Fire Extinguishers

[colo native]

It is plan and simple stay and you will either die or be seriously hurt, Best to get out as fast as you can. Insurance is there for a reason.

[Chiefblueman]

On a fully Involved structure that everyone is wanting fire axes, fire blankets, and 14 fire extinguishers for?? I’m not talking about a small electrical fire (if there even is such a thing in a RV)

People. These things go up QUICK! Ask Jim! Everyone on this thread is acting like they will have 5 minutes to put a small fire out. (Not talking about a fire the size of a small trash can, or a grease fire that is manageable). Just get yourself and anything else living out of it and don’t try and fight it. I’m a trained professional, and if I would get out, you probably should too.

I’ve seen burned corpses in trailer homes before, these will go up faster than those!

I can get out of my coach from any spot in it within about 4-5 steps if I really had to...I’m not gonna mess with any of the above mentioned “tools” if it happens to me. I’ll post up a picture like Jim did when it happened to him.

Totally agree with this. If a fire starts while I'm awake, the door is only a few steps away. My worry is the fire that starts while sleeping. I installed an extinguisher in the bedroom in case the fire is between me and the door or window and upgraded the puny little thing by the door. My wife and I have been trained by the local fire dept. in the use of fire extinguishers.
I've often wondered why an extinguisher is mounted at the door. If there's a fire and I get that close to the door I'm going through it and leaving the extinguisher behind.

I had a good friend who was a Seattle firefighter. His advice - get low and get out.

@ TheLexx - additional alarms are a good idea. If a fire starts at the back of the coach I don't want to wait for the alarm in the bedroom to detect it. A few seconds could make a big difference.

[TucsonJim]

It is plan and simple stay and you will either die or be seriously hurt, Best to get out as fast as you can. Insurance is there for a reason.

When my truck caught on fire, a construction crew tried to help me put it out with their extinguishers. But it was useless, and we all moved quite a way to safety as we watched it burn. This photo will give you an understanding of how far we were from our FW when it was burning. My estimate is that it was at least 70-80 yards.



Jim

[ChadandMel]

In my experience with a fire in a 40 foot toyhauler, it got out of control in less than 5 min at most. The fire traveled behind the wall into ceiling and under floor, no way containing it, then to add to it when we opened cargo door to see about getting 4 wheelers out, that added fuel to fire plus the whole back end was covered in black/gray toxic smoke, we got away and let it burn. when fire dept showed up, the propane tanks were starting to go off and the fuel tanks shooting flames across 2 lanes. We told then to do a control burn and try not to save it, it was gone in first 5 min. That is my families exspeeience and if I have to do it again I will let it burn, nothing is going to stop a fire behind a wall and in ceiling or under floor once it is there. I believe a good smoke detector as many as you need is the best protection.

Another good point...

Had a resident that had his riding lawn mower catch fire after cutting the grass. He had pulled it into his garage and went inside. Heard a popping and cracking sound, opened the door from the house to the garage, saw what was happening (didn’t close this door, big mistake!) ran around to the outside of the garage and opened the big garage door...feeding the relatively small fire. Fire went through the man door and straight up the stairs burning his $2 million dollar house to the ground...


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[DougW9876]

I think the reason the fire extinguisher is beside the door is so if you grab the extinguisher and try to fight the fire you will be doing so with the door at your back making escape still possible if your fire fighting efforts are fruitless.

[VTX-AL]

All this discussion of fire extinguishers and various RV's going up in flames has caused me to re-think our normal practice of deadbolt locking our trailer door when retiring for the night. Methinks I might not want myself or my wife (whoever gets there first LOL !) groping around for the little deadbolt throw lever in a smoke-filled trailer instead of bailing right out using the main latch. All the home-invaders are probably going to love this idea - right


...VTX-Al

[howson]

I think I'll just carry Oxygen masks in several areas of the trailer for us to don in case of fire, then let loose the Halon system!

Go big or go home! Install an AAAF system. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ujeh7ERtGrk

[Chiefblueman]

I think the reason the fire extinguisher is beside the door is so if you grab the extinguisher and try to fight the fire you will be doing so with the door at your back making escape still possible if your fire fighting efforts are fruitless.

Who knew this would be such a hot topic!...………..see what I did there?
There won't be much fire fighting going on with the tiny extinguisher provided by the factory. I thought it was put there so you can reach in and put out an errant cigarette.
Your logic is sound, though. It also could be used if you were outside and you needed to get inside to help a loved one.

[Cate&Rob]

we all moved quite a way to safety as we watched it burn.

Jim - Interesting to note in your picture, the line of traffic driving by who didn't seem to share your (very valid) concern!

Rob

[TucsonJim]

Jim - Interesting to note in your picture, the line of traffic driving by who didn't seem to share your (very valid) concern!

Rob

Rob, one driver slowed down because he was obviously concerned, and the Illinois State Trooper started screaming at him for blocking traffic.

Jim