SAFETY FIRST!
PROPANE AND GASOLINE:
A RECIPE FOR DISASTER!!
Here are a few things that you must do to prevent disasters
that can kill or injure you or anyone around you when operating your RV
or camper. Always be safe when filling propane tanks, fueling your
vehicle, backing or parking, or changing your batteries.
Always shut off your appliances with the on/off switch and shut off your propane tanks before refueling your propane or gasoline tanks. Also shut your cell phone off! Propane and gasoline are extremely flammable, with propane being the worst with vapor. Any electrical switch or a ringing cell phone can cause a spark that can start a fire or cause an explosion that can kill or severely injure anyone around you.
A family in Colorado burned down a gas station when filling up their RV. They didn't turn the appliances of before refueling, and the water heater came on while filling the gas tank, resulting in a huge fire that destroyed the RV and the gas station!! The driver had moderate burns, and his family got out of the RV in the nick of time. What a way to end a vacation!
In the newer RV's and campers, the appliances have electronic ignition, so you must turn them off with the switch. If you only shut your propane bottles or tank off, the appliances may try to light, and the sparks from the electronic ignition can cause a fire or explosion!
If you light your appliances manually, you need to turn the appliances off at the gas valve on the appliance and shut off the propane. Be sure to shut off the water heater, furnace, refrigerator, and the engine on your RV or tow vehicle before fueling. Failure to do this can result in serious injury or death, and property damage! It's your responsibility as an RV owner to do this!
It's a good idea to have a checklist of things that you must do when refueling your RV, propane bottles, or vehicle. A checklist might save your life!
BATTERIES CAN EXPLODE!!
You must be very careful when charging, jumpstarting, or replacing batteries, and always wear safety glasses! Batteries can explode under the right conditions! A small spark can cause a battery to blow up. Never charge a frozen battery, it can explode! I have seen a battery explode, and it sounds like a shotgun going off! If a battery explodes you will get showered with battery acid. If you get acid on any part of your body, rinse with a lot of water immediately and see a doctor. Battery acid causes severe burns.
When unhooking or replacing batteries, always wear safety glasses. When you unhook the cables to replace a battery, always unhook the negative wire first. The negative wire has the (-) sign by the post, then unhook the positive (+) cable. Be careful to hook the new battery to the correct terminal, the battery can explode if connected wrong. Hook the positive cable first, then the negative cable when reinstalling a battery. Also make sure there is a fuse on the positive cable close to the battery. Without a fuse or circuit breaker, a short in the wiring can cause a fire. Most RV's and campers have circuit breakers near the battery.
If you have 2 12 volt batteries, hook them in parallel, (ie: positive to positive, negative to negative).
6 volt batteries hook in series, (positive to negative, negative to positive). Have a qualified RV technician install the batteries if you're not familiar with battery installation.
Make sure you verify which battery you have! 12 volt batteries have 6 cells, 2 large caps with 3 cells on each cap. Check the water level to make sure the cell is full, but don't overfill. You can use distilled water to refill a low battery.
6 volt batteries have 3 cells, (3 fill caps). Make sure you verify this! If you hook 2 12 volt batteries in a series, you will have 24 volts, and you will damage or burn down your camper!
Make sure the battery is secured with a battery strap to prevent it from falling out while traveling. A battery box is a good way to protect the battery and the wiring, and to prevent contact with the positive terminal, that can cause a spark or short.
SAFETY APPLIANCES:
Most campers and RV's have an LP Gas detector, smoke detector, and some have CO2 detectors.
Make sure the batteries in the smoke detector and CO2 detectors are good by testing the appliance. There is usually a test button on the detector, it will make a loud beeping noise if it is working properly.
If they don't work properly, replace the batteries, if it still doesn't work, replace the detector.
All the new campers and RV's have an LP Gas leak detector, which emits a high pitch beep if a leak occurs. Cooking spray, or hair spray, or anything like that can set it off. If you get a loud steady high pitch noise, you may have a gas leak. Evacuate the camper, and don't turn off any switches on the way out, just get out and turn off the propane, and leave the door open to vent any propane. Propane is heavier than air, so it settles down by the floor. You can usually smell propane, it may smell like something rotten or like a dead animal. Make sure you don't have a gas leak before going inside. A gas leak test using a manometer is the safest way to check for leaks. Have a qualified repair person check for leaks before using the camper.
The LP gas detector works off the camper battery. If the battery gets low, the LP detector will beep at you, usually about 3:00 AM. This is normal, just charge the battery or plug in to electric, and it should quit. If it continues to beep, it may be defective. Some units have a reset button, try pushing this to stop the beeping. Most LP detectors have a green light that flashes indicating normal operation. If the detector keeps beeping after it has been reset and the battery is charged up on the camper, the LP detector may be defective. Replace the LP detectors.
When you are storing your camper, shut off the propane, and unhook the negative wire on your battery to keep it from discharging. It's a good idea to charge the battery once a month or hook a battery minder to keep it charged. A charged battery will last a long time, a discharged battery will be ruined in a short time. Solar battery chargers also work great and your batteries will last many years if maintained properly.
