I made a terrible mistake..

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I made a terrible mistake..

Postby MickinOz » Sat Nov 14, 2020 1:50 am

I asked a question on the Aussie Teardrop Campers Facebook page. What a bunch of tossers.
So I'll ask it again here. I am willing to bet that, when I say I'm not keen to keep the fire extinguisher that is mandatory in Australia in the cabin and I would like to know what others have done, there will not be a cascade of irrelevant shite.
I am assuming, since TNTTT.om attracts a better class of obsessives, that y'all will just tell me what innovative alternatives you have come up with.
So gang, where do y'all keep your fire extinguishers?
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Re: I made a terrible mistake..

Postby edgeau » Sat Nov 14, 2020 5:40 am

Don't make the mistake I did. I put it on the inside of the hatch. Too heavy, too much strain on the supports. It is floating loose in the galley until I figure out a new home. I reckon I am more likely to need it in the galley than in the sleeping area.

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Re: I made a terrible mistake..

Postby Woodbutcher » Sat Nov 14, 2020 8:09 am

I don't have one either. I do carry one in my tow vehicle. But I do not cook in my trailer and I don't smoke or have any open flame inside the trailer. Should a fire breakout inside such a small space my first instinct is to bail out the door, not fumbling with a fire extinguisher. Get out, then work on the fire.
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Re: I made a terrible mistake..

Postby starleen2 » Sat Nov 14, 2020 8:33 am

I DO carry a fire extinguisher with me. As a Volunteer fire fighter and first responder, I have seen what happens to those who do not. I usually keep my fire extinguisher in my tow vehicle when towing and readily accessible when at the camp site. If it is inside your teardrop and you are outside of the camper, you'll have to reach inside to retrieve it - sometimes that is not always possible. If you feel safer carrying one do so.
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Re: I made a terrible mistake..

Postby noseoil » Sat Nov 14, 2020 8:35 am

We have a small one in the galley, but it's in a drawer farthest from the galley stove. There are no requirements to have them here in the US, but it's a good idea to have one handy if there's LPG in the trailer. Don't place it next to the fire, keep it away from the source of fire so you can reach it easily.
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Re: I made a terrible mistake..

Postby swoody126 » Sat Nov 14, 2020 9:03 am

A B C rated

HANDY & CONSPICUOUS come to mind

away from cooking fuel source(s) and electrical panel would also come into play here

some don't wear helmets ...

some keep their PFD's in a locker up front ...

just random thoughts

sw
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Re: I made a terrible mistake..

Postby Socal Tom » Sat Nov 14, 2020 9:06 am

I have on in the Tow vehicle. I’ve been meaning to add one to the TD. I’d probably put it in the tongue box. That is furthest from any likely source of ignition. If the TD is on fire going inside is not a good idea.
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Re: I made a terrible mistake..

Postby Tom&Shelly » Sat Nov 14, 2020 9:47 am

We're still building, and haven't picked a location yet. We plan to use our Coleman on a folding table (as we did when tent camping), a few feet from the teardrop, so a fire extinguisher in the galley makes sense for us if we can find room.

Wonder, if we mount it prominently on a fender or tongue, will it get stolen (in the states)? (Of course, we're happy to lend it out if there is an immediate need, no need to ask permission.)

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Re: I made a terrible mistake..

Postby Tom&Shelly » Sat Nov 14, 2020 9:49 am

slowcowboy wrote:I am no fan of fire estingers last time i used one in a emergancy i lost my truck and a load of straw.they are for show.not much for putting a real fire out...


Depends on the type of fire. Had good luck with one years ago on a local engine fire (in a Ford Pinto, btw). They aren't designed for a load of straw or (say) a grass fire near the camp.

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Re: I made a terrible mistake..

Postby Socal Tom » Sat Nov 14, 2020 11:06 am

Tom&Shelly wrote:
slowcowboy wrote:I am no fan of fire estingers last time i used one in a emergancy i lost my truck and a load of straw.they are for show.not much for putting a real fire out...


Depends on the type of fire. Had good luck with one years ago on a local engine fire (in a Ford Pinto, btw). They aren't designed for a load of straw or (say) a grass fire near the camp.

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Re: I made a terrible mistake..

