Is it ok to travel with the refrigerator on & propane open?

[Boxite]

The latest Blue Beret has an article on this subject. The article doesn't answer yes or no... but presents the issues for your consideration.

They express concern in the event of a traffic accident and spewing propane. (I discount that because the LP tanks have excess-flow protection built into the valves,...and if the tanks are damaged, whether or not the valves are open/clsd might not matter anyway.)

They also point out that refers can keep food cold for a day if the door is not opened.

An excellent point they make is that if the LP is simply turned off...but the appliance is NOT.... that the igniter circuit may repeatedly attempt to ignite (make sparks)...and that re-fueling fumes or an accident which creates a propane leak can then be ignited. Their advice is not to simply turn the propane off...but to also turn the appliances OFF.

I will continue to travel with propane on, and refer cooling on propane (although if I replace the refer at some point I will look into a 12V model also. I wonder if there's a 12v aftermarket modification available... Hmmmnn...)

[joshjack]

So a couple things to consider here.
- Several mentions of how the fridge will keep stuff cold for several hours without needing to be on. The critical thing here is if that food was already good and cold before you put it in! We often stop at the grocery store on the way home to hook up, or even on our way out of town. The food we put in may not be that cold.
- Most of the fridges now-adays will switch automatically. We use shore power in storage, so it stays cold, and we let it cut over automatically during transit; and then back again when we hook up at the site.
- You can hear the auto-igniter sparking, so the concerns about gas station risk are valid. Now I don't ever cut mine off, but it there was a big spill with lots of vapor the chance does exist that the igniter could set it off.

[Adventure.AS]

Originally Posted by Boxite

Sorry.... it's an AcuRite

https://www.amazon.com/AcuRite-00986...or+thermometer

This link is for a wireless model that has a display. You mentioned a Bluetooth system. Does your system report to your phone?

[Boxite]

Originally Posted by Adventure.AS

This link is for a wireless model that has a display. You mentioned a Bluetooth system. Does your system report to your phone?

I use it as it's manual directs, which says it works via Bluetooth. I don't claim to be a technology guru, but just because something is "Bluetooth" does not mean it works with cell phones. It only means it operates in a paired, frequency-shared communication protocol.
I have taken the monitor into my home over 100' away and it still updates every 15 minutes as advertised. It also has a "alarm" feature to warn if user-selected limits are exceeded, and it also keeps/displays a record of highest and lowest temps recorded since last memory is cleared.
I do not use my phone for such things.

If you want to know anything more technical about this device I suggest you contact the mfr'r directly.

[Doc Foster]

If it has been sitting unused for a while 2 weeks before any long trip, I hook up the trailer (if not already hooked up to shore power), and turn on the propane. This will allow the fridge to cool down ahead of time, and then I stock up the fridge at my leisure (actually the wife does). I will turn off shore power just to make sure it kicks over to propane. This way I check to make sure the stove lights, hot water runs on propane and electric etc.
Never turn off the propane until I return home.
Some travel days we will drive 8-10 hours, so turning off the fridge is not ideal. We usually find a nice scenic place for lunch and eat out of the trailer, so the fridge is opened often during our trips.

[OTRA15]

We leave the fridge on, except when refueling.

Tip -- To get a warm fridge cool quickly, put some ice or already-cold blue ice in the freezer and fridge compartments. In an hour the unit is cold.

Also, we keep some blue ice in the freezer if there is room, as it makes for an "insurance policy" for times when you have to turn the propane off, like the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel etc..

FWIW

[Mgieselman]

Originally Posted by Adventure.AS

This link is for a wireless model that has a display. You mentioned a Bluetooth system. Does your system report to your phone?

I use SensorPush, it logs the temperature so once you're in range you phone will get all the data. You can set alerts so if you are say near your trailer and it goes over/under a set range your phone will alert you. The battery is also user replaceable. One concern I had when travelling is knowing I ran out of propane and the temperature is rising.

I mounted mine using velcro under the small shelf under the aluminum fins.

https://www.amazon.com/SensorPush-Wi.../dp/B01AEQ9X9I

[mefly2]

Although we usually travel with the refrigerator in propane mode * ON, in some locations it is against the law to have it on at fuel stations and in tunnels. We generally try to extinguish before fueling ...