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Old 05-05-2016, 05:39 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by santacruzer View Post
Another good article here:

Propane 101-The basics

It's not so much about running the refrigerator on propane while driving, but leaving the appliances on while refueling at a gas station.
Good point! We pull over, switch the frig to battery, and then pull into the pump. Particularly important to do that if you see a Sheriff's deputy hanging around the parking lot but also very important if you don't want to have a flame in the vicinity of the gas pumps which I've been told is sort of a bad idea.
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Old 05-05-2016, 05:57 PM   #22
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I don't know of a single Texas Sheriffs deputy that would stop or question someone pulling a trailer to determine whether they're fridge is set to propane when pumping gas. In all my years in law enforcement, I never heard of such an event.

Having said that, the main reason for switching to DC when refueling is that it's against the law in all 50 states to have an "open flame" when refueling, and although the flame in the fridge is shielded, it's still open to the air. Without air, there's no combustion. The laws don't make an exception because gasoline vapors are heavier than air and are close to the ground, away from the fridge flame. They also don't make an exception because there is close to zero evidence that a fridge on propane ever caused a fire at a gas station.

They're just laws - however unreasonable or silly they may be.



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Old 05-05-2016, 06:01 PM   #23
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Honestly, my refrigerator stays colder on 12v than it does on propane when towing. I suspect it is due to the flame being blown out repeatedly and having to reignite. With solar I can drive for 8 hours running on 12v, the batteries will be at 13.7v and the refrigerator 33 degrees. I can see no reason to burn propane when 12v works so well, unless we stop for more than a quick lunch.
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Old 05-05-2016, 06:23 PM   #24
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I have to say, this discussion of propane use is deja vu all over again for me. I take safety very seriously and I do tow with the fridge on. But some aspects of the discussion remind of when putting a propane stove in a boat was considered about the stupidest possible thing you could do. If you didn't have a deep sea boat with a diesel range then you had an alcohol stove. Because, don't ya know, propane is heavier than air and in a boat it'll sink into the bilge and you'll have a massive explosion.

Well, along of the evolution of things some folks discovered the hard way that alcohol stoves could do some pretty nasty things. Gradually propane came into use and it's proven to be very safe. Now, the vast majority of boats have propane stoves. But there'll always be some sailors who'll say, "I'd never have propane in my boat, too dangerous." Another one of those things that comes down to an individuals knowledge and comfort level.

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Old 05-06-2016, 07:06 AM   #25
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Wanting to understand

Hi, new here. Just picked up our 21'. First trailer experience. We had refrigerator on battery while towing and it discharged trailer battery--don't want to do that. So, If we tow with frig on propane and switch it to battery when we stop to refuel, does that extinguish the pilot light? Then, when we start up again, and switch back to propane, does it re-light automatically?
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Old 05-06-2016, 07:10 AM   #26
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Short answer, "yes" to both
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Old 05-06-2016, 07:17 AM   #27
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Thanks!
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Old 05-06-2016, 07:56 AM   #28
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Quote:
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Hi, new here. Just picked up our 21'. First trailer experience. We had refrigerator on battery while towing and it discharged trailer battery--don't want to do that. So, If we tow with frig on propane and switch it to battery when we stop to refuel, does that extinguish the pilot light? Then, when we start up again, and switch back to propane, does it re-light automatically?
Actually, if you are stopping for fuel, no need to run it on 12v, just shut it off, then turn it on again. It's not going to get hot in the 5 or 10 minutes you are pumping fuel.
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Old 05-06-2016, 08:51 AM   #29
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fridge on battery while towing

We have a single 12volt, no solar and we can drive for 3-400 miles and the trailer battery remains charged with the fridge on 12v. It may be that our Jeep alternator is putting out enough to power the fridge and keep the trailer battery topped up.
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Old 05-06-2016, 11:14 AM   #30
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Not sure if you are aware of the AES feature in all the modern Dometic frigs? It automatically switches off the propane for 15 minutes each time it senses a turn off of the ignition.

After 15 minutes it will restart the propane automatically. Check out your owner's manual.



12V OPERATION
AES will select the 12V mode of operation as soon as the vehicle engine is running (detected by the alternator connection of the fridge D+).
If the 12V DC goes down below 9V DC, the system will shut down completely.
It is not allowed to have a naked flame at a gas filling station. If you are not sure, that your stop is shorter than 15 min , you are advised to set the oN/oFF switch (1) to “oFF”, when stopping at a lling station SWITCHING bETWEEN ENERGY SOURCES
When switching from one energy source to another, there are some delays implemented in the AES system. The 15 min. delay between switching off the engine and starting gas mode is intended to delay the starting of gas mode e.g. when stopping at a lling station.
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Old 05-06-2016, 11:19 AM   #31
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Quote:
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Hi, new here. Just picked up our 21'. First trailer experience. We had refrigerator on battery while towing and it discharged trailer battery--don't want to do that.
Do you know for sure that your tow vehicle is providing 12 volts to the trailer plug?

