Emergency exit while on fire.

[gmcbuffalo]

What is you game plan if you're asleep in the back and the front of the coach is on fire? How do you plan to get out and what tools do you have to assist evacuation?

I was in Spain this week and the tour bus have one of those window breaker/seatbelt cutter every 15 feet on both sides of the coach, and this got me thinking more seriously about a problem I have long thought I should have a game plan for.

GregM

[garyde]

Both of my Bedroom windows are Louvre type, and they open all the way up just by lifting them. I should have a rope latter however so I don't break an ankle, maybe a bed sheet, Huh?

[Jon Wehrenberg]

We were on fire once and it was very close to us being unable to slide the floor and release the air lock. The entire electrical system shut down about a second after I relased the lock and slid the floor.

I can tell you that in times like that the stress level is very high and we all have brain farts. I am not trying to be funny, but to relate that unless you have done fire escape drills regularly your brain ceases to function as it should because it is trying to process so much information it shuts down. At least that is what it seems like.

I have learned the following:

Do not lock the door unless it can be manually unlocked in the event the electrical system fails. I had used the air lock which would have remained locked as long as we had air.

Recognize the methods you will use to get out no matter where you are in the bus. Gary has his awning type windows and so do we so if we cannot use the door I will go out head first and fall to the ground. If I did not have awning windows I would kick out any other entire window.

Do not panic. Stop for a second and let your brain develop a plan. This sounds silly, but when we were on fire our nephew and I went to the rear of the coach with extinguishers to start beating down the fire. When they ran out we went back in to get big pots to carry water to throw on the fire. Di and her sister were still standing in the living room and we literally had to shout at them to get out of the coach. They had frozen. Neither had yet processed the full extent of what was happening and they weren't thinking through the problem.

The hell with the coach. If you have to bust out the windows, or damage it to get to safety do it. If you put yourself at risk to save it you have made a mistake. You can always buy another.

Our coaches have a lot of potential for fires. We have lots of diesel fuel. We have lots of electrical stuff. We have big heavy batteries with significant potential to create arcing and fires. Once the plastic, or insulation, or interior, or tires, or batteries, or fuel start to burn, just get out of the way and let it burn.

But do get out and get out of the way.

This is not meant to scare anyone. To be honest until we were on fire I had never given a second's worth of consideration about fires, or what to do. Our outcome was very good. The bus is so well constructed the fire was contained to the passenger side of the engine area and the rear cap. It would have consumed the entire coach if we had not knocked it down with the extinguishers, along with several from truckers that had stopped and had we not quenched the heat with water pulled from the bottom drains of our fresh water tank.

[dalej]

We were on fire once

Jon-we realize that your not on fire anymore....but Di still is!

[hillndale]

We were on fire once and it was very close to us being unable to slide the floor and release the air lock. The entire electrical system shut down about a second after I relased the lock and slid the floor.

I can tell you that in times like that the stress level is very high and we all have brain farts. I am not trying to be funny, but to relate that unless you have done fire escape drills regularly your brain ceases to function as it should because it is trying to process so much information it shuts down. At least that is what it seems like.

I have learned the following:

Do not lock the door unless it can be manually unlocked in the event the electrical system fails. I had used the air lock which would have remained locked as long as we had air.

Recognize the methods you will use to get out no matter where you are in the bus. Gary has his awning type windows and so do we so if we cannot use the door I will go out head first and fall to the ground. If I did not have awning windows I would kick out any other entire window.

Do not panic. Stop for a second and let your brain develop a plan. This sounds silly, but when we were on fire our nephew and I went to the rear of the coach with extinguishers to start beating down the fire. When they ran out we went back in to get big pots to carry water to throw on the fire. Di and her sister were still standing in the living room and we literally had to shout at them to get out of the coach. They had frozen. Neither had yet processed the full extent of what was happening and they weren't thinking through the problem.

The hell with the coach. If you have to bust out the windows, or damage it to get to safety do it. If you put yourself at risk to save it you have made a mistake. You can always buy another.

Our coaches have a lot of potential for fires. We have lots of diesel fuel. We have lots of electrical stuff. We have big heavy batteries with significant potential to create arcing and fires. Once the plastic, or insulation, or interior, or tires, or batteries, or fuel start to burn, just get out of the way and let it burn.

