Driving with fridge running on propane

[pjackman]

Well I'll be darned. Thanks Thrak for the camper manual review . Perhaps the original owner's insistence on this point was the source of my misinformation and it was reinforced by the stove use declaration.

Thanks to everyone for their comments. I'm much relieved to know that driving with the fridge on propane is nothing much to worry about. Based on this thread I think I'll continue to use the alternator for long hauls as long as the cooling power is satisfactory, but leave it on propane for short hops.

[Mikeyworks]

While I am not overly intimate with the workings of the OEM Westy fridges, I know that many RV fridges work on the ammonia heating/cooling cycle (heated by propane) to provide the cooling "power."

Now many of these fridges are particuarly suceptible to operation angles. They need to be relatively level in order to operate. Since this is the case, many manufacturers highly recommend that you do not operate them on propane when you are driving. This is to prevent the unusual movement of the ammonia in the cooling circut while moving (turns, hills, braking, etc.). This can damage the unit if run on an angle for an extended period of time.

Again, while I am not an expert, this is just my $.02 with what's in my head.

mikey

[Thrak]

The cooling unit doesn't "know" which heat source it's operating on. It's still using ammonia. And if we couldn't use our fridges while driving they wouldn't be of much use. The manual says 8 degrees tilt any direction while parked.

[lordsniff]

[lordsniff]

[IanMay]

I never shut off the pilot light when driving. Just at gas stations. NO PROBLEMS SO FAR!!!!!!!Ian

[Cat and Walter]

[Mulcheese]

I never drive with mine on propane. What I do: Get up in the morning, plug the van in and turn ridge to AC ( I also have a trickle charger hooked up in the van to charge the aug. battery). Start packing the van and in a few hours load the fridge with cold food, temps are usually below 40* by then. Right before I leave I switch the fridge to 12v and away I go. The temp stays constant while I drive. When I get to my destination first thing I do is level the van and turn the fridge to propane. If I leave to drive somewhere for the day I switch to 12v and use that until I am parked back in my camping spot. If on my days adventure I am going to be away from the van for any extended period of time then I will switch it to propane so as not to drain the batt. and then back to 12v when the van is back on the road. This way works great for me and then I dont have to worry about an open flame when the van is moving.
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82 Westy: Air is cool!

[pjackman]

We've been driving with propane always on since posting this topic last fall and have experienced no problems.

[tds3pete]

Although the PO said he always drove with the fridge on propane with no issues, I never drive with the propane tank main valve open...........I really don't want to be in accident that rips my tank loose spewing propane everywhere! Pilot light or no pilot light, who knows where the supply line might rupture....who wants their van to end up like a fried humvee in Iraq.

My factory manual says never drive with the propane on, probably thanks their legal department.
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'58 Westy camper-come and gone
'73 Westy-bought new in Holland,now gone
'86 Syncro weekender-come and gone
'79 Westy...Oscar
'95 Eurovan Camper/5 spd...Marsha Mellow

[MarkWard]

I am posting this here because it is a "sticky" and it might be of some help to someone who has a similar problem. Once I got my Vanagon back on the road, the fridge would "blow out" when running on propane underway. I had read where someone had fabricated a deflector to stop this from happening. Anyhow, I was content to us 12v when underway and switching to propane when stopped for an extended time. Before our recent trip, I noticed the sheetmetal screws were getting pretty rusty looking that retain the outside vent. I decided to pull the vent off and replace all of the sheetmetal screws. I thought about fabricating a deflector, but was concerned the factory grommet would not seal properly and I intend to paint the van this year and did not want to silicone the tar out of it.

