Refrigerator on when traveling

[BandJ]

We will be taking a six week journey and most of the time we will only be staying in one location for 1 - 2 days. This means that we will have food in the refrigerator that must reain cold when traveling. What is the correct way to set the refrigerator.

[sreigle]

We're traveling fulltime. We leave the refrigerator turned on all the time regardless of whether we're on the road or staying somewhere just overnight, a day or two, or a month. If you have it on "auto", when you connect the Montana to electricity the fridge will auto switch to electricity. When you disconnect, it will switch to propane (be sure the bottles are turned on). Some folks prefer to turn the fridge off when on the road but many folks, including us, just leave it on. That part is personal preference. The newer propane bottles have a safety valve that will shut off the gas flow if there's a rupture in the line.

This is just how we do it. There are lots of different opinions on this.

[faeb and genb]

I just set ous on auto when you are hooked to A C it runs on electric & when you unhook it switches to L P automatically.
Gene

[NJ Hillbilly]

We leave the fridge on all season. This way it stays packed with non-perishables so we just pack meat ang other items and away we go. It stays on auto unless we are boondocking. Then it is on gas so when a generator is used the fridge does not compete for the juice.

John

[PackerFan]

It might be a good idea to shut it off when pulling into a service station and getting gas (for those who drive gas engine powered trucks) Wouldn't want to ignite the fumes from the gas pump with the pilot light and set the whole station ablaze.

This is not really a problem if you drive a diesel powered truck. It is a lot harder to ignite diesel fuel. Thus making it a lot safer too.

Just a thought from an old Fireman!
Scott

[8.1al]

We also just leave our fridge on when traveling but it is a good idea to turn it off when refueling. Even if you use diesel you never know when someone else might have a fuel spill and the fumes might be ignited by the flame from the fridge

[Bob & Lee]

We leave ours on Auto all the time but has anyone had ice up in the Frig the freezer is ok but about half the coils ice up

[sreigle]

Bob & Lee, we periodically have to defrost both the freezer and the refrigerator compartments. These things are not frost-free. Unfortunately.

[gloriad]

We left ours on for the first time on a 2 week vacation and did not have any problems. Cannot deal with a cooler for that long of a trip, so told hubby either leave it on or we eat out every meal. Guess what, he left it on.

[kdeiss]

When we travel and make overnite stops I turn the ref. off. I keep 3 blue ice in the freezer so in the morning I move 2 down to the Ref.this keeps everything cold never a problem. I do this because of fueling just in case. Also don't forget those cell phones around the pumps.

[lightningjack11]

Leave mine on. I stay with diesel pumps. Not as hazardous as gas.

[BandJ]

Is it also necessary to turn the propane off at the tank as well as shut down the refrigerator?

[sreigle]

If you're thinking about safety then probably so. The newer tanks have a safety device that will shut off the tank should the flow exceed some threshhold. The only time we turn ours off is when going through tunnels that require it be off. Then they also require the tank valves be closed. But other folks prefer to shut theirs off when traveling. Your choice. Good luck. Good question.