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09-09-2015, 08:51 AM
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#21
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Galesville, Wisconsin
Trailer: 2017 21 "Blue II" & 2017 Highlander XLE (previously 2010 17B "Blue" & 2008 Tacoma)
Posts: 4,232
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Bennett
I almost always have it on, as we switch from electric to propane in the drive before leaving, and leave it on until we get home, as we need to run on propane while camping.
I recently saw a thread on another RV site while searching something about propane. I can't remember now what I was searching, and I can't find the thread again. Basically, the OP asked folks to honestly answer a few questions, the first was who ran with propane on, and it was the vast majority. And of those that did, who turned it off when refuelling, and it was pretty mostly those that had a switch to use to do so. Most argued that it is not even posted to turn off propane when refuelling, and to be honest, I don't think I have ever seen a sign saying to do so. Ferries and tunnels requiring it to be off do have signs posted to do so.
In the vein of being honest, I very rarely (okay, pretty much never) turn off my fridge when refuelling, partially because I never actually think about it.
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I wonder about the actual risk of the fridge running on LP when filling our tow vehicle with gas.
I would guess that this sample Jim mentioned is most likely correct about % of people. Even with the huge numbers of various RVs on the road, I personally have never read of a fire or explosion at a service station caused by an RV with a fridge running on LP. (Anyone else?)
Given that the flame is shielded, after watching Mythbusters in various episodes with them trying to cause explosions, it seems like the only way for a fire or explosion to happen would be gas actually spilling onto the fridge compartment, seemingly quite unlikely with our trailers being well behind the gas inlet of our tow vehicles.
Makes me wonder if any sort of real world testing has even been done, of it this is just one of those things that sounds like a good safety idea?
__________________
Eric (and Mary who is in no way responsible for anything stupid I post)
"Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance." George Bernard Shaw
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09-09-2015, 10:19 AM
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#22
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Trailer: 2015 Escape 19 "Seventy Degrees"
Posts: 3,495
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This topic is one of those where methinks the propane travelers will continue to travel with propane on and the non propane travelers will continue to not and never the twain shall meet. We have always travelled with propane fridge on and will continue to do so unless we go out in a bang like Alf. So far to date never heard of losing a molded fiberglass enthusiast to an explosive demise. Worse thing would be using the potty while fueling if it blew......
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09-09-2015, 10:30 AM
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#23
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: St. Thomas not BVI., Ontario
Trailer: 2014 Escape 5.0TA / 2016 Ram Eco Diesel 4X4
Posts: 8,035
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg A
This topic is one of those where methinks the propane travelers will continue to travel with propane on and the non propane travelers will continue to not and never the twain shall meet. We have always travelled with propane fridge on and will continue to do so unless we go out in a bang like Alf. So far to date never heard of losing a molded fiberglass enthusiast to an explosive demise. Worse thing would be using the potty while fueling if it blew......
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Hi: Greg A... I'm no chemistry whiz but I wouldn't want a test ride on a methane/propane powered bowl. Twain or no twain!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie
__________________
Quote Bugs Bunny..."Don't take life too seriously, none of us get out of it ALIVE"!!!
'16 Ram Eco D. 4X4 Laramie Longhorn CC & '14 Escape 5.0TA
St.Thomas (Not the Virgin Islands) Ontario
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09-09-2015, 10:44 AM
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#24
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central, Pennsylvania
Trailer: Escape#5 2022 E19
Posts: 26,268
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When refueling and towing with propane on, I always take the closest pump and leave the trailer and the source at least 15 feet away from the fumes. I'm more afraid of the smokers who have a cigarette in their mouth while refueling.
__________________
Jim
Sometime life gets in the way of living.......
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09-09-2015, 11:50 AM
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#25
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Ventura County, California
Trailer: 2015 Escape 17A
Posts: 2,344
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thoer
...........
Makes me wonder if any sort of real world testing has even been done, of it this is just one of those things that sounds like a good safety idea?
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National Fire Protection Association has indeed conducted testing. Their standards are based on real-world testing of a variety of scenarios, staged accidents, etc., that are much of the basis for their standards (they burn up lots of stuff!).
NFPA 30A (Motor Fuel Dispensing..) and 58 (LP Gas Code) are among them.
Neither mention shutting off tank valves, but both address removing ignition sources within 20 feet of dispensing. The most obvious hazard is fuel spills. I have seen modern, automatic shut-off dispenser nozzles fail to shut off, with 1 or 2 gallons of gasoline on the ground; so it is a real possible hazard.
By the way, the International Fire Code, the model Code for many jurisdictions in North America, references NFPA 30 and 58 as standards.
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09-09-2015, 01:30 PM
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#26
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: SF Bay Area, California
Trailer: 2009 Escape 19
Posts: 141
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When using the fridge I typically let it cool down for several hours using electricity, then travel with the fridge running on propane, and shift back to electrical where it's available.
Regards,
Matt
__________________
Escape 19 - 2009
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09-09-2015, 02:27 PM
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#27
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia
Trailer: 2009 Escape 17B 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE
Posts: 17,136
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We are packing today, leaving tomorrow. Four days with no services, no corner stores.
I have frozen a small sirloin roast to cook in my new BBQ. It will go in the fridge while we travel to help keep fridge chilled. Might leave a frozen half chicken in the fridge as well. Which ever thaws first is for dinner.
__________________
What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?
- Bertolt Brecht
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09-09-2015, 03:19 PM
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#28
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Trailer: 2015 Escape 19 "Seventy Degrees"
Posts: 3,495
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My money's on the chicken!
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09-09-2015, 06:03 PM
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#29
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Trailer: 2015 19 foot
Posts: 439
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rbryan4
Now static electricity? That can actually cause a fire in low humidity locations like Colorado.
