After reading my Norcold manual about 3 way operation, my question is, can you run the refrigerator on propane safely while traveling at 65 m.p.h.? I'm not familiar with these as this is my first camper. Will the air blow the flame out? I have used the 12V DC setting while driving but it doesn't keep the unit cold and more than once I have run the battery down while stopped somewhere.

In many years of traveling with a trailer and now with a TC, I have never shut down my reefer. Never have had a problem, other than having to relight it occasionally on the older units. Leave it on gas and hit the road.

Thanks Joe, my wife and I are headin' to Merritt Island, FL to see my folks and we'll be there for about 10 days. I'll say hi to Mickey Mouse for ya'!

My wife and I have been RVing since 1969 in travel trailers, fifth wheels and truck campers and have been running our fridge on LP while traveling.

If you want to operate your fridge on 12-volts, you must run a minimum of 8-gauge, preferably 6-gauge, wiring from the truck's battery to your Lance. The factory wiring will not work effectively which allows your fridge to warm and discharge your camper battery. Even with the wiring change, running your fridge on 12-volts is marginal at best in warm weather.

Bill

I have tried to run my Norcold on LP while on the highway and it keeps blowing out.

I keep meaning to rig up a cover for the vent, but just havent gotten around to it.

If the camper is within the last 10 yrs or so it should relight itself.

quote:

Originally posted by Gary:
If the camper is within the last 10 yrs or so it should relight itself.

humm , that really depends on what fridge is in your camper ..
mine is an '05 3-way , no automatic re-light

Bottom line is, leave it on and check it whenever you stop to fill up.

Just got back from 10 day trip to Florida. Refrigerator cooled nicely while on propane and cruising down the highway. I had to relight a couple of times but just checked on it every time I stopped for fuel.

Now you know. You can always try using some aluminum foil to shield the burner area.

Somewhere in the archives I remember a thread about a similar configuration. You might want to scour and see what happened, I think there was some sort of baffle codesigned with a reader and Lance.

quote:

Originally posted by Dennis:
Somewhere in the archives I remember a thread about a similar configuration. You might want to scour and see what happened, I think there was some sort of baffle codesigned with a reader and Lance.

This may be it: http://lanceowners.infopop.cc/...10444631#71210444631

I installed this flue vent baffle on a Dometic 3-way fridge that was in our previously owned '01 Lance 1140.

Bill

We run the roads with the frig on propane all the time, it has blown out a few times. We have a 3 way and I learned not to keep it on auto. The DC took the battery down quite a bit.

I used to run my Norcold on "Auto" until a couple years ago while headed south, it switched for some reason to 12 volt & I didn't know it & the battery ran down. I now run strictly on propane unless I have hook ups, then I manually switch it to AC. With auto ignition I never worry about the flame blowing out. I am not sure I would know if it ever did blow out because of the auto light.

Big Rig

I noticed in an earlier post , to check the propane burner when stopping to fuel up . You
had better turn it off when refueling . It will only take forgetting it is on once to send you and everyone around into orbit. We also came upon 2 RV's on the AK highway that had burnt to the ground , one starting a forest fire , both were running with propane on to reefer. Hello!

This remark borders on fear mongering. I have been RVing for over forty years with trailers and campers and don't actually recall any fires at pumps because of the reefer being on. I'm not saying it hasn't happend, just don't recall it ever being in the news. Most vehicles have the filler on the left(drivers)side, most reefers are on the right(passanger)side. As for the fires you say you saw on the road, those could have been the result of improper maintainance due to ignorance.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Joe Myers,

Yes, the likelihood of the refr igniting gasoline fumes is very low, even lower than a static discharge doing the same.

However Dometic has had a recall (www2.dometicusa.com/recall.php or just type "dometic recall information" into your browser window) going on for quite sometime relating to weld fatigue and failures in the ammonia-hydrogen refrigeration unit that have caused fires. While the failures can happen at any time, they are probably more common when road vibration and stress are present.

As for me, I also leave mine on propane while traveling (and during fillups).

Many years ago I owned an Airstream Argosy which had done a round trip on the Alcan before I got it for a song because of all the rock damage, I had to spend a lot of time straightening and reriveting the bottom pan sheets back to the frame. Most travel trailers do not have this and I can imagine the possible damage. I don't mean to start a war here, but unless you know something from first hand knowlege it is just hearsay.