Does an RV Fridge Stay Cold While Traveling w/o Propane? Part 1 - Fall/Winter Travel
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- Unnecessary Risk - Driving an RV w/ Propane Tanks Open (Part 1 - Fall/Winter Traveling) There's a debate among the RV community about whether or not you should drive with the propane tanks on so you can power your RV refridgerator and keep your food cold between campgrounds. While we aren't getting in the middle of this debate because frankly, its a personal decision everyone needs to make for themself, we are doing a test to see if it is even necessary. In this video we test the RV fridge temperatures every 30 minutes for 6 hours. Outside temps for this test were sub 50 degrees, but we kept the interior temperature at 70 degrees. The reason we did this is to produce results that were more on the "worst case scenario" side. If your interior temperature is colder than 70 degrees you will most likely see better results.
Part 2 (spring/summer) of this test: • I Tested How Long an R...
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*_This test was done in early December in Northern PA, and as noted in the video title, this was done for those who travel in the winter/fall. We will be performing this test again (part 2) sometime in July or August when outside temps exceed 75-80 degrees, and inside temps exceed 80 degrees. We will most likely use more thermal mass in that summer test since we are getting feedback that most of you pack your fridge to the gills when traveling. Stay tuned for the summer test._*
Valve extensions for class c motor homes. Thanks
Circulation of air at the back of absorption fridges is important. Install an RV fan. 3-way fridges (12V/Gas propane/Mains /shore/ DC) are BEST when wild camping (boondocking) etc. ☺
Your outside temp! We never travel or camp with Temps so cool. Your test should be at 80 degrees. Plus, and a 4 and 6hr trip.
Steve G.
The charts are broken down every 30 minutes for up to 6 hours, so you can simply look at the chart and determine a 4 and 6 hour result.
He has 4 and 6 hour increments.
@@RVTIPSANDTRAVELS I think he is saying do the test for 4 hours at an outside (and inside... see my other post) temp that was more realistic for summer RV travel.
Your puppers definitely had a smile on his little doggy face. He loved his experiences!! So sorry for your loss.
he was the best... 2 years later we still talk about him every day.
Great test; look forward to the remainder of the test!
Frankly,, very similar to what I/we do: bring fridge/freezer to temp, pack w/ frozen/cold foods. THEN we pack small ice chest (ice cubes) for snacks en route to the destination. We TRY not to open the fridge/freezer during the trip (ONLY opening the ice chest); we've NOT had prob w/ "bad" food, that way. Thanks for sharing your findings!
Y'all Be Safe!
Thanks for commenting Raymond!
I enjoy seeing this kind of scientific testing, and have done similar tests myself with the Dometic fridge in my 2018 Bigfoot camper, while it sits between uses in my attached RV garage. During the summer months when the garage is a rather consistent 85-90 degrees, I experiment using four digital thermometers that are read simultaneously by the same multi-channel receiver. One thermometer on the top shelf; one on the bottom shelf, one inside the camper living space; and one inside the garage nearby. After several days in a row of testing without food in the fridge or freezer, I have found that the warmest temperature in the fridge is on the lowest shelf at the back. Also, it appears that the interior temp of the camper has more influence on the fridge temp than the exterior temp (the interior of the camper is several degrees warmer than the garage since the fridge puts out some heat while running). At 90 degrees garage temp, the fridge struggles to keep the lowest shelf at 35 degrees at thermostat setting 5. Opening the door raises the temp 3-5 degrees and takes an hour or so to bring it back down again. I also run an external exhaust fan behind the fridge at the roof vent, which helps lower the fridge interior by a couple of degrees. They just really don't like the heat.
I won't leave the propane on while driving. My dad retired from the propane service and sales industry, which included RV installations. He knows the risks, and won't run propane in his trailer while driving either. From my experience from many camping trips, the 50% full fridge can climb 10 degrees after an hour of driving in 90 degree weather. That's getting into the unsafe zone for some foods. Therefore, I also bring along a Dometic 12v cooler (about the size of a medium ice chest), and keep the perishables in that until I get to my destination and get the fridge cooled down again. Runs off of a power port inside the camper. Since it can take hours to get the fridge cooled down again, the 12v cooler is energy efficient enough that I can keep the food in it over night while it's running off of the battery. In cooler temperatures, say below 70 degrees ambient, the fridge works well at maintaining a proper interior temp.
