Foretravel Owners' Forum For owners and Fans of Foretravel Motorcoaches September 08, 2025 ...

Re: insulation engine bay

Reply #25 – June 16, 2020, 09:52:16 pm

Pierce,
Do you have to cover the engine with a tarp or something when scrapping it off.  When I did the generator compartment it was a mess.
John M.

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Re: insulation engine bay

Reply #26 – June 16, 2020, 10:10:30 pm

Not Pierce, but I sure would!

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Re: insulation engine bay

Reply #27 – June 16, 2020, 10:52:07 pm

I didn't but it sounds like a good idea.

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Re: insulation engine bay

Reply #28 – June 16, 2020, 11:02:05 pm

As I remember, it came off on the overhead pretty quickly and in big pieces. It's been so many years that I can't remember exactly how I did it. The boards had to be cut, painted and drilled for the stainless screws/washers, the insulation put into place and the screws started so they went in straight but not too far.

One piece of HB won't cover the overhead. I usually try to minimize the time it takes and this one looks easy but it was a little tougher than expected. Just awkward. I had been leaning/lying down from above installing the insulation/board but had a sharp pain. An umbilical hernia sent me to the hospital fast. After the mesh was installed and I was sewn up, I got home but when I took off my shirt, I still had the IVs in my arm. The hospital tried to get me to drive back but not about to make that trip.

Memories

Pierce

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Re: insulation engine bay

Reply #29 – June 17, 2020, 02:50:20 pm

My 2 Cents. I worked on Life Safety and Fire Suppression systems for about 15 years. The goal is to protect life first,  if you save the vehicle that's just a bonus. I'm still considering adding an engine fire suppression system, and or installing some form of fuel cut off to give us more time to evacuate. If you've ever seen a big rig turbo diesel fire it's pretty difficult to suppress, I just want to GTFO quickly.

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Re: insulation engine bay

Reply #30 – June 17, 2020, 04:15:06 pm

Fire protection with foam and a heat sensor may help. The diesel may run for several miles before the operator notices it. The big RV fire I made the YouTube video on was the result of a hydraulic hose failure. Lots of combustible liquids back there. Imagine a mid-entrance coach with either an engine fire or a fridge fire. You have to head back almost half way toward the toxic smoke before you can get out. No two fires are the same so you can't really prepare for all of them. The biggest thing is to get out without anything else in mind.

No fires are the same. Some are small and spread slowly, while others spread super rapidly. It's not usually the fire that kills, it's the smoke. And no two people react the same to fire either. Most of the time cool heads become frantic heads.

We had a big department store fire where some child played with a lighter toward the back of the store. It caught some plastic on fire and spread so rapidly, customers just had time to get out the front door. Our station was only a mile away but the time we got there, the huge front windows were gone and fire was coming out to the street. No sprinklers. Too bad.

Pierce

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Re: insulation engine bay

Reply #31 – June 17, 2020, 05:20:36 pm

Ever since we had a house fire years ago I have been an advocate of having a fire extinguisher right next to our bed where I can reach out and touch it or pick it up to use. This is true both in our coach and our house. A lot of good a fire extinguisher does if it is on the other side of the fire from you.
Of course our coach came with the usual mandatory fire extinguisher next to our mid-entry door but I added another one right below it, so now there are two.
If one is good, then two are better. Not that I plan on fighting any fires. I just plan on having enough protection to get me, the DW, and Rocket out.
And if this suggestion saves just one person's life or prevents burns, it is well worth the time to post it.

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