Thanks for visiting our web page, hope these tips help!
Happy Camping!
Phil Stahla
BACK TO PHIL'S RV TIPS
Always shut off your appliances with the on/off switch and shut off your propane tanks before refueling your propane or gasoline tanks. Also shut your cell phone off! Propane and gasoline are extremely flammable, with propane being the worst with vapor. Any electrical switch or a ringing cell phone can cause a spark that can start a fire or cause an explosion that can kill or severely injure anyone around you.
A family in Colorado burned down a gas station when filling up their RV. They didn't turn the appliances of before refueling, and the water heater came on while filling the gas tank, resulting in a huge fire that destroyed the RV and the gas station!! The driver had moderate burns, and his family got out of the RV in the nick of time. What a way to end a vacation!
In the newer RV's and campers, the appliances have electronic ignition, so you must turn them off with the switch. If you only shut your propane bottles or tank off, the appliances may try to light, and the sparks from the electronic ignition can cause a fire or explosion!
If you light your appliances manually, you need to turn the appliances off at the gas valve on the appliance and shut off the propane. Be sure to shut off the water heater, furnace, refrigerator, and the engine on your RV or tow vehicle before fueling. Failure to do this can result in serious injury or death, and property damage! It's your responsibility as an RV owner to do this!
It's a good idea to have a checklist of things that you must do when refueling your RV, propane bottles, or vehicle. A checklist might save your life!
BATTERIES CAN EXPLODE!!
You must be very careful when charging, jumpstarting, or replacing batteries, and always wear safety glasses! Batteries can explode under the right conditions! A small spark can cause a battery to blow up. Never charge a frozen battery, it can explode! I have seen a battery explode, and it sounds like a shotgun going off! If a battery explodes you will get showered with battery acid. If you get acid on any part of your body, rinse with a lot of water immediately and see a doctor. Battery acid causes severe burns.
When unhooking or replacing batteries, always wear safety glasses. When you unhook the cables to replace a battery, always unhook the negative wire first. The negative wire has the (-) sign by the post, then unhook the positive (+) cable. Be careful to hook the new battery to the correct terminal, the battery can explode if connected wrong. Hook the positive cable first, then the negative cable when reinstalling a battery. Also make sure there is a fuse on the positive cable close to the battery. Without a fuse or circuit breaker, a short in the wiring can cause a fire. Most RV's and campers have circuit breakers near the battery.
If you have 2 12 volt batteries, hook them in parallel, (ie: positive to positive, negative to negative).
6 volt batteries hook in series, (positive to negative, negative to positive). Have a qualified RV technician install the batteries if you're not familiar with battery installation.
Make sure you verify which battery you have! 12 volt batteries have 6 cells, 2 large caps with 3 cells on each cap. Check the water level to make sure the cell is full, but don't overfill. You can use distilled water to refill a low battery.
6 volt batteries have 3 cells, (3 fill caps). Make sure you verify this! If you hook 2 12 volt batteries in a series, you will have 24 volts, and you will damage or burn down your camper!
Make sure the battery is secured with a battery strap to prevent it from falling out while traveling. A battery box is a good way to protect the battery and the wiring, and to prevent contact with the positive terminal, that can cause a spark or short.
SAFETY APPLIANCES:
Most campers and RV's have an LP Gas detector, smoke detector, and some have CO2 detectors.
Make sure the batteries in the smoke detector and CO2 detectors are good by testing the appliance. There is usually a test button on the detector, it will make a loud beeping noise if it is working properly.
If they don't work properly, replace the batteries, if it still doesn't work, replace the detector.
All the new campers and RV's have an LP Gas leak detector, which emits a high pitch beep if a leak occurs. Cooking spray, or hair spray, or anything like that can set it off. If you get a loud steady high pitch noise, you may have a gas leak. Evacuate the camper, and don't turn off any switches on the way out, just get out and turn off the propane, and leave the door open to vent any propane. Propane is heavier than air, so it settles down by the floor. You can usually smell propane, it may smell like something rotten or like a dead animal. Make sure you don't have a gas leak before going inside. A gas leak test using a manometer is the safest way to check for leaks. Have a qualified repair person check for leaks before using the camper.
The LP gas detector works off the camper battery. If the battery gets low, the LP detector will beep at you, usually about 3:00 AM. This is normal, just charge the battery or plug in to electric, and it should quit. If it continues to beep, it may be defective. Some units have a reset button, try pushing this to stop the beeping. Most LP detectors have a green light that flashes indicating normal operation. If the detector keeps beeping after it has been reset and the battery is charged up on the camper, the LP detector may be defective. Replace the LP detectors.
When you are storing your camper, shut off the propane, and unhook the negative wire on your battery to keep it from discharging. It's a good idea to charge the battery once a month or hook a battery minder to keep it charged. A charged battery will last a long time, a discharged battery will be ruined in a short time. Solar battery chargers also work great and your batteries will last many years if maintained properly.
Thanks for visiting our web page, hope these tips help!
Happy Camping!
Phil Stahla
BACK TO PHIL'S RV TIPS
