propane furnace on while towing

[wiredgeorge]

OP signed off the forum an hour after posting his question. Not much point trying to help someone who asks and leaves. Hope he comes back as a lot was covered since the first post.

[seanrmz]

thanks everyone for the attention and thoughts. Did some testing running the fridge only on 12v only and wow I was not impressed with the amp draw. 36amps. I know there is conversions 12v compressor kits but the amount of times I will haul in these conditions are once a year. So the price factor was not interesting.

I will take take note of the tunnels along the 81 to 95 from Ontario and make sure I will turn off the valves before entering.

thanks

sean

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by seanrmz

thanks everyone for the attention and thoughts. Did some testing running the fridge only on 12v only and wow I was not impressed with the amp draw. 36amps. I know there is conversions 12v compressor kits but the amount of times I will haul in these conditions are once a year. So the price factor was not interesting.

I will take take note of the tunnels along the 81 to 95 from Ontario and make sure I will turn off the valves before entering.

thanks

sean

Sean, clarify please whether this is a gas/electric (120VAC) refrigerator or a 12V refrigerator. Mine is gas/electric (120VAC) and the amp draw on my entire camper running the refrigerator on AC is only 6-7 amps per my Progressive EMS.

[seanrmz]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

Sean, clarify please whether this is a gas/electric (120VAC) refrigerator or a 12V refrigerator. Mine is gas/electric (120VAC) and the amp draw on my entire camper running the refrigerator on AC is only 6-7 amps per my Progressive EMS.

sorry I was not clear on the fridge voltage. Its a duel gas/fridge. It does not have a 12v compressor.

here is the draw fridge only running off the inverter and 12v battery

its my mistake I said 36amps but its 27 amps my bad.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/if65TgfJ9vhkYvMT6

[Old_Stevenick]

That's a ton of power for sure. Not going to run a fridge that way. Better off to put some ice blocks (frozen water filled jugs) in the fridge to keep it cold like in the old days. Should last a long time, coolers do.

[chuckster57]

No way a Dometic refer pulls 27 amps if it’s on LP mode.

[chuckster57]

You might be reading charging amps.

[NH_Bulldog]

I agree! I can run my 13.5k AC and the fridge in electric mode at the same time all day off a 20A circuit at our family property. If the fridge is truly drawing 27A, there is something very wrong here. Maybe your decimal point is in the wrong place, because 2.7A to 3.6A sounds much more probable

[CedarCreekWoody]

It sounds like your electric water heater was turned on.

[TimC]

27 amp draw for the fridge sounds correct, assuming that it is 27 amps at 12v. My old absorption fridge would draw 300-400 watts when running off electricity. At the ~13v my lithium batteries would hold that is about 30 amps. Those absorption fridges are terribly inefficient. My 12v compressor fridge in the new rig pulls about 50 watts when the compressor is running (and runs a heck of a lot less than the absorption).

[CedarCreekWoody]

If he was running on 120 volt from an inverter, not on propane, then 27 amps at 12 volt is realistic.

[TimC]

Originally Posted by CedarCreekWoody

If he was running on 120 volt from an inverter, not on propane, then 27 amps at 12 volt is realistic.

People must’ve just missed where he said it was 27 amps running off the inverter.

Originally Posted by seanrmz

sorry I was not clear on the fridge voltage. It’s a duel gas/fridge. It does not have a 12v compressor.

here is the draw fridge only running off the inverter and 12v battery

its my mistake I said 36amps but its 27 amps my bad.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/if65TgfJ9vhkYvMT6

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by TimC

People must’ve just missed where he said it was 27 amps running off the inverter.

I did miss that. But the 12V draw will only be 3.5A for the control board and eyebrow.

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by CedarCreekWoody

If he was running on 120 volt from an inverter, not on propane, then 27 amps at 12 volt is realistic.

I'm wondering why run an absorption fridge on 120 from an inverter if a few amps are critical to the battery when gas operatin is available & more efficient?

[Old_Stevenick]

I believe it was based on the OP's desire to not run the propane while towing.

[seanrmz]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

I'm wondering why run an absorption fridge on 120 from an inverter if a few amps are critical to the battery when gas operatin is available & more efficient?

hello Travelin T, well the reason is I will be on the road in sub zero temps. I know the trip wont be for the entire trip. I am Leaving Montreal to Florida and the temps will warm up as I get more south. But for the time I will be in very very cold temps I was looking to save on propane since I will be running the furnace too. I tried to power up the electric side of the fridge to how much draw it will consume from the inverter and it was power hungry. So I think I will stay on LP side to power the fridge on the way down.

[chuckster57]

We did a test with a Dometic refer in the shop of a previous employer. On LP, with a battery on a converter. 20Lb (7 gal) tank, fridge ran for over 30 days.

[seanrmz]

I did more digging and I didn't know when your shore hooked up the amps for the fridge
(or anything else your pulling volts) the fridge will be 3.5 to 3.7amps running on 110V, now when getting the power from the inverter you have to multiply by 10 to get the same equivalent amps. Something new I learnt today. I did not know that

[larryflew]

We leave Minnesota at the end of December headed south. We run the furnace while traveling because we have already used it and it is no long winterized. We sometime end up coming back in March and again run the furnace. been doing this since 2011 and no problems.

[G Giroux]

My 2c: Answer No, don't do it. Risk outways benefit.
As for lighting it through your app while traveling: Answer No, don't do it. Worst case the furnace fails to ignite....but gas continues to flow.
Many areas, especially where tunnels exist have regulations that prohibit the propane tanks to be on. Valves must be closed.
SUGGESTIONS:
If you must use the RV during rest periods, try closing off all unused sections i.e. bathroom, bedrooms etc. You will be surprised how quickly the furnace will heat up the RV.