Propane safety

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by UncleTim

I turn the heat on before I leave (on short trips only). Particularly in the Winter.

I like it warm when I get there.

Hi: UncleTim... Yes you'll always have a "Warm welcome" that way!!! We usually travel with the propane tanks on where possible and the fridge too... but not the furnace. IMHO a warm welcome would be nice... but warm beer isn't. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[UncleTim]

What I probably should do is heat it up before I go and then turn it off for travel. I only did that when I was traveling 35 miles or less, in the Winter. But I really don't need it to be on, particularly since I can easily blast heat whenever I want.

It seems like for the first few hours with heat, after being cold, everything is still cold to the touch.

Good advice here, thank you. I am in my ninth month of my rookie season of owning an Escape. Still much to learn.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by UncleTim

It seems like for the first few hours with heat, after being cold, everything is still cold to the touch.

That's exactly what I've found. The Formica is cold, the rugs are cold, even the foam in the cushions are cold. BUT, the air can get hot and kinda stuffy. Takes a while for the interior of the trailer to be comfortable enough to shed the coat.

[HABBERDABBER]

"Cold soaked" is what that phenomena is often called. We feel cold as we radiate heat away from our bodies to a less heated (cold) object. Heat wants to equalize in the environment, and that is time dependent.

[fudge_brownie]

Originally Posted by HABBERDABBER

"Cold soaked" is what that phenomena is often called. We feel cold as we radiate heat away from our bodies to a less heated (cold) object. Heat wants to equalize in the environment, and that is time dependent.

I leave for Florida in the morning. I am sure I will get "cold soaked" for the first couple of nights. I am looking forward to it.

[HABBERDABBER]

bon voyage


....and wear your sunscreen.

[dlakeman]

Originally Posted by snas

I imagine this subject has been covered before but here's my .02

I feel safer with the tanks off when travelling. I might be the only guy on the planet driving with the fridge on DC but it's worked ok for me (with a large gauge truck to camper power feed). And I'll try the same with the trailer. If DC doesn't cut it I'll try AC with the inverter before LPG. Likewise for trailer area and water heating if I were to do that while driving.

I made my first trip in my new 21C last week. Plugged trailer into 30AMP shore power the night before I left and put fridge on AC. In the morning I switched fridge to 12VDC. I drove about 100 miles then stopped to see if everything was ok. Ah, the radio fell out of it's mount! Trailer was connected to truck, and I left truck running. I looked at the GoPower Solar Display Panel and saw the battery state of charge was 2 bars (4 bars when fully charged). Wow I thought. Did the fridge drain the batteries down? How is that possible when I have two solar panels on the roof and connected to the truck? So I switched to propane. I was uneasy about driving with propane on. Got to my destination. Plugged into 30AMP shore power and switched fridge to AC. Solar Display Panel was showing 4 bars. I'm thinking it's normal for the Solar Display Panel to show 2 bars when fridge on 12V yet the battery isn't really discharged to 50%. I drove home with fridge on 12V (200 miles). Solar Display Panel showing 2 bars. When I shut off fridge Solar Display Panel went to 4 bars. Will someone explain what I'm seeing?

[cpaharley2008]

12v operation is not that efficient for cooling as propane is your best source. Very efficient and safe, why not use as it was intended?

[Steve S.]

If the solar panel display (bars) is based on voltages instead of current (like a proper battery capacity meter using a shunt), then any heavy usage of DC will show a lower voltage than if there was no draw. Stop the large draw, wait a bit, and try again.

As previous poster indicated, the DC operation of the three-way fridge is not ideal. This is also why folks are attracted to more efficient "compressor" fridges.

[dlakeman]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

12v operation is not that efficient for cooling as propane is your best source. Very efficient and safe, why not use as it was intended?

Not being that experienced, I was worried in the high winds in Nevada that the propane flame would blow out as I was driving. I'm guessing based upon feedback that blow out is not an issue?

[cpaharley2008]

Even if blow out occurs, it is automatic relighting.....

[C&G in FL]

If you monitor the internal refrigerator temperature after pre-cooling it on 120 vac (starting temperature) and then compare it after 2 or 3 hours on DC, solar power or not, my experience is that the internal temperatures will go from 33° or 34° F to the high 30°s or low 40°s. If you run on propane, it will stay at or very close to the pre-cooled starting temperature. Since I will typically drive for 7 to 8 hours or more if I’m heading to a distant destination, 12 vdc simply doesn’t work for me. And yes, years ago the first few times I ran the refrigerator on propane, I was a bit nervous. Now, it doesn’t concern me one bit. If you are boondocking (without hookups) and run the refrigerator on propane, does that not pose the same “threat” as when you are driving? And you are sitting in a vehicle with a fuel tank carrying a large volume of gasoline, but you worry about the refrigerator running on propane. Truly, what do you think is going to happen that is so disastrous that couldn’t happen at any other time. I’m not being judgmental here, everyone has to decide for themselves. But I do think “running on propane” fears may be a bit over blown. I, for one, want unspoiled food to eat when I stop goer the evening.

[bdornbush]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

If you monitor the internal refrigerator temperature after pre-cooling it on 120 vac (starting temperature) and then compare it after 2 or 3 hours on DC, solar power or not, my experience is that the internal temperatures will go from 33° or 34° F to the high 30°s or low 40°s.

It depends on the current that your tow vehicle can provide. My stock Jeep Grand Cherokee with towing package provides enough current that my refrigerator stays as cold as it started. As many have pointed out, some of us are comfortable traveling with propane on and others are not. It is a choice you make. I personally am much more comfortable with propane off. Those of us who travel with propane on, or off, are not going to convince the other side that we are right and they are wrong.

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Even if blow out occurs, it is automatic relighting.....

Unless it is unsuccessful, gives up, and displays fault.

[kavm]

Sorry about a dumb question on this - doesn't the 7-pin connector from the tow vehicle provide a moderate charge for the batteries? Is Escape not configured to charge the batteries using that?

[gbaglo]

The fridge on DC sucks power out of the battery faster than the tow vehicle can supply it.

[dfandrews]

Originally Posted by dlakeman

Not being that experienced, I was worried in the high winds in Nevada that the propane flame would blow out as I was driving. I'm guessing based upon feedback that blow out is not an issue?

We frequently drive from our home in coastal CA, across the desert SW to various destinations. We have driven in those high winds on I-5, I-10, I-15, I-40, US-395, US-93, US-95, etc. We always tow with propane powering the refrigerator system, and we've never had a problem.

[kavm]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

The fridge on DC sucks power out of the battery faster than the tow vehicle can supply it.

Thank you! We will have a compressor fridge - RFU 9000, draw of 5.2A (12VDC), I presume constant initially but cycling off once it reaches the right temperature. I am expecting it will draw from the batteries, which will get charged by solar and the 7-pin connection from the TV. Hoping that will be enough - because we do not have the propane option. [We do have a built in 7.2 kW generator on the truck but that is not an option while moving.]

[Fox hunt]

When I picked up my trailer I was told the batter function would not keep my refrigerator cold enough while traveling. I have always used propane or for short trips put ice packs in it and some frozen food to maintain a reasonable temp when on battery.

[HABBERDABBER]

Isn't this a question of the output capacity of the tug alternator and more importantly the gauge of the wire supplying 12V to the 7 pin connector? If either are marginal or inadequate, poor DC refrig performance. It seems not to be a matter of preference or opinion, but equipment capability.


DC is very significantly affected by wire length and gauge size.