Have you got a fire extinguisher!

[Lucky one]

I have recently been getting quotes for my campervan and was asked by one company if it had a fire extinguisher to which i replied "of course" I expect you lucky people with shiney new vans will all have the said item but i was wondering if mabe some of the more 'mature' vans like mine may be without one and therefore could be jeapodising there insurance policy without realising it. oh: I do have a fire blanket so could make a feeble attempt to put a fire out but would probably just take the easy option and run like hell

 

[pudseykeith]

Hi Hillary
Fire extinguishers are concidered to be one of the accencial bits of kit in any MH or caravan and be kept handy. I had 2 suitable ones sent from a company in Mirfield in the huddersfield area West Yorkshire. There fone No is 07973971258. What ever you do, carry a fire extinguisher. I carry a co2 and a dry pouder extinguishers. a dry pouder can be very messy in use, a co2 very clean and quick. Its accecial that you read up data on there indivigual uses.
Be safe,, Pudseykeith

 

[Trikimiki]

Have never had a Motorhome on fire, loads of cars, and several caravans. Your insurance may require you to have one, it does not say you have to use it. My personal advice would be know where it is to point it out to the insurance man, Caravans go so quickly its scary. Get out, STAY OUT, get the fire brigade out.
A fire blanket is only of use for smothering fire i.e. chip pans, if you are mad enough to have a chip pan in a motorhome, good on you, buy 2.
The other thing being if gas bottles get involved in fire,,,,,,,,,,,run like hell, there is nothing you can do to rectify the situation from that point on, get at least 100 yards away.

 

[Lucky one]

Hi Hillary
Fire extinguishers are concidered to be one of the accencial bits of kit in any MH or caravan and be kept handy. I had 2 suitable ones sent from a company in Mirfield in the huddersfield area West Yorkshire. There fone No is 07973971258. What ever you do, carry a fire extinguisher. I carry a co2 and a dry pouder extinguishers. a dry pouder can be very messy in use, a co2 very clean and quick. Its accecial that you read up data on there indivigual uses.
Be safe,, Pudseykeith

Thanks for that:thumb: I knew there was two different types but was not sure if both were required and if so what the powder one is for. Electric faults ?

 

[Gromett]

I have recently been getting quotes for my campervan and was asked by one company if it had a fire extinguisher to which i replied "of course" I expect you lucky people with shiney new vans will all have the said item but i was wondering if mabe some of the more 'mature' vans like mine may be without one and therefore could be jeapodising there insurance policy without realising it. oh: I do have a fire blanket so could make a feeble attempt to put a fire out but would probably just take the easy option and run like hell

Those of us who have been stupid enough to buy a brand new van know full well that it includes nothing... I mean absolutely nothing at all. No gas cylinder, no hookup lead, not even a regulator.
It wouldn't have been until we figured out the basics or the van caught fire that we realised that they bloody salesman didn't include a fire extinguisher...

Sorry, bit of a rant there. Sales people are there to extract the stuff you worked hard for from your pocket... Don't expect logic or common decency to play any part in the process.

You will need to be a bit hard nosed when you want to buy one of these things...

The fire blancket, extinguisher, CO2 alarm, bucket of sand and every other safety precaution were all bought after market. My insurance company has never asked me for details of any of these AND i recored their calls

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[Lucky one]

Those of us who have been stupid enough to buy a brand new van know full well that it includes nothing... I mean absolutely nothing at all. No gas cylinder, no hookup lead, not even a regulator.
It wouldn't have been until we figured out the basics or the van caught fire that we realised that they bloody salesman didn't include a fire extinguisher...

Sorry, bit of a rant there. Sales people are there to extract the stuff you worked hard for from your pocket... Don't expect logic or common decency to play any part in the process.

You will need to be a bit hard nosed when you want to buy one of these things...

The fire blancket, extinguisher, CO2 alarm, bucket of sand and every other safety precaution were all bought after market. My insurance company has never asked me for details of any of these AND i recored their calls

Wow that has amazed me I would have thought in these health and safety mad times the manufacturers would at the very least have provided a fire extinguisher !!.

