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View Poll Results: Do you travel with propane ON or OFF
Always turn it OFF at the tanks. 31 60.78%
Always run with it on. That is why I have a fridge! 16 31.37%
Turn off when getting gas or when in a tunnel. 5 9.80%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 51. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 04-21-2013, 03:28 PM   #61
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Originally Posted by Bob Miller View Post
Well... that certainly takes care of the "LP on Ferries" question..

As I could list at least 20 things that "might" happen in the first 100 feet of travel, if we have to be completely safe about everything, it would be difficult to even leave the driveway with our MFRV's in tow.

Two yeasr ago I was one of the lucky ones to have lav ice drop off of a passing airplane and punch a hole in my patio cover, but that doesn't keep me from going outside because of a fear of falling black ice.....

Every day living itself is a calculated risk and I, for one, will not reduce my enjoyment of life living in fear of each and every possibility that "could" happen.

Life is to enjoy, not to live in fear.....

Bob,
I believe I've heard that same argument about seat belts. For me it's action vs possible gain. Small action, turn off the valve when hooking up, it's right there, no big effort. Possible gain, no boom. Odds of something happening that you would want it off, not big.
Wearing a seat belt. Action very small effort to fasten seat belt. Possible gain - life saving. Odds of something happening that you would want that seat belt (and air bags) not big.

There's tons of stuff we do where the possibilities of not doing them causing problems are very small. Tire pressure is one. Feeling the hubs of the trailer are another, the list goes on and on and on. But yet some feel the need to fight this one.

Fasten the belt on my pants, little effort. Possibility of my pants falling off (with properly sized pants) not high.
You get the idea.
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Old 04-21-2013, 03:36 PM   #62
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Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles View Post
I didn't think shutting the tank off on ferries (or other times when instructed to do so) was controversial, even among those of us that leave them on most of the rest of the time- but thanks for the history, Carol!


Francesca
If you had traveled the ferries as frequently as I do you might think it was in fact controversial. Can't tell you how many times I have sat waiting for a ferry and watch as someone makes lunch in their trailer on a propane stove just after they have put the tags the ferry staff gave them onto the trailer tanks saying the tanks are shut off. Pretty clear to me they were not planning on shutting the tanks off and I have infact watched them load onto the ferry without ever going anywhere near those tanks again. Sad but true.

Yes we all make choices every day as to what level of risk we can live with but there is something inherently wrong when 800 or more other people who didn't have a say in the matter are facing an increased risk due to one party deciding its better that they have very cold milk at destination than it is to be concern with anyone else safety.
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Old 04-21-2013, 03:36 PM   #63
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Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles View Post
I didn't think shutting the tank off on ferries (or other times when instructed to do so) was controversial, even among those of us that leave them on most of the rest of the time- but thanks for the history, Carol!
Yes, thanks Carol.

The relevance of the ferry situation is not that there was any controversy in this forum about following the closed-tanks-on-ferries rule, but that some people seem to want to extend the same rule to on-the-road use. Understanding that nature of the risk on ferries helps us understand that it has very little applicability to road travel.
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Old 04-21-2013, 03:38 PM   #64
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Can't see a comparison between seat belt use and LP tank valves, if there were, there would be more laws regarding their use.

And I haven't heard a real arguement against seatbelts since my Dad passed away more than 40 years ago. (He was afraid of drowning and wouldn't wear one).

But, as I mentioned, I still don't wear a helmet for protection from falling black ice.



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Old 04-21-2013, 03:54 PM   #65
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Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
Yes, thanks Carol.

Understanding that nature of the risk on ferries helps us understand that it has very little applicability to road travel.
Actually Brian I disagree. One of the risks on a ferry in regards to an open tank can be applied to road travel safety. As I mention IMO the event with the highest probability of happening on a ferry is a fire that could erupt due to an impact to a tank in the event of a hard landing or collision as the cars and trailers get shuffled/tossed around on the deck. Would think the risk of an accident and a hard impact to a tank that is not only on but has flame burning to cool off a fridge is equally likely to happen on a roadway if not more likely. Only difference being is the number of people impacted by such an incident on a highway is probably going to be fewer than if that event took place on a ferry.
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Old 04-21-2013, 04:05 PM   #66
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I must have missed something. How did wanting cold milk place 800 peeps at risk ????



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Old 04-21-2013, 04:28 PM   #67
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Per Post 66

I guess we had also insist that the LP tank valves on all those LP and CNG vehicles on the road, including almost all of our local busses and more than a few Police cars be turned OFF to reduce risk.

It almost seems like a better idea to stay at home, curl up with the travel channel, and hope no asteroids crash into ones house, that too has happened...

This horse is dead, I'm getting Off.....



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Old 04-21-2013, 04:40 PM   #68
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Does anyone have any good reliable facts regarding how many fires have been started due to leaving the propane on in an RV while travelling? I myself have never heard of it causing an issue. I tried to look it up, but could find nothing. Lots on RV fires, but not specific to this issue. Some were due to the refrigerator flame, but the few I did find were when the unit was parked.

And for me too, I have absolutely no issue with turning my propane off on ferries, or wherever else required, if I should have it on. I fully respect these requests. I know I have fueled up and not even thought about it being on, the issue never crossed my mind, but will definitely be looking for signs indicated it to be turned off in the future.

But, on our day long hauls while driving, you can be sure it would be left on. Being that it is not illegal, it is up to each individual to make their own choices.
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Old 04-21-2013, 04:51 PM   #69
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I am SO SORRY - I really didn't want to fire up a big stink. I was looking more for personal preferences not a discussion of why **I** am right and **YOU** are wrong.