Awesome input thanks for sharing!
Great video. Love watching people do real world tests. Just do to our situation we drive much longer distances and have to keep the fridge on in our Motorhome. We’ve been doing it that way for 16 years and never had an issue. Gas is always on and fridge is always on.
The hot weather summer test will be coming this summer Smitty, stay tune.
Interesting. I’m in Texas so obviously in most cases our results will vary drastically as you mentioned. Not many times during camping season will we be traveling with outside temps in the mid 40’s. Also for those who do travel with propane and refrigerator on keep in mind if your rig isn’t level at all times you’re likely doing damage to your fridge.
Will be doing a second test this summer when temps exceed 75-80 degrees.
If the rig is moving, the level thing is not so important. Also, any rv fridge built in the last 20 years or so is more tolerant to a little tilt. My current fridge is 19 years old and has been on for every trip.
Came across your channel today Ross. Started with the roof tape and appreciate your explanations and procedures. This video came up on my algorithm - we travel propane off and ice packs in the fridge. On longer lunch stops we turn on the propane to the Dometic.
thanks for watching and commenting Greger!
I always travel with propane off. I get the fridge extra cold (less than 35 degrees) and take a couple of blue ice packs from the freezer and put them in the fridge. I have had no problems with food getting too warm. If I stop to make lunch, I turn the fridge back on until I leave (only if my trailer is level enough so I don't damage the fridge). Thank for doing this test.
In Arizona there’s no such thing as getting an absorption fridge “extra cold”. Traveling through Las Vegas last summer with fridge on it got up to 50 degrees. Imagine if we had traveled with it off.
My wife and I were Full Time RVers for just over 2 1/2 years. We never traveled with our fridge (or propane) on. We had travel days where we were on the road for more that 8 hours, and our food was still fine. ( we did leave a couple small blue freezer blocks in the freezer and in the fridge when we traveled.
Usually when we had to travel a long distance, we would take a break mid day and eat at a fast food restaurant. While we stopped for lunch and a break , I would turn the gas on, turn on the fridge, let it cool while we were taking a break, and then turn everything off before heading back down the road.
Too many thinkings can happen when your traveling. An accident can sever your gas propane line. Our friends Tom & Lori broke a axle spring on their travel trailer and it severed their propane line, lucky for them they always travel with the propane turned off. There are a lot of things that could happen. It's just safer to drive with your propane turned off.
i completely agree, we dont travel with it on. worst case scenario and we have a drive that is too long and too hot for food to stay cold, we go shopping when we arrive. its an expense we are willing to have to avoid issues with the fridge on.
Propane is stored in the tank as a liquid and used as a gas. To regulate the pressure there is a two stage regulator that takes the tank pressure and reduces it to 10 lbs. The second stage drops the pressure from 10 lbs. to 11" WC (11 inches of Water Column). 14" WC is ~ 1/2 PSI. These regulators are designed to work with gas and not liquid. Driving down the road with a tank full of liquid will slosh liquid into the regulator at some point. I have seen these regulators fail when they see liquid and allow liquid propane into the system that is only designed for 11" WC. It can cause serious problems and fire is one of them.
Great test, I recently lost my dog and really painful, I am so sorry for your lost
Thank you very much!
Excellent video. I’m sorry for your loss
Thank you Jason, that means a lot to me. Appreciate you watching the entire video too.
Most of us don't RV in in December in PA in the 40's. So it is not a realistic test. Try it when the temp outside is in the high 80's with the sun shinning on the back of the fridge and the temp inside the trailer has risen to the 90's to get more realistic results.
I did, that video is linked in this video. And I would respectfully disagree, it is most definitely is a realistic test. Approxiamately 1.2 million people full time all year round, which means they may travel in cold and cool weather conditions, so this would be very helpful to them.
Great test Ross interesting results thanks
Thank you, Corey!
I don’t understand all this concern over driving with propane refrigerator on.
