I have a friend who is a fridgie and travels with his van fridge still on gas, he reckons 12 volts is a waste of time. your thoughts.
It used to be no naked flame with in 6 metres of petrol browser. Just saying.
I don!t agree with running a frig on gas when mobile mainly don't see the need to run frig for the short time between leaving and lunch, turn gas on for hour at lunch and then parked up by mid afternoon.
We do have our 2012 3way 185 litre frig is rigged to run on 12 volt while in transit and appears to work OK.
We did like our 2008 3way 155 litre frig better then 185 litre as draw on power is less, 155 really with the smaller freezer the whole cabinet worked a treat, bit hard to go back to a smaller frig now thou.
Personnally I think he is wasiting his time and gas while travelling, safety issue even bet.
When touring nNT & top of WA I used to use gas on the go. Turned it off well before Servos. I was never comfortable with this practice so don't do it any more.
I just fill spare space in fridge with frozen water bottles and turn on gas whenever I stop for M'tea, lunch etc.
I keep important stuff or anything likely to be spoiled with a drop in temp in the Engel.
edit .. The 3way on gas on the go worked extremely well.
-- Edited by Cupie on Tuesday 27th of June 2017 08:25:06 AM
I agree with Elliemike above and also the 12v will be fine for maintaining the temps while travelling and absolutely an extremely dangerous thing to leave on while filling up, more and more Rons getting around these days. Apologies to all the people named Ron .
-- Edited by Kebbin on Tuesday 27th of June 2017 08:26:46 AM
Common sense should dictate that any gas appliance in caravan should be turned off whilst travelling - if the flame get blown out (Wind coming in flue) you may arrive at your destination with a caravan full of gas which is an explosion hazard, nearby pedestrian lighting a cigarette big flash you're ash. Also petroleum fumes coming from service stations can be ignited when you are within 10 metres, again an explosion hazard.
I'm pretty sure there is a regulation but I don't have access ATM to look it up.
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Possum; AKA:- Ali El-Aziz Mohamed Gundawiathan
Sent from my imperial66 typewriter using carrier pigeon, message sticks and smoke signals.
I'm with Possum3 on this one, gas in transit.... no way.
Gas bottles off at the valve when on the road is a good policy for me.
12V has worked fine in the 3 vans I have owned, don't know why 12V would be classed as a "waste of time", safe and good in my book.
Good cabling from car and cut off when engine not running - reliable 12V fridge without the possibility of draining the car battery.
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"life is too short to spend it with people who suck the happiness out of you"
Common sense should dictate that any gas appliance in caravan should be turned off whilst travelling - if the flame get blown out (Wind coming in flue) you may arrive at your destination with a caravan full of gas which is an explosion hazard, nearby pedestrian lighting a cigarette big flash you're ash. Also petroleum fumes coming from service stations can be ignited when you are within 10 metres, again an explosion hazard. I'm pretty sure there is a regulation but I don't have access ATM to look it up.
Hello.
Understanding the way your gas appliances work for a start, if the flames goes out, the little thingy that needs heat to allow gas though will close, second thing if there is a gas leak at the frig the gas in a caravan would leak externally drains to the lowest point which would be outside, so how would gas fill a caravan?
Back in the 1990's it was no smoking with in 6mtrs of petrol venting maybe that has been lengthened 10mtrs.
Now the fear, being into is if you have a collision breaking pipe between the gas bottle and the frig, gas escaping could become the danger. His is the real danger.
For the safety of all, a big No.
3 way frig should maintain a cold frig for 4 hours with much loss of temp
I am sure that there are some rules/regulations/guidelines, somewhere, mentioning to turn your gas bottle off, when travelling
In my opinion, if you travel with the gas bottle valve open
Best scenario Nothing happens, apart from the three way fridge being a bit cooler
Worst scenario Small accident could see the loss of your caravan/RV, and potential loss of life
My gas bottles are behind a locked hatch door, so turning them off, and then on again, is a right royal pain in the backside I travel with my gas bottles "off"
@ Radar, you said; " if the flames goes out, the little thingy that needs heat to allow gas though will close" - if that were so the gas fridge would never ignite when initially being turned on. You will note that this is so if you had a current/newer automatic starting fridge - it will still attempt to light with auto piezo when gas is turned off at cylinder and auto mode is on in fridge.
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Possum; AKA:- Ali El-Aziz Mohamed Gundawiathan
Sent from my imperial66 typewriter using carrier pigeon, message sticks and smoke signals.
@ Radar, you said; " if the flames goes out, the little thingy that needs heat to allow gas though will close" - if that were so the gas fridge would never ignite when initially being turned on. You will note that this is so if you had a current/newer automatic starting fridge - it will still attempt to light with auto piezo when gas is turned off at cylinder and auto mode is on in fridge.
Our 3-way is manual start. One button has to be held down while operating the sparker. This button opens the "little thingy" to allow gas in and you need to keep holding it until the burning gas builds up enough heat to keep the valve open. I assume the auto system has a timer that does the same thing, but I guess the valve won't stay open if the gas fails to ignite (such as when the cylinder valve is closed).
So yes, Radar is correct- if the flame goes out, the "little thingy" will close. It's a safety requirement.
