Conference ssdevo::rv

    
        DEAD WRONG on all questions.  Its illegal to travel on any highway
    in the U.S. with a open propane tank valve. Its covered under part
    12 (if I remember correctly) of D.O.T. rules and regs.
    
        Thats what 3-way refrigerators are made for. The 12 volt heating
    coil is for highway travel.  Also there are warning stickers plastered
    just about everywhere warning you not to travel with a refrigerator
    in the burning gas position.
    
         People that do what your father does is an accident waiting to
    happen.
    
    -john

    I didn't know that about the D.O.T. rules. I have to admit I've never
    read them. It's interesting that (for example) Washington State Ferries
    and <some tunnels on the NJ turnpike?> feel it necessary to prohibit
    something that's already prohibited by Federal law.
    
    Anyway, what I do is stop away from the pumps and shut off the fridge
    (but not the gas bottle), pull up to the pumps, then move away before
    restarting the fridge. Oh, and usually I pay for the gas somewhere in
    there :-)
    
    One gas station I was at in Yellowstone had an interesting photo of
    what happens when an RV fridge meets gasoline vapors. Not pretty.
    
    Mike "2-way fridge" Thomas

I have traveled many miles in my motor home and always run the refrig on 
gas whil on the road. when stopping for fuel I shut off the gas with the 
switch on the Gas leak detector which shuts off the gas at a valve on the 
propane tank.  

I have never heard of a motor home or RV trailer burning up because of 
a malfunciton of a refrigrator operating on gas while on the road.
But I have seen motor homes burn up at service stations because of
gasoline fumes catching fire from a burning pilot light in water heaters 
and furnaces.  MOst all of the appliances put in RVs in hte last 10 years
are pilotless.

Most Motor Homes that burn the fire is caused by gasoline leaking on the 
hot engin or from a coolent leak on the engin the water evaorates leaving 
straight anti-freeze pooling on the engin which is very flamable.
 

    
        RE;  .2&.3
    
    Both of you miss the point. The propane tank itself is the call of the 
    open valve regulation. RV's are plumbed with copper tubing. Copper tube
    is sensitive to vibration over a period of time and can bust open in
    transit. Guess what happens next if the valve is open?
        In an investigation, you would be held responsible in a "what if"
    sceanairo.....like killing other people in a highway inferno.
    
         When propane is used as a motor fuel, the tanks are specially
    designed with double liners and special valves that shut themselves off
    if a pipe breaks somplace from the valve to the engine.
    
        Please don't do this anymore. I don't care if its only you that
    gets killed. Its when you take out an innocent party that bothers me.
    
    -john

    Or take an extreme example and there is an traffic accident. Your
    trailer or RV is split open and the copper propane lines are cut and
    are venting propane. Propane is a heavy gas and stays around the ground
    level, if ignighted it creates a huge fireball. Guess who else is at
    the ground level?
    
    	People who will now be toast!
    
    That is why the DOT requires that main valves be closed on propane
    tanks while the RV or trailer is in transit.
    
    A even bigger question is how many others do this too?
    
    Renis

About 15+ years ago at UMASS Lowell Campus back when it was called Lowell
Technical Institute, workers moving a large (used for the NUKE reactor, BIG
couple hundred pound job) propane tank, did not see that the valve was frozen in
the ground. When the crane lifted it, the valve sheared off and the gas rolled
down the bankment onto the Lowell-Lawrence Boulevard. Before they could stop it
or anybody, a car set it off a lot of folk died in a giant ball of fire. Not a
nice way to go.

Pilotless, smilotless, if the fridge is running the valve is open. Pilotless
just means that in between cycles, you have no flame. When it does cycle a
little peizio fires and the big burn starts. Either way the valve is open. 
As John said, major DOT faux pas. 

. You cannot drive with an open propane valve.

. You cannot transport disconnected tanks without the nylon plug installed in
the port.

. If you are transporting propane powered contruction equipment on federal
highways you must remove the propane tank first (forktrucks, lulls, etc,,,)

. Some tunnels actually restrict you from driving RV's through if it even HAS a
tank.

roger.

RE: .1

This is the first that I have ever heard that The DOT has any 
regulation regarding the use of the propane tanks on my Motor Home as to 
wheathar I can have the valve open and using the appliances whil on the 
road If thier is such a regulation why isn't it published and big warning 
stickers in the RVs.

As to vehicles powered with propane they use the same tanks and tubing that 
is used in the propane systems in motohomes.

I also contend that GASOLINE is more dangerus and more volital than propane 

RE: -< GASOLINE more Hazardous than propane >-

>I also contend that GASOLINE is more dangerus and more volital than propane 

I am curious.  Based on what facts?

	- mark

    Why is there a question at all about which is more dangerous?  Gasoline
    OR Propane can cause a disaster if improperly used.  The point here is,
    using propane appliances on the road is an improper use for many
    reasons listed in previous replies.  Use the 12 volt mode on the fridge
    while traveling, that is why it is there.  If you read your owner's
    manual for your equipment, you should find warnings about this.  The
    manual that came with my trailer has a warning anyhow, and I would
    imagine that others would be required to have one too. 
    
    Dave

Dave,

A lot of folks have 2 way (LP or AC not DC) fridges. 

What I do, is fire my fridge up on LP the night before I travel (even if I am on
AC hookup) as LP gets the fridge colder, and crank the temp to max cold. That
way after I unhook, I can drive for hours and not thaw out the fridge.

    	I know there's not much room in mine, but I usually make room for a
    plastic container that I fill with water and freeze in my chest freezer,
    which gets very cold.
    
    	I only have a one-way frig (120V), so I plug it in and run it for
    a while, then put in the food and container of ice and go. It easily stays 
    cold for a few hours that way. 
    
    	Another alternative is the 12V coolers that you can plug into a
    cigarette lighter. I haven't traveled far enough where the ice trick
    didn't work though, so I haven't seriously looked into these other than
    to price them (~$100).
    
    	Ray
    
    	Ray

    This topic certainly opened my eyes. I think I'll be doing the "get it
    real cold the night before and use ice while on the road" trick from
    now on.
    
    Incidentally, on mine it cools much better on 120V than on propane.
    
    	Mike

    Well I'm back from my trip. The way I did it was just turned the temp
    control a bit colder than normal before the trip. The fridge stayed
    plenty cold for the whole day. Then I ran the propane over night while
    we were stopped. 
    
    I'm going to have to ask Campers inn again because I thought they told
    me to run the propane while on the road. 
    
    Thanks for all the conversation though I did sense a bit of attitude it
    a few of the responses. Lets take it easy and just share information. 
    
    Happy camping!!