R.I.P. Superduty

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hildreth8404

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Launch Member

Contributor III

327
Waxahachie, TX, USA
First Name
Chris
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Hildreth
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22515

Welp! While on a family vacation heading from Texas to Indiana towing a travel trailer my engine and turbo blew. Truck caught fire but luckily I had a fire extinguisher in the cab and one in the camper and got my wife and 4 girls, 2 in car seats out of the truck without injury. 16k in damages totalled the truck so time to start planning a new build. Luckily I wasn't far into the process so I didn't waste any money but it's a bummer to now have to start over at square one. As is life I suppose.

Huge takeaway for me...the small vehicle extinguishers you buy are way inadequate for anything other than the smallest of fires, especially when they are low in the engine bay.

Stay safe out there friends.
 

Yaniv

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800
Israel
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Eliash
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Glad to hear you are all safe
 

El-Dracho

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Off-Road Ranger III

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Glad to hear that everyone is safe!
 

Pathfinder I

1,212
Canada
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Craig
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PereferNotToSay
Sorry to hear of your truck but the main thing is everyone is safe.

Thank you for sharing your learning about the fire extinguishers. Can you give a bit more about the type of extinguisher you had versus what you’d have for next time?
 

hildreth8404

Rank II
Launch Member

Contributor III

327
Waxahachie, TX, USA
First Name
Chris
Last Name
Hildreth
Member #

22515

What I had was a Kidde 5 pound BC automotive fire extinguisher. The dry chem worked fine but there just wasn't enough of it. I think in the future I'm gonna go at least a 10 pounder or heavier or the other option would be to have at least 2 of the smaller 5 pounders. Luckily the one in the camper, which was a smaller 2 pound got most of it out that the 5 pounder didnt and what it didnt get was just the firewall smoldering so I put it out with a pair of firefighting gloves.
 

Pathfinder I

1,212
Canada
First Name
Craig
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PereferNotToSay
What I had was a Kidde 5 pound BC automotive fire extinguisher. The dry chem worked fine but there just wasn't enough of it. I think in the future I'm gonna go at least a 10 pounder or heavier or the other option would be to have at least 2 of the smaller 5 pounders. Luckily the one in the camper, which was a smaller 2 pound got most of it out that the 5 pounder didnt and what it didnt get was just the firewall smoldering so I put it out with a pair of firefighting gloves.
Thank you. Info like that could save someone’s life someday, or at the very least, their treasured adventure rig!
 

64Trvlr

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2,827
Northern AZ
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Glad to hear everyone got out safely.

A 10# sounds good but I think 2 5# are better, think about your wife trying to use a 10# vs a 5#. Also with 2-3 5# extinguishers more than one person can use one, attack a fire from different directions or fight 2 fires at the same time.

Or since you have a truck and more storage room a 10# ABC AND 2 5# ABC, as you've noticed when you have a fire there is no such thing as too much or too many extinguishers.

I'll quote what I wrote in the Overland gear Fire Extinguisher thread.

I have 3 5# extinguishers in my Willys. I have a 5# Halon (1211) and 2 5# ABC (3A, 40BC) mounted in steel brackets with rubber straps. I used to have a 5# Purple K but kept getting it and the 5# ABC confused so I went with 2 ABC's.

Yup, I know sounds like a lot of overkill. After the fire is out I have never once heard anyone complain about too many extinguishers or having one that didn't get used. Once things get to burning too much is just about right, especially if it's my stuff.
 

Maverick9110E

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Louisburg, NC, USA
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Wall
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Reminds me I need to add more to mine, I just have the one small one. Ive been first on scene to at least 10 accidents in the last 10 years or so....