If there is a break in the propane line, there is a propane check valve shut off immediately at tank when it senses loss of pressure from leak.
That’s not true, the failsafe on a 20lb propane tank will limit the gas flow to about 30% if it senses free flow. It will not stop the flow of gas entirely. To stop the gas completely you need to install a gas stop valve. They are aftermarket in the US, though usually required by mfgr's in Europe.
Unrelated to the video... can we have an "end of life" discussion? What I mean is what to do with an RV that is beyond its useful life. Our hunting club has a camper which has been neglected by its owner for years. It's more than 30 years old and infested with mice. How can we recycle or dispose of it? I bet other RV owners would be interested in your answer.
I guess the answer would heavily depend on local laws for disposal. A scrapyard would probably take it.
Run a small inverter and a DC-DC charger and run fridge off of batteries/truck.
that works!
There is another factor you didn’t take into account. The inside air temp is not being maintained because you aren’t typically able to run your ac while traveling so keeping the inside of your rv at 70 degrees for this test had an effect on the results and doesn’t represent typical travel conditions.
The inside temp, if left alone, would have been lower than 70, not higher, because of the outside temps. This was a winter test, which even at higher temps inside proves you can drive 3 hours with the fridge off. Had I turned the heat off, the results would have been better. We will be doing this test this summer using higher temps, and letting the inside temp alone as if you were driving.
Ross, thanks for the video. This has been a debate with us for some time.
I understand the need to pre-cool the fridge at least a day before heading out. If we know we will be using the propane side of the fridge while out camping should we pre-cool using propane or is it still okay to do that on shore power at the house? I don’t know how the chemistry of the propane works and if there is a lag time to cool once initiated. Thanks John
not sure on the cooling times for each power source, something i will have to look at though.
I guess it all boils down to the individual choice. Do you turn off the water and gas in your home when you leave for weeks-months? We travel and keep an eye on things as we travel.
Putting aside the fact that refrigerators need to be level to work properly on propane gas, the gas lines in your house aren't traveling down the shit highways in this country. They aren't susceptible to road hazards, pot holes or debris hitting the line. Its also illegal in many tunnels across the US to travel with propane tank service valves open. You're not only putting yourself at risk, you are putting others at risk. You can keep an eye on it as long as you want. A gas explosion happens in less than a second. If it happens, there's nothing keeping an eye on it is going to help.
thanks for watching and commenting!
My fridge runs on 12v so no need for propane
Great video
Thanks bud, hope you had a good Holiday!
Basically don't use your fridge,just use a travel cooler packed with ice.(do not drive long distances with your propane on)
Please do it again this summer and report back! Not only are outside temps much higher, but inside temps are WAY higher.
as noted in the video description, we will be doing a test in the dog days of the summer. should be released sometime in early August. Thanks for watching Billy.
100% of the time propane is on while driving/camping....been doing it since 1984 and will continue until I can no longer RV....
thank you for commenting!
Propane on, fridge on, never turn it off. Never have never will. The mentality of the 'no propane' crowd is ridiculous. It's perfectly safe to travel with the propane and fridge on! Always has been always will be.
thanks for watching
My fridge has trouble maintaining temperature on warm days. Turning if off is a non-starter!
thanks for watching!
Been doing this full time for 13 years. Always have my fridge prop on. But we never pull our 5er at 65. The American hyways are awful we go under 60. We always pass someone pulling a trailer that has destroyed tire up the road because of high speeds. Happy trails everyone.
👍
Look forward to the summer test. Sorry for your loss.
This helped us a lot. Going to be driving a 2 month trip from MO to AK this summer. We were concerned about leaving the fridge on while driving and you answered our question. Thank you so much. Safe travels to you and yours.
On topic for video - I am curious what the temp drop is if the fridge is not packed of food. Great video and thanks for the test and data.
All , as always, you do you. I think regardless if the fridge is used while traveling - it is safer malfunctioning or exploding behind me than me riding my motorcycle 60-80mph down the highway and have engine troubles or the gas tank - which im sitting on - explodes. For me, the risk is very low - all things considered
I like how quickly 12V refrigerators cool down but I prefer how my propane refrigerator can last many weeks on a motorhome-sized tank of LP. Lithium and solar are impractical for long days of driving and extended stays in areas without complete sunshine.