Once I had the vent off, there was a lot of dust and dirt. I cleaned as much as I could and got the idea to blow compressed air through the little orafice/drain inside below the fridge door. A pretty good cloud of dust came out the vent area. I put it all back together with new stainless screws for now. On our trip, one morning I forgot to switch the propane off. At lunch time we stopped and the fridge was still running on propane even after running 70mph in a New Mexico desert cross wind. I figured it was a fluke, so I tried it again the next day. Somehow, by just blowing out the drain and replacing the screws, the fridge stays lit. I do turn it off when I fill the propane tank, but have not worried when I fill up since I am using diesel. As far as propane consumption, using the fridge continuous on propane and the stove for coffee and heating dinner, we used about a pound of propane a week. Your results may vary. mark
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[msinabottle]

Another theory advanced around here has been that pinhole leaks in the vent and intake hoses cause the fridge to blow out when driving, as mine does. I just run it on DC and turn it over to propane immediately upon stopping.

Also, in no uncertain terms, my propane guy (who has worked a LOT with Vanagons) says you're quite safe running with the gas on--except when you're filling the propane tank itself. Then it's yet another way for Vanagon Spontaneous Combustion. As if we needed one.



Best!
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'Winston,' '84 1.9 WBX Westy
Vanagon Poet Laureate: "I have suffered in
many ways, but never, never, never in silence."

[ALIKA T3]

Tomwesty,is your fridge a compressor model??

I'm living in my vanagon for almost 2 years and the fridge is constantly running on propane for 2 years

It works great.

The propane tanks lasts between 10 and 13 days depending how much I cook.

I heat up some water every morning for the tea,about half a liter in a cast iron pan with cover.

I cook for dinner for about 10 to 15 minutes once a day.

I can't have the fridge running on propane all the time if I'm driving,it looks like the flame is blown out when driving,I never found a security device that shuts it:if anyone knows how to disable it,please LET ME KNOW

Sometimes the flame doesn't stay if it has been shut after a long drive and I'm starting it.I found an easy trick:start it on,then turni it to minimum right after,for 5 minutes.It works.then back to maximum.

I never used the 12V,this is inefficient

I'm thinking about switching to a real one,compressor model.

[ohlott]

Used to do it all the time until my van blew up.....Nah just joking. I ran it all the time. When I took the fridge out to clean it and got it back in. The flame would blow out. I rigged a wind shield out of a bottom of a kids sand bucket. worked great. Now I run the truck fridge. Best mod ever.
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83.5 westy 2.2 subi

[Kejidog]

We must be the only people who use our fridge on here, our dometic runs great with no mods. Cold beer and sometimes frozen bacon, I usually start my fridge on 12 volt. Drive to our destination and once the van is nice and level. Give it three of four good pumps and bingo! Cool fridge. Works every time.
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85 Westy Camper "Jeebus"
"new" rebuilt 2.1 with a ten cent stainless exhaust- lovin all the power!!!!

[debbiej]

does driving with the fridge on 12 v put a load on the alternator or battery?

[GWTWTLW]

I've mentioned this before but it's probably worth mentioning again to at least give folks something to take into consideration. When I rolled my Adventurewagen, my stove was ripped completely out of the cabinet leaving a leaking propane line. If the tank had been open at the time, my outcome might have been a little different. Just something to think about...
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89 Syncro Westy - GW 2.5, now with a double knob job
@gwtwtlw

[kamzcab86]

[danfromsyr]

the Adventure wagen stove is a very different install and device than the westy stoves.
the AW ones are held in with only (2) screws (in my ASI Case fwiw) and coupled via a flex rubber hose.
the Westfalia units are significantly secured into the cabinet and have no flexible coupler..
I've seen many many pics (your's included) of vanagon wrecks.. never a westy stove much more than displaced with shattered plywood.

of course this isn't an endorsement to drive with the propane tank valve in the open position.. and my biggest fear on running the fridge is at a gas station filling up.. the next guy over can have a big spill and your pilot could ignite it. but then so could yoru Alt or Dist when you fire up the van to get away from that yahoo too.
2nd big fear on leaving on the propane tank lies with the stove knobs. and a partially open burner valve.

[The Raven]

I leave it on propane all summer....good beer fridge at home. I have it turned all the way up so figuring 45-55f good temp for the beer I drink. I leave it on during fillup as well, no point worrying as its on the other side of the van.