Do you Turn Off the Propane?

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DennisM

Do you Turn Off the Propane?

Post by DennisM »

Another newbie question;
Do you leave the master propane valve on the propane tank off when traveling or storing the motor coach?
Seems to be safer to have the propane turned off, unless the stove or furnace is being used, but that leads to air in the line which makes things more difficult to light.
Would appreciate hearing what others do.

Second small question, does it seem correct that the stove on a 2003 RSB has to be light with a match rather than any kind of auto ignition?

Thanks
Dennis and Linda Belcher
jobrien

Post by jobrien »

The propane on or off question is an ongoing topic of discussion, and probably always will be.

I leave mine on when we drive. We run the refrigerator on gas, and that is the only reason it is on. We shut it off when we get fuel, and then it goes back on. Others will say that once the fridge is cold it will stay cold for hours with limited opening, and shut the fridge off while driving. Who's right, who knows :?

On my 2006 RSB, the stove also has to be lit with a match. Don't know why there is not an electronic ignition. My wife will not light the stove with a match. Even with the electronic ignition in our previous motorhome, if it did not light on the second click, she would shut it off and wait for me to light it. We'll try one of those butane 12' long matches to see if that helps.

Seems strange that on a top quality rig that this would not be a standard feature.

John
rv4fun

Post by rv4fun »

I also leave the propane supply line open when traveling and shut off the refrigerator momentarily when we gas up. Like John, we travel with the refrigerator running on propane.

I think BF is maybe taking the conservative (better safe than sorry) approach with regard to putting an electronic igniter on the stove. I have electronic igniters on two different Webber BBQs and on a Coleman 2 burner stove. They are fairly reliable, but every once in a while they fail to work. When they fail to work, they need to be adjusted or sometimes replaced. Turning on a cooktop in an enclosed RV and having electronic igniter fail to light the burner will leave some excess propane gas floating around the cooktop. It's not like being outside and having the wind blow away the excess although you could turn on the vent fan for a while before trying to light the burner again. I think it's safer and surer to use a 12" butane match and put its flame next to the burner before turning on the gas. It's a minor pain to have to use a butane match, but it is a safe approach.. Larry
Ralph Strauch

Post by Ralph Strauch »

Driving with your propane on is like driving with your seatbelt off and your air bag disconnected. It's fine as long as you don't have an accident, and it can cost you big time if you do. If your propane line is ruptured anywhere in the vehicle, you'll spew an explosive cloud into the air and turn the vehicle into a potential bomb

I drove my previous RV for 20 years with the propane on most of the time and never had a problem. But I've come across a couple of burned out RVs on the highway, and around the time I was getting my BF I read a news story about one of these many-vehicle pile up accidents that happen sometimes in very foggy weather. Something like 40 or 50 vehicles were involved, but there were no fatalities or serious injuries except to a family driving a motorhome, who were all killed when their propane line was ruptured and the RV exploded.

When I got my BF I had them install a 3-way fridge as an option, so now I drive with the propane off and the fridge on DC. The extra cost was $100, which I think of as cheap insurance. As safety-conscious as BF is about some things, I don't know why they don't put 3-ways in all the coaches. Lazy Daze does.

Ralph
DennisM

Thank you all

Post by DennisM »

Thank you all for your replies. Think that the propane off is the better option. Though the issue is to watch the temp in the refrig.

Dennis and Linda
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Mel Wilbur
Posts: 617
Joined: Thu Aug 11, 2005 2:39 pm

Post by Mel Wilbur »

Dennis, an easy way to monitor your refer temp is a wireless temperature monitor. I use one from Radio Shack that allows up to three remote senders and have one in the main section and one in the freezer so I can tell at a glance what the actual temperature is in each of these sections.

We also always travel with the refer running on LP and only turn it off when refueling. It's just a matter of personal preference. In reference to Ralph's post regarding the motorhome that was destroyed, my question would be was it due to the fact the refer was on or from a spark caused by the accident itself which would have created the explosion even if the refer was off.
Mel & Connie
Ralph Strauch

Post by Ralph Strauch »

Mel Wilbur wrote:In reference to Ralph's post regarding the motorhome that was destroyed, my question would be was it due to the fact the refer was on or from a spark caused by the accident itself which would have created the explosion even if the refer was off.
Not true. An extensive network of propane lines runs through the coach -- to the fridge, the stove, the water heater and the furance. These lines are relatively fragile, and with the propane on, a rupture anywhere in the system will spew vaporized
propane into an explosive cloud. Any spark (and there are likely to be some around an accident) will ignite this cloud. With the propane off, this won't happen. Propane will be vented only if the tank itself is ruptured or a direct impact breaks of the propane valve, and both of these are very low probability events.