I’d agree with that.
I never turn the propane off to the fridge.
thanks for watching
I have come to really enjoy this site. Very informative. Direct. Very clear. No yuk-yuking. The video on winterizing was one of the most clear I have watched. This video on the refer on a topic that has bugged me for several years. Helped a lot. Thx. Keep it going.
Thank you Scott, being direct while still being fun and entertaining leads to a lot of time in the editing room. Comments like this make it all worth it. Thank you!
Interesting test. Look forward to see the results of the summer test.
Very sorry about Mose. We lost Henry, our little camping buddy a few months ago. Also, thanks for the Adopt, Don't Shop message. Happy Holidays to you and the family.
Thanks for the kind words bud, and sorry to hear about Henry. Safe travels my friend.
I don't do long trips with the rv, my trips all start from home and go 5 to 6 hours where I stay for a week or more. I load the freezer and fridge with what I am going to use and fill up the rest of the space with frozen bottles of water. Everything is nice and cold when I get there and I use the water bottles for drinking water during the stay.
Greetings from an Englishman 🇬🇧 in SAUDI ARABIA! ☺
Hey bud, glad to hear from you again.
@@RVTIPSANDTRAVELS I shall be glad when I am gone!
Ross, this was a great video! Such a simple test that answers a question we’ve all wondered. Awesome stuff!
Thanks Matt, have a great New Year bud
We had an Imagine 2600RB and never used the propane (sold back in Feb to buy a class-C), but we do have a good cooler and loaded that up for each trip. And I 1000% fully endorse your "Don't shop...adopt" message at the end!!! Thanks and Happy New Year!
thank you for watching!
We found an alternate power source for 6.5 CU. FT. Fridge while driving:
2000w inverter,
200AH battery
400w solar
Problem solved!
nice, thanks for watching!
Most of my trips, especially in the winter, were short enough to keep the fridge cold. Longer trips(over 4-5 hours), or when I was concerned about the heat? Just used a cooler between destinations. Never had to worry about defrosting!
Besides, I grew up taking care of things. Absorption fridges require being level to operate properly and traveling up and down mountains in the summer? I plan on keeping my camper for years to come. Not rich enough to keep replacing fridges.
Im right there with you!
The summer test will be interesting. I always pre freeze and cool my fridge and freezer before trips, for longer than 24 hours. I deliver about an hour to different camp sites as a rental when we aren’t personally using the camper. In the summer, the fridge always warms up considerably during summer heat during the hour of travel. I’ve been using ice packs to offset the warm up, since it takes so long for it to cool back down.
here is the summer test: ruclips.net/video/cYfZRC6QJBU/видео.html
I travel with my fridge plugged into a 2500 watt inverter. Whe I get to my site. I plug it back in the wall.
great idea
We traveled from Missouri to Arizona leaving 11/26 arriving 11/28. This is a bit different from your tests, although we did drive straight through with taking stops at night for rest. We packed our refrigerator with ice packs, and some food, and yes the temperatures at night were really cold, we didn’t turn anything on, and the days were 60’s. Everything stayed cold with no power and ice packs. Turn off the propane while driving! It’s not necessary
im sure you had more thermal mass in the fridge than i did, therefore proving what I expected would happen with more thermal mass. Thanks for sharing BajaGirl302!
I love how you ended your comment with telling others what to do 😉
48hours? No thanks
Very surprised 12v is not a common thing... very common in Australia. Mine runs of aux 12v while I drive. Then flick it onto gas or mains.
Right? 12 volt fridges are making there way into the market now, 5 years absorption fridges will be gone, if I were guessing.
Living in Arizona and camping 70 miles from us driving 63mph or less, yes, we travel with it on .
thanks for watching and commenting
Im in uk. The fridge in my dads caravan when i was a kid had gas and mains power aswell as 12v from the car while towing. Electrolux was the brand . I think it had 12v Leisure battery I think that was just for the ignitor wouldn't actually run the fridge.
Thanks for the comment from across the pond!
