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southbound's avatar
southbound
Explorer
Oct 23, 2013

death at Talladaga campgrond

Folks it's getting that time for using heaters in rv's. Saw on Jayski's Silly Season site that a man was found dead in his RV and his wife is in critical condition.They think it was from the exhaust in their RV.
Time to check all your carbon minoxide detctors before you head out for any winter camping. Safe Camping everyone

28 Replies

  • Prayer for the Family.
    Nearly bought the farm, in the late seventies.
    Wife and baby and I went hunting and camping. She had to go to work that Saturday so she and the baby left dark early. It was very cold and I hunted all day. built a fire and sat there until well after dark.
    It was so cold I left my clothes on and climbed into the sleeping bag but was still cold. I left the Thermos gas lantern on and opened and tied back the corner of the rear ventilation flap and the door just a little. It wasn't enough. When she showed up, I was in a bad way. Many minutes more and I would have been gone.
    Sometimes we smell fumes from our generator or others at campgrounds. We leave a window slightly open but the real solution is one of the vent pipes to above the roof line. Won't do much about others though.
    Side note. A buck ran into the passenger rear quarter of our Dodge Pickup on her way out that morning. She didn't know how many points but said it was big one. A car coming into the area passed her a bit on and they probably picked it up.
  • Any fueled heater is a dangerous thing to use but it MAY not have even been that. Often these type of "campgrounds" are basically parking lots where units are jammed right up against one another and the exhause from a neighbors furnace can enter the RV and do the damage. I'll take MY camping a little more spread out.
  • old guy wrote:
    learned that lesson years ago. but he,My friend< was lucky. he was playing cards with a lantern going and he tried to light a cigarette and his lighter would not light. they finally figured out why. opened the door and lighter lit right up. they really didn't realize that they were going to sleep from the lantern fumes.

    I think this is the only time I've heard that smoking was actually good for your health...:E
    That was scary.
  • The man died and his wife is in critical condition at UAB. The cause was two fold. Exhaust from generater was entering the RV and the were using their stove for heat. It got down in the 40°'s that night. We also had a deputy sheriff die from a heart attack who also found in his RV. Please use common sense when using any type of fuel driven appliance in or around your home or RV. Also be aware of what is overhead of your campsite. We had three people killed several years ago at Talladega while raising their flag pole and came into contact with a power line. Our prayers go out to the families ..
  • bazdad wrote:
    How do we test the sensors? I do not know how.


    Ours has a little red button on the front that says "test".
    .
  • My dad experienced this years ago when camping. There was a group of duck hunters in campers not too far from them. Dawn came and they heard a commotion in the group. Turned out the guys they thought had decided to sleep in had all died in the night from their heater.

    I never forgot that.... so sad.
    .
    .
  • learned that lesson years ago. but he,My friend< was lucky. he was playing cards with a lantern going and he tried to light a cigarette and his lighter would not light. they finally figured out why. opened the door and lighter lit right up. they really didn't realize that they were going to sleep from the lantern fumes.

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