 

[pudseykeith]

Thanks for that:thumb: I knew there was two different types but was not sure if both were required and if so what the powder one is for. Electric faults ?

Yes dry powder is safe on mains [220 volt]. CO2 is ok for the rest. But always be familier with there use.
Pudseykeith

 

[Gromett]

Just remember dry powder will clump and solidify due to the vibration of your driving..... After a short (ish) period of time a dry powder extinguisher will be useless.

Maintenance and suitability is everything with a fire extinguisher..

 

[TheBig1]

i have an extinguisher in each of my vehicles. they dont have to cost a fortune, and a small one can be picked up for under £10. Aldi & Lidl often have them in for about £7 or look on Ebay or Argos. Just avoid buying at a motorhome/caravan accessory shop, as they inflate the prices for the same items

 

[JockandRita]

Have never had a Motorhome on fire, loads of cars, and several caravans. Your insurance may require you to have one, it does not say you have to use it. My personal advice would be know where it is to point it out to the insurance man, Caravans go so quickly its scary. Get out, STAY OUT, get the fire brigade out.
A fire blanket is only of use for smothering fire i.e. chip pans, if you are mad enough to have a chip pan in a motorhome, good on you, buy 2.
The other thing being if gas bottles get involved in fire,,,,,,,,,,,run like hell, there is nothing you can do to rectify the situation from that point on, get at least 100 yards away.

I couldn't have put it any better myself Trikimiki. :thumb:

Wow that has amazed me I would have thought in these health and safety mad times the manufacturers would at the very least have provided a fire extinguisher !!.

Yes, you would think so, however in the UK at least, dealers are required by law now, to ensure that a smoke alarm is fitted to any new or used Caravan or MH they sell. The buyer needs to make sure that there is a serviceable battery installed, and that it works by testing it regularly. That's more of a life saver than any Fire Fighting appliance, big or small., and as Trikimiki advises above, "GET OUT, STAY OUT, and GET THE FIRE SERVICE OUT.

Stay safe,

Jock.

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[Barclaybasher]

I have a fire extinguisher but..............

The police, as far as I know, haven't carried fire extinguishers in their vehicles for quite some years.

If they arrive at a fire they call the fire brigade.

Health and Safety ? Jobsworth ? or common sense ?

If you don't know what's in the extinguisher or how to use it you might make matters worse.............

Me - if a person was at risk I would try and help - using the extinguisher if necessary - otherwise leg it and call the fire brigade

 

[GJH]

There were two extinguishers in our (second hand) vane when we bought it a year ago. When we had our habitation service a couple of weeks ago the engineer pointed out that one was still in date but he couldn't find a date on the other so advised changing it.

As Big1 says, Lidl & Aldi often have them. Indeed it is a Broken Link Removed at Lidl at the moment. I bought one on Thursday and will put it in the van in the next day or two.

I would also echo Trikimiki and Jock though, "GET OUT, STAY OUT, and GET THE FIRE SERVICE OUT.

 

[dave newell]

In answer to the OP yes, I have two in the motorhome. A 2KG dry powder that lives on the driver's door step and a 2 litre AFFF foam just inside the sliding door on the passenger's side B post and I know how to use them both. There is also a fire blanket in the kitchen area. The dry powder is for engine bay fires, either mine or someone elses. The foam job is for fires inside the motorhome as we rarely use Hookup so electrics aren't a worry but it cleans up easier than dry powder. CO2 is ok but you have to get quite close to the seat of the fire to use it effectively whereas AFFF has about 1.5 metres range.

D.

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

We dont even have a chip pan in the house because of the stench , they leave on your soft furnishings , clothes and hair let alone the motorhome .
Oven chips :Sad: , or proper chips in the deepfat fryer in the garage.

We do have a blanket and an extinguisher carbon, monoxide detector and first aid kit .

Though as all health and safety buffs know , an extinguisher should only be used to escape a blaze. Not to try and tackle one .

