Is it Safe?

[New Kid on the Block]

Hi Folks, here to pick your brains again.We are planning to go south next
week.The weather it kind on the cold side and I am wondering if it is safe
to travel with the heater running.I looked in the owners manual but it
has no reference to this issue.The thinking behind all this is that I am
trying to prevent the water to freeze in our passport 245rb.
Thanks for you input.
Bill(tx)

[Festus2]

If you have a Suburban furnace, there is a warning in the Owner's Manual that reads:
"Be sure the furnace and all ignition systems are OFF during any type of refueling and while the vehicle is in motion or being towed".

The same warning that appears again: "Do not operate the furnace while vehicle is in motion or being towed".

If you don't have a Suburban furnace, I would guess that this same warning would apply to any make or model.

Even if you ignored this warning, any heat that is conducted through to the underbelly would be quickly dissipated by the time it reached the water pipes.

I am assuming that you de-winterized your RV and that you are no longer protected. Perhaps before you travel south, it would be a wise move to re-winterize - blow out your lines and take the usual other winterizing precautions. When your get to warmer areas, de-winterize your rig. It doesn't take that long to do both procedures.
Take bottled water with you to tide you over enroute.

I can't imagine that it would be safe to travel with your furnace running!

[Brantlaker]

I just got back from Florida this afternoon (live near Lake George,NY) and I winterized the 5er in North Carolina on the VA. border. Traveled that day with the heat off went to a Hotel for the night and turned the heat on to 50 for the plants that the DW brought home the temp in the RV during the day never went below 45 during the day(2 day trip). The temps below Richmond are warming up to above freezing tonight. When I went to Yellowstone a few years ago past a RV on fire he was traveling with the Heater On. He and DW spent the rest of the trip with a buddy and his wife sleeping in bunks. Also the Insurance would not pay for the camper because he had the heater on while traveling.

[hankpage]

You might be taking a chance but I think that daytime temps in the Northeast next week should be above freezing. I will be heading South in two weeks and will definitely be carrying water. If I were you I would keep the lines blown out and make the decision to add water at last minute depending on temps.
As Festus2 said, I would not travel with heat on but I do get it nice and warm just before we leave and it seems to help. The dump valves are the most critical areas so I leave some antifreeze in each holding tank just in case. Travel safely and enjoy your trip, Hank

[fla-gypsy]

I wouldn't travel with the furnace or water heater on.

[Htfiremedic]

We use a generator and ceramic heaters to travel.

[New Kid on the Block]

If you have a Suburban furnace, there is a warning in the Owner's Manual that reads:
"Be sure the furnace and all ignition systems are OFF during any type of refueling and while the vehicle is in motion or being towed".

The same warning that appears again: "Do not operate the furnace while vehicle is in motion or being towed".

If you don't have a Suburban furnace, I would guess that this same warning would apply to any make or model.

Even if you ignored this warning, any heat that is conducted through to the underbelly would be quickly dissipated by the time it reached the water pipes.

I am assuming that you de-winterized your RV and that you are no longer protected. Perhaps before you travel south, it would be a wise move to re-winterize - blow out your lines and take the usual other winterizing precautions. When your get to warmer areas, de-winterize your rig. It doesn't take that long to do both procedures.
Take bottled water with you to tide you over enroute.

I can't imagine that it would be safe to travel with your furnace running!

Thank you Festus2 for answering my question.The trailer has an Atwood furnace.There are all kinds of warnings but nothing about moving with the
heat on.I think i will take your advice and de-winterize after i reach warmer
area.Although in the back of my head i wonder if you can operate the freedge
while moving why not the furnace,providing that everything is secured and does not block the hot air?
Thanks again
Bill

[New Kid on the Block]

You might be taking a chance but I think that daytime temps in the Northeast next week should be above freezing. I will be heading South in two weeks and will definitely be carrying water. If I were you I would keep the lines blown out and make the decision to add water at last minute depending on temps.
As Festus2 said, I would not travel with heat on but I do get it nice and warm just before we leave and it seems to help. The dump valves are the most critical areas so I leave some antifreeze in each holding tank just in case. Travel safely and enjoy your trip, Hank

Thanks Hank.
Well the temps during the day are above freezing but they go down to the
20's at night.I was thinking to de-winterize before leave Boston so I could
check for any leeks that might developed during the winter.I do not like
to have suprises when I reach the first campground in virginia.I was gonna
dump some antifreeze in the holding tanks to protect the dump valves.
They are predicting more snow for next week.So much for the Great weather
on the Northeast.So much for my luck.
Thanks again.Bill

[davidjsimons]

I don't know where you plan on stopping in Virginia, but if you stop at the KOA just north of Richmond, there is a Keystone dealer just across the interstate. Should you choose to de-winterized there and have a problem, the dealership may be of some service to you.


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[SteveC7010]

Although in the back of my head i wonder if you can operate the fridge while moving why not the furnace, providing that everything is secured and does not block the hot air?

The flame in the fridge is essentially a pilot light which produces just enough heat to drive the cooling cycle. But none of the manufacturers recommend that you run the fridge while traveling.

The furnace flame is much larger and hotter, kind of like a blow torch. Big difference when it comes to the potential of creating a fire in the trailer. It's also enough flame to produce enough carbon monoxide to fill the trailer to the danger point fairly quickly. If the thermocouple fails, it could easily fill the trailer with LP.

The Atwood owner's manual ( http://bryantrv.com/docs2/docs/operating/hflameowners.pdf ) says Shut of the LP gas at the tanks when the vehicle is in motion. This disables all LP appliances. That tells me that the manufacturer is clearly recommending that no LP appliances be operated when the vehicle is in motion. While some folks will run the fridges when traveling, that by no means makes an approved or proper practice.