Yes, Mel, it is a question of personal preference. But the choices you make have consequences, and not understanding what those consequences are can lead to bad choices.

One way of keeping the fridge contents cooler is to keep bags of blue ice or containers of water in the freezer when the fridge is on, and move them to the main compartment while traveling.

Ralph
robert

Post by robert »

Some time ago, someone on this board told us of an electronic device that automatically cuts off the electric to the refrigerator and if you connect it, to the hot water heater as well.

Without 12V electric, the refrigerator or the hot water hearter will not light up.

I purchased one and had it installed. The system automatically turns off the electric to the refrigerator for 30 minutes everytime I stop and turn off the key to the engine (like in a gas station).

There is an override button which you can push if you want the refrigerator on, like when you stop for lunch at a rest stop.

Now at least I do not have to worry about a spark from my refrigerator blowing me up while I am gassing up my RV. Unfortunately, I do worry about everybody else in the station at the same time.

I never leave the hot water heater on while driving so that is not a problem and I did not connect it.

Unfortunately I can not tell you the name of the product or where I purchased it as my RV is in storage some 25 miles from my home.

If I get over there in the next week or so and this thread is still current, I will post the name of the unit.
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Mike Jean Bandfield
Posts: 513
Joined: Sun Aug 14, 2005 3:43 pm

Post by Mike Jean Bandfield »

jobrien wrote:My wife will not light the stove with a match. Even with the electronic ignition in our previous motorhome, if it did not light on the second click, she would shut it off and wait for me to light it. We'll try one of those butane 12' long matches to see if that helps.
:lol: Jean agrees with Maureen - better to have your husband blow up the RV.

So BF, what's up with the stone age stove :?: Our old '93 Lance had an igniter. Even our cheapo early eighties vintage BBQ grill had a piezo electric button that you'd push repeatedly to make sparks and light the burner - no batteries, worked great and it outlasted the grill. Sam! This is definitely an item for your wish list.

We use the long butane lighter which is much better than singeing the hair on your knuckles but its still a pain compared to the peizo electric button.

Mike
Mike & Jean
2005 26' RSS Diesel
Dave&JanPotter

Post by Dave&JanPotter »

robert wrote:Some time ago, someone on this board told us of an electronic device that automatically cuts off the electric to the refrigerator and if you connect it, to the hot water heater as well.
Here is the link to that device. I believe Mel Wilbur organized the group buy. I bought one and it protects me if I have a senior moment at the gas pump.

http://www.lslproducts.com/FOPage.html
robert

Post by robert »

Thank you David for that information. It really does give you piece of mind when you stop to refuel.

By the way, if anyone else buys this product, the installation instructions suggest that it should be installed on the dash board. Actually mine is installed just under the kitchen sink next to the generator switch. It saved running a lot of wires back and forth.

Since it is automatic anyway, it works there just as well as or better than on the dash board.

The only reason to have it handy is to turn off the automatic switch (and turn on the electric to the refrigerator), and you will probably be in the area of the sink anyway.
Judy Harris

Post by Judy Harris »

Just my two cents, for what it is worth. We travel with the propane on for the refrigerator and turn it off when we fuel. All other propane appliances are off when we travel. I turn off the water heater at night because the noise of it igniting under the bed wakes me up and it heats up in 10 minutes anyway. We turn off the propane at the main valve when we store the BF but that is the only time. We also use the lighter stick thing for the stove top and I even do it with relative comfort. Our dealer told us to always light the stove top to bleed the lines of air after turning off the propane and that has worked well. As a retired attorney, I comfort myself traveling with this potential bomb with the fact that propane use in a motor home must be pretty safe. Otherwise, a large red sign and siren would come on every time you enter your BF warning you of the lethal consequences, courtesy of the lawyers who represent the motor home makers! Think of the warning signs on your storage compartments! Some common sense is in order, however. While traveling through an Alaskan wildfire this spring, we did stop to turn off the propane. Frankly, if the fire came our way, I don't thing it would have helped, but at least we tried to reduce the odds. Everyone should do what makes him or her comfortable with the odds.
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