Pete-B Posted August 15, 2021 Share Posted August 15, 2021 Can I drive my WXL with the Thetford fridge on gas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 16, 2021 Share Posted August 16, 2021 Do you mean “Is it technically possible to drive my WXL with the Thetford fridge on gas?” or “Is it legal to drive my WXL with the Thetford fridge on gas?” I expect the fridge wouldl operate on gas OK when your motorhome is being driven, though there’s clearly a risk that the burner flame might be blown out by the air passing over the vehicle’s external fridge vents. Regarding legality, my Thetford User Manual advises “In Europe it is only allowed to run your refrigerator on gas while driving if a gas system with break protection is installed and local regulations are respected.” I THINK this practice would be legal in the UK (that is laid-back about such things) but not in France that has tighter vehicle/gas regulations. The rationale behind 3-way fridges is that they should be operated on 12V when a leisure-vehicle is in motion and NOT on gas. If one had a fridge full of perishable foodstuff and it became evident that 12V operation had failed but gas operation was still OK, it’s understandable that someone might choose to drive with the fridge on gas. But deliberately choosing to drive with a fridge on gas when 12V operation was in working order would be a perverse thing to do in my view. If you are prepared to destroy a few of your brain cells, there’s a long 2017/2018 forum thread about this https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Running-a-Fridge-on-Gas-on-the-Move-/48234/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve H Posted August 16, 2021 Share Posted August 16, 2021 I'm sure it wouldn't be safe to be parked on a garage forecourt with petrol powered cars filling up nearby and this fridge with a flame burning away.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
747 Posted August 16, 2021 Share Posted August 16, 2021 Steve H - 2021-08-16 10:43 AM I'm sure it wouldn't be safe to be parked on a garage forecourt with petrol powered cars filling up nearby and this fridge with a flame burning away.. If it is an AES Fridge then it will have a 15 minute delay before it changes over from 12 volt to Gas operation. The delay is built in for just that scenario you are talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 16, 2021 Share Posted August 16, 2021 Thetford SES fridges operating 'automatically' will select 12V mode when a motorhome's engine starts to run. In 12V mode, when the motorhome's engine has stopped (for the safety reasons you've mentioned) there should be a 15 minute delay before the gas burner can light after the SES fridge has automatically switched to gas operation. However, if a SES fridge's energy source is 'manually' chosen and that source is gas, gas operation will take place while a motorhome is being driven and continue when the vehicle is stopped. In that scenario it's perfectly possible to have a SES fridge running on gas continuously while at a fuel station. Wise virgins will switch off a fridge completely before refuelling their motorhome or refilling their LPG tank/bottle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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