B-T-W, it is running around 65/35 "turn off" always. Given the discussion about the ferries and tunnels it really should be 65/0/35 in my simple little world. We should ALL turn off on ferries and in tunnels. PERIOD.
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Old 04-21-2013, 05:13 PM   #70
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Alan, no apology needed. This is a discussion forum. I appreciate Carol H's info on ferries and, yes, as you say Carol, it certainly does apply to the road. In fact, the risk of anyone having such an incident would be far higher on the road due to the number of travelers vs. On ferries. We all know there are plenty of car accidents. We have been in one from an errant driver. Glad we didn't have propane with us then. The ferries, of course, give you no place to run if you have the chance to try to get away and aren't toast already.

At least one member of this forum has had such a fire. The little it takes to turn off the propane does not ruin my enjoyment of life any more than Byron doing his part to remain fully clothed.






Quote:
Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo View Post
Just to bend the topic a little, even though the instruction manual for my BBQ says to turn the gas off at the tank, I don't.
But, I turn it off at the trailer for travel.
Then again, I'm not expecting my BBQ to get rear-ended by a semi.
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Old 04-21-2013, 06:06 PM   #71
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Originally Posted by Bob Miller View Post
I must have missed something. How did wanting cold milk place 800 peeps at risk ????
See post #56 - Ferries in these parts carry in many cases way more than 800 people. One cant really present an overly strong argument that the safety issues around not shutting off a propane tank has more to do with the enclosed space issue, as the rules requiring propane tanks needing to be shut off while on a vessel came to be long before the Herald of Free Enterprise went down. Prior to the sinking of the Free Enterprise it was common operating practice for many large ferry fleets around the world to leave the large fore and aft doors wide open - no enclosed space issue.

Edit to add: not to mention the that propane tanks must be turned off even when traveling on smaller totally open ferries - again the inclosed space issue wouldnt come into play on those types of ferries either.
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Old 04-21-2013, 06:15 PM   #72
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Good discussion. I have never been on the BC ferries but have read the comments of others. No wonder they are so expensive. Sounds like they need repair/replacing often..

If we are on the road, the propane is off. Raz
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Old 04-21-2013, 06:24 PM   #73
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LOL Raz - most tax payers in BC would agree whole hearted with that!

Up until 06 when they managed to run one aground and have it sink and costed two people their lives - the one in was probably one of their more costly accidents (cause of it was the lack of a 10 cent cotterr pin). Never a good idea to run a big ferry though a private marine in the counties most affluent postal code
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Old 04-21-2013, 06:27 PM   #74
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Somebody proposed converting the ferries to run on natural gas...
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Old 04-21-2013, 06:32 PM   #75
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Propane Perspective

About 15,000,000 Americans use propane in their homes. Average yearly deaths are 25 from propane fires.

For perspective 100 people are killed by lightening each year.

Propane is relatively safe.

There are almost 300,000 vehicle fires in the USA and 480 deaths.

I still shut my propane off when driving.
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Old 04-21-2013, 06:44 PM   #76
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Originally Posted by Weinel, Alan View Post
B-T-W, it is running around 65/35 "turn off" always.
As I think I noted earlier, the results here are dramatically different from- in fact more than opposite to- those from similar informal surveys elsewhere.

In my opinion this result says more about this small segment of usertypes than it does about the RVing public in general...

Exactly what it says, though, I leave to others to posit.

Francesca
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Old 04-21-2013, 07:04 PM   #77
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I was looking at some of the RV propane fires. You can even find one on youtube of course. One man said that they almost lost their RV due to a propane fire. He had been told by the dealer when buying years before that there was no problem having propane on while traveling. Plates came out of a cabinet and struck the stove knobs. What got me was that when someone screamed "Fire!" he had to run to the propane tanks and turn them off. That's the last place I would want to be. He now shuts off the propane. Melted their counter but he felt lucky.
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Old 04-21-2013, 07:11 PM   #78
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Originally Posted by Carol H View Post
Actually Brian I disagree. One of the risks on a ferry in regards to an open tank can be applied to road travel safety. As I mention IMO the event with the highest probability of happening on a ferry is a fire that could erupt due to an impact to a tank in the event of a hard landing or collision as the cars and trailers get shuffled/tossed around on the deck...
I don't think we really disagree: this one risk is shared by ferry and road travel, and is the reason that I said the ferry situation has "very little applicability to road travel", rather than "none".

By the way, would be interested to see if anyone can make a propane tank blow up by hitting it. The real (albeit small) risk in a collision is that a hose under pressure is torn, excess flow device is inadequate to control the flow, and an ignition source is present to start a fire; closing the tank valve effectively addresses this risk.
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Old 04-21-2013, 07:13 PM   #79
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Originally Posted by honda03842 View Post
About 15,000,000 Americans use propane in their homes. Average yearly deaths are 25 from propane fires.

For perspective 100 people are killed by lightening each year.

Propane is relatively safe.

.
Agree, providing you dont live in Kansas were there is always that chance that your house decides to take a little trip down the road or to the next town
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Old 04-21-2013, 07:16 PM   #80
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Plates came out of a cabinet and struck the stove knobs.
This looks like an argument to make it illegal to carry cargo in unsecured cabinets (that is, cabinets without positive latches), and illegal to sell appliances which can be turned on by a simple push of a small falling object. After all, we're all about safety, right?
Bizarrely, motorhomes (which are occupied by people while in travel, unlike a trailer) routinely have cabinet doors with no positive latch.
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