Fire Extinguishers, Smoke Alarms, Carbon Monoxide Detectors

[M C Toyer]

I've seen occasional mention of fire extinguishers in galleys but am wondering how many include smoke alarms there and in the sleeping compartment.

I also have a carbon monoxide detector in my sleeping compartment. I hadn't used the trailer since last December and had forgotten about it but when I was getting ready for Loyd Park the chirping reminded me to change all the batteries.

M C

[rowerwet]

I have a fire ext. but no alarms, in the tiny space in my tear I don't see the need for alarms, I will know if it is on fire, and with the built in vents and lack of inside flames I don't see a CO build up being a problem.

[Shadow Catcher]

Gas and smoke alarm in the galley, and a smoke CO alarm in the cabin. Need to buy a bigger fire extinguisher.

[GuitarPhotog]

Since my galley is open to the outdoors, I see no purpose in having a CO detector, but I have a fire extinguisher, because you can have a grease fire in an open galley just as easily as indoors.

No smoke alarm in the cabin, but there's no smoking in the cabin either, so I figure I'm covered.

<Chas>

[Shadow Catcher]

We have a three burner propane stove top 6gal water heater and gas point for the grill all of which have connections in the galley all of which could potentially leak (I check for leaks and travel with gas off). The cabin is a confined space and there are electrical connections, and no we do not smoke but neighboring camp fires do and sparks fly and... and carbon monoxide... It is very cheap insurance

[Shadow Catcher]

Slow, How often are you in a campground with LOTS of folks close together with way too many of them with no real thought as to what happens with a camp fire. This comes under the same heading as brakes on a teardrop, it is better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them.
Yes this is to RVIA standards and yes probably you can get away with not having them but your situation does not at all translate to ours so making blanket statements as you did originally concerning brakes is not appropriate. Our trip over Tioga pass meant a drop of about 4000 feet in roughly 10 miles, the brakes on the car were smoking and that was with the trailer brakes. So please keep in mind what you have and need are not necessarily what others need.

[nevadatear]

Stove equals fire so a fire extinguisher just makes sense. Household stoves don't come with fire extinguishers either but that didn't stop me from catching grease on fire in my kitchen. I did get a new kitchen out of it. Ever set off an extinguisher with all the doors of your cabinets open cause you were in unloading the dishwasher? Sure makes a pretty sight of white snow. But it kept the fire to the cabinets over the stove. Of course i have a fire extinguisher in my galley of my tear. Stove, lanterns, campfire. Thats a potential forest fire i don't want to start. Please don't tell me you did a light up without an extinguisher handy. It is just safety prudent.

Mo detector: one connection, bulk to stove, outside on table outside of tear, even with hatch closed. No other gas lines. White gas stove not in tear or galley, on picnic table. Didn't seem necessary.

Smoke alarm: I'm with charlie, all cooking outside. However, there are 110 plugs inside, to the inverter. Hmm may need to think about that one.

[amjadkhan0988]

Gas and smoke alarm in the galley, and a smoke CO alarm in the cabin. Need to buy a bigger fire extinguisher.

Fire Extinguishers is necessary for all industry & home.

[pmowers]

Upon occasion, we have used the smoke detector to tell us when the biscuits are done.
Fire extinguishers- I have mounted inside CT, in truck, and usually one more- uncle was a fire chief, best friend, a former burn nurse.
While I use Coleman stoves and lanterns, all 1# propane cylinders are kept in the tongue box, especially if they have been used at all. The big one gets stored in a carrier in bed of truck with fabric tonneau cover. I do enough stupid stuff, that I don't need accelerants around checking for sparks.

Pat

[Jim Edgerly]

I have a fire/CO detector inside my teardrop cabin, and I keep a fire extinguisher there also. They don't cost much but if I need them they are priceless.

[GerryS]

A fire extinguisher is CHEAP insurance. You never need one until you do, then is a bad time to realize that.

This actually happened to me. A was about 18 at the time and I picked one up somewhere. It was in the back of my car. My buddy had a ford Montego that burned as much oil as it did gasoline. He was adding his typical quart and it spilled....hit its flash point and started burning. You can't blow out a fire like that...he tried. How many times did he add oil? Regularly. But my little extinguisher put out the fire before any damage, and he was able to drive home. Cost of recharge: Free. The guy didn't even charge me when I went to have or recharged.

The fact is, when camping most of the time fire is involved. Either propane, white gas, or wood. It probably will never happen. But if it does, you need to act fast. As opposed to running in circles while yours, or some one else's pride and joy becomes an ash pile.

They don't have to be big. First alert makes one that lowes sells for just a few bucks. It's a little larger than a can of spray paint. Nor expensive. This one is $14

http://www.firstalert.com/fire-extingui ... ray/tundra

No, smoke and CO detectors are probably overkill....unless you have a gas heater in your 55sq foot of heaven...then maybe. But a fire extinguisher is a must have. "It will never happen to me" DID happen to me. It might happen to you. If it does, I will say "told ya so..."

[planovet]

We have a fire extinguisher in the galley but no alarms.

[mrwall1]

This was a reminder to me to get a fire extinguisher, he was hauling a tent trailer up the north cascades highway, this weekend... burned his truck, I think it was a 65 chevy pickup, and all his camping gear, looks like the tent trailer was unhooked in time....

[halfdome, Danny]

Years ago this topic came up and it was noted that the fire extinguisher should not be in the galley because it's hard to access it in the event of a fire.
We keep ours in the cabin along with a tiny smoke detector.
Pease of mind equals a peaceful sleep. Danny

[AZ_Desert_Rat]

Hi Danny,
Good advice and
"Conditions are never just right. People who delay action until all factors are favorable do nothing". William Feather

... is one of the best quotes I have seen and is so true ...


When in my early twenties, I was saving to by a new "Go-Fast" muscle car and an old guy I worked with told me something similar ... "If you don't buy it until you can afford it, you probably won't buy a car" ... I thought about what he said and bought a car that was less expensive ... not the higher dollar sports car, but a good car that I enjoyed for quite a few years and am glad a gave it some thought ... I did not really need the "Go-Fast" car and the insurance would have killed me!!