 

[teddybard]

Originally Posted by scammellmanswife Link Removed
Thanks for that:thumb: I knew there was two different types but was not sure if both were required and if so what the powder one is for. Electric faults ?
Yes dry powder is safe on mains [220 volt]. CO2 is ok for the rest. But always be familiar with there use.
Pudseykeith

We do have a blanket and an extinguisher carbon, monoxide detector and first aid kit .

[HI]Though as all health and safety buffs know , an extinguisher should only be used to escape a blaze. Not to try and tackle one[/HI] . [/QUOTE]

A Modern dry powder Extinguisher will not pack down in use as the older types used to due to its construction as the powder is stored under pressure
however even then the gauges can read incorrectly. so make sure they are checked at least once a year.priority should go to
1 Having a smoke detector and Carbon Monoxide Detector
2. Getting out before anything else.
3. Both AFFF & ABC Dry Powder (Multi-Purpose) extinguishers will do a reasonable job but really in my belief a CO2 extinguisher has VERY LIMITED
usefulness.

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[Trikimiki]

Fire Extinguishers

Just so everyone is happy and content with the extinguishers they have.

Powder

Can be used on just about anything, but really built for oil or fuel type fires, can be used on electricity.

Drawbacks.
In use is very very messy, vision is impaired, and gets into respiratory tract and can be uncomfortable. Imagine taking 2 pounds of baking powder and throwing it into the air, that is exactly what you are doing with powder extinguishers.

CO2

Built for running oil fires, and electricity, almost useless on anything solid as it has little cooling effect and is built to smother fire, that is to say keep air from what is burning so it goes out.

Drawbacks

Very noisy in operation.
Discharge horn gets very cold, manufacturers claim will not cold burn hands, I always had gloves on but they have stuck at times.
Vision gets impaired as it discharges as a white fog
in windy conditions blows away very quickly and fuel will re ignite.

Advice

Whilst these extinguishers are safe for you on electricity, they do give the electricity a fright, and there will be, perhaps, some bangs and fizzes as the agent hits the equipment. Best advice on motorhome is pull EHU out before attempting to put out electrical fires.

Only use 1 extinguisher on any fire, if fire is still growing after that, leave.
Never let fire get between you and the exit.

Test smoke detector weekly, when it starts bleeping for low battery, replace battery immediately, leave cover open as a visual reminder need to replace.

After all that lets try and make sure it never happens, have good weather this year, and happy days.

 

[alfandM]

Hi All, have read the interesting post's and good advice given by most, one thing i would like to add to this topic, its great to have fire extinguisher, but inspect it regular and most important, ALL the family knows how to use it,if unsure pop in to your nearest fire station and ask the personnel on duty, to show you and how to tackle a small blaze before it gets out of hand, 1st and last keep every one safe,Alf.

 

[pappajohn]

I have a fire extinguisher but..............

The police, as far as I know, haven't carried fire extinguishers in their vehicles for quite some years.

If they arrive at a fire they call the fire brigade.

Health and Safety ? Jobsworth ? or common sense ?

If you don't know what's in the extinguisher or how to use it you might make matters worse.............

Me - if a person was at risk I would try and help - using the extinguisher if necessary - otherwise leg it and call the fire brigade

surprisingly, as i recall, this is a legal obligation in France.

if you happen on an accident and no other help is on hand you MUST stop and help.....using your own extinguisher if necessary.

 

[Heyupluv]

Those of us who have been stupid enough to buy a brand new van know full well that it includes nothing... I mean absolutely nothing at all. No gas cylinder, no hookup lead, not even a regulator.
It wouldn't have been until we figured out the basics or the van caught fire that we realised that they bloody salesman didn't include a fire extinguisher...

Sorry, bit of a rant there. Sales people are there to extract the stuff you worked hard for from your pocket... Don't expect logic or common decency to play any part in the process.

You will need to be a bit hard nosed when you want to buy one of these things...

