Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2010 21:03:42 -0700
Reply-To: Annie <lsandrsn@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Annie <lsandrsn@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Fire Prevention Week (Was: Always Look Under A Bus!)
In-Reply-To: <AANLkTin5HYx8PBF235ivJJqOKUj25D66Q7q+Smt7e9mb@mail.gmail.com>
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Speaking of fire extinguishers -
Is there a particular type/kind/style etc of fire extinguisher I should be
carrying in my van? The place you have yours mounted sounds like a great
setup. Do you have any pictures?
*Annie Anderson* Blogger, Designer, Thinker & Mom
web: annieandersonblog.com email: lsandrsn@gmail.com
twitter: silverlunace <http://twitter.com/silverlunace> facebook:
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*Blazin' a trail where there is no path.*
On Thu, Sep 30, 2010 at 8:44 PM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:
> I've raced sports cars a lot and fire safety is a big concern in that. So
> I set my vanagon up similar to my race car with an extinguisher reachable
> from the driver's seat.
>
> Mine is farily small, mounted on a secure bracket that is screwed into the
> base of the passenger's seat just below the seat itself. The bracket
> should
> be capable of containing the fire bottle in the event of a roll over or a
> big crash...Race drivers have been killed by flying fire extinguishers
> flying around inside. The fire ext. should be easily released from it's
> bracket and be ready to use right then...So, if I have a fire aboard or
> come
> upon another flaming vehicle, I can lean across and grab that extinguisher
> on my way out the door, almost. And if I am parked on a busy highway, I
> can get to it by opening the passenger door and grabbing it.
>
> For me, that seems enough...l am no 'belt AND suspenders' guy so over
> preparedness is not my style..one should do in most cases.
>
> In my racecar I also had an "onboard fire supression system" which was a
> slightly larger extinguisher, mounted on my roll cage with a couple of
> copper lines...one to roof right over the driver's head and one into the
> engine bay. A pull handle activated the system and we were also required
> to
> have an outside handle for track workers in case we got knocked out. Those
> worked really well and were inexpensive and easily maintaned, in case
> anyone
> is really worried about burning up...
> One other racecar safety requirment that might be a good idea on a vanagon
> is a master power switch...Kinda like those marine battery switches you
> see,
> but these, too worked with a remote cable pull reachable both by the driver
> in position and by track workers from outside the vehicle. A nice big red
> handle with "Off" somewhere near the driver might come in handy in case of
> a
> fuel leak or an accident...pull the switch, grab the extinguisher and bail
> out!
>
> Don Hanson
> <snip>
>
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