Depends on the situation but more than likely I’m traveling with the propane on for the fridge. I’m unable to get a pre-chill going with current setup. Also in TX
Hey Jeff, I am going to do a summer test (this was the winter/fall test), probably in August when its hottest here. Ive asked quite a few RV'ers what they feel is a hot enough temp to accurately represent a majority of RV'ers and most people said 80 degrees. interested to see the results.
PDX here
If we shut the unit off while we travel, say 2 1/2 hours
The food gets to warm and it takes way too long to get it back down to the proper temperature
in what temperatures? did you watch the summer video? this is a winter/fall video.
Great video although I have never arrived at my destination in my camper was 70° inside it's always much much warmer😮
Hey Lawrence, this was a fall/winter test. The summer test is coming this summer.
Are those Lhasa Apso dogs?!? We have a 12 year old that for some reason has always been deathly afraid of our RVs ... :-(
Mose was a Shih tzu mixed with something else, not really sure but we think a Yorkie.
This is super enlightening! Can't wait for part 2 - which I assume will be dead of summer heat - well done Ross!
Thanks Josh. Yes, probably July/August. Anything over 80 degrees will be sufficient.
@@RVTIPSANDTRAVELS please come on down to Texas when it's 100º+ to do the test, because if the numbers are good then everything else will be a cake walk.
I really enjoy your informative videos!
Also, very sorry about the lose of your dog Mose, we just put our 14yo girl down right after Christmas. It's NEVER easy losing one.
Thank you Rick, appreciate that. Going to do the summer test when its as hot as it will get here. What people dont realize in the south though is there is much less humidity than in the north. I spent 2 weeks in Vegas in the dead of summer and it was 100+ but zero humidity and bearable. in PA at 90 degrees and 25% humidity its rough. To me at least.
@@RVTIPSANDTRAVELS absolutely, we lived in SE FL for 6 years, and the humidity was brutal. Albeit, North Texas summers are a dry heat (which I'll take), but when it's 100º+ and the AC is off, our living quarters (horse trailers) gets hot.
We're getting a new trailer, and my fingers are crossed the fridge will have good insulation.
Again, THANK YOU for the awesome content.
Love creating it, thank you for watching!
If your are reading this and want your refrigerator to run while traveling without the propane, invest in a large power station, I have a 1300 watt that keeps my 200 watt A/C heating element refrigerator running and cold for over 5 hours on the road and then I recharge it.
Thanks for watching and commenting Wayne?
When we travel, we usually drive for about 4 hours with gas off, stop for an hour or so with fridge on before turning it off and doing another 4 or so hours. Seems to work for us. Can you include something like this in your next test? Thank you.
Going to test the "re-cool" rate in the summer test video.
The tanks on 99% of all RVs sit mere inches away from destruction. We RV'ers drive the " pinto" around and turning it off is not going to help anything in a crash if the tank is hit. On my class C, all of my propane lines are on the inside of the main frame and anything short of flipping or getting hit by a train is not going to have a direct impact on those either...25+ years of driving with it on except where and when the law says turn it off and have had Zero problems and every other Rv'er says the same at least the caravans i hang with in the south.. Being level is not an issue for the fridge as someone else said because one is moving and unless your on an incline or decline for your entire drive you won't have an issue with the Fridge. If you have your fridge up to running temp before you leave, the propane will hardly run anyways. Having said all this, I ensure my systems are all in good working order regularly with no loose fittings. .
The lines on most travel trailers are exposed underneath, especially for those with T connectors for gas grills. If something were to kick up and pierce that hose while it’s pumping propane through it, it could turn into something worse. I’ll agree with you there’s other factors that we can’t avoid with tanks on or off, but travel trailers have exposed lines, which is very different than driveables. Regardless, the 12volt fridges now will put absorption fridges out of production in a few years. Thanks for the comment my friend!
Interesting experiment Ross. Curious to see the entire series. Not sure if it will cause me to change my habits but it's better to have information than not.
I used to work for a petroleum co-op delivering LP. On Saturdays I would sometimes have to work in the office answering the phone and dispensing LP from the bulk tank. If an RV pulled in requesting fill-up I would ask for the pilot lights to be extinguished prior to attaching the dispenser hose and starting the pump.
