Posted 2008-08-01 8:46 PM (#88801) Subject: Question on using propane when driving and batteries
Regular
Posts: 52 Location: Elgin, IL
for those of you that have fridge's that work off propane, do you light it before y ou take off to keep the fridge cold? I know some keep their trailers plugged in at home and fridge's stocked/on so I was just wondering how the travel time is managed with the fridge.
I also wondered if 1 battery is enough to get a modest lq through a weekend...
Posted 2008-08-01 9:16 PM (#88803 - in reply to #88801) Subject: RE: Question on using propane when driving and batteries
Elite Veteran
Posts: 781 Location: La Cygne, KS
There were several posts not too long ago on these two subjects with a heated discussion on propane and the frigde. :) Just do a search on here to read them.
I do travel with the propane on the fridge if traveling over 4 hours. As far as the battery, do you have dual deep cycle battery? Not sure if one will last through the weekend but two will for sure if you are using just the lights and the radio. You might look into a portable generator or solar panel if you want to run more than the lights or to help recharge the batteries. Some folks start their truck and let it run, but I'm not sure how much charge actually goes to the batteries on the trailer.
Posted 2008-08-02 10:53 AM (#88836 - in reply to #88801) Subject: RE: Question on using propane when driving and batteries
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 534 Location: Zionsville, Indiana
If you fridge is on propane, it also takes the battery to light it. I'd have a spare battery in the tack area, ready to replace the dead one. Your water pump takes battery too.
Posted 2008-08-02 3:55 PM (#88845 - in reply to #88801) Subject: RE: Question on using propane when driving and batteries
Regular
Posts: 52 Location: Elgin, IL
I did wonder how people did that as it's a pain to light it at camp and wait for it to cool down. Hmmm a 2nd battery in the tack area - now that's an idea when things go south with the one I have up front.
Posted 2008-08-03 2:07 AM (#88872 - in reply to #88801) Subject: RE: Question on using propane when driving and batteries
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 544 Location: Claxton, Ga.
I plug my trailer in the night before and convert it over to propane when getting ready to go. No biggy. My truck charges my trailer batteries as I go so no biggy there.
Posted 2008-08-03 10:39 AM (#88883 - in reply to #88801) Subject: RE: Question on using propane when driving and batteries
Elite Veteran
Posts: 781 Location: La Cygne, KS
As long as you are traveling and don't park for an extended period of time, it will not hurt the fridge to run it a bit unlevel. The movement of the trailer keeps the gas inside moving freely.
I too plug my fridge in a few days before a trip and then stock it the night before. Then as we get ready to head out I convert it to propane.
Posted 2008-08-03 10:45 AM (#88884 - in reply to #88801) Subject: RE: Question on using propane when driving and batteries
Expert
Posts: 1205 Location: Danielsville Georgia
A service guy at a rv center center says the unleveled is not true.Fays he works on rv that have been parked unleveled for years and the fridges work fine and others that go sour at a young age. I found nothing in print addressing the unleveled issue.Have you?
Posted 2008-08-03 7:45 PM (#88929 - in reply to #88801) Subject: RE: Question on using propane when driving and batteries
Elite Veteran
Posts: 781 Location: La Cygne, KS
Guess it depends on "how unlevel it is". Here is a link to RV Doctor on the leveling of RVs and half way down it talks about the fridge. I never thought about one being installed unlevel!
Posted 2008-08-03 8:24 PM (#88933 - in reply to #88801) Subject: RE: Question on using propane when driving and batteries
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 434 Location: Brooksville, Fl
I too get my frige started a day or so early and stock it. When we travel, we turn it off. Many, many people travel with their frige running on propane but you do have an open flame which could be an issue in an accident. We have never had a problem with a stocked frige traveling for 8 hours in summer heat. You can get a 3 way frige which will run off of D/C power when hauling which is just enough to keep it cold once you get it cold off of A/C or propane. I'd like to have one of these in my next LQ trailer.
Posted 2008-08-03 8:57 PM (#88939 - in reply to #88801) Subject: RE: Question on using propane when driving and batteries
Veteran
Posts: 285
We have an industrial type inverter that sets in the back of our truck with two batteries and it is hooked up to our truck batteries. We plug our whole trailer into the inverter therefore we can use our fridge or ac or microwave when it is plugged up to this(not all at one time). I used to run my fridge on propane on long trips but like this set up much better. I do this only in transit and put my fridge on lp when we get to camp when we primitive camp. We also use the inverter to use our water pump or any other device we might need electricity for if we are primitive camping. Just have to watch or it will run your truck batteries low.
Posted 2008-08-04 2:33 AM (#88949 - in reply to #88801) Subject: RE: Question on using propane when driving and batteries
Veteran
Posts: 177 Location: East London South Africa
Hello
I have just done my LQ (weekender) in my trailer and went on our 1st trip last weekend... very exciting stuff....
i have a small Bar fridge (mains power 90watt) in the lq and some lights. I fitted 2 x 110amp/hour deep cycle batteries and a 2500w inverter. I thought that would last the weekend - well 14hours later the batteries were stone dead.
What I have done now is got a Yamaha EF1000is generator (which is super silent - you can hardly hear it) so I use the inverter to run the fridge while we ate traveling - when we get to where we are going I fire up the genny and it supplies the power for everything in the trailer and charges the batt's. works a treat.
Cant wait for our next trip - next weekend we are off to Pretoria (South Africa) for our National Champs Polocrosse... Its about a 2200km round trip so we need some cold beverages along the way...
Posted 2008-08-04 3:08 PM (#88985 - in reply to #88801) Subject: RE: Question on using propane when driving and batteries
Regular
Posts: 52 Location: Elgin, IL
well isn't that a picture?
That's what I was afraid of and why I haven't run the propane/fridge while driving. The same could hold true for the trailer while you're parked with it running too (at camp). I know mine has a fan but not sure yet if it'll run off the battery.
Posted 2008-08-04 5:26 PM (#88997 - in reply to #88801) Subject: RE: Question on using propane when driving and batteries
Expert
Posts: 2828 Location: Southern New Mexico
With out some kind of story there is no way to tell what is burning. An RV? Bus? Big rig? Any number of things could have caused the fire. It could have been something as simple as a dropped cigarette or a mouse chewing the insulation off a wire in the engine compartment (happened to my sisters car, scared her to death) and once the fire is going with propane on board it won't matter if the frig is on or not. Kaboom!!
Posted 2008-08-04 9:23 PM (#89017 - in reply to #88997) Subject: RE: Question on using propane when driving and batteries
Expert
Posts: 3853 Location: Vermont
Originally written by Terri on 2008-08-04 6:26 PM
With out some kind of story there is no way to tell what is burning. An RV? Bus? Big rig? Any number of things could have caused the fire. It could have been something as simple as a dropped cigarette or a mouse chewing the insulation off a wire in the engine compartment (happened to my sisters car, scared her to death) and once the fire is going with propane on board it won't matter if the frig is on or not. Kaboom!!
Travel Trailer...Fire Investigator could not make a determination...but owners did say their system was on...
Question on using propane when driving and batteries
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