I'm so sorry to hear this terrible news. Thank God Ed & Marilyn survived. Cindy T

Jack Mayer wrote:

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Howard, do you know what happened? It does bring up the fire safety topic, and the related refrigerator issues. Take a look on my website to see what we did (look at Fire Supression). Which is something for everyone to consider....

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Jack:

 

I understood it was a brake fire.  So I am supposing it either was a full lockup or just a dragging brake which may have ignited the fire.

 

I hope when Howard gets the facts he will post all of them, including the type of brakes – disc or drum, etc.  It might give others things to look for.  I am real careful about checking my wheel temps when I travel.  But even that won’t always catch a “dragging shoe.”

 

This is such a tragedy and we are so very sorry.

 

Bill

Thankfully everyone is safe. As others have said, things can be replaced but it's still stressful.

Just a reminder to all the full-timers. Check your insurance policy to make sure you have adequate contents coverage. When we first changed our rv policy to a fulltime policy the base policy only included $5000 for contents. Take our 2 computers and the tv's and we were over that and hadn't covered anything else. We initially increased it to $15,000 but will continue to re-evaluate as we transition to officially fulltiming.

Of course Ed was pretty distraught when he called, and I'm not sure I'll get the facts 100% correct 'cause I was pretty shaken too.  But here goes.

Ed said he started noticing smoke in his mirrors and shortly thereafter a tire blew.  Being a pilot and an experienced RVer, he didn't panic and followed proper procedures to get off the road.  He was thinking it was just a blowout, but saw flames when he went back to inspect.

He grabbed a fire extinguisher, but the small extinguisher that came with the rig wasn't adequate and he couldn't get the fire out.  He and a bystander dropped the jacks on the fiver so they could get the truck disconnected and they had just enough time to shut off the propane and get the cylinders out of the compartments.

The rig went up in about a half an hour.  Three fire trucks made it to the scene but it was too late.

The fire inspector told them he thinks it was a wheel bearing.  Apparently, there was evidence that the tire had been dragging, so I don't think it's clear yet whether it was a wheel bearing, a brake lock-up, or what.  But it does appear a wheel locked for whatever reason.

That's about all I know at this point, and that may not be completely accurate.

But one thing Ed told me was to tell everyone to make sure they have adequate fire extinguishers in their rigs AND trucks.  We already have five in our RV and vehicles and we're getting another one from "Mac the Fire Guy" today.

 

Ed and Marilyn,

Our thoughts and prayers are with you both.  We are very thankful that both of you are safe.  God is a God who comforts and understands. He will carry you through.  May the sincerity of others make this difficult time a little easier for you.  As part of your RV family we are sending you Great Big hugs and God's Blessings.

 

Don and Jenny J Manuel

This is a terrible outcome for an emergency situation. These folks are the nicest people in the entire world, and I would like to encourage everyone to CHIP IN a few bucks on the RV Dreams fund at the top of this post. You won't miss it much, but it will come at a time when it will mean way more, as these folks have to replace almost everything in their lives!!

Just imagine yourself in a strange town and motel room with only the clothes on your backs. Miles away from your family and friends. The one way we can all get into the act here is with financial support. Believe me, Ed and Marylin would be right there to help one of us!

They surely deserve a hug.  Thankfully no one was hurt.  So glad to hear they are continuing on with their dream of fulltiming. 

I hate being a dofus, but I can't find the 'box below' that contains the link to PayPal. Am I just being stupid or did you forget to put that box on this page somewhere?

The "box" is in the very first post to start this thread.  I haven't seen it disappear, but it's possible that it went away temporarily.

We were so amazed Ed kept a clear head enough to get the propane tanks out in time.

If anyone wants to follow their blog they have pictures of the fire. I'm so glad they're ok. That's so scary.

http://www.mytripjournal.com/travel-607759

Ron has hit the nail on the head.  However, having more isn't enough because PLACEMENT is just as important.  In an online discussion with someone, I mentioned that we plan on having 5 or 6 extinguishers; two inside the coach, perhaps one on each side of the coach in the basement, and one on each side of the pickup.  (And, likely another one in the Mercury Mariner.  So, I guess that would be 7 total.

In addition, remember to get your extinguishers either serviced or replaced on a "regular" basis, depending upon the type of extinguisher.

Ed and Marilyn's latest journal entry indicated that they are heading for Springdale, Arkansas.  I happen to know that Wheels RV (a DRV dealer) is located in Springdale, so it might be they are looking at another Mobile Suites.  Whatever they get, I hope they are back on the road really soon.

Terry

Sadly the fire extinguishers supplied by most RV manufacturers are too small and of limited effectiveness. Get high quality extinguishers from Mac the Fire Guy. His foam units are most likely the best on the market, and the right size could have saved Ed & Marilyn a lot of heartache.

Sorry to hear about your loss of home and what was cherished. Hope your insurance comes soon and you get your new home sooner than expected.

In my truck I have: the regular DOT extinguisher. It is pretty big. I have a FireAde 16oz extinguisher in the cab. And in the storage compartment with the DOT extinguisher I have a 1.5 gallon Cold Fire extinguisher.

In the RV: In the bedroom, 2x FireAde 16oz extinguishers, one in each nightstand. In the kitchen, one FireAde 16oz. next to the door, one FireAde 16 oz. In the main storage compartment - ALWAYS UNLOCKED, even when on the road: a 1.5 gallon Cold Fire.

When in camp, we almost always have a 50' hose hooked up as a spare hose.....it is there for utility use, but in a pinch could fight a fire. I also have a Holon extinguisher in the refrigerator compartment. EVERY RV with an RV refrigerator should have this. EVERY one.....

And, I'm just about to order more of this stuff for a friend.....