Does anyone not use any of their propane stuff in their pop-up?

[HeatherPage]

Maybe I'm being overly cautious, but I don't like messing with propane stuff (I don't even like starting our gas grill at home, I get my husband to do it).  Does anyone have a pop-up and only use charcoal grills or electric skillets at the campsite for cooking?  With our vacation habits, I see us grilling out or just going out to eat alot. (Disney World, Myrtle Beach, etc.)  I can get around the hotwater issue by using paperplates/utensils, etc.  Do the A/C's normally run on electricity?  If we got a fridge I'd most likely get one that ran on electricity or just bring a big cooler to keep drinks/other things in (the RV fridge's seem pretty small anyway).  Sorry if I sound paranoid, I just want to keep my family safe from any freak gas accidents.  On another note if you can convince me how safe and easy the propane stuff is to use in a pop-up (we'd be buying new) maybe I could be convinced?
Thanks in advance!

[beacher]

No.  You are the ONLY one.

We use everything that can run on propane, on propane.  I run my PopUp refrigerator on Propane instead of AC when at a campground with full hookups.  If I get a portable Yamaha or Honda inverter generator, I'll have it setup to run on propane.  I have been using the stuff since the early 70's with the little narrow 1 pound propane canisters on lanterns and stoves.  Now I use two twenty pound cylinders on my PopUp.

In all this time I have never seen anyone get hurt using propane.  While during that same time I have experienced many people being slightly or seriously electrocuted using AC, and serious flare-ups with liquid fueled camping equipment.

[cjpoppin]

I can understand your concern however it really is a freak accident when a fire explosion starts because of propane........Our A/C runs off Electricity.....I too use our frig. on propane it keeps things much cooler......You can run it on electric  it just runs a little warmer. We have camped for many years and have only seen one mishap due to propane and it was the owners fault.   carol

[Weber Grill]

We are newer owners ourselves with a new PU. Propane and propane products are great, just follow the simple directions/cautions as with anything you use.

When there are accidents  with anything it is normally due to user misuse/abuse, not because of the product.

Patrick :usflag:

[ILUVTHEBEACH]

I recently put a quick connect adapter on my PU stove and 20lb propane tank so I can use my stove away from my PU.   Best thing I could have done.

We have a furnace that runs on propane but we have never used it.  (For one, I have no idea how to light the darn thing and two, we usually don't camp in cold weather and have a small ceramic heater if it gets cold.)  Most of my other friends who have PUs use their stove, furnaces and a/cs and have never had a problem.

[AustinBoston]

Sorry if I sound paranoid, I just want to keep my family safe from any freak gas accidents.

I think freak is the operative word.  

During the first Pop-Up-Times rally in Townsend, TN in 2002, a small child at a nearby campground was accidentally killed by a defective marshmallow stick being swung by her young sibling.  It's been some years, but I believe what happened was the other child (I think 5 or 6 at the time) had a marshmallow catch fire, and he was trying to put it out.  The wire stick came out of it's handle and struck the girl in the back of the head near the base of the skull, and she died.  That was a classic freak accident.  I bring it up because we do not and should not dramatically change our ways because of freak accidents.  PJay and I have never allowed (before or since) swinging flaming marshmallows, but that accident does not cause us to throw away all of our marshmallow sticks and never eat another s'more; it also does not cause us to require everyone to wear a helmet when toasting marshmallows.

Propane is no more dangerous (and quite possibly safer) than the container of lighter fluid most people would use to light the charcoal.  It is most certanly safer than the charcoal itself is while lit.  And unlike the carcoal, propane can be turned off instantly and is much better contained.  Propane burners are generally either inaccessible to toddlers or high enough so they have to construct a ladder to reach them; this is not true of campfires.  I have seen charcoal grills tip over; I have never seen a propane grill, stove, water heater, or furnace tip over.

If it's the "whump!" when a propane burner lights that you are afraid of, then your fear may actually be causing the problem!  Fear of the propane leaping out is causing you to hold the match or lighter too far from the burner when lighting.  Get an adequate supply of those lighters with a long neck on them (Scripto is one brand, but not the only one), light it FIRST, hold it so the flame is CLOSE to the burner (about 1/4" to 1/2" away), THEN turn the burner on.  It will light gently with no "whump!" or big leap of flame.

Propane is heavier than air, so all new campers that have a propane system have a propane detector near the floor.  It is set to go off at propane levels 1/20 to 1/100 what is necessary for an accidental ignition.  (In other words, if the alarm goes off, it would still take 20 to 100 times as much propane to actually cause an accident.)

In this area (north of the Twin Cities in icy cold Minnesota), everyone heats with gas; electricity is way too expensive and oil is just not available.  Even so, I hear of a lot more fires started by electricity than I do gas.  Propane is not exactly the same, but it is so similar that we use it in the same way throughout our campers.

