I'm fairly new to the whole off-roading thing. I have a '07 FJ 4x4 w/several mods.
Anyways, my question is as I have been researching various off-road parks/trails, etc. One of the consistent pieces of "safety" gear that is required is a fire extinguisher. I was just curious as to what it would be needed for. I am not a mechanic and do not have that much experience, so the only things I could think of off the top of my head would be the engine overheating.
What else could occur that would require the use of a fire extinguisher?
oooooooooooooooohh, maybe a fuel line being cut by a rock or whatever,hitting the exhaust or the rock sliders grinding on a rock causing the fuel to be ignited? you losing $30k vehicle.
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What if this guy shows up? . .JK
Cigarette burns. If a "FRIEND" drops a joint. The Coleman heater gets too close to something. You flip over. On and on, the odds are you'll never need it BUT, Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. Good luck............
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Mods:
Dirt in fine grooves of tires.
Dirt on floor
Dirt on seats
Lots of polish on painted surfaces
Dog in back seat.
Anco winter wipers 1 16" and 2 custom trimmed 15"
Wolo BAD BOY horn
K&N drop in filter
Stant Locking gas cap
Vent shades
Spare key in wallet. (The only place to put it)
Vehicle fires are mostly NOT in nice new rigs like our FJ's. That being said, they're mostly electrical in origin, but when an oily drippy piece of crap engine covered in oil soaked mud gets into a predicament with torn water hoses or a crimped exhaust pipe... all bets are off.
Wimpy little fire extinguishers typically sold for automotive use are a joke. You want one of the ones that looks like a small SCUBA tank and is rated for garage shop use where there could be burning oil, electrical stuff, wood, paint, and your 30 year old comic book collection complete with Superman #1! If you see smoke coming from under your hood, pull AWAY from the dry brush, touch the hood to see if it's too warm to open safely (fire underneath) and be ready with your extinguisher to immediately sweep the BASE of the fire (not rain down on top) with sweeping motions of the retardant.
Once a vehicle fire has gotten plastic and rubber involved, its AMAZINGLY hot. Don't count on being able to put it out at that point. Get the F away for your own safety. If you're going to be able to put out a fire with an extinguisher, you'll have to do it early, when there isn't a lot of heat stored up into the material.
Honestly, I don't really care if your car burns to the axles and looks like a black stain on the ground. Let your car burn. Save the forest! To that end, you'd better have a shovel so that you can start burying anything that burns with fat shovel-fulls of heavy dirt, preferably mostly sand (not dry grass and pine needles). That's the only real way to stop a car sized fire from becoming a forest fire that makes national news.
Location: somewhwere in the osage on the arkansas river
Posts: 288
Re: Fire Exstinguishers
Quote:
BellyDoc previously said:
Vehicle fires are mostly NOT in nice new rigs like our FJ's. That being said, they're mostly electrical in origin, but when an oily drippy piece of crap engine covered in oil soaked mud gets into a predicament with torn water hoses or a crimped exhaust pipe... all bets are off.
Wimpy little fire extinguishers typically sold for automotive use are a joke. You want one of the ones that looks like a small SCUBA tank and is rated for garage shop use where there could be burning oil, electrical stuff, wood, paint, and your 30 year old comic book collection complete with Superman #1! If you see smoke coming from under your hood, pull AWAY from the dry brush, touch the hood to see if it's too warm to open safely (fire underneath) and be ready with your extinguisher to immediately sweep the BASE of the fire (not rain down on top) with sweeping motions of the retardant.
Once a vehicle fire has gotten plastic and rubber involved, its AMAZINGLY hot. Don't count on being able to put it out at that point. Get the F away for your own safety. If you're going to be able to put out a fire with an extinguisher, you'll have to do it early, when there isn't a lot of heat stored up into the material.
Honestly, I don't really care if your car burns to the axles and looks like a black stain on the ground. Let your car burn. Save the forest! To that end, you'd better have a shovel so that you can start burying anything that burns with fat shovel-fulls of heavy dirt, preferably mostly sand (not dry grass and pine needles). That's the only real way to stop a car sized fire from becoming a forest fire that makes national news.
one thing i will add...when you pull that pin try to position yourself UPWIND...before you start....and be commited to the end of the extinguisher life...diesel fires will re-ignite if really hot....RR
Vehicle fires are mostly NOT in nice new rigs like our FJ's. That being said, they're mostly electrical in origin, but when an oily drippy piece of crap engine covered in oil soaked mud gets into a predicament with torn water hoses or a crimped exhaust pipe... all bets are off.
Wimpy little fire extinguishers typically sold for automotive use are a joke. You want one of the ones that looks like a small SCUBA tank and is rated for garage shop use where there could be burning oil, electrical stuff, wood, paint, and your 30 year old comic book collection complete with Superman #1! If you see smoke coming from under your hood, pull AWAY from the dry brush, touch the hood to see if it's too warm to open safely (fire underneath) and be ready with your extinguisher to immediately sweep the BASE of the fire (not rain down on top) with sweeping motions of the retardant.
Once a vehicle fire has gotten plastic and rubber involved, its AMAZINGLY hot. Don't count on being able to put it out at that point. Get the F away for your own safety. If you're going to be able to put out a fire with an extinguisher, you'll have to do it early, when there isn't a lot of heat stored up into the material.
Honestly, I don't really care if your car burns to the axles and looks like a black stain on the ground. Let your car burn. Save the forest! To that end, you'd better have a shovel so that you can start burying anything that burns with fat shovel-fulls of heavy dirt, preferably mostly sand (not dry grass and pine needles). That's the only real way to stop a car sized fire from becoming a forest fire that makes national news.
Doc is right on but I'll add...
The main cause of fires from both new and old vehicles off-road is the muffler/catalytic converter. That is why you should not park in tall grass especially tall dry grass. That is also why the little "trophy" extinguishers you see on so many A posts are absolutely worthless. You might get a 5 second burst from one of those.
The "small scuba tank" type Doc is referring to is about a 2 1/2 pound extinguisher. Something like this;
And if you choose to purchase said fire extinguisher you also need to mount it in a very excisable area so that you don't have to go on a expedition to find it when it is need right then. You will be looking for a A B C fire extinguisher to be able to take out all possible fires that you encounter.
Fire Extinguishers
.JK
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