Next, open your emergency window. This was difficult for Jane and Jerry as they had never opened the fire escape window, and it was stuck shut. After pushing and prodding, it finally came open.
They sprayed the rubber trim with The Solution, a simple dry wash containing polymer wax, detergent and UV protectant. You can also use a product called 303 Lubricant. These products will help to make the window open easily, and you should repeat this task a couple times a year.
The emergency window in their American Coach is large and heavy, so you will want to have a dowel stored nearby to hold it open. It would be quite difficult to slide through the window space with the weight of a heavy window on you.
I got my dowel and propped the escape window open. I found it was difficult to maneuver myself out even though I’m in good shape and not overweight. Later, when I lifted the window a bit further to remove the dowel, it came loose and fell to the ground. $140 to replace the broken glass. Windows in new coaches don’t have regular hinges; the new ones are designed to detach when you raise them to approximately horizontal! I’m glad I practiced and hope other folks can profit from my experience.
We recently attended a mini seminar at Boomerville concerning fires caused by RV absorption refrigerators. Apparently this is a major cause of RV fires. It was a pretty easy decision to purchase an ARP refrigerator control unit after the presentation. This unit monitors boiler temps and will shut the fridge down to allow it to cool before the boiler is damaged enough to cause a fire. The leading cause of overheating is running the fridge while out of level. The ARP control is cheap insurance that can save your rig or possibly even save your life. It should also extend the life of your refrigerator. I would recommend taking a look at purchasing one of these units.
Good post!
We moved into our Solitude in July 2018. Fire has been a concern because there’s only 1 door, both ends are elevated and items that may cause a fire are between us and the door. I have an extinguisher in each room, 2 fire blankets in the bedroom. Our bedroom emergency exit is a 26″ window 8′ off the ground above the dresser. With items on the dresser and the height it would be near impossible to get out so we’ve planned to use the door.