1968 Travel Queen Resto Mod - 7. Finishes & Finishing

{Safety Recall - Kidde Fire Extinguisher in this post}

Today: Safety Equipment - Smoke alarm, fire extinguisher, Carbon Monoxide (CO) detector, Propane detector.

Not only do we desire effective safety equipment in the camper, but we want it to look nice. Sometimes you give up one for the other, but we were fortunate that our bisque/almond/prairie wheat colors were original - and being reused - so basic standard stuff worked well. Like the smoke alarm previously reported - way back ago.

Just a Kidde brand in bisque, from off the shelf at Wally-world. Inexpensive, 9 volt battery operated, placed above the fridge area next to a ceiling light to cover a small piece of damage in the finished birch paneling I had caused when drilling some new holes in roof framing for wires back ago.



We had the fire extinguisher on hand - don't recall from where. {I originally determined this extinguisher as part of the 2015 recall batch due to model number alone - however, upon attempt to follow replacement processes, mine was NOT considered part of the recall, because it is one of the red ones, not the white one. I'm not sure I understand exactly what those facts mean, so I will likely replace this unit - please see link at top of post}

I placed it in this little unused corner by the entry door for easy access from outside, and from the galley.



I like to mount these high enough to allow broom bristle access beneath them, as opposed to resting on the floor.

It's also a Kidde brand, in 3 lbs using dry chemical, for type B/C fires. B is flammable liquids, and C is electrical. It can also smother combustibles (paper/wood), which is type A, but those can smolder and re-ignite. These things are mostly for escape.



If you choose NOT to get new ones, or refill existing ones (per recommendations), at least do like we do, every 6 months or so we check the dials, and make sure the pressure gauges read in the green...



And just as importantly, hold the extinguisher in your hands, turning it upside down and right side up repeatedly. Do it slow, holding the noisy, clinking sound making things still, like the handles, so you can hear what's going on inside the cylinder.

You're listening for the dry chemical powder to flow back and forth as you turn. It's not loud. This helps to prevent the powder from compaction, and keeps it granular so it can flow when the pressure blows it out the nozzle.

We also have another in the truck, as we do in all our vehicles, and a number in our home.

The CO detector is - once again, a Kidde brand - $25 from Amazon. Lots of fine print instructions and information found in the paperwork.

Per instructions, I installed the included 3AA batteries, and wrote it's replace date (10 years from initial power up date) on it's side label...



Then fastened it "out of the way of stuff" like kitchen traffic, but NOT in a dead-air space (that's kind of hard to get both of those in a small space), and placed it high. CO is lighter than air.

Here at the foot of the bed in the cab-over bunk.



It's a digital readout type that keeps a record of the highest level recorded. The paper work tells you what do do about your number readings.



Once it reaches 10 years from initial power-up, it starts beeping twice in 30 seconds. When that begins, it is inoperable and must be replaced. If you catch it a month before (like the date I wrote on it) you can avoid it going off, due to age, during your beauty sleep.

The propane detector is an Atwood. But ours is black, and purchased last summer for the kids camper. But we never got 12 volt to them yet, so I used it in Queeny. It's a neat little kit with three mounting methods.



It mounts low (propane heavier than air) and we had several choices of locations. But we kind of liked this vacant spot...



That's one of the un-used mounting flanges I narrowed on the table saw so I could fit it in there and used it for a cut-out template.



I checked the back-side to make certain my saw wouldn't hit anything but wood...



And cut the opening.



Wiring was easy. Ground directly to the nearby grounding buss, and 12 volts positive tapped into the "electronics" (radio - yes it's installed now :) ) circuit.





Regarding battery changes for the smoke alarm and CO detector, industry recommendations are twice a year, at the daylight savings time changes. I test my batteries with a multi-meter, and I have invariably found, once a year is plenty good, and even THAT can be more often than necessary. But most people won't even stay up on 1/2 (or 1/4) as often as recommended, so standards have to be written to accommodate such people. I think.