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Up in smoke... Bus fires... don't let it happen to you! FAQ
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Globespotter
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PostPosted: Thu May 19, 2016 8:16 am    Post subject: Re: Up in smoke... Bus fires... don't let it happen to you! Reply with quote

curtp07 wrote:
I did the 6' around the hatch. Installed it with adel clamps. Also removed that awful insulation and particle board in favor of dynamat engine insulation, which at a minimum won't catch with a few flame licks....

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Nice job Curt.
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Jim Bear
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PostPosted: Thu May 19, 2016 12:39 pm    Post subject: Re: Up in smoke... Bus fires... don't let it happen to you! Reply with quote

Has anyone gone with the 9' Blazecut and do you have pics of how your routed it? Thanks.
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Rubber Duck
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 8:47 am    Post subject: Re: Up in smoke... Bus fires... don't let it happen to you! Reply with quote

Just thought I'd bump this to the top...in light of recent events and revelations such as clatter and skills grenade allegory, aspira's valve problem ( Sad ) and the mercedes I saw burning yesterday.
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BayCreamPuff
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 9:20 am    Post subject: Re: Up in smoke... Bus fires... don't let it happen to you! Reply with quote

Posted my 6' blazecut in another thread, but might as well add it here as well.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Jim Bear wrote:
Has anyone gone with the 9' Blazecut and do you have pics of how your routed it? Thanks.


9' would give you the full perimeter of the engine bay and a bit of the center. You can see in my photo that the 6' leaves a 1-2' gap.

Here's a good video of the blazecut in action on a bus.


Link

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skills@eurocarsplus
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 9:36 am    Post subject: Re: Up in smoke... Bus fires... don't let it happen to you! Reply with quote

it was nice of them to test it for sure, but I wish they would have rigged a real life gas leak, say from a gas tank/can so the fire had a constant flow of fuel.

seeing it in action though and how little it took to put it out was reassuring. this still begs the question what would happen with a hot engine, fuel pissing everywhere and the possibility of vapor igniting/re-igniting.

I would look at this as a first line of defense, but no substitute for having a proper on board fire extinguisher
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dabble
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 9:45 am    Post subject: Re: Up in smoke... Bus fires... don't let it happen to you! Reply with quote

I purchased a Blazecut, but have yet to install it. I agree with Skills and will always have two properly charged fire extinguishers on board.
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 10:08 am    Post subject: Re: Up in smoke... Bus fires... don't let it happen to you! Reply with quote

skills@eurocarsplus wrote:
I would look at this as a first line of defense, but no substitute for having a proper on board fire extinguisher


Absolutely agree. I've got one fire extinguisher mounted in the cab, one in the back, blazecut in the engine bay and thinking of getting this to install above the bus in the garage to keep my house from burning down.

http://www.htgsupply.com/products/the-watch-dog-automatic-fire-extinguisher-12-kg


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Rubber Duck
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PostPosted: Wed Jun 29, 2016 10:22 am    Post subject: Re: Up in smoke... Bus fires... don't let it happen to you! Reply with quote

Coldfire.

I got the 20 oz cans for both the bus and the bug. Supposed to be effective on ABDK fires, so that should help put out the magnesium if it catches. Also, non-corrosive, which is a plus point, if you ask me.

Still waiting for the local (Cndn seller for the Blazecut) to get his shop running and then I'll get one for the bus.

That watchdog thing is a pretty good idea!
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curtp07
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 30, 2016 12:11 pm    Post subject: Re: Up in smoke... Bus fires... don't let it happen to you! Reply with quote

I have a battery disconnect as well as the blazecut. The logic with the battery disconnect is when it's sitting in the garage..no electrical fires... Thanks Globespotter Smile
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chachi
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 10:58 am    Post subject: Re: Up in smoke... Bus fires... don't let it happen to you! Reply with quote

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Globespotter
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 10:34 pm    Post subject: Re: Up in smoke... Bus fires... don't let it happen to you! Reply with quote

I have to wonder if that latest pic is not the result of a charge controller / battery overcharging (lots of solar panels) rather than a fuel hose leak. It appears to be parked.

