like that!
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- skater
- Site Admin
- Posts: 2573
- Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 1:00 am
- B190 Year: 1991
- WBCCI: 13270
- Location: Annapolis, MD
Re: Propane Refrid
It's one of those very low probability things.
99.9999% of the time, you won't have any problem at all running the fridge on propane while traveling. As someone noted, ferries may want the propane turned off; I've also traveled through some underwater tunnels that require propane off and even have a station where you stop and demonstrate that it's off. Propane is heavier than air, so it'll pool in the bottom of a tunnel where the entrances slope downward, with possibly-not-so-great results. To avoid that problem, Baltimore's tunnels ban propane entirely (apparently they had an "issue" years ago...I haven't been able to find info on it, though). The 664 tunnel in the Hampton Roads, Virginia area has the checkpoint.
The very slight risk is that if you DO get in an accident and pierce a propane line. Even that shouldn't be a problem, because the regulators have a "circuit breaker" type device that cuts the flow of propane if it's flowing too quickly. However, those can fail. The only example I know of where this actually happened was a motorhome on AIRForums where the water heater was hit in an accident, and the propane's regulator didn't cut the flow of propane. The people caught it and shut off the propane manually, so no harm done.
If you're running the generator anyway (say, for the rooftop air), you could always run the fridge on electricity. There's enough capacity in the generator to handle both.
We travel with the fridge on in the trailer only in very hot weather. But the interior of our trailer tends to stay cooler than the B190 did, so it's more important in the B190.
99.9999% of the time, you won't have any problem at all running the fridge on propane while traveling. As someone noted, ferries may want the propane turned off; I've also traveled through some underwater tunnels that require propane off and even have a station where you stop and demonstrate that it's off. Propane is heavier than air, so it'll pool in the bottom of a tunnel where the entrances slope downward, with possibly-not-so-great results. To avoid that problem, Baltimore's tunnels ban propane entirely (apparently they had an "issue" years ago...I haven't been able to find info on it, though). The 664 tunnel in the Hampton Roads, Virginia area has the checkpoint.
The very slight risk is that if you DO get in an accident and pierce a propane line. Even that shouldn't be a problem, because the regulators have a "circuit breaker" type device that cuts the flow of propane if it's flowing too quickly. However, those can fail. The only example I know of where this actually happened was a motorhome on AIRForums where the water heater was hit in an accident, and the propane's regulator didn't cut the flow of propane. The people caught it and shut off the propane manually, so no harm done.
If you're running the generator anyway (say, for the rooftop air), you could always run the fridge on electricity. There's enough capacity in the generator to handle both.
We travel with the fridge on in the trailer only in very hot weather. But the interior of our trailer tends to stay cooler than the B190 did, so it's more important in the B190.
1991 Airstream B190 - bought, 2005; sold, 2011; bought 2017
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer
WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit
1995 Airstream Excella 30' trailer
WBCCI #13270, Washington, DC Unit