In order of real danger, I would rate (most dangerous to least):
1) The drive to the campground.
2) The campfire
(1 & 2 may be in opposite order)
3) Weather: T-storms, high winds, etc.
4) The camper's electrical system
5) Wild animals (from bats to bears)
(3 & 4 may be in opposite order)
6) Pop-up roof collapse.
7) Falling out of the bunk end.
Propane accidents.

I should add that I have never heard of anyone being injured by numbers 3, 4, 6, 7, or 8 while camping, and I have never heard of anyone being injured by 6 or 7, camping or not.

In some areas, oil retailers have painted a false picture of the dangers of natural gas.  It's not meant to be accurate or truthful; it is meant to get you to spend a fortune to rip out your gas heat and replace it with oil.  They lie (like most advertisers) in order to get you to do something you would otherwise have no reason to do.  Prove yourself smarter than they.  Don't let their made-up TV pictures or selective "reporting" scare you.

Austin

[PLJ]

We use propane for the furnace, fridge and to cook with. I feel very safe doing so. Having said that, we do a lot of cooking on a table top grill and are also learning to use the dutch oven cooking methods.

Propane has its uses, but if you feel unsafe using it or having it around by all means use coolers (we do for drinks), ceramic heaters. You can certainly get by very well at the camp ground without propane without looking out of place. The idea is to be relaxed and enjoying yourself when camping, if you can't be with propane around then don't take it.

My phobia is spiders  :yikes:

[AustinBoston]

The idea is to be relaxed and enjoying yourself when camping, if you can't be with propane around then don't take it.

Although I wrote a long response justifying use of propane, PLJ has the the bottom line right.  If you are not going to be able to relax around propane, don't bother with the propane.  Camping is about having a good time, and if propane is going to spoil it, then get rid of it.

Austin

[maromeo]

We have used everything in the PU that can be run on propane. It is great to have the amentities when you are boondocking, like hot water to wash dishes or take a shower. I was leary at first but after 4 years it is old hat to me. We love to have it available.
Mary Romeo

[HeatherPage]

Thanks for the replies everyone

[edwardr132]

Believe me, you are not the only one trying to figure out just how safe/unsafe using propane based products are.  We are very new to camping and are trying to figure out the same thing.  We have a heater onboard as well and have never used it.  We bought a porcelein heater for $20 which is electric.  We figured since electric is included in the price of most campground sites; we might as well use it.

We are trying to determine how we plan on cooking our food;  Right now we are using an electric microwave;  electric skillet (best $20 I paid for one at Target!!!)  and a George Foreman electric grill;  not so sure about that one.  It might be going back!  We are trying to figure out the best way to cook steaks and burgers while camping!  Right now we are using an LPG outdoor stove to boil water for coffee/tea which hooks up to the pop-up.

[zamboni]

In order of real danger, I would rate (most dangerous to least):
1) The drive to the campground.
2) The campfire
(1 & 2 may be in opposite order)
3) Weather: T-storms, high winds, etc.
4) The camper's electrical system
5) Wild animals (from bats to bears)
(3 & 4 may be in opposite order)
6) Pop-up roof collapse.
7) Falling out of the bunk end.
Propane accidents.

I should add that I have never heard of anyone being injured by numbers 3, 4, 6, 7, or 8 while camping, and I have never heard of anyone being injured by 6 or 7, camping or not.

Hmmm...  #6 almost got me - just over a year ago, while setting up our Niagara (electric lift), I was about to reach in and start pulling stuff out while the roof was going up, when there was a BANG, and the roof fell.  The whiffle-tree stripped (I was shocked to find out the Coleman system had a single-point-of-failure with no safety backup).

As for #7 - the baby (almost 2 at the time) was scratched and sore after falling out of our hybrid, due to the new "safety feature" that allowed her to silently unzip the screen when we thought she was sleeping.


*******


However, I've never known anyone or anything injured by propane.  I use it for everything I can.

Gasoline is FAR more dangerous, because it can splash (thus coat, soak) on things.

[jakelaw]

I am with those on the "use it for everything" side.  Growing up our house was heated by a big industrial propane tank, as well as for cooking.  Not sure how big the tanks was, but we never had any problems.  We use our cook top every trip, and our furnace when needed.  We have several accessories that run off of the little bottles as well and have never had a problem.  Use your propane and have fun camping.  Let us know what you decide to do either way.

[dthurk]

We use propane as needed and when needed.  We'll use electricity as often as we can when hooked up, but use propane any time and anywhere.  We have 1 lb., 20 lb. and 30 lb. tanks.  We use propane for most of our cooking, and use a propane lantern for lighting at night.  We would use our propane heater if necessary, and our water heater on propane.  The refrigerator runs on propane automatically if we're not plugged in.  

Never had a problem with it and have no fear of it.  We respect it, but without fear.

[Old Goat]

I have used propane for cooking and heating for many, many years of camping and have never had a problem of any kind. When winter camping we heat with a ceramic electric heater at night and propane during the day with a Buddy heater. The Buddy is a lot less trouble and much more economical to use than a furnace. I have never heard of any camper having an accident with propane use.....