Date:         Sun, 21 Dec 2003 02:38:32 -0500
Reply-To:     John Meeks <jmeeks@GASLIGHTMEDIA.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Meeks <jmeeks@GASLIGHTMEDIA.COM>
Subject:      Re: Replaced my steel lid, installed fire extinguishers
Comments: To: Jim Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <C36B5217-333D-11D8-A13D-000393DB2980@knology.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

  >-----Original Message-----
  >From:  Jim Felder
  >Subject: Replaced my steel lid, installed fire extinguishers
  >
  ><SNIP>
  >I bought two fire extinguishers today and installed both. Best place I
  >found to mount the carat extinguisher was horizontally on front of the
  >drivers seat pedestal. My jump seats and seat belt precludes it from
  >being mounted a la Westy.
  >
  >Jim
  >
Jim,
I have the same jumpseat configuration in my 91 Multivan. I made a foam
insert for the tray that fits behind the passenger seats to fit a 2 liter
extinguisher. Everyone in the van can reach it. If you don't have those
trays, I think Chris (JordanVw@AOL.COM) or Adam (Vanagon Man
[vgonman@MSN.COM]) had some for sale recently.

I have not field tested the 2 liter model I now have, but the smaller 1
liter "auto/kitchen" one I had in my van before my 85 Jeep CJ7 fire was
barely adequate. I was clearing oil out of the cylinders of the Jeep that
had spent some time upside down in a rollover and the coil wire ignited the
gas I had introduced into the cylinders to dilute the oil that had collected
there. I was trying to expel the oil/gas mix with the plugs out by turning
over the engine and "poof" went the mix. I ran to my Vanagon to find the
extinguisher. It was tucked behind the left passenger jump seat and took
awhile to find. It ran out of foam real fast. As Robert Stewart found out in
his famous NYC fire, the 8 seconds of action is not enough to put out a real
engine/fuel fire.

I'm thinking the best drill would be: 1) Grab the extinguisher 2)pull the
rear pad and lid out of there 3) foam the engine down till you can see the
leak  4)concentrate the foam on the hot parts it's dripping on and 5) hope
your extinguisher is big enough to do the job.

We all need to act out fire drills to see if we could cope with the awful
experience Robert had with his Carat.

John Meeks
Top of Lower Michigan
91 Westfalia MultiVan
Vanagon Rescue Squad
www.vanagonauts.com?catid=74