webhannet
Southern Coastal Maine
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Joined: 08/09/2004
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It's not "using" propane in the tunnel that's the issue - it's HAVING it there.
There are no cases of properly operating and maintained propane appliances causing trouble. If they were unsafe, there would be MANY stories about it in the news. They ARE safe!
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BurbMan
Long Island, NY
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Joined: 09/20/2001
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webhannet wrote:It's not "using" propane in the tunnel that's the issue - it's HAVING it there.
That's the issue....the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Harbor Tunnel in Baltimore, etc., all prohibit the transportation of propane bottles. You can't bring them on the road PERIOD whether on or off.
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marc71
South East VA
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Well I understand what you're saying about it being in the tunnel, but I do a lot of camping on the Eastern Shore of VA and living on the South Side of VA it's a very long way around the Chesepeake Bay Bridge Tunnel to get there! I don't suppose it's any more dangerous having 2-30 lb bottles of propane as it is having 25 gals of gasoline in my truck? I'm not saying they are unsafe, as I said, I don't feel all warm and fuzy having it running in my camper.
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skipnchar
Topeka Kansas USA
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marc71 wrote:I'm thinking about adding an inverter to my 03 travel trailer to keep the fridge running while traveling down the road as we take many long trips. I have two deep cycle batteries and was thinking along the lines of a 1500 watt inverter. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
If it's an RV fridge it should ALREADY have a very easy means of running while traveling. Can't be any easier than just putting the button on "auto" and drive away. Good luck / Skip
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lanerd
Ridgecrest, CA
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We are currently traveling down the Alaskan Marine Highway and they, of course, require that all propane tanks be turned off and the door sealed. Our coach came equipped with a 2000W inverter and I used it during the first 4 hour trip. Checking the batteries (4ea 6v house), the indicator showed that they were 3/4 (Good) full. We will be doing an overnight (23 hour) trip later next week and that will be the real test. I will try and find this post and provide info on that leg of the trip.
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marc71
South East VA
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Skip, Is this a matter of fact? Do all RV fridges that have an auto switch on the front run on 12V power, 120 and propane? I've read through all the lit on the frige that came with the camper and there is nothing about it running on 12v, though on the back on the fridge there is a 12v stamped on a tube. It shows that it will switch to gas if the 120 is cut off, but nothing on 12v operation.
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BurbMan
Long Island, NY
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They do make "3-way" fridges that are designed to work on 12v/120/gas. Mfrs have largely gone to installing 2-way fridges in TTs because they are less expensive...go figure....
The inverter scenario will work fine if you have enough battery capacity. I would consider 2-6v golf cart batteries in series a minimum.
I respect that you are uncomfortable traveling with the gas on. I was only pointing out that some highways won't let you on them with LP gas, period, whether on or off.
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trail-explorer
WA
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marc71 wrote:... but the 12 or 14 guage wire that is used probably isn't going to be enough to do the job. With that, I've thought of putting a seperate plug with a 4-8 guage wire running from the truck battery to the back and then putting the other end of the plug directly to the camper battery. This should be more than enough to keep the fridge running while traveling as it will always have power from the truck, and if we stop the batteries I would think we keep it going for hours, no?
That probably should work.
I know for a fact that with the minimal sized factory wiring, my truck won't keep the batteries full if I run the inverter to power the fridge while going down the road.... while driving, there ends up being a net loss, so when i get where I'm going, the batteries are down.... which isn't a big deal if I go places where I'm plugged in.
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trail-explorer
WA
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marc71 wrote:....Do all RV fridges that have an auto switch on the front run on 12V power, 120 and propane? I've read through all the lit on the frige that came with the camper and there is nothing about it running on 12v, though on the back on the fridge there is a 12v stamped on a tube. It shows that it will switch to gas if the 120 is cut off, but nothing on 12v operation.
It's just a 2 way fridge then. Most RVs use a 2-way fridge - gas or 120vac.
there are 3-way units that also run on 12v, but you don't see them much.
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Drippin
Dripping Springs, TX
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FYI the Chesepeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, per their website, allows up to 2 45 lb propane tanks through the tunnel as long as they are shut off.
IMHO I think that the complexity of trying to wire up a DC supply large enough to handle the inverter will be higher than the occasional need to shut off then re start the LP gas.
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