How do you use your gas?

[bitler1@gmail.com]

Hi everyone,

Just got our fridge working on gas for the first time in 5 years! (£65 well spent - wish I'd found the Dometic Engineer sooner!). Now, my questions are...

How do you use it? Presumably they aren't designed run on gas whilst on the move? Do I now need a CO monitor in the van if I'm going to run it on gas whilst sleeping in the van?

Is the leisure battery designed just to keep it cool while you're on the move? Or does the fridge use too much power for the leisure battery to run the fridge even when charging off the alternator?

Any thoughts welcome (relevant ones that is!)

Cheers,

Phil

[Oldiebut goodie]

I run mine on gas whilst on the move - just remember to switch it, and the water heater if you have one, off before going into a filling station.

[eatcustard]

You should never use the gas when driving.

A Carbon monoxide monitor is a must.

[Oldiebut goodie]

a) Rubbish.- Read the manuals. (You should never use electricity as it may leak out. The world ended yesterday..... )
b) Advisable.

[kevtherev]

I run my fridge on the move, with gas.

If the flame goes out the safety cut's the gas off

How do you use it?

do you need a manual?

[bitler1@gmail.com]

Thanks for the rapid responses....

Not after a manual - I know how to light the gas etc now! Just wondering what people do on the move - if you run it off gas when on the move, what's the point in having it connected to the 12v system? The only time I tried to run it off the 12v battery, I ran the battery down rapidly!

Cheers,

Phil

[dirtygertie]

I have run my fridge whilst on the move but to be honest found that it didn't stay very cool....perhaps this is due to it not being level; I've always been led to believe that the fridge should be level for it to get cold.

[Oldiebut goodie]

I must be lucky with my fridge - it has always worked well even if parked on a quite uncomfortable slope,but then I have known others to not work on a slight slope. I have wondered if it is the first piece of angled coolant pipe that has the most bearing - nose up and this piece increases it's angle whereas with the rear of the van up this piece becomes level or a negative angle.

[Ian Hulley]

Depends what model fridge as to whether it has a flame-out sensor and cut-off. Use 12v when driving, gas when wild camping and 240v when on hook-up.

Always have a smoke alarm and combined CO detector/alarm NOT a colour change disc, they tell the emergency services what killed you.

[Big Boris]

We have run the frdige off gas whilst driving ............that was following advice from here and the manual that says you can!

However we don't feel very comfotable doing this. To be honest our Coleman Coolbox is so good that we use that more than the fridge that has now become another storage area! Plus in France in +30c temps the fridge couldn't cope.

We have a carbon monoxide alarm in the van too.

[Oldiebut goodie]

These fridges only cool to between 25 and 30 degrees below ambient so aren't really suited for that sort of heat.

[kevtherev]

Thanks for the rapid responses....

what's the point in having it connected to the 12v system? The only time I tried to run it off the 12v battery, I ran the battery down rapidly!

Cheers,

Phil

then your fridge is connected very wrongly... it should have a relay triggered by the ignition switch to turn on the 12 Volt power
your fridge should only work when the alternator is running.

[Red Westie]

Looking at the list of contributors that have already commented I know most have had their fridges out at some point, maybe just to clean out dirt or maybe blowout the jet. Therefore I know all are aware of just how small the single jet of gas powering the fridge is. This isn't a domestic boiler or a cooker ring just a small single flame. The fact is CO risk from a camper fridge is extremely low.
On the other hand, turning a cooker ring on for heat is many, many times more dangerous and whilst I would never want to dumb down risk I think we need to get things into perspective and acknowledge the fact camper fridges pose very little threat.
A combination CO/fire alarm mounted at bed height and away from fresh air vents is always a wise addition.

I'm sure I read somewhere (Joker manual perhaps but I can't be sure) that running on gas whilst moving was fine, although if yours is a 3 way, turning on to 12 volts makes even more sense as it's not wasting gas.

Martin just

[eatcustard]

My instructions said, never drive and run on gas, use the 12v.

[New Kentish Campers]

My van has a 3 way Electrolux fridge; uses 12v when the engine is running, via the leisure battery, gas when theres no 240v hook up available. And of course gas costs you money if used on the move whereas 12v is nigh on free