As already clearly related, Suburban says don't do it, too.

So I am wondering why this is even being debated.

[New Kid on the Block]

The flame in the fridge is essentially a pilot light which produces just enough heat to drive the cooling cycle. But none of the manufacturers recommend that you run the fridge while traveling.

The furnace flame is much larger and hotter, kind of like a blow torch. Big difference when it comes to the potential of creating a fire in the trailer. It's also enough flame to produce enough carbon monoxide to fill the trailer to the danger point fairly quickly. If the thermocouple fails, it could easily fill the trailer with LP.

The Atwood owner's manual ( http://bryantrv.com/docs2/docs/operating/hflameowners.pdf ) says Shut of the LP gas at the tanks when the vehicle is in motion. This disables all LP appliances. That tells me that the manufacturer is clearly recommending that no LP appliances be operated when the vehicle is in motion. While some folks will run the fridges when traveling, that by no means makes an approved or proper practice.

As already clearly related, Suburban says don't do it, too.

So I am wondering why this is even being debated.

Well I have to apologie,read the atwood Pdf and you are 100% right.For some
reason I overlooked the small line in between all these warnings.Now I have to
go back and re-read the fridge manual.
Thanks again.
Bill

[New Kid on the Block]

I don't know where you plan on stopping in Virginia, but if you stop at the KOA just north of Richmond, there is a Keystone dealer just across the interstate. Should you choose to de-winterized there and have a problem, the dealership may be of some service to you.


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Thank you I will keep it in mind.
Bill

[Inherentwired1]

They make 12 volt heaters that can electrically heat your trailer. Don't use gas (while driving) because of safety reasons...

[SAD]

Our fridge is on all the time - traveling or not..

Heater / HWH - I have left them on by accident before. Of course no ill effects. I bet they just used a bunch more propane than they would sitting still due to heat loss of hwy speed winds.

If its NOT ok to run with the heater on, how do motor home drivers (those without aqua-hot) stay warm? The dash heater can not heat the entire cabin. Much the same issue during the summer where they've got to run the generator and roof AC to stay cool.

Not advocating it as I don't have much use to do so... But I suspect the manufacturer warning is more lawyer talk than a practical limitation.

[EricLynnAllison]

I've been traveling with the refrigerator on propane for 11 years in 2 different RVs. My present toyhauler has vents that are covered by the slides. I accidently had left the furnace on during an 8 hour ride home. The furnace has a pressure sensor that will shut the furnace off if inadeuquate air flow. I had to call atwood to see how to reset it.

[SteveC7010]

If its NOT ok to run with the heater on, how do motor home drivers (those without aqua-hot) stay warm? The dash heater can not heat the entire cabin. Much the same issue during the summer where they've got to run the generator and roof AC to stay cool.

Same way that ambulances and similar vehicles with large work space in a rear compartment do; they have a separate heating unit with a fan that uses the same engine water circulation system as the driver's compartment. There are two hefty hoses from the water pump to the rear heating unit for this.

Ambulance A/C is accomplished with a separate unit in the work area driven by a second compressor mounted on the engine. On motor homes, they run the genny to power the roof top units. Those don't use propane so there's no increased risk of fire or carbon monoxide or propane accidents.

Not advocating it as I don't have much use to do so... But I suspect the manufacturer warning is more lawyer talk than a practical limitation.

Yeah, it probably is mostly lawyer talk, but every once in a while you do hear of a serious problem caused by a propane appliance running while refueling the motor home or tow vehicle.

[Cougarfamily]

If you can't have the gas on while traveling, how long can the food in fridge and freezer last? Often, when we travel, we drive 8-10 hours. I can't imagine the ice cream not being milk by then without the fridge in gas mode.

[SAD]

If you can't have the gas on while traveling, how long can the food in fridge and freezer last? Often, when we travel, we drive 8-10 hours. I can't imagine the ice cream not being milk by then without the fridge in gas mode.

It 100% acceptable to run your fridge in gas mode when underway. Just observe regulatory prohibitions (typically tunnels, ferrys and refueling).

The concern brought up in this thread was regarding the furnace.

[Cougarfamily]

It 100% acceptable to run your fridge in gas mode when underway. Just observe regulatory prohibitions (typically tunnels, ferrys and refueling).

The concern brought up in this thread was regarding the furnace.

Thanks for the reply.

I have heard of the tunnel and ferry rule, but never the refueling. Is that as big a concern even if the fuel fill and the fridge are on opposite sides, and you were in the outside row of pumps w/fridge facing out?

I quess we have been extremely lucky as we have never shut it off while refueling any of our past campers!:eek:

[Escs36]

I typically travel to the deserts for dirt bike riding and leave at night after work. In the winter time I always run the furnace at about 50* because often times the outside temps can be in the 20's. It never occurred to me that this is a potential fire hazard. I feel a bit negligent, but also at the same time, how much of this is lawyer talk trying to eliminate liability? I do not plan on changing my traveling habits. I think the trick to this is to make sure that the coach does not have any propane leaks and for the toy haulers with on board fuel stations to make sure there are no fuel leaks. I think common sense plays a huge role. I do acknowledge that things can shift, loosen, break, etc while traveling down the road. As far as the law is concerned; don't they have enough to worry about. With that being said, in the event of an incident, aren't the insurance companies going to look for any tiny little thing to not pay out on a claim?

[SAD]

...aren't the insurance companies going to look for any tiny little thing to not pay out on a claim?

An insurance companies only function is to cover your negligence. Either against yourself, or against others....

Ask yourself this... If YOUR insurance company did not have to pay when YOU were negligent, when would they pay (outside of an act of god)??