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I used to live in Michigan, and there was an explosion at a gas station caused by static electricity. Someone refilled a 5 gallon can of gas while it was on the truck bed rather than on the ground. The resulting static discharge blew up the gas can, and also the propane tank next to it which was launched across the road by the explosion.
Always put a gas can on the ground before refilling it.
And I always turn off my propane tanks, just in case. 12v seems to keep my fridge cool enough. On my old trailer, which had a 2-way fridge, I added an inverter so I could keep it working while traveling. And that was before I had solar. Worked fine.
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09-09-2015, 06:26 PM
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#30
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Washington State, Washington
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
Posts: 43
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Well, thanks everyone for sharing all these thoughts...it's very helpful. I agree that if you cool down your fridge long enough (I usually do overnight) it can stay cool for a surprisingly long time if you refrain from opening it. It depends on the outside temp, of course. And I tend to put the first frozen items to be eaten in the fridge, like Gbaglo does.
I think I'll feel comfortable running the fridge, at least part of the time, if the drive is long. Shutting it off to fuel seems easy enough with the push of a button, since I'm usually in the trailer getting a snack for my kiddos or some such thing anyway. (Though we are doing the 2-door Dometic replacement, and I think you now have to open the door to push the buttons?? Our current fridge buttons are on top and don't require opening the door.)
The idea of having a bad accident and the propane igniting is certainly scary, and we'll sure hope that never happens!
Thanks again for all the replies, I appreciate it!
lisa
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09-10-2015, 09:42 AM
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#31
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Olympia wa, Washington
Trailer: 5.0TA 2017
Posts: 2,255
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I've been trying to see if my propane tanks are low but I cannot tell if it has switched to the other tank. I thought something would turn red and switch over to the full side I don't see any indicator how do you know which side it's on or if it's getting empty? I haven't really messed with it since I bought the trailer (other then just turning them off and on).
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09-10-2015, 09:58 AM
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#32
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,532
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The tank that is drawn from is the first one opened, and if and when empty, it will automatically transfer over to the other tank, as long as that valve was opened too. All the red/green indicator does, is tell you whether there is propane left in the bottle that the indicator is pointed too. There is no way of telling fill level with this indicator.
In practice what I do is to always open the valve first of the bottle the indicator is pointing to, then open the other valve. As soon as I notice that bottle is empty (I usually check when hooking up, and if not when I open that tank the next time, I will see the indicator is red), and the supply transfers to the other bottle, I switch the indicator lever over to the other tank which is now supplying the propane to the trailer. I then fill the empty bottle at my earliest convenience. This way, I never run out of propane, well, as long as I am diligent with the refill.
If you follow this procedure, there is no need to tell what the actual level of a tank is, as when the second one takes over, you still have a long time before it runs out, giving you a long window to fill the empty one.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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09-10-2015, 10:23 AM
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#34
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: Escape 17B, April 2014
Posts: 97
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Bennett
The tank that is drawn from is the first one opened, <<snip>>
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Not quite right.
Regardless of which valve is opened first, so long as both valves are open, the tank that the little black handle is pointing to will be drawn from first, if it still contains propane.
If the indicator is green, propane is still being drawn from the tank the handle is pointing to. If the indicator is red, the "first" tank is empty, and now propane is being drawn from the tank the handle is pointing away from.
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09-10-2015, 10:40 AM
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#35
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Northern, Maryland
Trailer: 2014 E21
Posts: 273
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gbaglo
You do ( legally ) have to shut off propane on ferries and prior to entering some tunnels.
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After reading this, I remembered that I hadn't turned off the propane whilst crossing Lake Champlain this summer. I just confirmed with Lake Champlain Transportation that "We don’t require that they [i.e., propane tanks] be turned off. As long as the tank is in good condition and secured, it will be fine."
I understand that BC Ferries (and perhaps others) are different.
__________________
Vella, Glenn, and Abigail
Escape 21
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09-10-2015, 10:45 AM
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#36
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Bellingham and Glacier, Washington
Trailer: 2013 Escape 15A
Posts: 2,051
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Note the sentence "Slowly open both cylinder valves" which is key to getting the propane to flow in the first place...
__________________
Karen Hulford
2013 Escape 15A, "Egbert"
'93 Ford 150 XLT or
'22 GMC Acadia Denali
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09-10-2015, 10:47 AM
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#37
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,532
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Yeah, I kinda worded and put things in the wrong order. As mentioned, I always open the one the indicator handle is pointing to, thus my meaning of the one opened first is where the primary draw comes from. Not much of a wordsmith, am I?
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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09-10-2015, 11:00 AM
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#38
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: Escape 17B, April 2014
Posts: 97
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Bennett
Yeah, I kinda worded and put things in the wrong order. As mentioned, I always open the one the indicator handle is pointing to, thus my meaning of the one opened first is where the primary draw comes from. Not much of a wordsmith, am I?
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Jim, I did quite a bit of research into how these valves work when we were having trouble with a faulty one this spring. Exactly what you wrote is a _very_common mis-conception, so I thought it a good idea to correct it here.
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09-10-2015, 01:10 PM
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#39
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Olympia wa, Washington
Trailer: 5.0TA 2017
Posts: 2,255
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where is the indicator ? i have not found it yet?
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09-10-2015, 01:15 PM
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#40
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Trailer: 2017 Escape 5.0 TA
Posts: 15,532
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It is right on top of the regulator. On my phone right now, can post a photo later.
__________________
2017 Escape 5.0 TA
2015 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5L EcoBoost
2009 Escape 19 (previous)
“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” — Abraham Lincoln
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