@ Radar, you said; " if the flames goes out, the little thingy that needs heat to allow gas though will close" - if that were so the gas fridge would never ignite when initially being turned on. You will note that this is so if you had a current/newer automatic starting fridge - it will still attempt to light with auto piezo when gas is turned off at cylinder and auto mode is on in fridge.
The presence (or absence) of a flame is sensed by a thermopile, this device is a collection of thermocouples and produces a small electrical voltage/current in proportion to the heat applied to it - more heat = more voltage. The energy from the thermopile is used to hold open a small gas valve (piezo, I think?) which provides gas for the flame.
In order to light the flame, when the thermopile is cold, a manually operated spring return button must be held down - this button provides a bypass of the gas valve and allows gas to be fed directly to the burner. The button must be held down for (say) 10 seconds after the flame is lit during which time the thermopile heats up and open the gas valve, at this point the button may be released. If the flame subsequently goes out the thermopile will rapidly cool (say three seconds) and the gas valve automatically close.
Quite an elegant system.
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"I beseech you in the bowels of Christ think it possible you may be mistaken"
Oliver Cromwell, 3rd August 1650 - in a letter to the General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland
I'll concede there is normally a gas shut off activated by thermostat - I have just tried to find out more info from the NET and it appears that sometimes the shut off valve wont actuate owing to particles (dust, carbon) restriction.
I still say gas should be turned off whilst travelling for safety.
__________________
Possum; AKA:- Ali El-Aziz Mohamed Gundawiathan
Sent from my imperial66 typewriter using carrier pigeon, message sticks and smoke signals.
@ Radar, you said; " if the flames goes out, the little thingy that needs heat to allow gas though will close" - if that were so the gas fridge would never ignite when initially being turned on. You will note that this is so if you had a current/newer automatic starting fridge - it will still attempt to light with auto piezo when gas is turned off at cylinder and auto mode is on in fridge.
The presence (or absence) of a flame is sensed by a thermopile, this device is a collection of thermocouples and produces a small electrical voltage/current in proportion to the heat applied to it - more heat = more voltage. The energy from the thermopile is used to hold open a small gas valve (piezo, I think?) which provides gas for the flame.
In order to light the flame, when the thermopile is cold, a manually operated spring return button must be held down - this button provides a bypass of the gas valve and allows gas to be fed directly to the burner. The button must be held down for (say) 10 seconds after the flame is lit during which time the thermopile heats up and open the gas valve, at this point the button may be released. If the flame subsequently goes out the thermopile will rapidly cool (say three seconds) and the gas valve automatically close.
Quite an elegant system.
Thanks for the explanation.
I have occasionally pondered this function but not bothered to do the research to find the answer.
Must be my old Techo trained mind that turns to these things.
If the valve at the bottle is open, and the thermopile thingy does its job, and stops the gas at the flame part of the fridge, there is still a potential problem
If involved in a small accident, then if the gas pipe from the gas bottle breaks, there will be a gas leak, until someone closes the valve on the gas bottle
But...
As Arthur Chance, the famous cheap insurance salesman, used to say
"It will never happen"
In my opinion the consequences of travelling with the gas fridge running, far outweighs any benefit of having a cooler fridge, at the end of the run
I don't think it's a good Idea,but we did it once,We left home on a big trip with a fridge full of food ,we stopped several hrs latter.I discovered the Anderson plug had come adrift !wifey started panicking about loosing all the food ,we drove with the gas on for two hours it saved everything ,the sky did not fall in the risk is minimal I don't normally do it ,but as a oncer it's no big deal! when the fridge was cool enough I turned the gas off and back to 12 volt as usual...
I'll concede there is normally a gas shut off activated by thermostat
Possum3: it's OK to be wrong :)
I frequently am and delight in finding that out because every time I learn I was wrong about something it means I am a wiser man today than I was yesterday.
However: I will point out that when I'm wrong I am definitively wrong :) - with thanks for that line to the brilliant Douglas Adams - sadly missed, he died far too young.
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"I beseech you in the bowels of Christ think it possible you may be mistaken"
Oliver Cromwell, 3rd August 1650 - in a letter to the General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland
@ Radar, you said; " if the flames goes out, the little thingy that needs heat to allow gas though will close" - if that were so the gas fridge would never ignite when initially being turned on. You will note that this is so if you had a current/newer automatic starting fridge - it will still attempt to light with auto piezo when gas is turned off at cylinder and auto mode is on in fridge.
Totally different situation to a non auto source select
but for your information that fridge will not run on gas IF engine is running.
I have a three way fridge and when it set on auto 240 volt, 12 volt and LPG.
When I am driving it is on 12 volt I stop after 10 mins or so it tries to find another source then the piezo ignition (tic tic tic) whilst in auto mode.
If there are any fuel fumes BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just on the subject of running a gas fridge whilst in transit, here's our problem. We bought a fifth wheeler made in USA, converted to Australian regs, which only has a two way fridge, either 240v or gas, no 12v, so either we have to travel with fridge off or leave it on gas.
From what I've read, in the USA they travel with their fridges running on gas, so does that mean it's just another of our over-cautious regs, or are their gas fridges safer to travel with?
We left it off for a short jaunt, and it didn't really stay cold enough.
When I worked out on the GRR and we moved our camp kitchen, we tied a Honda 2kva genie on the drawbar and away we went. Been known to travel 500km like that. It worked well for the fridge and chest freezer, nice cold beer when setting camp up
cheers
blaze
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