An RV on fire is like a burning Christmas tree: it goes up fast and burns incredibly hot. For many of us, the biggest concern regarding an RV fire is that we can get out as fast as possible. This means our lives may depend on the effectiveness of on-board warning devices such as smoke detectors, CO2 alarms, and LP detectors. Fire extinguishers also need to be accessible - not necessarily to put out the fire, but to help buy time so we can get out of the motor home.
Anyway, we've spent a fair amount of time over the past couple weeks working to improve our fire prevention and safety equipment.
We started by replacing the 11-year old Carbon Monoxide alarm and the Propane Gas detector. A lot of RV owners don't replace these units, although they are known to fail after 10 years. They won't save your life if they do not work! We test these units once a month.
We also installed three Dual Sensor Photoelectric and Ionization Smoke Alarms: one in the cockpit area, one in the kitchen area, and one in the bedroom. Compared to just an ionization- or photoelectric-based alarm, a dual sensor alarm can detect both flaming and smoldering fires, therefore providing better fire safety protection. We test these units once a month also.
We also keep two foam-type A:B:C Multiple Use Fire Suppressant extinguishers in the bedroom. In theory, we could spray ourselves with this foam and run through fire to get out of the RV. They can also be used to put out stove-top fires. We check the expiration dates each month and will replace at that time.
In total, we invested around $430 on the above equipment. I would have spent twice that amount if needed - and I sleep better at night knowing our fire safety equipment is up-to-date and effective.
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