Safety - parking in forested areas

[plyonsMC9]

Hi bus folks,

A couple nights ago we parked the bus in another unusual spot, a family's mountain home, with lots of pine trees and some falling leaves.

So this is just a reminder - if you do park the bus on surfaces such as dirt roads with leaves, pine needles, etc., be sure to check & clean the area under all the exhaust pipes.  Including any Webasto / Aqua hot, generator, engine, etc.,   

I did my usual raking and clearing but missed one of the mufflers, in the morning the area was completely black with some burned needles.  Fortunately the ground was dampened by some unexpected snow.  But one would not want to rely on random snow for safety! 

Especially important during dry weather.

Stay safe!,  Phil

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

Maybe you should install a mister system under your bus and have it on a timer to go off every hour or so?   

When I parked in a friend's field a couple of summers ago, I actually put a sheet of tin on blocks under my generator muffler and even wet it down daily with his hose as extra insurance.

[luvrbus]

Maybe you should install a mister system under your bus and have it on a timer to go off every hour or so?   

When I parked in a friend's field a couple of summers ago, I actually put a sheet of tin on blocks under my generator muffler and even wet it down daily with his hose as extra insurance.

Aqua Hot exhaust omit very high exhaust temp, I never had problems with the generator exhaust coming out horizonal but the AquaHot I watched close ,I had a 5 gal bucket for washing the Aquahot melted a hole in 4 ft from the exhaust pipe 600 degrees from the Aquahot is hot,I have seen the Aquahot blister the paint on other RV's at rallies before when parked close 

[Van]

Might be worth wrapping you exhaust piping with heat wrap as I have done for our generator and diesel heater, keep that heat where it belongs in the pipe. Maybe add one of thos Gen-turi pipes also if needed to redirect.😉

[plyonsMC9]

Maybe you should install a mister system under your bus and have it on a timer to go off every hour or so?   

5,000 comedians out of work, and now this  ...   

[Tedsoldbus]

I agree with Van on the Genturi. We bought one to disperse fumes at bus meets like RAOC in Nappanee, but it does take heat up in the air. I checked the Genny pipes and muffler and they get warm but they are mounted high enough I don't think they would be an ignition source.

Good reminder to us all though. When we lived in Colorado and parked in random spots in the FS in the mountains, there were pine needles every where and dry grass can come up pretty high under our buses. As our climate warms and so many fires out west, it pays not to be the one that started one. And gets billed for it....!!

[Gary Hatt - Publisher BCM]

5,000 comedians out of work, and now this  ...   

[luvrbus]

I agree with Van on the Genturi. We bought one to disperse fumes at bus meets like RAOC in Nappanee, but it does take heat up in the air. I checked the Genny pipes and muffler and they get warm but they are mounted high enough I don't think they would be an ignition source.

Good reminder to us all though. When we lived in Colorado and parked in random spots in the FS in the mountains, there were pine needles every where and dry grass can come up pretty high under our buses. As our climate warms and so many fires out west, it pays not to be the one that started one. And gets billed for it....!!

You can add extensions to generators but diesel fired heating units are limited about the length most cannot be over 50 inches long ,it adds back pressure and will retain the exhaust heat. Camping in Idaho I came with a brain storm to add a spark arrestor and longer pipe on my AquaHot, that idea cost me $700.00 repairs on the AquaHot,I did salvage the spark arrestor by using it on the generator and Forest Service would let me run the generator with it, there are a lot of camp grounds here in the west that will not let you run a generator without a spark arrestor ,rangers watch the portable gas generators more than they do the diesel generators       

[dtcerrato]

10-4 on spark arresting mufflers, all RVs & 4x4s should have them especially in dry western states. Wonder if the Genturi RV exhaust systems fulfill the spark arresting requirement. I would think so. We have both on the main genny and at least spark arresters on both diesel air heaters.

[plyonsMC9]

Thanks gentlemen, good suggestions.

Happy Monday all!,
Phil