# Refrigerator Flame Out While Driving



## jdpm (Apr 12, 2007)

My Dometic refrigerator is located on the back wall of the left side of my 31frks fiver. I have gotten the refrig working great. It will even get down to 32-33 degrees overnight after being closed while asleep. The problem I'm having is coooling loss while traveling. On a 4 hour trip, it will go up to 44 degrees. This is after being on a/c power at camp and then switching over to LP for the trip home. I have always heard these units cool better on LP. I believe it is flaming out and relighting itself since I have no check light upon discovering this situation. I have heard of flame out due to passing trucks and air turbulane over the roof causing draft problems at the chimney and rear vacuum on the lower air intake. Norcold makes a baffle that installs on the inside of the bottom air intake to help with flame out. I have heard of using a furnace filter on the inside of the lower intake to help with wind gust as well. At one time, I had this problem with a side mounted refrig on a smaller trailer. The furnace filter trick did the job. I would install it for travel and take it out upon arrival. Anyone else having this flame out issue??? As always, I appreciate the input. pcm


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Try running it for a day at home or while camping to see if the performance matches what you see on electric. You could have a low propane flow to your fridge due to contamination and that would also give you the symptoms you see.

Let us know how it works when just on propane (while stationary). Flame out should be very low on the probability scale.


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## jasonrebecca (Oct 30, 2007)

Is it normal to travel with the fridge running on LP?

We always turn the fridge off while traveling, just make sure everything is good and cold before we leave.
Longest we have gone is 8 hours and everything is still frozen in the freezer.


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## jdpm (Apr 12, 2007)

jasonrebecca said:


> Is it normal to travel with the fridge running on LP?
> 
> We always turn the fridge off while traveling, just make sure everything is good and cold before we leave.
> Longest we have gone is 8 hours and everything is still frozen in the freezer.


This is a subject that is debatable as anything. While things may stay frozen after 8 hours, I know that things in the refrig will not stay below 40 degrees for 4 hours, much less 8 hours. Add the FL heat to that and I know the refrig will not maintain safe temps under no power. 
It is not illegal or unsafe to travel with the propane on due to built in safety of the rv propane systems. It IS illegal to travel through some tunnels and refuel with the propane turned on at the tanks. 
Huge numbers of people have driven with their lp tanks on and refrig running for years and years. It it far less dangerous OR risky than the guy refueling his tanks with a cigarette haninging out of his mouth. PCM


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## KosinTrouble (Jul 18, 2005)

I always keep mine on as well. Only time I turn it off is when I go through the mountains and the tunnels where it says you have to turn off propane before entering. And like previous post said, this is a subject which many will debate and many will disagree with eachother. I boil it down to personal preference. My preference is to leave it on.

I would guess its more an issue with the fridge being cold while running on propane. Do like someone else suggested, unplugg and let it run on propane for a day and see how the temp is in the fridge/freezer.

Kos


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## OutbackPM (Sep 14, 2005)

jdpm said:


> My Dometic refrigerator is located on the back wall of the left side of my 31frks fiver. I have gotten the refrig working great. It will even get down to 32-33 degrees overnight after being closed while asleep. The problem I'm having is coooling loss while traveling. On a 4 hour trip, it will go up to 44 degrees. This is after being on a/c power at camp and then switching over to LP for the trip home. I have always heard these units cool better on LP. I believe it is flaming out and relighting itself since I have no check light upon discovering this situation. I have heard of flame out due to passing trucks and air turbulane over the roof causing draft problems at the chimney and rear vacuum on the lower air intake. Norcold makes a baffle that installs on the inside of the bottom air intake to help with flame out. I have heard of using a furnace filter on the inside of the lower intake to help with wind gust as well. At one time, I had this problem with a side mounted refrig on a smaller trailer. The furnace filter trick did the job. I would install it for travel and take it out upon arrival. Anyone else having this flame out issue??? As always, I appreciate the input. pcm


 When my fridge failed for gas turned off and electric pulled out it would give you a fault code on the fridge and never reset unless the electric went back on. The gas semed like it would try to light several times then give up until reset. Are you getting a fault code when you get home or does it show operrational? If you are not getting a code I doubt that the unit turned off. If it did turn off from wind and relite it would be a short time so would not impact the refrigeration performace.

My experience has been that the air flow the unit gets while traveling helps cool the coils and get better performace. I found this while trying to freeze popcycles. They were barely slushy while at camp 2-3 days (90 F days) but after a short drive( about 3 hours) they were solid.


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## zachsmom (Aug 17, 2008)

Just a quick thought - and someone may have already asked this, if so sorry... Is your fridge one of those affected by the Dometic recall? We are also in a 2007 rig and ours qualified...

I'll be interested to see how this turns out. We can't seem to get ours to run on propane, not sure what the problem is yet. More research/fooling with it this weekend at home.

Lynne


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## Scoutr2 (Aug 21, 2006)

Try pressing the little reset button on the end of the sensor that is installed in the flue. If the reset is tripped, the gas cannot flow to the burner. I did not even know about this little button until I got the recall fix done for my fridge. The tech showed me what to do. He did not have to install the sensor that came with the kit because the original sensor already had that feature. (Apparently, the reset button wasn't on the sensor for older models. Mine is a 2007.)

If the gas is not lighting, this could be the problem. (or not.)

As an aside - I always travel with the fridge running on gas. I did so with both pop-ups and now with the Outback.

I usually pull into an end gas station island so that the fridge is on the far side, away from the pumps. And the trailer (and the fridge panel) is usually 25 feet away from the pump, as well, because of the length of the TV and trailer. If that is not possible, I turn the fridge off until I pull away from the pumps, then just turn it back on. It's not too difficult.

And through two pop-ups and the Outback, and after pulling same through 37 states from Idaho to Maine to Florida, to New Mexico, I've never had the flame go out while driving. And we've been in some very windy and stormy places.

Mike


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