Coach burns to the ground

[Solo_RV_Guy]

Originally Posted by hclarkx

Agree!! Mine is mounted near the top of the stairs (a foot from the bed) with the idea of shooting it down the stairs where the door is.

This my only hope since the lower sill of the bedroom escape hatch (window) is 8-6 above the ground. It's 30" wide and 18" high. I'm not sure I could have gotten my 6-3 200# frame though that when I was 20 let alone now at 77. DW would go first and I might be able to help her survive the fall but I don't think she could slow my fall enough to help with broken legs. My son suggested a freshly charged battery operated sawsall. That would probably enlarge the window in 60 seconds.

Or get a chain ladder (they sell them for 2nd story escape) and trim it to the length you need (it will be at least 2x too much as received). Then... PRACTICE using it - opening the emergency exit, deploying the ladder and actually exiting the coach. I can't emphasize this enough... PRACTICE. Find the choke point - is it opening the exit door/window? Is it helping your Dear Spouse through the window? Is it rounding up pets? Grabbing your "get the heck out of Dodge" bag? The only way to know is to try it all out. Just like we should do in our S&B homes.


May all your fires be campfires.

[AZJim Tucson]

Maybe we should all consider an alarm for our LP tank location.

[twogypsies]

Originally Posted by hclarkx

Agree!! Mine is mounted near the top of the stairs (a foot from the bed) with the idea of shooting it down the stairs where the door is.

This my only hope since the lower sill of the bedroom escape hatch (window) is 8-6 above the ground. It's 30" wide and 18" high. I'm not sure I could have gotten my 6-3 200# frame though that when I was 20 let alone now at 77. DW would go first and I might be able to help her survive the fall but I don't think she could slow my fall enough to help with broken legs. My son suggested a freshly charged battery operated sawsall. That would probably enlarge the window in 60 seconds.

I would think broken legs would be better than burning to death. You need to have some plan in place for getting out of that window.

[Old-Biscuit]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

I would think broken legs would be better than burning to death. You need to have some plan in place for getting out of that window.

X2


RV Fires spread FAST...within seconds
Toxic Fumes WILL overcome you long before the flames will get you.
All that plastic, vinyl, glues, carpet etc


Jump, slide, fall...whatever it takes and then get as far away as quickly as you can.

[HK1992]

I worry about potential fires and I don't even live in my RV yet I am still repairing the cab over area, my inverter buzzes badly really noisy, my plan is to disable the 12V completely since I am going to full time it in one place for the most part and install a 110v breaker box and 110v wiring and plugs etc.

[rvethereyet]

Originally Posted by Ret.LEO

I know it's a nice thought to grab your money and valuable quickly if you have a fire..............forget them!!!!!!
The most valuable thing in your coach is your family and yourself. GET OUT!!!!! Everything else can be replaced...........YOU can not!!!!

Years ago my neighbors house caught fire..........handicapped lady, I got to her door and popped it, had trouble getting it open, she was laying up against it deceased.
There is not enough time to worry about anything except your family and yourself. It's not just the flames that will kill you.............the gasses released by the burning materials will kill you just as fast.

my thoughts exactly

[rvethereyet]

Originally Posted by hohenwald48

It amazes me the number of folks who think they can do something about an RV fire using a portable fire extinguisher. Unless you're on the fire in the first 5-10 seconds just about any portable fire extinguisher is going to be useless. If you've ever seen an RV fire you will understand.

Even fire departments with several trained fire fighters fully suited and with all the equipment they have at their disposal usually are only able to contain an RV fire and have a very difficult time extinguishing one.

you are soooo right

[rvethereyet]

I looked at my Dutchstar. I have two of those switches. Not sure why. They are installed in the basement under the bed. Guess where my escape window is. The bedroom window.

Now what do you look for as you inspect these switches?
What do you look for as you inspect the propane fridge?

My insurance is only a lump sum. What kind of insurance do you have that covers the contents?

[cwk]

Originally Posted by Ret.LEO

I know it's a nice thought to grab your money and valuable quickly if you have a fire..............forget them!!!!!!
The most valuable thing in your coach is your family and yourself. GET OUT!!!!! Everything else can be replaced...........YOU can not!!!!

Years ago my neighbors house caught fire..........handicapped lady, I got to her door and popped it, had trouble getting it open, she was laying up against it deceased.
There is not enough time to worry about anything except your family and yourself. It's not just the flames that will kill you.............the gasses released by the burning materials will kill you just as fast.

I have to agree with this as well. In a former life-time, I was both a volunteer firefighter in my home community and a paid firefighter in the next city.

The smoke and toxic fumes will probably either render you unconscious or kill you before the flames get to you. There are so many synthetic materials and plastics in our homes and RV's. It does not take a lot of burning plastic to fill a space and make it unlivable. Ever accidentally burn something while cooking on the stove? Notice how fast the smoke and burnt smell fills the air? Now, imagine that was toxic fumes. Not good.



For important papers, I am thinking of making photo copies, putting the copies in a sealed envelope, and asking our son to keep them at his house. Obviously, they will not pass for originals. But, at least all of the information will be there so we might have a clue on what needs to be replaced. The copies will have all of the account numbers, D/L numbers, insurance card info, etc., etc.

A safe deposit box for the copies might also work. But, if we full-time, then where?

[hohenwald48]

Originally Posted by cwk

For important papers, I am thinking of making photo copies, putting the copies in a sealed envelope, and asking our son to keep them at his house. Obviously, they will not pass for originals. But, at least all of the information will be there so we might have a clue on what needs to be replaced. The copies will have all of the account numbers, D/L numbers, insurance card info, etc., etc.

I have scanned all my important documents into my computer. I then emailed a copy of all of them to myself. They are now forever stored in my gmail account and are accessible from any internet connected computer in the world.

[werni9]

Packed some loose sheets into outside compartment. Knocked off the plastic light cover with 12V bulb. Wife turned on compartment light switch and powered that lamp. 14 hrs later, I opened that bay and smelled smoke. That HOT bulb had blackened and burned through 3 inches of sheet material Thank God, no oxygen in that BOX. As I pulled out the sheets they started to GLOW red. So FRICKIN CLOSE to disaster. Switching them all out to LED's

[cwk]

Originally Posted by werni9

Packed some loose sheets into outside compartment. Knocked off the plastic light cover with 12V bulb. Wife turned on compartment light switch and powered that lamp. 14 hrs later, I opened that bay and smelled smoke. That HOT bulb had blackened and burned through 3 inches of sheet material Thank God, no oxygen in that BOX. As I pulled out the sheets they started to GLOW red. So FRICKIN CLOSE to disaster. Switching them all out to LED's

Agree with the change to LED's.

When we brought home our new-to-us 1991 coach last spring, I started changing all of the 12V incandescent bulbs to LEDs to reduce drain on the batteries when in use. I found a number of those plastic compartment light covers either missing, charred, or badly melted. Amazing that the coach survived 27 years.