Propane and refrigeration

[Cammalu]

Scott what's the story? I'm never level and the fridge runs fine. I think they are much more forgiving now than days of old.

I'm trying to get Gotsmart to do more product reviews. I took a chance on some 12v outlets that weren't too expensive and when they came in he was really surprised at the quality. I love having one on either side of the sofa. There's a regular ciggy port and two USB ports together.

[Scott7022]

Ok I will bang out the story. Thanks for the motivation to write something today. In a bit of a funk.
But just in case HDR comes over I will post it in a separate thread under heating or propane or....

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I wouldn't mind a propane fridge for the van! Wonder if it's feasible!

Ah, I would not recommend it.

Short answer: it would turn your van into an oven in the summertime.

Long answer:  Unlike a compressor fridge, which uses freon, a three way rv fridge uses ammonia and depends on heating it:

"How Does a Propane Fridge Work?

A propane fridge starts the cooling process by heating a chemical solution.
 
Unlike an electric refrigerator, which uses a coolant to keep the
interior cold, a propane fridge relies on simple chemical reactions. The
process starts with a flame fed by a propane tank, which is why this
appliance is called a propane fridge.
 
 
Propane Flame
 
A propane fridge has a sealed network of tubes and chambers holding
water, ammonia and hydrogen gas. A propane flame heats a chamber holding
a solution of water and ammonia until the liquid boils. The ammonia gas
rises to another chamber, the condenser, where it cools back into a
liquid. It then flows to the evaporator, where it mixes with hydrogen gas.
 
 
Cooling Action
 
When ammonia encounters hydrogen gas, the chemical reaction between the
two absorbs heat. That's how the propane fridge produces its cooling
action -- by pulling heat from the interior of the refrigerator into the
ammonia-hydrogen mix. As it absorbs heat, the ammonia becomes a gas
again. The ammonia and hydrogen gases then combine with water. The
ammonia and water form a solution again, which releases the hydrogen gas
to rise back to the evaporator. The process then starts all over again."

The key thing here is that motor homes and trailers vent the heat produced by the fridge through a roof vent.  Lacking that, the inside of your van is going to get very warm.  Which will cause the food in your fridge to get warmer faster, which will cause the fridge to run even more.  And let's note that even when it is running on electricity, it uses the electric to run a heating element, which uses a lot more power than a compressor fridge would.

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Propane and I have a history. I'll post the story if anybody wants a chuckle. 

Propane lines don't really take much room at all, and are pretty straight forward to work with, but make one mistake and propane can be very unforgiving.

Let's just note that if you DO intend to mess with do-it-yourself propane lines, all unions and tee connections should ideally be OUTSIDE your living compartment.  At the very least, they absolutely can't be built into a wall, or anything like that, as you need to be able to reach them to test for leaks with a soapy water solution every so often.

[Ballenxj]

Let's just note that if you DO intend to mess with do-it-yourself propane lines, all unions and tee connections should ideally be OUTSIDE your living compartment.  At the very least, they absolutely can't be built into a wall, or anything like that, as you need to be able to reach them to test for leaks with a soapy water solution every so often.

Valid points. If I were going to plumb propane into a vehicle, I would endeavor to use one continuous line from tank to appliance. I already have an ASME frame mount style tank.
Unfortunately that project has been pushed way back due to ever changing circumstances.
RE; Soapy water, I normally use a Windex household sized spray bottle filled with water mixed with at least 12 drops of Dawn dish washing soap to check for leaks.
Been lucky so far & haven't blown myself up.

[AbuelaLoca]

Yeah, this has gone from a quick, cheap idea to work, and I avoid work like the plague.

Glad your fridge works well for you, Cammy!!

[Snikwahjm]

We were home alone.... maybe 50 years ago? My little sister decided to make cookies. The oven had to be lit with a match. She had the gas on but turned it off when it didn't light. So she yells for me to lite the oven. I turned it on and I lit up the whole kitchen and burned off my eyelashes and eyebrows when I struck the match. I was lucky wasn't I? So that eliminates messing with a free 3 way fridge at least in my van...