down the road "Furnace on"?

[William Ales]

Can't find my answer looking through threads!

When it's below freezing, can I go down the road with my furnace on? I have a 2006 Classic!

Thanks for the Sage advice!

[GO Bob]

Just like your refer you can but make sure they both are off before pulling in to refuel.

[ScottW]

William Ales (home brewer?).

I agree, just leave it all on. FWIW...I'm one of the dumb ones who checks the prevailing wind, uses diesel and leaves it on while refueling...just my life style.

[DFord79]

There is a thread here SOMEWHERE that talks about driving with the refer on. As GO BOB mentioned most turn if off to refuel. I think this is more important if you have a gasser rather than diesel. But from what I remember in the posts it was a split decision maybe weighing towards, YES I DRIVE WITH THE REFER ON. I do not see a problem and I have ask many RVers over the past few years if they leave their refer on while on the interstate. MOST...say yes. Some of the older rigs would blow out...but I think that problem has been addressed on the new ones. It is pretty much a consenses that it is fine to keep the refer running while driving. But,,,,you will get more advise on here soon...lol.

[Fyrzowt]

Maybe it's just my job, and I don't have too many agree with me - but I don't believe the propane should be on while enroute.

That is when you have the most vibration.
Vibration increases rubbing, pinching, cracks, cuts in lines.
Rubbing, pinching, cracks in lines cause leaks.
Leaks, when met with an ignition source (Furnace, fridge, water heater pilot light) cause a BOOM.

Does it happen often? No
Is once too often? Yes
Is it easy to avoid? Yes, leave appliances OFF while travelling. Your food will be fine.

The "other" viewpoint.
Dave

[HiHoAgRV]

Our travels in a SOB RV took us to locations were the engine heat would not keep the cabin warm so we ran with the propane heater ON. The only problem we had was misfires when trying to ignite, due to the 65mph wind whipping past the inlet/exhaust.

My advise if you do travel with the heat on - don't count on it being 100% reliable. Every once in a while stop and see if the exhaust stack is blowing cold indicating a misfire (at least thats how my heaters have always worked)

We may have to run with ours on enroute to the Can Opener '08 since we are supposed to be at 16 degrees tonight!

[AIR4US]

isn't frozen lines and resulting damage an issue if you don't leave the furnace on while traveling in freezing weather?

[thecatsandi]

Yes!
I do it all the time when the temp gets below 45. I set it to 55 and leave the sky lights "open". Passive solar helps out.

[thecatsandi]

Originally Posted by DFord79

I do not see a problem and I have ask many RVers over the past few years if they leave their refer on while on the interstate. MOST...say yes. Some of the older rigs would blow out...but I think that problem has been addressed on the new ones. It is pretty much a consenses that it is fine to keep the refer running while driving. But,,,,you will get more advise on here soon...lol.

I had a problem with my fridge. she would fail to stay light. A baffle was installed and now it stays light all the time.

[DreamStreamr]

Two points, one for sure and the other sorta conjectural:

1. many, but not all, the refrigerators are automatic electronic ignition. Our CCD22 was not, but our 25 is. so if it "goes out", it will attempt to relight before it fails and closes the gas valve automatically.

2. I am certain I have read it is illegal (in some states?) to run with the FURNACE on on the highway. Yeah I know, who's going to check and catch us? So this may not be worth the time spent reading it. And as fyrzowt mentions, having the propane system on has some inherent risks.

Someone wrote many many posts ago on some thread on this forum, "the fridges are insulated and don't have to be on to hold temperature." Baloney! We live full-time in our Airstream and move it every week or two to some new venue. We maintain our fridge and freezer nominally full of food. We monitor our fridge inside temp electronically. Shoot, running wide open it will just hold temperature on the road on a cool day. Our fridge will NOT even nearly hold temperature except on a cold and cloudy day.

[Silvertwinkie]

I called Dometic a while back. Their answer to the fridge was yes, it is designed to run on LP while in transit.

I would suspect Atwood the same thing, but I would call to confirm.

I have no reservation towing with either on. Why? Well for starters, there are a few things that keep a lot of what could happen from happening. Everything? Maybe not, but then there is the OPD valves on the tanks. Higher draw will stop the fuel flow and for the rest, that's why I have insurance.

