On the Road

RV fire safety is something most RVers don’t think about or discuss very often, but it’s a topic that deserves serious attention. Do you know that there are about 20,000 reported RV fires each year? Do you know what to do in the event of a fire in or around your RV? If you said no, don’t feel bad; a lot of other people don’t know either.

A large percentage of RV fires are transmission-related on motorhomes. Leaking automatic transmission fluid can ignite and quickly spread if it contacts any portion of the exhaust system. Before traveling in your RV or tow vehicle inspect the underside for any signs of fluid leaking. Have any potential leaks checked and repaired immediately.

More than one-quarter of RV fires are caused by shorts in the 12-volt electrical system.

Not only do you need a fire extinguisher, but you need to inspect it before each trip to make sure it’s charged. Look to see if the arrow is pointing in the green area in the sight gauge. If it reads empty or needs charging replace it or have it recharged immediately. If it’s a dry powder type fire extinguisher, the arrow pointing in the green doesn’t always guarantee that it will work.

Every month you should turn dry powder extinguishers upside down, tap on the bottom of the extinguisher and shake it so the powder that settled on the bottom is released.

There are four different types, or classes of fire extinguishers, A, B, C, and D, and each type is for a specific type of fire.

Class A extinguishers are used for fires caused by ordinary combustibles like paper and wood.

Class B extinguishers are used for fires caused by flammable liquids like grease, gasoline and oil.

Class C extinguishers are used for fires caused by electrical equipment.

Class D extinguishers are used for fires on flammable metals and often they are specific for the type of metal it is.

Some fire extinguishers have multi class ratings like, AB, BC or ABC which means one fire extinguisher can be used to put out different types of fires. The National Fire Protection Agency rules that RVs must have a “BC” rated fire extinguisher near the exit. “BC” rated fire extinguishers are used for flammable liquids and gasses like grease, gasoline and oil, and for electrical fires. Many RV fires that happen inside an RV are type A fires caused by common combustibles like paper, and they require a type A fire extinguisher to put them out. This is why you should have more than one fire extinguisher for your RV.

(This article was written by Mark Polk owner of rveducation101.com)