Most fueling stations require pilots to be extinguished prior to fueling, but I'm guilty of traveling with the refrigerator running on LP.
Great video as always Ross. Sorry for y'all's loss brother. Safe travels y'all.
Thanks bud, happy new year!
Travel with propane off. I use two flat water jugs that fit in the doors that are frozen while on shore power. When I arrive at the next campground, I will swap them to re-freeze the refrigerator one which melts faster.
good idea, thanks for sharing
Not only do they not stay cold if turned off while traveling but they take hours to cool down again. And if you’re in triple digit ambient temps they don’t cool period. What’s the point of having a fridge if you have to shut it off while driving? I never shut ours off, period. When we left for 2 or 3 months it didn’t shut off till we finally got back home. We’ve since dumped the absorption for a 12v compressor type.
my next fridge will definitely be a 12 volt fridge
I have watched three other videos on this topic, one of the videos mention one thing that I never thought about. Having an open flame while getting gas. From now on, I will not travel with the propane on.Thank you for this video good information
Great point!
Good information. I turn the propane off during transit as I am not interested in the risk of an explosion. The stuff in our fridge and freezer are always cold when we get to our campsite.
thanks for watching and commenting!
Thanks God of bless
I do travel with the fridge off. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you and happy camping,
Happy holidays my friend!
You're correct in that the industry is moving away from absorption fridges as an option. It's so much cheaper to purchase, install, and service a 12volt.
My first 42” plasma tv 15 years ago was $2600. I can get a 70” LED for $700 today. I’d have to assume 12V and absorption fridges are similar in this progression.
@RV Tips & Travels That's a definite yes as they're purchasing in bulk now. The service/warranty side is a bigger money savings though as it's WAY easier to pop a few screws ans aside a 12volt out vs a dual fridge that's multiple layers of components.
I've been wondering about this for some time and am currently looking at installing an inverter and battery bank for the purpose of running my Refrigerator while traveling. Any thoughts on this? Also this would be upgrading my power system on my trailer. So 2 purposes in doing this.
its an excellent idea, inverters come in handy if you lose power for many reasons.
Nice test, Ross. Always turn our gas off during travel and have not had any issues even during hot days. However, I've though about adding an emergency shut off valve to the propane tank to reduce fire risk if we do decide to run the refrigerator while underway. Happy New Year!
Thank you, Paul. Happy New Year to you!
That was so great and interesting vidz my friend about on it. Keep it up and more vidz to come bro.
Great video, thank you.
You bet!
May Mose RIP. Such a sweet puppy. 😢
That means a lot Lish, thank you.
Thanks for the video…
You're welcome!
My father-in-law‘s camper truck had a 12 V fridge and that was probably 15 years ago. I don’t remember how well it worked though
Good information, my solution is a large ice chest where I pack food and ice, travel to destination, plug in fridge and wait for it to cool before transferring food. I have trailer in storage so I cant precool it without leaving it unattended. And it is easier to load up on travel days when it is just one cooler with all the food. I also have access to it if I stop along the way.
thats a great option too, thank you for sharing
I’m in the same boat with storage. I use cooler and then propane on when I get to campsite. I find propane cools faster than hydro on my fridge 🤷♂️
You mention the factor that if you stop for lunch and open door....true. But if you stop for an extended lunch, turn on the fridge. Also with just a little planning opening the fridge for lunch can be avoided.
I use dry ice middle rack
Good idea!
I concur you should not travel with the propane on. Your conditions and basis for your test were correct.
I live in the SW USA. I have driven from S CA to MS. And for three days the outside temperature was 115. In this circumstance it was necessary to leave the refrigerator on. That is one of the reasons I switched to a 12v compressor refrigerator.
*increase temp.
We will be doing a summer test soon, but as stated in the title this was a winter/fall test.
internal 70% test is just not indicative of reality, most use their campers in the summer, the inside temp will get far above that while traveling… do the same test at 90%… then lets see
Brad, did you read the title? Lol clearly says that this video was a fall/winter test. The summer test is coming in a few months when it reaches 80 outside.
@@RVTIPSANDTRAVELS My apologies, i did not see that, i am looking forward to seeing your summer test!
