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jato View Drop Down
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Posts: 3325 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Refrigerator guidelines/tips
    Posted: 02 Aug 2019 at 9:13am
Something to add that hasn't been brought up:  we had issues with the refer not cooling very well and come to find out because of the bimetal  switch on the back of the refer (cooling stack) was set too low.  By re-setting it higher on the stack, the 2 muffin fans would turn on much sooner, and more often, thus allowing the refer to run much colder inside.  To find the bimetal switch look for 2 red wires on the rear side of your refer - access is by removing the upper panel behind the refer.
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Posts: 328 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Jul 2019 at 6:15pm
That must be new in NY.  We just came down from Canada border to NJ and did not see one sign about propane even on the the NY State Thruway.  Also it was not mentioned yet but some people prefer to turn off the propane when getting gas.  We do not do that and always keep the frig on propane.  In fact last week in the heat we had lots of appliances running and hit over 30 amps and blew the campground fuse..  So we switched both the water heater and refrigerator to propane and was good to go.  We like to use electric power at sites with hook ups since we are paying for electric, but the propane is so efficient.  We have dual tanks and since filling last year we are still on the first tank
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6417 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Jul 2019 at 8:29pm
The most I could find about it is this:

LP gas is prohibited between Manhattan and Jersey City in the Holland Tunnel. Between Manhattan and Fort Lee, New Jersey lower level of the George Washington Bridge (I-95 South) and the George Washington Bridge Expressway between Manhattan and Weehawken, New Jersey: Lincoln Tunnel. LP gas is prohibited between Manhattan and Brooklyn on the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and between Manhattan and Queens on the Queens Midtown Tunnel.

Other than that, I have not seen any restrictions on propane use on highways in New York State. It makes sense in tunnels that go under rivers since propane is heavier than air and would collect at the bottom of tunnels. It does not make sense on wide-open highways to prohibit propane use. That would mean that there could be no propane powered vehicles either.
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jul 2019 at 3:37pm
Originally posted by mjlrpod

I just came back from Niagra Falls and every highway I traveled said "propane must be off by law" so I think the entire New York state does not allow travel with propane on. Unfortunately I only have a two way fridge now, so I had no choice but to violate the law. I couldn't drive 8 1/2 hours with no fridge, but it is illegal. 

New Jersey has a restriction on open propane cylinders, but then NJ has some weird regs, you can't pump your own fuel there either.Disapprove

But I hadn't heard of that in NY.  I wonder if its new? 

BTW, you'd most likely be OK for 8 hours with the fridge off if you started out with it cold and kept the door closed. 
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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Posts: 2702 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jul 2019 at 3:30pm
Originally posted by mjlrpod

I just came back from Niagra Falls and every highway I traveled said "propane must be off by law" so I think the entire New York state does not allow travel with propane on. Unfortunately I only have a two way fridge now, so I had no choice but to violate the law. I couldn't drive 8 1/2 hours with no fridge, but it is illegal. 
Ah. Adding more fuel to the fire (pun intended)... As has been discussed here many times, the odds of something going wrong is probably pretty small. But there is a gap between small and never. I'm guessing something "happened" somewhere in New York, and they decided to eliminate it as a possibility.
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mjlrpod View Drop Down
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Posts: 1221 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jul 2019 at 12:59pm
I just came back from Niagra Falls and every highway I traveled said "propane must be off by law" so I think the entire New York state does not allow travel with propane on. Unfortunately I only have a two way fridge now, so I had no choice but to violate the law. I couldn't drive 8 1/2 hours with no fridge, but it is illegal. 
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Posts: 966 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jul 2019 at 8:59am
They covered the traveling part, but as far as optimum efficiency in normal camping mode, installing a 12v fan in the top fridge vent will really help remove condenser heat. This will lessen the 'load' on the cooling unit and conserve propane.

Oh, and always make sure the camper is level when camped. I installed small bubble levels to help with this.
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Posts: 153 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jul 2019 at 8:33am
I agree with everything Offgrid just mentioned, the only thing i would add is that from our experience, the fridge performs cooler when using propane than 120V.  

Be careful, at very cold settings, you do run the risk of slightly freezing things in the fridge section.  It takes some time to play with the settings.

But yes, I agree that it is generally a "cool-maintainer" rather than a "cooler downer" and the freezer section will keep things frozen as well.
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jul 2019 at 4:04am
The fridge on battery vs. propane while travelling is probably the biggest debate on this forum.

If you use the fridge on battery it consumes about 10-11 amps so be sure your tow vehicle is effectively charging the trailer or you will discharge the trailer battery quickly. And remember to change over to propane as soon as you get to camp. 

If you run the fridge on propane while travelling there are some tunnels and bridges where you have to shut the propane off. Most are along the east coast. 

Other than those two issues its really a choice based on your personal view of what is safe and convenient. 

Re effectiveness of the fridge, since it uses an absorption refrigeration cycle, it requires a heat source to operate, and that source needs to be hot to work well.  The general experience is that it is somewhat less effective when used on 12Vdc  because that source puts out the least heat.  The propane and 120Vac are roughly similar when operating correctly so the fridge is most effective on either of those two settings. But most folks find the fridge stays cool enough on 12Vdc while travelling.

Don't put a lot of warm stuff in the fridge, turn it on, and expect it to immediately cool things down, especially liquids. Think of it as more of a cool maintainer than a cooler-downer. When stocking for a trip, turn it on the the day before you leave and cool down your food in your household fridge first. While restocking when travelling, try to buy your liquids already cold for the same reason. You can also get a secondary cooler or portable 12V fridge for cooling liquids.  

Keep the fridge heat exchangers clean and the gas flue clear of obstructions, Some folks have added small fans to improve cooling performance, especially if they often camp in hot conditions,  if you do a search on the forum you'll find lots of posts on that. 
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Buckeye View Drop Down
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Posts: 37 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jul 2019 at 3:24am
Newbie question...what are your suggestions for refrigerator usage for optimum efficiency? Which mode do I use when we are traveling: battery or propane?
Thanks...I'm learning every time we take another trip.
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