Fire Extinguisher and CO detector

Our van is a converted Chevy Express van. We don't cook in the van although we will use a hot pot in the van if we have access to shore power and occasionally a small ceramic heater under the same conditions. We are looking for any advice/recommendations for a fire extinguisher to carry in our van. Most small ones we have found are rated for B and C fires. They are pretty small but we don't have a lot of room anyhow. And, if fire is of much size, I doubt we would try too hard to fight it given that we have a gas tank on the van!

We also are looking for recommendations on CO detector to put in the van. It would need to be battery operated.

These 2 items seem like important safety items to carry with us. Thanks.

Nice job being responsible and looking out for your own well-being! I think any battery operated combination smoke/co will work great. As far as fire extinguishers, I'd recommend a CO2 one. Dry chemical is cheaper and works on most things, but nobody thinks of the mess they leave behind. Dry chemical is a terrible powder that gets on everything, and if the fire didn't destroy everything, the dry chemical certainly will.

I actually carry both kinds in my van. If there is a fire in my vehicle, I'm immediately going for the CO2 extinguisher first. If I pull up on a small car fire that's not mine, sure I'll grab the dry chemical and see what help I can be with that. It's not my car and if I don't help, it's probably going to burn to the ground anyway!

Kidde ABC fire extinguishers and the battery operated Carbon Monoxide CO detectors are available at Home Depot, Lowes and Walmart.
Kidde is a well known and reliable product, been around for decades and just about every retailer carries them. Different sizes and prices, occasionally they run a sale so shop.

Typical home or vehicle fire extinguishers are usable on fires no bigger than about wastebasket size. If your engine is on fire or a cooking/grease fire has gotten out of control in your RV/van/camper, get everyone out, move to safety, call 911, and take pictures...or video if you have a youtube channel!

Point is: Don't try to fight a large vehicle fire with a small extinguisher.

I agree. Most extinguishers are designed to kill the little fire before it gets really started. Once the fire take hold, you are best to get back.

Here's the deal. You want to blow up after the age of 70. I was a child of the 60's, being that I was raised on Rod Serling and the 'Twilight Zone." I was supposed to be done when I was 30. That was the mantra back then. Now, if you must keep living then you had better get the heck out and stand there half naked in the snow in your under-ware. It's far better to do the human nature trick and survive with the obvious exit strategy. Or, even better, you can go on and keep on going on. There is a reason that kids have "No Fear" on a bumper sticker. They get it. Or is it that every generation gets it? I once had an fight instructor tell me if I was flying at night and the engine quit that I should turn on the landing lights. And that if I did not like what I see he said to turn the lights off. Life is too short to try to make it longer.

Dry chemical fire extinguishers (Kiddie, et.al.) are ubiquitous and cheap, BUT they leave a hard to clean up mess and are very corrosive, especially to electronics.

I carry a 4 lb and a 12 oz halon alternative extinguishers. The 12 oz sits on the counter and is strictly for cooking fires. A 4 lb extinguisher will put out about the same size fire as a gallon of water.

I've got a 2 lb dry chemical extinguisher mounted between the driver's seat and door. Aside from the obvious, it isn't pepper spray, it isn't a club and it doesn't draw any attention at a random police check point.

MG

Got a package deal at Lowes of a fire extinguisher and CO detector.
I actually don't want a smoke detector in my van. Had too many negative experiences with them going off when camping and the smoke from the campfire blows at the van. Not to mention when I'm burning my hot dogs on a MAP stove in the van.
I know it's not a popular stance but I have faith I'll wake up in the case of fire. Done it twice already. Once as a child and later on when I was in college.

CO1 I am worried about. Both from cooking in my van with propane or MAP stoves. And also because I will run the engine to warm up and charge my battery bank. That something you don't smell, you just change color and go sleepy bye.

Calaverasgrande said:

Got a package deal at Lowes of a fire extinguisher and CO detector.
I actually don't want a smoke detector in my van. Had too many negative experiences with them going off when camping and the smoke from the campfire blows at the van. Not to mention when I'm burning my hot dogs on a MAP stove in the van.
I know it's not a popular stance but I have faith I'll wake up in the case of fire. Done it twice already. Once as a child and later on when I was in college.

CO1 I am worried about. Both from cooking in my van with propane or MAP stoves. And also because I will run the engine to warm up and charge my battery bank. That something you don't smell, you just change color and go sleepy bye.

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Calaverasgrande, where did you place your CO monitor? My converter put it in the garage, which seems odd. I worry about packing things too near it.

Ever since I've been a kid the solution to the smoke alarm sounding when something is burning in the kitchen has been to pull the battery out.

Afterward you just put the battery back in so it can do it's job again going forward.

Getting rid of it altogether just because it works even when you don't want it to seems a bit drastic, in my opinion.