No worries bud. Yeah I kind of knew going in how the winter test would turn out. I’m curious on the summer test though. I have a feeling it’s going to be much different. I’ll be glad when all absorption fridges are lost to history and everything comes with 12 volt fridges.
Thanks
you're welcome, the summer test is coming in a couple months.
Condolences on your loss! Another very informative video, thanks; looking forward to the summer test!
Thank you so much for the kind words. He was camping with us from day 1 so this year is going to be tough. Appreciate you my friend.
The only problem I have with this is your outside temp was in the mid 40's. For many that travel in the late spring and summer months temps are much higher, like between 60°-90°. Just with 70°+ along with the inside temps being probably higher this vid isn't really helpful unless you camp where the average temp is 45*.
Rod, as mentioned in the title, this was a fall/winter test. we will be recording part 2 of this series this summer. Please see the video description for more details and stay tuned for the summer video (probably august when it’s the hottest in PA).
1-4 hr drive? Well, my WIFE is MAKING me DRIVE about 6-7 hrs to our next summer vacation. I truly LOVE her.... Really like and enjoy your videos. Thank you. Blessings
Thank you so much! Drive safe!
I’m sure little Mose was very special member of your family. ❤️
Enjoyed your Pennsylvanian perspective when rving
Thanks for the nice comment Carol.
Rule of 3 ...3 hours 300 miles or in the park by 3... nothing about the length of stay
How does the length of stay have to do with driving with the fridge off? I’m a little confused on your statement. Can you elaborate?
At 1:13 you quoted the rule of three. And I corrected you. You said stay no shorter than 3 days. It's 3 hours... 300 miles. Or in the park by 3. Length of stay does not apply in the rule or three
While the length of stay doesn’t really have much to do with this video, I mentioned it because it is definitely part of the rule of three. I’m not the only one who thinks this. See the link: www.rvlock.com/blogs/on-the-road/the-rv-3-3-3-rule-will-save-your-travel-day?gadid=392436386395&gclid=CjwKCAjwge2iBhBBEiwAfXDBR7zogbbRWNJc95BfD1qEpN62MdzmwpDa__dehiC7BDtARctjmGyH6hoC3KEQAvD_BwE&
Here’s another: alwaysonliberty.com/2022/12/rv-3-3-3-rule.html/
And another: drivinvibin.com/2021/10/22/rv-3-3-3-rule/
I have a small truck camper. I have a 3 way refrigerator in it. I get the refrigerator cold on house AC power ahead of my trip. Traveling I run it on 12 volt power, with the help of solar power. Once off grid camping I run the refrigerator on 12 volt during the day, and propane at night. Very simple set up.
Nice! Thanks for sharing.
Our new 2023 imagine 2670mk came with a 12v only fridge which I thought was weird. Now I get it. We use a 200ah lithium battery with 600w solar when boondocking to charge the battery, and when plugged into 110v or towing its being charged. So the 12v fridge can always be on with no hazardous issues at all. We love it.
I’m jealous! My next
Rv will have a 12v fridge!
Hi Ross and family 👪, sorry for your loss of your dog 🐕 ,your Canadian fans ,Randy and Judy, Big Ben. As for keeping food from spoiling I think people panic to much. We drove in heat wave this last summer in ND 101°F ,fridge kept everything cool,put ice packs in crisper of fridge 👍, if we stopped put 2600RB on level and turned on fridge with propane 👍then ate,no problem. Drove 6-8hrs each day. Freezer worked great too,remember ice cube maker is a blessing on trips too as soon as we get power we start making ice to keep fridge/freezer cooling. Your family 👪 had great memories with a pet I can tell, hang in there....
Appreciate the kind words, thanks my friend.
I solved this problem by installing a refrigerator with a 12 volt compressor. A lot more efficient and really love it.
my next rv will have a 12 volt fridge, no question about that!
