Cooling fridge on propane at storage facility

[dangerdave]

First timer here on this very nice forum. We have a feather ultralite X23B. Is it a common practice to start the fridge cooling down on the propane at the storage facility before you go pick the trailer up?

We cannot leave it in front of our house. The facility does not have specific prohibitions against the practice.

[Grumpy]

As long as the battery has a good charge you shouldn't have a problem. The fridge still needs 12 volt to operate on propane.

[dangerdave]

Thank you for that reply.

So as far as it being "safe" to do, it should be fine as well? Is there an automatic gas shut off if the pilot goes out or something?

I'm just concerned about running the propane for the fridge while it's sitting there waiting for me.

Thanks again.

[Seann45]

Yes if the pilot light goes out the propane flow will shut off.. in fact you probably don't have a pilot light you have an electronic ignition operated off your 12VDC system

[dangerdave]

Ok thank you very much.

Of course I had to watch one too many unfortunate YouTube videos of RV propane problems. So I was a bit concerned.

[Hattie]

Fridge hints:

1. As a safety issue, you probably don't want to tow with propane on, and in some locations, you aren't allowed to (e.g., tunnels) ... SO
2. Ahead of time, freeze what you can (soups, meats, etc.) and make sure everything is already cold before putting it into the fridge - this makes it act like an ice-box and most everything (except ice cream) will do just fine
3. The more cold stuff you put in - the less warm space or air you are trying to cool, making it quicker to attain proper temp once the propane is on
4. If your site has electricity, use that as it is their dime and not yours with the propane

[Brownie]

I hope it goes without saying that if your storage facility is "enclosed", you don't want to be burning propane. The carbon monoxide detector will go off and drain your battery even faster. Other than that, just make sure your trailer is relatively level.

[William]

If you want to leave it for a week between trips you may want to upgrade to two batteries. another trick to keep it cool and cool down quicker is freeze water in half gallon milk jugs one in the fridge when in the freezer and when you're camping you can use it for your cooler.

[Jace817]

I do it all the time. As previously suggested, I add a frozen jug to both the freezer and the fridge during the summer to give it a kick start.

[Russ661]

I bring my TT out of storage a day before departure and cool the fridge using shore power. I have always turned the propane ON before leaving, making sure the pilot ignites, and I leave the propane on while traveling. Is this wrong? I've done it for 30 years without any issues.

[Hattie]

The RVBasics site has an excellent article titled Is it Safe to Travel with My RV Refrigerator on Propane? There are other postings on this site where specific locations are called-out and/or war stories provided where persons were stopped and instructed to turn-off any open propane valves; apparently in Washington state your tank is even tagged to confirm shut-off before boarding a ferry. It is a safety issue around high-risk locations (gas-stations, tunnels, bridges, and ferries) that makes sense to me!

[Hattie]

Obviously, this is a personal decision - to drive with propane on or off. Being curious, I have Googled and found interesting info:

• From AmeriGas: RV Propane Safety | AmeriGas Propane Blog where they state "On the Road. Most RV refrigerators can keep food/beverages cold during several hours of travel without a power source. It is recommended that propane systems be turned off while driving."
• Here is additional great info about state laws and RV-ing:
  State Regulations on Travel Trailers and Driving Laws
  2010 Driving Laws for the US and Canada
  RVSafely.com

[Hattie]

This (ever-changing) info ought to help avoid 'risk' areas and find alternate routes when it comes to your RV propane tanks. Do note there are many other tunnels, bridges, ferries, turnpikes, and places where you may first learn about propane restrictions as you near the location. Ouch!
LP-GAS PROHIBITED:
- Maryland/Baltimore: Baltimore Harbor and Fort McHenry (I-95) tunnels. Alternate route for RVs with propane over the Francis Scott Key Bridge is I-695.
- Massachusetts/Boston Harbor: All New York/East River: Between Manhattan and Brooklyn: Brooklyn Battery Tunnel. Between Manhattan and Queens: Queens Midtown Tunnel.
- New York and New Jersey/Hudson River: Between Manhattan and Jersey City: Holland Tunnel. Between Manhattan and Fort Lee: Lower level George Washington Bridge (I-95 South) and George Washington Bridge Expressway. Lower level Verrazano Narrows Bridge. Between Manhattan and Weehawken: Lincoln Tunnel.
LP-GAS RESTRICTIONS:
- Virginia/Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel: RVs equipped with ICC-approved compressed cooking tanks not exceeding two 45-pound capacity tanks (or two permanently mounted containers with maximum total capacity of 200 pounds) may cross the facility provided that, in the opinion of the toll collector or police sergeant after inspection, the tanks are completely shut off and securely attached.
- Texas/Houston Ship Channel: Washburn Tunnel between Pasadena and Galena Park: Maximum of two 7½-gallon containers (30 pounds gas each) or one 10-gallon container (40 pounds gas) of DOT (ICC)-approved type, with shutoff valve at discharge opening. Valve must be closed when in tunnel. LP-gas as vehicle fuel prohibited. 7½-gallon containers (30 pounds gas each) or one 10-gallon container (40 pounds gas) of DOT (ICC)-approved type, with shutoff valve at discharge opening. Valve must be closed when in tunnel. LP-gas as vehicle fuel prohibited.
Source: http://www.woodalls.com/articledetails.aspx?articleID=2377513#CA

[dangerdave]

Thank you Hattie for that info!

[yellowdog00]

One mod you might consider making is adding a battery shutoff to your battery box. My Whitehawk's radio would discharge the battery over a few weeks in storage until I installed the shutoff.

[dangerdave]

You know that's funny, I had the same thought. I'm considering adding a second battery anyway. Can you explain your installation?