This will ruin your vacation plans

Last week we were in North Carolina riding some of the best motorcycling roads in the country.

While crossing over the Smoky Mountain National Park on 441 we were "stuck - stopped" for almost 2 hours, and it wasn't because of the Elk.

Huge bummer. Hope no one was hurt.

OMG. I hope everyone got out ok.

How scary!!! Pray that everyone was ok.

I too hope no one was hurt. I am very sorry to see this happen to anyone.

I don't know if anyone has taken the time to read Mac McCoy's website.

During a LOW seminar in 2006 Mac told us that most RV fires are in Motorhomes and are in the front due to the 12v wiring. They also taught us to check our Emergency exits and have fire Extinguishers in the front and back and one from the outside.

I wish this type of thing never happen to anyone. Really sorry to see something like this. Everyone travel safe.
BC

TXBobcat said:

...I don't know if anyone has taken the time to read Mac McCoy's website....

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Mac the Fire Guy is slated to present at the 2010 Rally in Nashville. Should be a good one. He'll vend his products there as well.

Jim

A similar fire happened to my Dad and his Executive MH, many years ago, down in Mexico. The transmission cooler failed, and started spraying transmission oil on the engine, which ignited. He used the one fire extinguisher he had, and after it ran out, the fire started again, burning the MH to the ground and everything in it.

They barely had enough time to remove the toad hitched to the back. The mexican Federalies came along and threw them in the clink for "damaging the road", plus no ID. Fortunately, an American running a RV campground got wind of their plight, and bailed them out of jail.

Anytime I even start to consider a MH over a 5ver, I remind myself of this story....

Fire extinguishers are good to have and required for many over the road vehicles and watercraft.

Bottom line is most people do not know how to use them and if they did the majority will not get close enough to be effective.

My advice is to just get out. In your motor home, trailer or house, you are more effective outside looking in then inside.

Makes our job easier too. I can guarantee you, there is not a firefighter alive that does not welcome the "we are all out and safe".

Have you ever seen a fire in a trailer, motor home, car, boat etc where the vehicle was not totaled?

Insurance rarely pays to repair, just to cost prohibitive.

I'm certainly not a motor home expert, but have worked on enough vehicles and seen enough fires to suggest that if you have a fire caused by the electrical system in RV's your fire extinguisher isn't going to do squat anyway up inside the dash or buried somewhere underneath all the sheet metal trim and who knows what.

porthole said:

Fire extinguishers are good to have and required for many over the road vehicles and watercraft.

Bottom line is most people do not know how to use them and if they did the majority will not get close enough to be effective.

My advice is to just get out. In your motor home, trailer or house, you are more effective outside looking in then inside.

Makes our job easier too. I can guarantee you, there is not a firefighter alive that does not welcome the "we are all out and safe".

Have you ever seen a fire in a trailer, motor home, car, boat etc where the vehicle was not totaled?

Insurance rarely pays to repair, just to cost prohibitive.

I'm certainly not a motor home expert, but have worked on enough vehicles and seen enough fires to suggest that if you have a fire caused by the electrical system in RV's your fire extinguisher isn't going to do squat anyway up inside the dash or buried somewhere underneath all the sheet metal trim and who knows what.

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I'll second that. The toxic soup in the smoke from all the foam, synthetic materials and plastic inside an RV will kill you faster than you can imagine. Enclosed like they are, the heat will drop low quickly and you will not survive. Get out and stay out, that's why you pay big bucks for insurance. Keep extra copies of the important papers in your TV, maybe even a set of clothes. By the time the smoke detector wakes you from your sleep, you will not have time or presence of mind to start looking for them or anything else. Been on a couple of RV fires, myself. Nasty, especially when a six-pack of 1lb propane cans starts going off and the tires blow .

I always make sure my vehicle keys, wallet, rv keys are in my pants pocket in the bedroom. Then if I have to get out quick in the middle of the night I can grab my britches and bail out the fire escape window, having keys to move the TV away from the RV. I also have a fire extinguisher in the basement, the battery compartment, and the tow vehicle. The extinguisher is rated for A,B,C fires, recommended and purchased from Mac the fire guy.

I am like Jim Gratz.. I took Mac McCoy's siminar at LOW. I have a extinguisher in the bedroom, at the exit door, in the living room, in the TV and in the basement of the trailer. A friend that I respect also coached me about always be aware that a fire could happen, so be prepared every day. He keeps a Fire proof safe by the door, with a set of keys, a credit card, some cash, Passport, and a set of clothes in the closet by the door.

If you attend Mac's presentation he will tell you that if your rv is on fire or if your around any vehicle that is made of fibreglass run, don't walk up wind of any smoke. The reason is that the fibre in fibreglass is like little fish hooks and can be carried away in the smoke down wind. If you enhale the smoke the fibreglass particles can become lodged in your lungs and you can not get it out. You will develop infasemia.

Be careful. This is why I travel with my propane turned off. What is wrong with a little extra safety. Can't hurt. ... but what if ?? ...

BC

Fiberglass (as you are thinking) is really FRP.

Fiber Reinforced Plastic. Various forms of fiberglass (very fine stands of glass) are used; woven, chopped, mats etc. Resin or epoxy is typically saturated in the fiberglass material and when cured is very strong.

There are no "little fishhooks". Just thin stands, it is glass though.

The danger in an FRP fire is the "P", the plastics or resins.
Usually the remains of a typical FRP fire (boat-car) is nothing more then the glass itself.

The picture below is typical of a boat fire. The stuff the that burns - does. The resins (plastics) burn away leaving the fiberglass. The fiberglass mat (circled) could actually be reused with some fresh epoxy - resin.