Would be interested to know. It seems like overcharging with solar panels is becoming more of an issue with fires.
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cmonSTART
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 17, 2016 4:38 am    Post subject: Re: Up in smoke... Bus fires... don't let it happen to you! Reply with quote

Ya, seems reasonable - probably a lot of odd wiring done in there.

Interesting the left rear corner got so hot - probably a lot of electronics in there for the solar system.
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 17, 2016 4:49 am    Post subject: Re: Up in smoke... Bus fires... don't let it happen to you! Reply with quote

Looking at the wiring up top an electrical fire from poor workmanship is likely.

The go solar crowd attracts some of the worst wiring practices and lack of respect for energy....It's a common theme on boats and on land.
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 17, 2016 7:08 am    Post subject: Re: Up in smoke... Bus fires... don't let it happen to you! Reply with quote

he was driving when the fire happened, but i would agree with the wiring diagnosis. why do you need that many panels?!
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Pinetops
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 7:24 pm    Post subject: Re: Up in smoke... Bus fires... don't let it happen to you! Reply with quote

How long do you think this bus has left to live?

9:42

Link


2 weeks earlier:


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PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 8:44 pm    Post subject: Re: Up in smoke... Bus fires... don't let it happen to you! Reply with quote

Throwing water and blowing on the fire was pretty priceless.

Sick van, bro! So stoked.
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Malokin Martin
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 22, 2016 9:35 pm    Post subject: Re: Up in smoke... Bus fires... don't let it happen to you! Reply with quote

Granted I knew nothing about cars when I was young, but driving that again was top tier stupid.

Amazing it still started.
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mikedjames
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 10:11 am    Post subject: Re: Up in smoke... Bus fires... don't let it happen to you! Reply with quote

I set fire to mine last weekend.
Halfway through putting the engine back so the carburettor and air cleaner was still in a box outside of the engine bay, and the back of the bus was in the air on ramps.

I failed to connect up all of the petrol pipework or properly clamp it and I was turning over the engine to build pressure in the full flow oil system.

I was glad I had a fire extinguisher next to the stove in the bus, and that the fuel feed was controlled by a solenoid valve.
I turned off the ignition, extinguished the petrol and burning insulation in the engine bay, and then put out the pool of petrol and plastic sheeting underneath.
I could also have used a fire blanket I store under the stove in my bus.


All with a 2lb/800g dry powder extinguisher.
An automatic system might have worked but having the engine hatch open would have let the gas escape.
I was perhaps also lucky that I had left rain covers on the engine air vents so the flames could not rise so easily.

Then disconnected the leisure battery and starter battery so the red hot wiring could cool down.

Went to the auto parts shop bought a collection of wire and heatshrink and spliced back all the melted wiring - the ends have the correct colours even if the section over the hatch is all red black and blue.

All of the plastic sheet covering the stock soundproofing over the engine bay vanished, and the soundproofing fabric is charred.


Next day I drove it off the ramps and then up the road for some ice creams.
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curtp07
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 5:20 pm    Post subject: Re: Up in smoke... Bus fires... don't let it happen to you! Reply with quote

I'm horrified by that video. And to think I just spent days replacing every fuel line, vacuum line and a completely new FI harness with a fuse circuit and I'm STILL not satisfied.

Someone needs to find that poor bus and steal it NOW!
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skills@eurocarsplus
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 5:28 pm    Post subject: Re: Up in smoke... Bus fires... don't let it happen to you! Reply with quote

Pinetops wrote:
How long do you think this bus has left to live?


interesting....British sounding hippies with no clue and bus fires...who'd a thunk it?

bus will probably go on forever with band-aids and go fund me donations Very Happy
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gprudenciop wrote:

my reason for switching to subaru is my german car was turning chinese so i said fuck it and went japanese.......
[email protected] wrote:
most VW enthusiasts are stuck in 80's price land.

Jake Raby wrote:
Thanks for the correction. I used to be a nice guy, then I ruined it by exposing myself to the public.

Brian wrote:
Also the fact that people are agreeing with Skills, it's a turn of events for samba history
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