Gas Fridges on Ferries? (2 Viewers)

Nov 3, 2016
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So as we're off on the ferry to Spain soon in the Motorhome I was wondering what people do with there fridges.

Ours is a EHU. Gas or Engine Run. That will only leave the gas option for the 24 hours its on the boat.


1) Will it work with the rocking and rolling
2) Is it allowed to be left on? I don't care to much for rules more a general wondering
3) If it can't/won't work what do people to with the perishable items you take with you? Can't really buy some of it locally.
 

Khizzie

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Of course, and nobody is suggesting that it was wrong to ask the question in the first place, although the answer is fairly clear on booking forms etc, and notices on boarding.

I, too, have seen boats and lives destroyed by gas explosions. The gas being heavier than air, the bilges become a time bomb. Much the same applies to accumulated fuel spillages.Frankly I'm shocked to hear any experienced member here casually dismissing such risks as a myth, and certainly wouldn't want to be on the same ferry when they are travelling

Open ferries on relatively short routes may well be treated very differently, I haven't used them (yet) so I can't comment. However a closed ferry on a 24 hour (or whatever) crossing over the Bay if Biscay is an entirely different matter. They wouldn't warn you if it wasn't important

We've done that route a few times, and suitably charged up with ice packs and contents already very cold, everything remains around the right temperature for the duration of the journey. In any case, you can get most of what you need anywhere in Spain and usually for a lot lower cost than in the UK
I was gobsmacked to hear that a funster openly admits he ignores the safety rules and endangers others .

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Apr 27, 2008
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I've left mine on during about 15 ferry trips.

Have you EVER heard of a gas fridge causing problems in ANY situation ?

Just another internet myth :)

Yes, mine caught fire in a layby. Luckily I was outside and caught it quick, though even in a few seconds it had burnt all the wiring at the back of the fridge, in a couple of minutes the van would have gone up. Movement of the 'works' on the back had fractured the very thin gas pipe which then flashed across when the jet lit. It was fixed free as it should have been attended to under a recall.

I would never leave a gas appliance running on a ferry, it could cause major loss of life.
 
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suavecarve

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I wasn't so much concerned about the original question, but certainly one response from someone who I assume is not a beginner, having left their fridge on over the last 15 trips is a bit disconcerting :Eeek::pray:
Fair to medium point well raised. I checked after i wrote and saw the amount of previous posts and thought to myself at this point, some nice chap is going to point out my "beginners error" in the beginners thread.
Today @Wargenwolf You are that nice chap.

Cheers.

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Pia

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.....I find Spanish and French supermarkets packed with wonderful goodies that you simply can't get in the UK and the stuff that is common to all is much better quality on the Continent...I simply cannot imagine taking British food to the Continent...still everyone to their own.....there's naught so strange as folk:D:LOL::confused:o_O:roflmto:
 
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Apr 27, 2008
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An additional point with my fridge fire, I have Secumotion on both the high and low pressure side of the gas. Owing to the very small gas pipe to the jet, the loss of pressure was not enough to trigger the secumotion to cut off the gas supply, which should have happened with a larger leak.
Assuming Yorick is not just :reel: , which could be a dangerous thing to do on a thread started by a beginner, then perhaps as a public service he should publicise which ferries he will travel on in advance so the rest of us can avoid them.
 
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Khizzie

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An additional point with my fridge fire, I have Secumotion on both the high and low pressure side of the gas. Owing to the very small gas pipe to the jet, the loss of pressure was not enough to trigger the secumotion to cut off the gas supply, which should have happened with a larger leak.
Assuming Yorick is not just :reel: , which could be a dangerous thing to do on a thread started by a beginner, then perhaps as a public service he should publicise which ferries he will travel on in advance so the rest of us can avoid them.
As I requested earlier from him .lol

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On a lighter note, we use enclosed ice cube trays. You can get them off the internet and occasionally at Jimmy Lidl's or Aldi. Can't remember which. If the fridge has not been off too long you may be able to salvage enough ice for a couple of G&Ts when you arrive. Heaven. But if you haven't, at least the water will not be all over the fridge and contents. Regards, Mike
 
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Lenny HB

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An additional point with my fridge fire, I have Secumotion on both the high and low pressure side of the gas. Owing to the very small gas pipe to the jet, the loss of pressure was not enough to trigger the secumotion to cut off the gas supply, which should have happened with a larger leak.
.
?? The Secumotion works by G force it is a crash sensor and cuts the supply in the event of an accident.
 
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Oct 11, 2016
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So as we're off on the ferry to Spain soon in the Motorhome I was wondering what people do with there fridges.

Ours is a EHU. Gas or Engine Run. That will only leave the gas option for the 24 hours its on the boat.


1) Will it work with the rocking and rolling
2) Is it allowed to be left on? I don't care to much for rules more a general wondering
3) If it can't/won't work what do people to with the perishable items you take with you? Can't really buy some of it locally.
In your second point you say you don't care too much for rules. I believe that you are a commercial pilot, your industry has plenty of rules that you would not expect not be broken.

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Lenny HB

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In your second point you say you don't care too much for rules. I believe that you are a commercial pilot, your industry has plenty of rules that you would not expect not be broken.
Didn't notice that perhaps we ought to ask the ferry companies to ban him for our own safety.
 
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MikeD

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In your second point you say you don't care too much for rules. I believe that you are a commercial pilot, your industry has plenty of rules that you would not expect not be broken.

Commercial pilot who don't care much for the rules - The OP is having a laugh surely?

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davidathomas42
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In your second point you say you don't care too much for rules. I believe that you are a commercial pilot, your industry has plenty of rules that you would not expect not be broken.