The fire blancket, extinguisher, CO2 alarm, bucket of sand and every other safety precaution were all bought after market. My insurance company has never asked me for details of any of these AND i recored their calls

Oi mine had fire extingiusher fitted from new....one in the cab, one in the Garage...maybe mine has a bigger risk of catching fireoh::secret: do you think they are trying to tell me something...Mmmmm

Mel

 

[pappajohn]

Dont think because you have a 1kg extinguisher on board it,s going to be enough.
1kg is barely big enough to put out a decent engine fire.

nothing like getting the fire under control then running out of powder/CO/foam etc oh:
2kg or bigger and more than one to be safe.

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[Hayleylulu]

I have but it dose depened on how much Iv had to drink

 

[Daveo2006]

Ive got quite a tank on me too.

 

[jb0371old]

Just remember dry powder will clump and solidify due to the vibration of your driving..... After a short (ish) period of time a dry powder extinguisher will be useless.

Maintenance and suitability is everything with a fire extinguisher..

If your powder ext was bought in the last five years then this is no longer true, as the powder is free flowing, so much so that if you put some in a glass bottle and swilled it around you would of thought tat the bottle was full of water. But as Grommet says prob no harm in giving it a shake, or just buy a new one to make sure, after all there cheap as chips.

 

[darklord]

My fire extiguisher is conveniently near the door, so i can grab it on the way out, and go and sit somewhere safe to let it off while my motorhome burned.
Then i can truthfully tell the insurance theives that i discharged it.
Water/powder or foam fire extinguishers will all cause a lot of damage in their own right, regardless of the fire.

 

[Minxy]

The below extract is taken from a forum posting I made in June 2005 after we'd had a fire in our motorhome:

Please read this - it could save your life quite literally! It has taken some time to write this piece as it has been a very upsetting experience so please do take the time to read it - it has been painful for me but I felt it was necessary to put a posting on the forum to try to ensure others don't suffer as we did and are continuing to do.

We have just returned from 2 weeks in France and are extremely shocked - why? Because we had a gas explosion and fire in our motorhome. The reason for this posting is simply to ensure that no-one else suffers our fate.

We were travelling back up to Calais/Dunkerque and stopped to make a cuppa, my husband went to turn on the gas at the locker, I went to the loo. When my husband got back in the van and, standing at the side, opened the cupboard at the base of the kitchen unit, there was an almighty bang and a flame shot 5ft in the air - this is not exaggerated. He quickly shut the cupboard and ran out of the van to the nearside, to turn off the gas in the locker. In the meantime I came out of the loo to find 8 inch flames lapping round the edge of the cupboard door and shouted for him as I didn't know where he was. I then exited the van with one dog and found our other elderly dog quivering on the driver's seat, I managed to open the door and retrieve the fire extinguisher which we store in the door pocket of the driver's door for easy access in an emergency. My husband by now had returned to the offside of the van and took the fire extinguisher from me and proceeded to smoother the exterior and interior of the cupboard to make sure that the fire was out. I grabbed both dogs and ran a safe distance away with them. This whole incident only took around 20 seconds in total.

My husband has lost the hair on the front of his shins and has some minor tenderness, the cupboard is scorched and blistered, as is the worktop, electrical wiring, pipes etc and the side of the fridge adjacent to the cupboard has melted. The worst thing is that our elderly dog, Piggy, has had her whiskers, eyebrows and eye-lashes melted and lost, and her chest scorched as she must've been standing next to my husband immediately before the gas ignited. She must've been absolutely petrified.

What happened? The main gas pipe feed, which runs in the cupboard to the isolating taps, had come out of it's coupling piece where a BBQ point had been fitted when we bought the 'van. The pipe had then left a clear gap of nearly half and inch between it and the coupling - when the gas was turned on it was literally like someone turning on a blow torch, opening the door to the cupboard appears to have allowed an influx of air which caused the gas to ignite causing the 5ft explosion and subsequent blow torch effect until the gas was turned off.