Postby Squigie » Sat Nov 14, 2020 11:48 am

I keep at least one "RV and automotive" size extinguisher in each vehicle, and in each enclosed trailer.
In the vehicles, they're generally in the back of the passenger compartment - somewhere. Accessible and never in a trunk, but each vehicle is different.
In the trailers, they're near a door or hatch, mounted to a wall or bulkhead, and opposite and as far away as reasonably possible from the most likely ignition sources (cooking apparatus, places I tend to hang or set lanterns, electrical junction boxes / inverters, etc.).

Having a fire extinguisher available - and knowing when and how to use it properly - is always better than wishing you had one; or taking the ignorant approach because, "that one time that I used it wrong, for the wrong fire, it didn't work."

Know how to use it. But know when to use it, too.

For example....
About 3 years ago, I was a few cars behind a vehicle (a "toaster" hatchback - Nissan Cube, Kia Soul, one of those boxes on wheels) that suddenly burst into flame while traveling at about 70 mph on the highway. By the time the vehicle was stopped, the car was fully engulfed. I didn't even bother reaching for the extinguisher in my truck, because it would not have been enough for that fire. The single occupant got out without injury, and we watched the car burn together, as a dozen other people just sat in their vehicles.

Having a fire extinguisher (or three) is always better than being ignorant. But, sometimes, the little guys (3-5 lb) just aren't going to be enough for certain types of fires.
Know when to hold 'em. Know when to fold 'em.
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Re: I made a terrible mistake..

Postby gudmund » Sat Nov 14, 2020 12:00 pm

I carry a 5lb inside the tongue box and when camped, it gets hung on the outside of on the tongue box for easy access if/when needed. Being my trailer was built by a guy who is a 'licensed' trailer builder, his answer when I asked why he would be mounting a fire extinguisher inside his teardrop trailer build's? was - he was required to have it in there because of his license = the first thing I did was remove it for the same reason as stated here earlier = if there ever is a fire inside = "I'm OUT of here!!!"...... and with the 5lb'er just out side, either 'on the 'side of/inside the tongue box' and the 'left over' one from the trailer purchase being now carried inside the truck/tow vehicle as a back up = I'm figure I am good, as long as the powder lasts.............. He also mounted a ''carbon monoxide/fire alarm' on the ceiling which I did leave in = figure it will work for "the wake up call" if & when needed........

(PS: and of course, last winter for a few weeks, when walking outside past my 'stored' trailer, I kept hearing a 'chirping' sound off and on - kept thinking it was some kind of bird I had never seen/heard before as I would stop and look around for it. One day, just as I opened the trailer door, I heard it again realizing, it was the 'low' battery 'chirp' on the fire alarm sounding off = it works.... :roll: )
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Re: I made a terrible mistake..

Postby John61CT » Sat Nov 14, 2020 1:30 pm

Right next to the galley wherever that may be. Or propane tank(s)
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Re: I made a terrible mistake..

Postby Tom&Shelly » Sat Nov 14, 2020 1:39 pm

This thread prompted me to start shopping for our teardrop extinguisher and I notice the RV and auto extinguishers seem to all be B and C, missing the ability to put out paper and wood fires. Seems like a capability we may want camping outdoors (for fighting small wood fires, of course). Not sure why the RV extinguishers wouldn't be the ABC type, but what do you all think of that? (Hope I'm not high jacking the thread--seems like appropriate drift..)

I do like the size of the RV and automotive type-- something like 10 inches tall will fit in our galley much better than the 15 inch household ABC extinguishers.

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Re: I made a terrible mistake..

Postby MickinOz » Sat Nov 14, 2020 2:55 pm

slowcowboy wrote:I don't even take one wirh me..no comment on oz we got Aussie admenstration on here.so I will pass on that subject...to put out campfires will showed me a great trick at the Wyoming tear gathering in pinedale years ago..with a good 2 gallon plastic hand pump up weed sprayer..shut the lights off and hose down any thing that glows orange...slow
I am no fan of fire estingers last time i used one in a emergancy i lost my truck and a load of straw.they are for show.not much for putting a real fire out...


I'm not much of a fan either.
I hold a Coxwain's ticket. Did a fairly intensive fire training course as pre-requisite for that qualification.
Learned how to put out liquid fuel fires with a water hose.
Insructor's words on how to use a 20lb extinguisher:
Pull the pin.
Pull the trigger.
Jam the trigger open with the pin.
Open the engine room door.
Throw the extinguisher in and slam the door.
Now go get the hoses.

However, regs say I gotta have one.
So, I am looking for a spot accessible, but not in my face while I'm watching the TV.
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