caravan fridges on gas

Hi Bob48,

We would never travel with the gas turned on, let alone have the fridge running on gas. To do so would be highly dangerous in my opinion, if not illegal.

You should switch the fridge over to the 12v setting and have the car supply power to it while you are in transit via the plug which also provides your lights.

Cheers,

Heather G

Travelling with a fridge running on gas has led to quite a few fires/explosions. While in theory the gas should shut off if the flame is blown out that is not always the case & something that shouldn't be relied upon. If it did blow out & cut the gas as designed you end up with a warm fridge anyway so better to swap over to 12V when moving. Always turn the gas off at the bottle when travelling.
Cheers Craig...............

Same as what Heather said Bob, we turn our gas off at the bottles when travelling.
When running on 12V from your vehicle, beware if you stop in transit for more than a couple of hours as the frig will flatten your battery fairly quickly so I'am told. We used to disconnect it at the plug, but later had an Auto electrician fit a "gizmo" ( I don't know what its called!) that cuts power to the Frig when the vehicle ignition is switched off.

You will find, that provided you are not opening & closing the Frig door constantly, that it wont suffer to much if not running for a couple of hours, even in hot weather.

Welcome to the world of caravanning, you will enjoy it. Cheers & safe travelling.

Bob,
I think you will be happier in the long term with a good 12V/230V set up, and forget the gas.
Ian

I don't have gas or 12v to my fridge and the freezer at all,they're both 240v units. I have noticed that after a night in a caravan Pk on 240v the fridge and frozen goods inside will keep solid all day travelling until you get to the next Caravan Pk. When I came across to NT from Qld I was on the road for a fortnight and only stayed in 2 parks, Cloncurry 1 and Tennant Ck 3, all other times I ran the Gennie for an hour at Midday break and for 2 / 3 hours in the evening, I had frozen good that did not thaw for the entire trip.
The people you talked to telling you they run gas on the move might regret it someday.

.

Think about what could happen if you pulled into a service station to refuel and the petrol fumes came into contact with the gas flame. This has happened on more than one occasion with catastrophic results.

The most dangerous feature of leaving the gas on both the hotwater and the fridge is when you are filling up with fuel at a servo, there was a incident at Coober Pedy a few years ago of LPG leaking from a incorrectly connected hose and the gas reached the pilot light of the fridge and there was a fire as the result.
Some people are quite pedantic about having some means of cooling the fridge whilst travelling. we have been travelling for 3 months of the year for the last 19 years and very seldom use the the 12v and eveything is still cold at the end of the day's travel, we would use it if the temp was in the high thirties but as we only travel in the winter it certainly is not necessary.Just do not open the fridge unless it is really necessary
But to each his own
Farouk

hi bob 48
in 1980/81 i did an 8 month round aus trip and we had the fridge on gas for the entire duration while traveling 50,000km
only used 240v while in caravan parks

the 12volt system was not good enough in my fridge in 40 plus degree heat it was a 1980 viscount
when i needed to refuel i would turn the gas fridge off before pulling into the bowser and then restart it after i got away from the p/station
the fridge only went out on 2 occasions once when we had a very strong side wind and once when it ran out of gas but we did'nt lose any food

when ever we stopped i would put my ear to the side of the van and could hear it going on most occasions or i would go in the van and check it

in later years i have done a lot more travel in another van20km's and also had the fridge on gas with out any problems so its up to you
i use to clean the flue pipes and the vents mesh regularly so the air could get through as blocked vents will cause a gas fridge burner to malfunction/go out or not burn properly just careful maintenance thats all is needed

do what you feel comfortable with

but a lot of the negatives are based on hear say and paranoid fear passed on from one person to the next and what if's passed around at sundowner gatherings and tales of wo
i;m a positive person but not a know all as i enjoy learning something every day in general if i can and happy to pass it on when asked
cheers
and enjoy your caravaning

Hi Bob

I can only recommend you do what we did with our previous camper - get rid of the gas fridge and get a 12 v. We got a 12/240 v which fitted neatly into the same spot, a deep cycle battery, controller and solar panel which, as it was a small wind-up camper, we only put out in the sun when we stopped at the end of the day. We also ran a couple of 12 v lights off the controller. We had power all the time at basically the cost of the initial expenditure, and a power efficient fridge which performed well in hotter areas. We bush camp most of the time and we left the genny at home.

When my family had a camper with a gas only fridge we never lit it - we had reasons for the paranoia.

Our present van is very well powered by solar for all our power needs and independent camping.

Motherhen

Hi Bob, from everything I have read on this subject, mainly posts by members and visitors, it is illegal to run your frig on LPG whilst the van is moving.

A friend I spoke to on the subject told me his son, a police officer, always checked the gas bottles on every van he had stopped. If they were open the person got fined. I have not researched this within the motor traffic regs but none the less it would be good policy to shut your gas bottles off before moving off. If only to avoid a fine.
Regards, Bruce.

Bob,
Just a small point to consider.
When, not if, your caravan either explodes or bursts into flame, don't expect your insurance company to pay out on the wreck.
One of the first things they check is the gas bottles (or the remains of them). If the valves are open, goodbye any insurance.

Thus speaketh the voice of experience.

Disco.
(who had it happen to him years ago).

Bob,
I have been caravanning for more than 30 years and have had several caravans.
In my experience it IS quite dangerous to travel with the fridge running on gas for the reasons quoted in the above replys. Viz vehicle accident and forgetting to turn off gas at a servo. We had an accident near where I live on a major highway where a car towing a caravan hit a bridge both car and van were incinerated including some occupants. It was revealed that the vans gas was turned on at the bottle with fridge operating on gas and this resulted in a gas explosion causing the fire.

I would advise you when stationary to use 240v when available and gas when 240v is unavailable.
When on the move use the 12v system, as said it is not that great but usually maintains the fridge temps.
Also as said above get your 12v supply in the car fed by a relay that turns it off when the ign is turned off or get a fridge motion sensor switch installed.

Hi Bob, we are new too and we were told it is illegal to move with the gas running.

Glenda

While not condoning running a gas fridge while traveling, I am curious as to why a safety shut off valve couldn't be fitted to the bottles ?
There are plenty of cars driving around running on gas and they are just as likely to have an accident and rupture a gas line, they obviously have the gas turned on while traveling, whats the difference?

Hi all.
I have heard many comments about it being illegal to drive with the gas on usually by "my cousins girlfriends neighbours wife" or such like.

But I have never seen it written anywhere.

Can anyone give a link to the actual specification from RTA, Police or insurance companies.

You have all raised my curiosity.

thats why electrolux brought out the 3 way fridge 30 odd years ago ---gas for camping- 240 volt for c/p --12 volt travelling ----it only takes a minute to change over
with my memory lol --i have a card i place on the dash to remind me to change over when leaving the c/p

The old 2 way fridge (Gas/240v) in the 1978 Jayco Dove we had until about a year ago served us well.Never felt the need for 12v while travelling. Went for weeks without mains power and had ice cubes in the fridge the whole time. Sealed it up in the morning when travelling, and fired her up on gas that arvo when we stopped for the night. Everything was always cold. Have a different van now with a 3 way fridge, but never bother to run it on 12v while travelling. Cheers All.

Roger B...

used to doit all the time
no isues I bought it up while getting refuelled at sheringa and he shrugged his shoulders and said everyone does it - never caused an issue.

look out for flys I detected a few gas leaks because of em
- they love the aromatic added to gas to aid detecion

too many people with too many opinions and no experience apart from a mate of a mate who knew theirbest mates girlfeind who had it happen