I can't say much more at this stage as obviously there are legal implications etc relating to the liability for this incident but I must point out that we had been sensible and the habitation check had been carried out only 2 months ago (by the original supplying dealership) as recommended by the clubs, mags etc.

I am sure you can imagine that we are very shaken and feel very lucky to be alive. If I hadn't gone to the loo it would've been me opening the cupboard and I would've been bending down over it, thus taking the full force of the blast, and I would not be here today to write this. Similarly, it could've been my husband also.

My husband's quick action at turning off the gas saved our motorhome and probably our lives as the 'van would more than likely have exploded if left much longer.

Thankfully, this happened whilst we were parked up - had we been asleep in the van, or travelling at the time with the gas on, we would not have had time to get out, it was that quick, even having the fire alarm would not have given us sufficient time to escape. I had fortunately used fire retardant material when I made covers for the front seats, and this helped stop the fire spreading immediately - the driver's seat is right next to the cupboard. But it wouldn't have stopped it completely as obviously the items in the cupboard and nearby were not fire retardant, simply the fact that I had them in plastic crates seems to have given us that extra few seconds as it stopped the flames getting to them immediately. I am so glad that I didn't store kitchen roll etc in there as that would have exacerbated the fire.

My strong advice is to NEVER travel with the gas turned on under any circumstances, this wasn't the cause of our fire but it could so easily have been. If you have your van checked for safety make sure that it IS safe. If you have had a BBQ point or other gas accessory fitted, or one was already fitted to your van when you purchased it, get it checked out now, regardless of whether or not you have had a habitation check - get it done by an independently company if necessary - peace of mind is worth every penny you can pay, our peace of mind has been shattered and our love of motorhoming has been seriously marred.

We ALWAYS have a fire extinguisher in our motorhome somewhere we can get to it quickly and know how to use it.

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[pappajohn]

My fire extiguisher is conveniently near the door, so i can grab it on the way out, and go and sit somewhere safe to let it off while my motorhome burned.
Then i can truthfully tell the insurance theives that i discharged it.
Water/powder or foam fire extinguishers will all cause a lot of damage in their own right, regardless of the fire.

I would sooner spend considerable time cleaning up after a fire extinguisher than sit and watch my RV burn

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHvsn7LWSt0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHvsn7LWSt0[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zSjZVlnKHg"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zSjZVlnKHg[/ame]

 

[darklord]

Papajohn, I take your point, but the above scenario apart, even a large fire extinguisher may not have the desired affect on a fire, IMHO, they should only be used to aid escape, or prevent injury.A smoke alarm and uncluttered exits, are what I value more than an item that may give a false sense of security.
The value of the above post, is that I often travel with the gas on....in future I will not!:thumb:

 

[knokinonabit]

Those of us who have been stupid enough to buy a brand new van know full well that it includes nothing... I mean absolutely nothing at all. No gas cylinder, no hookup lead, not even a regulator.
It wouldn't have been until we figured out the basics or the van caught fire that we realised that they bloody salesman didn't include a fire extinguisher...

We have bought two new MHs in the last 18 months (don't ask, it's a SWMBO thing).
The first one, an Elddis, didn't have a fire extinguisher, but had hook-up lead, regulator and a gas bottle. In fact, we only needed to add personal stuff to go off in it straight away.
The second one, an Auto-Trail, has a fire extinguisher and every thing else, including a big umbrella (well, it is British) and a 12 volt vacuum cleaner. The only thing missing was the gas bottle.

So the two new MHs we have had came with (almost) everything required to be able to use them straight away. These were standard and not something we had specified as extras. :thumb:

 

[Reallyretired]

We have one by each door (there are only two doors) so can be grabbed on the way out.

 

[GJH]

As mentioned the other day I bought an extinguisher from Lidl to replace one of the two in our van, as recommended by the habitation engineer. I went into the van and replaced it yesterday.

After a few minutes looking I managed to find the year of manufacture on the old extinguisher - 1998, and that's in a 2003 van so it was probably out of date when whoever owned the van at the time fitted it.

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