The Villages RV Club

Arrive Alive and Other Good Stuff 

by Bob Edwards TVRVC

bobedwards@thevillages.net

Personal...I have been in the RV club since October of 2005. I retired from the Norfolk Fire Department July 1, 2005 and my wife Billie and I went on the road for 4 or 5 months, living in our 31-foot 5th.wheel trailer. We came to The Villages in Sept. 2005 and purchased a house in Liberty Park.

I spent 38 years with the Norfolk Fire Department and was the Head of our Training Division when I retired. I have always had a keen interest in "Safety" and was active with our Department safety committee for many years. My goal in doing "The Safety Corner" is to help us be more aware of safety and to provide helpful suggestions for improving our safety and making our RV trips and rally's more enjoyable.

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FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY

Having been a Firefighter for 40 odd years, fires give me a lot of concern. I have seen the devastation that fires can cause in RVs, house trailers, autos, etc. Once a fire starts in one of these types of vehicles it is almost impossible to extinguish, unless you have large volumes of water at hand. The best thing we can to is to “PREVENT FIRES”. Fire prevention begins with good vehicle maintenance and good house keeping. Be diligent in changing oil and having your RV properly lubricated at all times, don’t forget those wheel bearings. Failed wheel bearings are a prime cause of wheel and tire fires that can rapidly extend into the living area of your RV. Do not forget the electrical wiring under the hood of your motor vehicles. Electrical short circuits are one the major causes of fires in engine compartments. Using the proper fuses and keeping the wiring in good condition goes a long way toward preventing this type of fire. Also another cause for engine compartment fires is leaking fuel and oil. A backfire can cause the leaking fuel to ignite, I have seen this many times over the years and the vehicle can very quickly become fully involved with fire. Even a minor short circuit can easily ignite fuel, oil and grease that are allowed to accumulate in the engine compartment.

Keep your cooling system in tip-top shape. An overheated engine can definitely turn into a major fire. Overheated engines are one the major causes of fires that I saw in my firefighting career. In closing I would like to say, keep a checklist and use it, keep your RVs clean and well maintained and think safety.

Please visit the web site (below) for a very informative article on fire safety.  

Please visit this web site for a very informative article on fire safety.