How safe is propane?

[Hastey]

It does not work like that if the "leak" or "free flow" is after the regulator. We use free flow all the time to ignite large debris piles.

I do as well and if I open the valve on my Red Dragon too fast it shuts the bottle down. I have to turn the valve off and you can hear it click and reset.

 

[RanCarr]

MAC the Fire Guy had a seminar at the national rally in June. You should look over his schedule and see if you can intercept him for some information. http://www.macthefireguy.com/RallySchedule.htm
I'd note a couple of things he stressed: 1) you should have an escape plan and test your escape windows and how you will actually get out of them - including your pets. 2) you need to have fire extinguishers in several locations in your RV, and know how to use them.

We have to buy one or two more then. I only found one in our BRS28. I've looked at the escape windows and at my age I doubt I could make it safely out the master bedroom window. The one in the master bedroom is much too high up off the floor and the ground. To go out head first and fall to the ground (head first) that many feet at our ages would be dangerous. Maybe dangerous to anyone unless there's someone there to catch you. If fact the window is so high up neither of us can get a leg through it. We would have to go out headfirst and hope to God we don't break our necks when we landed. I don't think much thought was give as to HOW anyone would get out of the master bedroom window in an emergency on my model.

I think his presentation covered a lot of fire exposures that occur in motor coaches because of the proximity of hot engine/drive train components to combustible materials in the passenger area. Tire/wheel problems while driving contribute to fires. I think he mentioned kitchen fires as well. Obviously you don't have the motor coach exposures. If worried about tire/wheel problems, you can mitigate those with a monitoring system. You can also mitigate kitchen fire exposures. I don't recall him expressing concerns about furnaces. I don't remember what he might have said about refrigerators except to have a fire extinguisher in your bedroom and be prepared to exit through the emergency exit window.

There is no way to get out the one emergency window safely in our BRS28. It's too high off the floor and the ground outside.

Anyway, education on RV Fire Safety might be your best friend. Mac's made it his crusade to educate RV owners.

 

[RanCarr]

Let's look at this question from another angle. How safe is natural gas in your home? I would respond by saying both Propane and Natural Gas are as safe as the user. If you do stupid and unsafe acts you will have a problem. If you use common sense and good safety practices you should not have a problem.

Our house is all electric. No gas or propane here.

 

[danemayer]

The one in the master bedroom is much too high up off the floor and the ground. To go out head first and fall to the ground (head first) that many feet at our ages would be dangerous.

A head first dive out the window would probably be disastrous. But Mac's message is to develop an escape plan that works. He suggested things like have a piece of wood to prop the window open while you're getting out, use the bedspread as a way to slide to the ground rather than fall. If your window is too high for you to step through leg first, he might say you need to have something you can stand on to get out feet first. He also pointed out that burns are much worse than broken legs.

 

[JohnDar]

Before attending Mac's seminar and only getting bits and pieces of it second hand, I was very skeptical of what he had to say. But after meeting and listening to him, his idea of the being able to use the exit window is so that when all else fails, you still have an out. His first line of defense is to have good quality RV certified smoke detectors in the bedroom AND rear of the coach. Check the operation of your CO detector, too. The placement of fire extinguishers in the bedroom and kitchen (his are actually better) may give you the momentary fire suppression you need so that you can get to the exit DOOR. Being able to properly use an extinguisher is probably as important as having an escape plan.

In regards to falling to the ground, Mac suggests putting the picnic table under the window when you set up. Or prop your step ladder there. He had some preliminary information on an escape ladder that mounts under the overhang and extends. Unfortunately, the design is not quite right for BH's. They're supposedly looking at a folding step to mount to the wall to accommodate the design.

Personally, I went for the two smoke detectors and the fire extinguishers. One in the bedroom, the other at the door mounted over the OEM dry chem one. In most instances, victims are dead from smoke inhalation long before the flames touch them.

 

[RanCarr]

A head first dive out the window would probably be disastrous. But Mac's message is to develop an escape plan that works. He suggested things like have a piece of wood to prop the window open while you're getting out, use the bedspread as a way to slide to the ground rather than fall. If your window is too high for you to step through leg first, he might say you need to have something you can stand on to get out feet first. He also pointed out that burns are much worse than broken legs.

