RV Fire Exit (aka exiting Dukes of Hazzard style)

I threw a pillow over the bottom of the opening and let myself down feet first. Hanging down I did not have far to drop.

DSDP Don wrote:
I did fire investigation the last fifteen years of my career in the Los Angeles area. Even though there are not that many RV parks in Los Angeles County, not once did we get a call of a mobile home or RV fire where someone had to escape out of an emergency window. I think you would be hard pressed to find more than one or two stories where someone used an escape window for the intended reason.

With that said, RV's are required to have an emergency exit. You should know how it opens, by practicing once a year. As stated, 1100 degrees licking at your butt is quite the motivator to do the impossible. The idea is to escape with your life, not worry about cuts, bruises or broken bones.

About the only people who have a real issue are those who are handicapped, like someone who is wheelchair bound.

If you have an extinguisher, it's only use should be to get past the fire toward the door and then do what you can once your escape route is secured. RV's go up fast. A typical fire in a stick and brick kitchen can be fully engulfed in 6-7 minutes. An RV goes up even faster.

My escape plan is to get the wife out the window safely and then use her for a cushion when I come out. :B

Thanks for the thoughts, Don.

And the wonderful vision/plan of using my wife as a crash pad.

I did fire investigation the last fifteen years of my career in the Los Angeles area. Even though there are not that many RV parks in Los Angeles County, not once did we get a call of a mobile home or RV fire where someone had to escape out of an emergency window. I think you would be hard pressed to find more than one or two stories where someone used an escape window for the intended reason.

With that said, RV's are required to have an emergency exit. You should know how it opens, by practicing once a year. As stated, 1100 degrees licking at your butt is quite the motivator to do the impossible. The idea is to escape with your life, not worry about cuts, bruises or broken bones.

About the only people who have a real issue are those who are handicapped, like someone who is wheelchair bound.

If you have an extinguisher, it's only use should be to get past the fire toward the door and then do what you can once your escape route is secured. RV's go up fast. A typical fire in a stick and brick kitchen can be fully engulfed in 6-7 minutes. An RV goes up even faster.

My escape plan is to get the wife out the window safely and then use her for a cushion when I come out. :B

austinjenna wrote:
I totally agree. You will have no time to get any fire ladder out to hook up and use it to gingerly set yourself down. The fire will spread a lot quicker then you think, at that point all bets are off and do whatever it takes to get out. These are trailers, not Ft Knox and I am sure I could push/bust out any door or window in there. Then toss out whoever is around. I dont care if I break an arm or leg doing it but at least we will not burn to death.

I think what I learned most is that getting out isn't intuitive. I'd hate to lose precious/extra time because I hadn't previously practiced exits.

rhagfo wrote:
All this talk about fire extinguishers in a trailer? :h

Unless you are catching a grease fire on the stove at the beginning while cooking, good luck knocking one down let alone putting it out!!

Best to have a good set of smoke detectors, and get the heck out!!!

...

Ours is at the head of the bed, making far easier.

I absolutely agree- the first plan is to GTFO with early warning.

The plan is for a bunch of additional smoke detectors (one in our master bedroom, one in the upstairs hallway, one in the bunkhouse, possibly one in the rear 1/2 bath, and on in the basement. I also am thinking of an automatic fire suppression extinguisher in the area under the bathroom (electrical + water heater down there and no access to it without removing part of my basement wall).

However, in the unlikely event that I can't get out- my backup plan is to try an extinguisher to try and get us to a door. And the backup plan from that is to go out the window.

My front escape window has a shallow dresser (converted to desk) in front of it. My living room should never be used as the door is right there (which is also where the videos were filmed). And the bunkhouse DOES have a bed at the window, so it should help with getting out.

austinjenna wrote:
In the video it looks like your door is pretty much directly across from your escape window. I would just bust through that

Yep- realistically, I should never need to use that fire escape. I have the main door and a door to the bunkhouse with a separate door.

It just happens to be where we were playing around. It all started with us going, "we've owned this trailer for 4 years and have never opend that emergency window... does it fall out? is it hinged? let's find out."

Ductape wrote:
Thanks for reminding us of this topic. In our case we have a small escape window on one side and a large picture window on the other side of the bedroom. I'm going to secure a hammer by the picture window.

Check what kind of glass you have- you might need one of those special safety glass breaking hammers. Even with that, try the emergency exit going feet first- it's hella awkward.

ken56 wrote:
Just my 2 cents here...... a fire is not to be taken lightly, as in do not hesitate to GET OUT. Fire will spread quicker that you would ever think possible, even in your home, an RV will accelerate that so there is really no time to do anything else but get out. My RV has the foam panels in the walls, they will produce deadly fumes that in only a few breaths will render you unconscious. Its not the fire that kills you, its the smoke and fumes that kills you. Good advice to replace the poor excuse of a fire extinguisher that comes with the trailer with real ones placed in accessible spots so you can actually get to it if needed. People with the bunk house style campers, make sure your kids know what to do in case its needed.

All good stuff and that last line applies to me. We have a bunkhouse with kids back there. The plan is to practice and teach them to exit safely. They have a 1/2 bath with its own door, so hopefully the emergency exit shouldn't be needed. BUT that door is also right next to the fridge (which is a possible source of fire).

Good post to remind everyone to review your Fire plan....

Just my 2 cents here...... a fire is not to be taken lightly, as in do not hesitate to GET OUT. Fire will spread quicker that you would ever think possible, even in your home, an RV will accelerate that so there is really no time to do anything else but get out. My RV has the foam panels in the walls, they will produce deadly fumes that in only a few breaths will render you unconscious. Its not the fire that kills you, its the smoke and fumes that kills you. Good advice to replace the poor excuse of a fire extinguisher that comes with the trailer with real ones placed in accessible spots so you can actually get to it if needed. People with the bunk house style campers, make sure your kids know what to do in case its needed.

I totally agree. You will have no time to get any fire ladder out to hook up and use it to gingerly set yourself down. The fire will spread a lot quicker then you think, at that point all bets are off and do whatever it takes to get out. These are trailers, not Ft Knox and I am sure I could push/bust out any door or window in there. Then toss out whoever is around. I dont care if I break an arm or leg doing it but at least we will not burn to death.

Just my 2 cents here...... a fire is not to be taken lightly, as in do not hesitate to GET OUT. Fire will spread quicker that you would ever think possible, even in your home, an RV will accelerate that so there is really no time to do anything else but get out. My RV has the foam panels in the walls, they will produce deadly fumes that in only a few breaths will render you unconscious. Its not the fire that kills you, its the smoke and fumes that kills you. Good advice to replace the poor excuse of a fire extinguisher that comes with the trailer with real ones placed in accessible spots so you can actually get to it if needed. People with the bunk house style campers, make sure your kids know what to do in case its needed.

Thanks for reminding us of this topic. In our case we have a small escape window on one side and a large picture window on the other side of the bedroom. I'm going to secure a hammer by the picture window.

Seems to me a fire escape ladder that hooks over the window frame with steps on ropes/chains would be an option to consider to aid in getting to the ground.