I wish I could have gotten this done sooner, but I have been busy. To calm a lot of your fears, the fire had nothing to do with the fridge, but the fire started on Monday afternoon, about 4:30PM. Yes. Rush hour. All day going over potholes, as you know very well, are noisy and sometimes violent with plenty of noise. The fire started on the inside of the inner right rear wheel. As far as I can tell something I hit in the road bounced up, hit a brake line and got fluid on hot brakes? Maybe the inside tire blew and started it? The fire chief said there was no way they would be able to determine exactly what caused it. Either way, being in that stop and go traffic like I was, I’m sure the brakes were pretty hot, probably hot enough to maintain a fire.
My three onboard extinguishers, one, just inside the main door on the right, one back by the bedroom where the Waiters control unit was. Yes, I had replaced the Intellitic unit for the Waiters and I loved it. My third extinguisher was in the compartment with the propane tank.
After another driver beeped at me and screamed “You have smoke coming from the back!” I pulled into the breakdown lane, which took a minute or two with traffic all around me. I am really glad I was in the far-right lane of, what, six lanes? and not in the middle.
I grabbed the first extinguisher from inside the door and aimed it on the axle side of the right rear inner tire. The flames were knocked down but came right back up to the top of the tires. That’s why I think it was hot enough to keep itself going. Were the brakes glowing red?
I ran back inside to get extinguisher number two, back in the bedroom area. Yes, directly above the flames! What a dunce move that was now I have had time to digest it. I crawled back under and emptied that extinguisher. The same thing happened. It knocked the flames down but it came right back.
I ran to the propane compartment up front and got the last extinguisher. One more time back under with no success.
All of this from the time I pulled over, to the time I walked away, was only two or three minutes. Having fought fires before, I never tried to put out a fire with one of those fire extinguishers. They only last a few seconds. I was so damn surprised. So, I crawled under the rear axle three different times using the fire extinguishers. Yeah, I know that was probably pretty stupid since the gas tank is right there.
I do know my ABS light had come on a couple of months ago. It was on for a week or so then disappeared. But I didn’t have any brake trouble during the trip up North.
Some notes about insurance, coverage, towing, etc. I am a USAA member and have their subsidiary, Foremost, covering my RV. A big question that was asked when I first got the rig was how much was it worth? What did you pay for it? What is it really worth? This puts a dollar value on the rig for “Total Loss” from an insurance perspective, sort of. This could be the dollar amount you could end up with for that loss. I suggest if you have lots of $$$$ invested in upgrades (I spent $4500) to increase the Total Loss value. Of course, if the bank has a note on the rig, they may have requirements, too. I did not have a note.
Insurance asked after the fire what happened and my narrative above is almost the exact same. Also, they wanted to know any upgrades, electronics added, anything that would increase or decrease the value. Before the fire pictures are also important to the value, showing upgrades, electronics, again. Then they want all the pictures you can give them after the fire. They will have the adjuster go look at it but when you look at the pictures, you’ll see what a waste it was.
I had towing coverage up to $10K. I found out the towing bill the following day was almost $6K. They are charging $100 a day for storage, added to the towing bill, until the insurance company gets it moved out of the trucking yard. So towing was covered. After the experience with the tow truck driver after the fire, those guys earn their money.
My policy also allows me up to $1K for loss of personal effects, clothes, pots and pans, all the “stuff” we keep onboard. Also, up to $1K reimbursement for travel expenses to get back home. I had two nights in a hotel, some meals, and gas, since I drove my little 98 Tracker back to SC. It got me there, though, not very comfortably.
Going forward, yes, I am already looking for another rig. Again, I’m not sure what kind or age or anything yet. I know it will not be anything built in the last nine or ten years. The insurance payment I get will decide what I do.
I was allowed to back to the towing yard a few days later to try to collect some personal items. 580 miles north to Maryland in seven hours. I had about an hour to collect items. The towing yard was very nice. I was able to save a few things, Solo Stove, Blackstone. Internet Router, etc. I was able to fill the back of my truck. My High School Yearbook was badly burned, but I’ll keep it for sure. Then 580 miles back south to South Carolina. Some things will be salvageable, some won’t.
The two things I’ll remember the most are:
- Bigger and Better Fire Extinguishers
- Increasing rig dollar amount value after upgrades for insurance purposes
Anyway, this was my experience. I hope you never have this experience yourself. You may want this information anyway.