You can't slide headfirst down a bedspread. I guess if there's a fire getting out any way you can is the thing to do, even if it is headfirst from such a height. Setting anything under that window would block the bed and cabinets on that side of the RV in my model, effectively making them useless, unusable. If that window were a few feet lower it would be ideal as an escape route.

 

[RanCarr]

Before attending Mac's seminar and only getting bits and pieces of it second hand, I was very skeptical of what he had to say. But after meeting and listening to him, his idea of the being able to use the exit window is so that when all else fails, you still have an out. His first line of defense is to have good quality RV certified smoke detectors in the bedroom AND rear of the coach. Check the operation of your CO detector, too. The placement of fire extinguishers in the bedroom and kitchen (his are actually better) may give you the momentary fire suppression you need so that you can get to the exit DOOR. Being able to properly use an extinguisher is probably as important as having an escape plan.

I can't get to one of his demonstrations so have to get as much info on Forums as I can. I do plan, after reading this forum, to pick up at least one more fire extinguisher when we go into town. Our BRS28 has two doors so I think if a fire started at night, as soon as the alarm went off we'd wake and can use the extinguishers or flee out one of the two doors. Hopefully grabbing the cats on the way out.

In regards to falling to the ground, Mac suggests putting the picnic table under the window when you set up. Or prop your step ladder there. He had some preliminary information on an escape ladder that mounts under the overhang and extends. Unfortunately, the design is not quite right for BH's. They're supposedly looking at a folding step to mount to the wall to accommodate the design.

A BH?. Anything under our escape window INSIDE would block the bed and clothes cabinets. It would really be in the way. Anything outside the window would have to be higher than a picnic table since we can only go out that window head first. Also, most CGs here have those heavy picnic tables you can't really move. Some are cemented into the ground. I'm not sure how we'd get out safely head first because our step ladder is even too short. I never had to go out a window head first. I would assume some kind of rigamajig would have to be invented and installed outside the window that can be crawled onto. Good grief! What could that be? The real problem is the escape window is much too high. Perhaps Heartland can lower that window in the 2012 BRS model.

Personally, I went for the two smoke detectors and the fire extinguishers. One in the bedroom, the other at the door mounted over the OEM dry chem one. In most instances, victims are dead from smoke inhalation long before the flames touch them.

Sadly I heard that was true. Smoke is deadly. The detectors and extinguishers are the best bet I believe.... then if they don't do the trick.... run like **** for the nearest door!

 

[Rodney_M]

I havent tried one of these yet, however looks to me they would work for the higher rv window as well.. I havent put thought into the height before reading this, but now I may look into getting one of these also for my 5er. First Alert EL52-2 Two-Story 14-Foot Escape Ladderhttp://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-EL52-2-Two-Story-14-Foot/dp/B0007OAPT0

It is a 14 foot expandable ladder that hooks to your window. You should be able to shorten it to the length you need easily enough.. store it close by the upper window, and it is there when you need it. and possibly more safe than dropping down to a table top or a ladder that could easily be knocked over trying to step onto it,, or may not be there when you need it.

I am sure there are other models also similar to this that might hook onto the window better.. but it is something to look into further.

 

[JohnDar]

When I said to put something under the window, I meant OUTSIDE, not at the foot of the bed. If you're going to add more fire extinguishers, the ones he sells (FireAde) should be considered over a standard dry chemical one.

 

[rick_debbie_gallant]

When I said to put something under the window, I meant OUTSIDE, not at the foot of the bed. If you're going to add more fire extinguishers, the ones he sells (FireAde) should be considered over a standard dry chemical one.

I second that emotion about not using the dry chemical. It gets all over "everything""

 

[wdk450]

Gang:
I am thinking that a 12 foot piece of 2 by 12 (maybe with a hinge in the bottom middle so you could fold it in half for storage) and some sort of end window hooks might do the job. You could lean it against the rig just below the window, and pull the end hooks up into postion after popping out the window/screen, and slide down it feet first on your belly. I am open to other ideas.
We need to learn how to get ourselves out that window feet first. I don't believe that this is impossible. Maybe an emergency stool, chair or folding leg table kept in the closet is needed.
I would like Heartland to address this safety issue and make a video of how to safely exit our rigs in an emergency situation, and maybe bring a special practice rig with the escape window glass and screens removed to the National and other major rallies, so that we could practice this lifesaving manuever.