If you don't do it, you will freeze the lines and I don't know what would be worse, tearing apart your Classic to replace the broken water lines and/or tanks or having a possible and slight LP event. I would and have chosen to heat and use the fridge on LP while in transit.

[canadianguy]

There was a gas station near my place that blew up when somebody refueled a propane powered camper van with the fridge on. Luckily the gas station attendent only had minor burns to arms, chest and face.

[Gene]

On that other thread where this was discussed to death (perhaps the wrong word), the question was asked: Has anyone heard of a fire or explosion at a gas station while fueling with the refrigerator on? No one had, but now we've heard of it.

That van in Red Deer would have had the refrigerator much closer to the gas pump than in a set up with a trailer and tow vehicle. How old was it and what condition was the van? There may have been a leak in the propane line to the refrigerator that would have caused a fire even with the refrigerator off, or it could have happened somewhere else, not at a gas pump, and was a coincidence. There aren't enough facts to make a judgment.

We leave the refrigerator on. The refrigerator is pretty far, maybe 20 feet, from the gas pump we are using. Of course it could be opposite the rear pump when there are two in a row, and someone could be spilling gas all over the place on the other side. It could be a hot day causing the gas to vaporize quickly and just then the igniter in the refrigerator could light. That could happen while I parked at the pump, went back and unlocked the door, went in and turned off the refrigerator. I might be safer far from there. So, to be absolutely safe (other than staying home), I'd stop before I'd get to the pumps, though it's hard to find a place to do that with 45 feet of rig, and then turn off the refrigerator. I don't think the refrigerator will stay very cold if turned off, though using gel packs in the refrigerator compartment would keep it colder; when stationary, the gel packs could be re-frozen in the freezer.

There aren't a lot of places requiring RV's to turn off the propane—the tunnel to Hampton Roads from Norfolk comes to mind, and perhaps the GW Bridge. The other place is on car ferries and that's where gel packs are necessary for long ferry trips. If this were a problem, it would have been outlawed everywhere and primarily at gas pumps. Apparently there's more of a problem with static electricity from getting in and out of a motor vehicle because there are now warning signs about that. With modern gas pumps, a lot less gas vapor gets into the atmosphere.

As for the water tanks and lines, while traveling, the water in the tanks is sloshing around and wouldn't freeze easily until it got to 20˚ or less. In fact, whatever heat gets to the tanks from the furnace may not be very effective while traveling—it's coldest down low and the cold air is absorbing a lot of the heat from the tanks. Though the water lines don't slosh, I would guess there's enough residual heat from the night before plus radiant energy picked up up during the day inside to keep them ok into the lower 20's. The furnace uses a lot more propane than the refrigerator, so my inclination would be to use it as little as possible. You can buy a temp monitor with a remote sensor and monitor the temperature of the trailer while driving. I haven't tried it and can't, therefore, guarantee it would work at that distance and through a lot of metal, but it is something I'll try when it gets cold.

Gene

[mustang]

whats with all the red letters? Now they are gone kooo kooo kooo kooo I travel with fridge lit all the time, never withfurnace on. Ya know in the frt industry we just keep the do not freeze stuff moving as long as it is bouncing around or jiggling its fine. untill it gett below 10 degrees. I dont turn off my outside faucetts till it is consistantly in the 20s. If it is 30 outside I dont think I would turn my furnace on. I also have plumbing in the back and it wouldnt get any heat anyway.

[TomW]

Originally Posted by mustang

... Now they are gone kooo kooo kooo kooo ...

Did you mean koo koo ka choo? I tend to think my wife and I are sometimes on a Magical Mystery Tour when we hit the road with a first and third grader in a '67 Airstream towed by an '84 Suburban with the fridge running on gas.

Left the vintage furnace lit on a return trip once by accident and the pilot stayed lit the entire time.

But, I agree with Tim's sentiment:

Originally Posted by cool podcast

theVAP and its licensors makes no warranties, expressed or implied, as to the completeness, accuracy, or practicality of such procedure or any information contained in this program. Be sure to always exercise reasonable caution, follow applicable codes and regulations, and consult with a professional if in doubt about any procedures.

Tom