Of the fires FEMA reports, 85% involved towable units rather than motor homes. This likely reflects the sheer difference in numbers—manufacturers sell about ten towable units for every motor home. What are some of the things that can cause these fires?

When Traveling:

While Traveling mechanical and electrical issues make up 75% of RV fires:

This includes brakes that mechanics or owners fail to adjust properly. The same is true of wheel bearings causing them to overheat. These fires start at the wheel well while traveling. Infrared heat guns are a very easy way to measure your wheel heat during refueling or rest stops. Also, many Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems measure tire heat as well as tire pressure.

Wires that short out while traveling – always inspect your wiring before any trip.

Obviously it is safest to drive with your propane tanks turned off. Most LP refrigerators will stay cold for hours while off. Now with more and more 12 volt refrigerators being installed in RV’s, this is less of an issue but the majority of RV’s are still using LP.

While you are camping:

Never leave appliances, lights, fans, fireplaces, etc., running while unattended.

If you are leaving pets behind when you are camping I highly recommend the MarCELL temperature monitor. Having the cellular device alerts you if there is a power outage. It also alerts you if a temperature situation occurs above or below the parameters that you set. I primarily bring this up because a power outage can also be lethal to a pet in an RV. In the summer a power outage in an RV is similar to leaving your pet in a car with the windows rolled up.

Invest in an Electrical Management System (EMS) like those manufactured by Progressive Industries. Surge protection will protect your trailer in the event of an unexpected electrical surge or lightening strike nearby. Our MarCELL unit has protected our trailer more than once.

Do not overload any circuit. Many people plug portable heaters into power-strips and they are not rated for that type of current draw, causing the wires to melt. Always plug directly into an outlet and remember not to overload the capacity because more than likely, there are other items running on that same circuit.

Make sure your CO2 detector, propane leak alarm, and all smoke detectors work. They will save your life.

Don’t store anything flammable near your cooking surfaces.

Buy at least one extra fire extinguisher. The small ones that come with your travel trailer are probably woefully undersized. Having one in each room is a safe practice.

Understand how your emergency exit windows operate and how to get out in a hurry. It is probably a good idea to conduct a drill to see how quickly you can open these windows.

Have an exit plan for each area of the Travel Trailer. These fires spread quickly, there is no time to come up with a plan once the fire starts.

Know your exact location so you can give this info to the emergency dispatcher in the event of a fire.

During the year:

Stay up to date on any recalls. For example, in the last few years there have been recalls on Propane Regulators, Wiring, Refrigerator wire shorts, and fires behind Convection Microwaves. These are not recalls to ignore.

Maintain your mechanical items like brakes and wheel bearings. Also do the preventative maintenance on your AC Units, Furnace, Water Heater, and Refrigerator. If something doesn’t seem like it is running correctly get it checked out and repaired.

In the event of a fire:

If it is a small fire that you can easily extinguish without placing yourself in danger, then use your fire extinguisher. For any other situation, immediately leave the RV. Once you have exited, do not re-enter.

Call 911 and give them your exact location. If other RVs are close to you alert them so they can evacuate as well.

In conclusion: This isn’t a pleasant topic and not one I write to instill any fear, just precaution. Your odds of a fire are small, and even smaller yet if you keep the above in mind.

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Check your fire extinguisher and make sure that it is fully charged and not expired. As a matter of fact it would probably be wise to buy another, larger, fire extinguisher as well. The stock fire extinguishers are probably too small to handle what could happen if a fire should start.

Also, don’t forget to keep that battery charged in the non-travel months if your RV is in storage. I used to take mine home and put it on a battery tender in the winter. If you leave your travel trailer in an outside storage location, check on it often. Several factors cause this. Thieves steal travel trailers more often than you might think. You probably won’t recover a stolen trailer, but discovering the theft early improves your chances. 2) Inspecting the trailer occasionally may help you spot a maintenance issue that needs immediate attention. 3) It should give you peace of mind that you are on top of things.

Also, it is not a bad idea to keep some sort of mouse poison inside the travel trailer. No one wants to deal with rodent issues. Mice will use whatever they can to nest, which is why we always say “empty your trailer completely before storing it”. We have always placed d-CON mouse bait in areas our dogs could not get to just to be safe (i.e. under the bed). We always remove it first thing in the spring. My Trailer currently sits on a cement pad under my shop overhang. Now I have bait traps outside the trailer that cannot be tampered with by Eva, our German Shepherd.

Once you get ready for your first trip, make sure you try all your systems. This means water and plumbing connections, electric, and propane. It will be much more convenient to take care of any issues before you leave home. Once you are at the campground, things become increasingly difficult and costly to take care of.

Make sure before camping in the spring that all family members know how to get out of the travel trailer should an emergency take place. Perform a drill and make sure everyone knows how to open the emergency windows. It should be second nature, as you cannot rehearse in an emergency. Have a plan on where to meet should an emergency take place.

Hopefully, this serves to get you thinking of things you need to do over the winter break. I’m sure most of you are eager to be camping already! Stay safe and warm!

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