Some don't. Mine didn't, I added a 12 volt line to the 7 pin connector. I tow on propane but it's handy to be able to have the capacity to top up the batteries when solar isn't already doing the job.

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Old 05-06-2016, 11:28 AM   #32
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How does the refer know that the source is the tow 12v and not the internal Escape 12v battery? I'd like to understand the wizardly involved here?
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Old 05-06-2016, 11:44 AM   #33
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The refer doesn't need to know. Running the fridge off the battery is a one way trip down hill. The refer will know at some point that it's not getting enough voltage

If the tug is supplying voltage to the trailer it's like using a battery while it's hooked to a battery charger. Depending on the load the trailer battery will either very slowly discharge or, depending on the alternator and vehicle, arrive at the destination fully charged. The fridge doesn't care what the situation is as long as it's getting the required voltage.

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Old 05-06-2016, 12:14 PM   #34
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Exactly,
So the refer will not turn off when you turn off the ignition
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Old 05-06-2016, 12:16 PM   #35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Klem View Post
Not sure if you are aware of the AES feature in all the modern Dometic frigs? It automatically switches off the propane for 15 minutes each time it senses a turn off of the ignition.

After 15 minutes it will restart the propane automatically. Check out your owner's manual.



12V OPERATION
AES will select the 12V mode of operation as soon as the vehicle engine is running (detected by the alternator connection of the fridge D+).
If the 12V DC goes down below 9V DC, the system will shut down completely.
It is not allowed to have a naked flame at a gas filling station. If you are not sure, that your stop is shorter than 15 min , you are advised to set the oN/oFF switch (1) to “oFF”, when stopping at a lling station SWITCHING bETWEEN ENERGY SOURCES
When switching from one energy source to another, there are some delays implemented in the AES system. The 15 min. delay between switching off the engine and starting gas mode is intended to delay the starting of gas mode e.g. when stopping at a lling station.
Didn't know that Klem Thankyou for the information . Pat
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Old 05-06-2016, 12:30 PM   #36
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A little more history for those that want walk down memory lane.

http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f9...html#post65839

I chose to 'trick' the AES into not 'seeing' the voltage rise/fall when turning on/off the ignition. My reason at the time was all those 15 minute shutdowns of propane have an impact on cooling performance and I wanted to see how much. The RML was such a piece of junk ... I couldn't tell a difference, it was too warm either way.

With the RMD replacement I still keep it disconnected so there is no chance the frig can kill our batteries. And the propane runs constantly when I choose propane.
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Old 05-06-2016, 12:55 PM   #37
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Good points Klem.

The bottom line is that there's a variety of systems out there. Some don't shut off automatically such an owner installed system that requires a manual shut-off with a switch or solenoid, and some that do shut off and some vehicles that don't provide power to the plug. Retro-fitted 4 pin to 7-pin typically don't have power to the trailer unless it's added.

So, unless buying new with a trailer package that specifically states what the 7 pin power situation is, new owners should find out for themselves. Handy feature to have on occasion.

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Old 05-06-2016, 01:19 PM   #38
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Klem View Post
A little more history for those that want walk down memory lane.

http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f9...html#post65839

I chose to 'trick' the AES into not 'seeing' the voltage rise/fall when turning on/off the ignition. My reason at the time was all those 15 minute shutdowns of propane have an impact on cooling performance and I wanted to see how much. The RML was such a piece of junk ... I couldn't tell a difference, it was too warm either way.

With the RMD replacement I still keep it disconnected so there is no chance the frig can kill our batteries. And the propane runs constantly when I choose propane.
Klem do we have this AES system ? We still have and now works 90% better orignal 4.3 . Pat
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Old 05-06-2016, 01:44 PM   #39
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OK, I’m a bit slow here, so I have a question: My wife likes to use the microwave in our 5.0. when we dry camp. We have the duel 6-volts and solar, but last summer the battery was just not keeping up. I plugged the trailer into the truck and ran the engine, hoping to augment the trailer battery. Did this do any good? If I don’t have the 12v line on my 7-pin connector was I wasting gas?
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Old 05-06-2016, 01:48 PM   #40
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Klem do we have this AES system ? We still have and now works 90% better orignal 4.3 . Pat
Hi Pat, from this manual IF the last digit of your model number has a '5' it's AES. If it's a '1' it's manual.

http://www.dometic.com/QBankFiles3/E...nual_17593.pdf

I had a long talk with s Dometic tech back in the RML days and he said the 15 minute shut down could get to be a problem if you did a series of ignition on/off cycles. So I disconnected the big DC connector but used a wire nut to keep the little red wire hot to power the electronics.

Who knows if in the newer frigs they upgraded the AES software control? Did they get some of the bugs out
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