But do get out and get out of the way.

This is not meant to scare anyone. To be honest until we were on fire I had never given a second's worth of consideration about fires, or what to do. Our outcome was very good. The bus is so well constructed the fire was contained to the passenger side of the engine area and the rear cap. It would have consumed the entire coach if we had not knocked it down with the extinguishers, along with several from truckers that had stopped and had we not quenched the heat with water pulled from the bottom drains of our fresh water tank.

what caused the fire?

[Darrell and Linda]

Jon, has it right, everyone should give it some serious thought. Have a plan. Think about your escape route, even if it is as limited as it is. Have an interior extinguisher and even have a couple extinguishers strategically placed in selected bays. Most of our fires will originate in the engine compartments and bay areas, but keep in mind, we have many sources inside of our coaches also.

Before our coaches were converted. The design of these coaches had emergency exits in place. Every second or third window could be remove as full size exits. There was normally two roof exits also. But with the custom changes by the converters, these safety features / exits have been all but removed.

Side note... most of the bedroom (custom) windows are tempered glass with tinting. A spring loaded center punch will break the glass in a controlled manner. Keep this punch in a night table. The shattered glass stays mostly intact due to the tint membrane and is easily pushed outward. Make sure that all residue sharps (pieces of glass) are removed before crawling through.

[rfoster]

Jon: Excellent advise as usual. Nothing like experience to send a wake up call.

Keep on keeping on.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

The fire was a result of a OTR compressor replacement, by Carrier Corp in which the technicians chose to not re-install the pressure unloader valves.

The pressure built up, blew out the rear seal, thre compressor locked up, the belt kept spinning and friction ignited the belt, which in turn ignited the freon escaping through the failed seal.

Once the freon was ignited it was like having 24 pounds of fuel for a blowtorch which burned everything in the right rear corner of the coach.

FWIW you CANNOT see an engine compartment fire. We were told of it on the CB by a trucker. When we stopped rolling the flames and smoke were obvious, but while in motion I saw nothing in the camera or the mirrors.

[Petervs]

The side windows on my bis are not tempered glass they are safety glass. You can not break them out with a spring loaded punch. Ypo might be able to kick one out, maybe.

The lower opening panes are big enough to crawl through. I would not want to go head first though. A rope ladder is a great idea.

Jon, here is maybe another reason not to have OTR Air? Like not having slide outs and bras?

[GDeen]

Kind of on topic, how many CO monitors do you have? I have read should have at least one in every sleeping area?

[Jerry Winchester]

I'm looking at a coach fire about like I do an engine failure in the Bonanza; once it happens, the insurance company owns it, not me. My only goal is to walk away.

[Will Garner]

The problem Jon had sounds like it was a Carrier Transicold technician failure. I have had the local Carrier Transicold work on my CC OTR air conditioning systems. Results worked for about 7-8 months. Over the winter it stops working. They cannot find a leak but obviously there is one. Looks like replacing the hoses is in order.

I was told this year that Carrier locally has quit working on coach A/C systems, even for RTS types.

[Orren Zook]

Will,

Call one of your local charter fleets that has their own garage (and a fleet of Prevosts) and ask if they'll work on it. I've used one near here with good results.

[Will Garner]

Orren,

That is what I do for my maintenance items that I do not have the resources. The last time there it did not seem they were looking positively at getting into the A/C systems. On the positive side their hourly costs are less than Prevost, which I don't have nearby either.

After I get the dash panel with the HVAC controls back in the bus I'll give them a call and see if they are willing. They are a great bunch of folks in the shop. I have the refrigerant with me now so maybe that will make a difference.

The reason I was with Carrier is a call I made to Southern Coach in Durham, NC. They referred me to Carrier as they had their coaches A/C serviced at Carrier. I really think it is time for a total hose replacement job. I hate to think of doing that during the summer but maybe after our June trip I'll get replacement hoses and have a go at it.

Hope all is well with you

[gmcbuffalo]

I'll have to see if I can get out throught the awning portion of the windows. I thought it was too small to do. I know I can get the wife out.

I have seen some motorhomes that have caught fire and they burn up very quick and all the materials create some very toxic smoke.

