Refrigerator not working in transit

[Ken / Claudia]

The rv fires I had been around were in motorhomes and cause was gasoline supply to the engine. As in fuel line leak or failed. Started in engine compartment. They burn up really fast, but so do cars if the gas line failure starts the fire.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Justvisiting2day

Like...W.O.W. a whole bunch o info here . I have never run with ghahzz on, BUT my fridges in all my units have had 12v to keep power on. As I do understand most now days don't come with 3 way equip. I have traveled all over our great country and AK. and always see those big black burned out spots on the road where an RV has burnt to the ground. ..Turn it off and save a headache.

Maybe a "bit over the top" ???

I suppose I must travel on entirely sheltered RV routes. In 50 years of RVing, I've only seen 1 motorhome burn (never a travel trailer while towing). I have, however, seen multiple cars and pick-up trucks and an occasional 18 wheeler (or rather the evidence of where they burned)... If it was so prevalent that one could "always see those big black burned out spots on the road where an RV has burnt to the ground" I'd have sold my rig long ago and bought a safer means of travel (tricycle or bicycle without a generator) ???

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by Justvisiting2day

Like...W.O.W. a whole bunch o info here . I have never run with ghahzz on, BUT my fridges in all my units have had 12v to keep power on. As I do understand most now days don't come with 3 way equip. I have traveled all over our great country and AK. and always see those big black burned out spots on the road where an RV has burnt to the ground. ..Turn it off and save a headache.

Sorry John, have to disagree, this is "WAY OVER THE TOP"!!!!
If you chose to travel with your fridge off then by all means do so.
But to post here that ALL those burnt spots on the highways all across the country were made from rvs traveling with their fridge on gas is absolutely totally inaccurate BS & should not be taken seriously by any new RV owner. There are tens of thousands of RVs on the road at any given time & if this were case you'd be passing a burning RV on the side of the road about every couple of miles. Not to mention with all the safety rules imposed on everything these days the side of your RV & the front of your fridge would plastered with labels "DO NOT USE ON GAS WHILE TRAVELING".
RV fridges were/are designed to be operated this way, yes there is a very slight chance that there could be a problem, but as I said there's thousands on the road traveling this way right now wherever your at.

[flybouy]

I must have missed the signs on the side of the road that said "This big black burned spot brought to you by the RV fridge catching fire!" Maybe I need to have my eyes tested. Just saying.....

[notanlines]

I had given some thought to a comment concerning the big, burned spots, but y’all have done a fine job in my stead.

[NH_Bulldog]

While I enjoy the comments, I think we got away from the OP’s initial concern over why the fridge doesn’t work on the road as opposed to sitting still. Perhaps we can offer some ideas? Like maybe ask if the fridge runs on propane when parked and not connected to shore power? Is the fridge on a slide where the gas line might be pinching when the slide is in? Does the 12v system and/or fridge work when connected to the tow vehicle? Maybe the battery(s) are weak? Let’s offer ideas and help instead of getting so far off topic that we are talking about black spots on the side of the highway.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by NH_Bulldog

While I enjoy the comments, I think we got away from the OP’s initial concern over why the fridge doesn’t work on the road as opposed to sitting still. Perhaps we can offer some ideas? Like maybe ask if the fridge runs on propane when parked and not connected to shore power? Is the fridge on a slide where the gas line might be pinching when the slide is in? Does the 12v system and/or fridge work when connected to the tow vehicle? Maybe the battery(s) are weak? Let’s offer ideas and help instead of getting so far off topic that we are talking about black spots on the side of the highway.

In the very first response (post #2 from John) the OP was asked to post back with some more information. That hasn't happened so having the posts "stray" off the OP's original question shouldn't be surprising.

[sonofcy]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

I've heard folks say that they turn it off to travel as it's too dangerous, to me if that's the case take the fridge out & stack coolers in that space. That would also save about $2000 on the RV price.
The past several years the industry has sold 500k units a year & on any given day there's half that many on the highway running their fridge on LP. We've traveled approximately 200k miles the last 10+ years & NEVER seen a RV on fire along side the road. Yes it happens, but if it was so extremely dangerous you'd see it daily on every highway.
Sorry for the rant, but sounds like your dealer just blew you off with their lame excuse!!!
As John said it would help to know what you have to receive better advice.

On our first trip, we saw what was left of a burnt out RV. On our second trip we watched an RV burn. Before the volunteer firefighters could get there the RV was destroyed, maybe 15 mins.

[Laredo250RL]

Recently had our RV repair shop check our fridge for warming up too fast. The circuit board was not opening the gas valve all the way. Replaced the board, problem solved. Just a suggestion you might want to look into.

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by sonofcy

On our first trip, we saw what was left of a burnt out RV. On our second trip we watched an RV burn. Before the volunteer firefighters could get there the RV was destroyed, maybe 15 mins.