We drove from Northern California to the Florida Keys and the refrigerator was running all the time except when getting gas. I just wonder after the refrigerator being off for 6 hours, how long did it take to cool down to the normal temp. Thanks for your test.
the upcoming summer test will have a cool down test added to the video, stay tuned.
im from pittsburgh and our longest trip we go on is to sarasota florida every year so that being said we had a class c on witch our fridge was electric/propane so i dont travel with my propane on so my fix was i saved the large food grade freezer packs and use one in the freezer and one in the fridge we drive from pittsburgh and dont pull over till we get to the welcome center in florida to rest on witch i use generator and turn fridge back on but with ice packs the fridge did not get above 38* and ice pack was still frozen in freezer, we just purchased 2018 jayco class A and one of the perks is my fridge will stay running while traveling due to my converter/inverter so im pumped about that, so my point is the large freezer packs work great for an option
thanks for sharing
Yay PA! Me too! Of those that do travel w/ propane on, do they stay cold? Would the constant rocking while traveling harm the fridge w/ the ammonia flopping around? I travel with mine off BTW.
Bert, it definitely could disrupt the cooling depending on how often the RV was not level. I can honestly say that I am not an absorption fridge expert, but I do know the performance of the process depends on the system being level.
There are two more factors to consider. One is that the fridge doesn't work on propane very well at 65 mph. Since what's going on there is basically a small flame is boiling off the ammonia, a 65 mph wind severely reduces the ability of the flame to do so. So your fridge isn't working anyway. Second, the fridge is classified as an "open flame", so you can't bring it up to a fueling station of any kind with the fridge running (although many people do). If there is a fuel spill near a running fridge, the chance of ignition is way higher than from pretty much anything else but somebody smoking a cigarette while pumping gas. Would you smoke a cigarette while pumping gas? It's the same sort of concept as why you don't store gasoline in the furnace room of your house.
The fear of a propane explosion during an accident is actually much reduced these days because almost all propane tanks still in service have an automatic shutoff in the case of a severed line, or if you try and open the valve when it's not connected. So this is less of a concern than it once was. But you can still blow up the gas station, and the fridge still isn't working very well.
Thanks for sharing Art
Let's repeat this test in the summer...
As noted in the description, it’s coming! Will probably be released August. Stay tuned!
@@RVTIPSANDTRAVELS I guess reading is crucial... My bad ;)
No worries bud.
Very informative episode…….THANK YOU FOR THAT….and Im so sorry for your loss brother. I know what it feels. God bless🙏🏻
Thank you Randy, I appreciate that very much. Thanks for being a part of the channel.
When we travel most RVers will have a portable DC refrigerator freezer. That is what we put essentials in when traveling. Like frozen meats or ice cream. There are some moderately priced ones out there that are still good quality and you will have peace of mind.
Those are great to have too, thanks for sharing Daniel.
We have left it on before. But probably won't in the future.
When traveling, the fridge isn't level. Running fridge when not level can damage it.
Thanks for the comment Brent.
#1.. thank you for the test data, it's an eye opener! Maybe people will put their own to the test and stop driving with the propane on! I can't even tell you how many husks I pulled off the California highways when I was a tow operator!
#2.. More Important. I'm so sorry for your loss! I lost my road dog this year suddenly, it still hurts 6 months later. It may seem odd, but I got some of my pups ashes put into a necklace holder, so when we travel, a piece of him is coming with (he LOVED being in the RV). We did get a new pup, and I'm currently training him to be my companion dog. Hope he takes to rv'ing! You'll always have part of Mose with you, so hold onto that. *Big hugs*
your comment means a lot to us Kris. He has been traveling with us from day one. He will be missed.
I’m a little confused…did you say you pack the food in the fridge at the beginning, when you first turn the fridge on? I thought you were supposed to wait until it reaches temp and then only add cold items to the fridge.
You can do both, but it seems the fridge will cool quicker with cold food in there.
Beautiful tribute at the end. Sorry for your loss, and thanks for such great information.
Thank you!
In the past, I have traveled with my propane on for my refrigerator, I won’t from now on and I thank you very much
A summer test video with higher temps will be coming this July/August.
Great information, thanks. We also travel mostly 1-4 hours, get the unit chilled the day before, pack the morning of and then turn the propane off right before we leave, never an issue upon arriving. We have a standard Dometic in our Grey wolf… cheers 🍻
Thanks for watching and commenting Eman!