Of course anything safety related is abided by.

I am only talking about trivial rules that won't stop the earth from spinning.
 
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davidathomas42
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Of course anything safety related is abided by.

I am only talking about trivial rules that won't stop the earth from spinning.

I feel I should give some context.

Walking round the supermarket with the missis. We put a 6 pack of crisps in the trolly. I will think nothing of opening it up and munching on a bag before we pay.... Were paying anyway so no harm no foul.

My missis goes into panic like were going to be executed by lethal injection........

I don't much care for trivial rules......... Safety obviously is my thing..... Gas off......

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Feb 24, 2013
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@davidathomas42

I am not known for paying attention, but have only just realised you have seriously modified your drive to Spain, did you slip it into this thread to see if we noticed or was it disclosed elsewhere

will go on a search now, but am seriously G + T affected, so a reply here would be useful and definitely quicker (y)(y)
 
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davidathomas42
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@davidathomas42

I am not known for paying attention, but have only just realised you have seriously modified your drive to Spain, did you slip it into this thread to see if we noticed or was it disclosed elsewhere

will go on a search now, but am seriously G + T affected, so a reply here would be useful and definitely quicker (y)(y)

No its just here. Unfortunately I was too late booking the Hull to Zeebrugge ferry and its sold out the day we wanted :-(

Adding in the extra milage to get down south for a different crossing was too many miles and nights in the Motorhome for my missis to feel happy about on our first real run in it so I sprung the extra cash for a nice room in the Portsmouth - Santander Cruise ferry.

Were still doing a trip in April so ill be booking the Hull ferry this weekend for that so we don't miss out.

This one should still be a fun trip though and we have longer in Spain now but ill miss the opportunity to try the French Airs and that part I was really looking forward to.
 
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DanielFord

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Walking round the supermarket with the missis. We put a 6 pack of crisps in the trolly. I will think nothing of opening it up and munching on a bag before we pay.... Were paying anyway so no harm no foul.

My missis goes into panic like were going to be executed by lethal injection........
When I was 16, I worked the checkouts at Tesco. It was extremely common for people to present an empty wrapper to pay for, which I would then throw in the bin for them. As long as you pay for it, even the store detectives are aware that lots of people do this. They might however follow someone who hides the wrapper somewhere.
I never really got involved, but I believe the rule for shop lifting is leaving without making any attempt to pay. Clearly this doesn't apply, since you are not only making an attempt to pay, you are paying (y)

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I feel I should give some context.

Walking round the supermarket with the missis. We put a 6 pack of crisps in the trolly. I will think nothing of opening it up and munching on a bag before we pay.... Were paying anyway so no harm no foul.

My missis goes into panic like were going to be executed by lethal injection........

I don't much care for trivial rules......... Safety obviously is my thing..... Gas off......

A person is guilty of theft if he dishonestly appropriates property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it
 
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Twogirls

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A person is guilty of theft if he dishonestly appropriates property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it

That's the legal definition of the offence of theft. Unless every element of the offence is made out, there is no theft in law. Someone eating crisps and presenting the packet at check out for payment would be unlikely to be proven to be acting dishonestly. However, store owners can make their own rules and some might take a dim view of this practice. I doubt most ordinary folk would consider it to be dishonest.

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Twogirls

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Just thinking further about that, if I open a packaged toy in a shop and let my kid play with it all round the shop before we get to the check out where I present the package for payment - is dishonest? No, but I doubt the store owner would allow it to happen!
 
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suavecarve

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On a lighter note, we use enclosed ice cube trays. You can get them off the internet and occasionally at Jimmy Lidl's or Aldi. Can't remember which. If the fridge has not been off too long you may be able to salvage enough ice for a couple of G&Ts when you arrive. Heaven. But if you haven't, at least the water will not be all over the fridge and contents. Regards, Mike
Ice ! we freeze grapes or strawberries or similar sized fruit to keep our beer and wine cool for the evening

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Sundowners

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I think you will find that EHU is available on the ferry?? Ask as you load---------if not, your fridge will stay cold enough on the 24 hour crossing if the fridge doors are kept shut and everything was cold/frozen beforehand.
Fridges do catch fire------there have been several recalls to modify them-------the only fire we have seen in a motorhome/caravan was a fridge on fire!!.
 
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Ever since lighting was by Calor gas.
I've left mine on during about 15 ferry trips.

Have you EVER heard of a gas fridge causing problems in ANY situation ?

Just another internet myth :)

In short, I suspect the reason that there has never been a problem aboard due to a m/home fridge is rather that 99.9% of travellers turn their gas off as required by the operator.
 
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While I was away last week this thread came back to me.

I think there is an almost universal agreement of having gas on while travelling.

I'm not sure if this is possible in a MoHo as it might need some 'rewiring' but when I had my caravan with a fridge full of food and was taking a ferry I would;

Get the fridge well chilled at home on 240v or gas.
Fill the freezer compartment with freezer packs pre frozen in the house.
Make sure the fridge is full to capacity, any spaces fill with more freezer pack.
Keep the fridge on 12v while towing, that would keep the freezer packs frozen and the food chilled.
Switch to gas during any toilet breaks or while queueing at the terminal.
Back to 12v to load.
Once onboard keep it on 12v. This will drain your habitation battery but keep the fridge chilling.
The flattening of the habitation battery is of no consequence as once unloaded I would be starting a long drive and it would soon be charged again.

On a Cross Channel crossing the freezer packs wouldn't have even started defrosting, so food was well safe, in fact on some occassions things may have frozen in the fridge :)

I never tried it on a 24 hour Spanish ferry crossing.
 
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