We've been hauling RVs with the fridge on gas for 40-45 years, never had an issue & have never seen one burning along the highway.
I never said it couldn't/wouldn't happen, but I believe the odds are better of winning the lottery. If you've seen 2 in 2 trips burning the odds of that are tremendous & even greater that the fridge caused both to burn.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by sonofcy

On our first trip, we saw what was left of a burnt out RV. On our second trip we watched an RV burn. Before the volunteer firefighters could get there the RV was destroyed, maybe 15 mins.

Having driven what has to be in the millions of miles all over the country in my lifetime I have to say that to see the recent remains of a burned out RV or one on fire in your first two trips is......astounding/bad luck etc. Don't doubt your word but you must live in the RV Bermuda triangle. Whether they came from the fridge being left on is ? but highly doubtful.

I've never turned my fridge off while traveling in decades; never thought about it nor had an issue. In those millions of miles/decades I have seen RV accidents and units totally destroyed due to owner malfunction but not units "burned down" due to fridge failure. I have seen 2 units burned; one on the side of the road with the episode over; to assume it was the fridge would be ludicrous. The other was a motorhome on the highway under me going over an overpass in FL - it had been hit by another vehicle causing the fire. The only other one I've ever heard about was when one of my employees told me of his daughter pulling his pickup with his tractor, tried to cross a highway but was in front of an oncoming motorhome and it hit his pickup. The accident caused the motorhome to burst into flames due to ruptured LP tanks. Still, no issues pointing to a fridge that I've ever heard.

All this to point out to any new owner that rhetoric warning that running the LP on the RV fridge is doom and gloom.....is only rhetoric not backed up by any substantive, real life, evidence as far as I know. JMO/YMMV

[Gord]

You could purchase and install an Inverter which converts 12VDC to 120VAC and then wire an outlet to the fridge compartment from the inverter and move the 120v plug to this outlet when you travel. The only caveat to this is if you stop along the way you'll need to put your fridge on gas to save your battery. Just a suggestion that you may wish to explore.

[ctbruce]

Unfortunately, Bette, the OP, has not been on the forum since 10/28.

[Ken / Claudia]

Regarding post #20. I just finished 700 miles of interstate travel. I know what a burn spot is.Thinking about post #20 comments. I seen 3 on the shoulder, maybe 1 on the travel lanes. Of the 3 that were clearly burn marks, were if you looked where about the size of a car on the shoulder that burned. None were from any RV unless it was about 16 ft long. Good luck thinking all burn marks are from an RV and if they are what type? Been there done that, motorhomes is the answer that will be most.

[comfun1]

I thought one of the biggest concerns was the open flame when at the gas pumps refueling.

[captcolour]

Bought my first pop-up back in 1998. Came with a 3-way fridge. Always pulled it set to 12V. Never really stayed cold. Learned from friends who had a 5th wheel at the time to pull using propane instead. Indeed, fridge stayed nice and cold. Been pulling running propane to the fridge ever since.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by comfun1

I thought one of the biggest concerns was the open flame when at the gas pumps refueling.

Who's biggest concern? There are LOTS of previous posts on the subject of traveling with the fridge on, many of them pertaining to refueling. There are also many "urban legends" that go around like the cell phone use while fueling will make the pumps explode.

Some gas stations even posted stickers telling their customers to not use cell phones. I'm guessing some corporate attorney told them to CTA with that. This was disproven many times due to the overwhelming evidence from CCTV footage that proved the majority of those fires at the pump were caused by people starting the pump, getting back into the vehicle to stay warm, then exiting the vehicle and grabbing the pump handle. The static charge from dragging their clothes across the seats would cause a spark at the nozzle causing the explosion. When the pump is running a "voper recovery" system sucks the fuel fumes back into the pump's system (the big black "boot" around the nozzle). When the pump "clicks off" the pump stops and the vapor recovery system stops, which lets the now full fuel tank vent to the outside.

Back to fueling at the pump with the fridge on LP. In my opinion (like other things, we have one) on my unit with a mid kitchen the fridge is a good 20' to 25' behind the fill neck of my truck. Actually, my truck is diesel so it's irrelevant but I'll continue as if it were gas. The flame for that fridge is inside a burner tube, some distance behind the exterior wall/fridge vent.

Logically, if there is enough gasoline vapor to reach that open flame and pose a threat for explosion than there is a HUGE issue with a "major" fuel spill. I seriously doubt that anyone would be able to breath if a sufficient amount of fuel vapor were present to ignite in that scenario. If there were, then my guess would be that when you open your door and that interior light switch on the door made contact it would be irrelevant as that would be your first source of ignition, ot your driver's side door.

JMHO

[chuckster57]

Gas pumps usually have a placard that says no open flame within 25 feet. The flame on the refer is behind at least one if not two "wind" shields. I remember as a kid, riding in the back of my dads '64 Dodge in a camper shell, 4 siblings and the fuel tank for the truck right behind the bench seat in the cab. Pops was a diabetic and LOVED his Dometic refer that ran on LP to keep his insulin fresh. Never shut off the fridge when we stopped for gas.

Don't remember trailer MY but I think it was a 67 Ideal, 19 foot and had a Propane light above the dinette table. Water tank across the front with an air pump to pressurize the water system, Man we have sure evolved haven't we?