GregM

[Joe Cannarozzi]

Greg on our windows we have a metal key ring around the rubber locking ring holding in all the side windows. One for each window half way up the side.

I could pull one out in seconds and assume the window would push out pretty easily at that point?

I thought all the Xl windows had the key rings?

[gmcbuffalo]

Joe
Mine do not have that ring. Did your bus start it's life out as a passenger bus, or is it a MH shell?
GregM

[Joe Cannarozzi]

A motor home

[jimshoen]

Three CO monitors.
One in the galley installed by convertor and a new one replaced it two years ago.
Plus one in Stateroom and another in Dinette area both of which are CO Experts low level monitors good for 5 years.

[Gary & Peggy Stevens]

Ok, so this thread got me to thinking, ( OH NO...:rolleyes: ).

I have a large "Class B" Fire extingushier, on board outside in the back curb side extra storage bay. Just in front of the engine, and behind the rear tag.

Now with all of this talk about fires and such, I figured out there is no way I could get to that big extinguisher, in the back compartment if the engine was on fire? Duuuh ! :o

My question is should I just lay it in an empty hole somewhere in one of my cabinets outside towards the front of the bus, or............... Hang it in the front bay, just above the Joey Bed slide out? Is there anything tubes, wires, hoses running inside the bay walls not visible from the inside that I should be careful of when taping through the wall to attach the hanger?

I could hang it on the front wheel side inside the bay and attach carefully through the wheel well?

Comments? Suggestions?

Gary S.

[gmcbuffalo]

Why not put some additional one in the bedroom and kitchen, plus one in the front bay and leave the big one back by the engine to fight an engine fire.
GregM

[GDeen]

Three CO monitors.
One in the galley installed by convertor and a new one replaced it two years ago.
Plus one in Stateroom and another in Dinette area both of which are CO Experts low level monitors good for 5 years.

Thanks Jim - makes sense.

[Gary & Peggy Stevens]

Why not put some additional one in the bedroom and kitchen, plus one in the front bay and leave the big one back by the engine to fight an engine fire.
GregM

Greg, I do have 2 smaller units inside the bus. Like you suggested I have one in the bedroom closet, and one behind the drivers seat.

But I can't get to the big one in its current location if I have an engine fire, that is why I questioned hanging it somewhere in the first bay?

Gary S.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Our smallest extingusher knocked the flames down in the engine area almost immediately.

What I hadn't anticipated was that the instense heat of the metal on the clutch of the AC compressor would re-ignite the freon escaping past the seal. It took a lot of water to cool things down so nothing would re-ignite.

Apart from freon from the AC system there were other fuels for the fire. Battery cases were plastic. They were on fire. As bad as they were burned and melted the battery cables with their insulation burned away continued to arc.

The hose from the oil reservoir sight tube (a small diameter plastic tube) melted or burned away and oil was also dripping on hot steel.

The fibreglass tail light housing assembly had ignited and it was burning along with the back side of the fibreglass cap lower portion. It was dripping melted plastic. The fire traveled internally for a while with the insulation from the wire bundles being the fuel.

The most surprising thing was the air cleaner (inside the large housing) was on fire. I had to remove six screws to get it out so we could extinguish it.

Water........lots of it .........was the key.

The fire department showed up about 20 minutes after the fire was out and they chastised me for using water. Maybe in their world with plenty of options water would have been a poor choice, or maybe they aren't as motivated to save my property as I was.

You may not have power to pump water so be prepared to get if from the tank drain. The heat was so intense I got a burn on my hand unhitching the tow bar so I could get the Jeep backed out of the way after we had the fire under control. The tow bar was outside the bumper away from the fire but it still got hot.

If in doubt let it burn.

[lewpopp]

Gary, do you clean your Joey Bed out and clean it up after each trip? Or do you keep empty for contraband?

Do you smuggle aliens across the border? Come on, what's the story.

[Gary & Peggy Stevens]

Gary, do you clean your Joey Bed out and clean it up after each trip? Or do you keep empty for contraband? Do you smuggle aliens across the border? Come on, what's the story.

Lew, I forgot to mention, that picture was before I bought the bus. It looks a lot different now, Not so clean or Empty. :p

Gary S.