Almost an RV Streaker
Some of our most relaxing vacation time has been spent in our RV. However, one recent morning's events got the ticker going a little too fast for my liking!
My wife and I had just finished our first cup of coffee after taking the chill off the RV space with our Suburban furnace. I decided to take a quick shower to allow my wife to do the complete makeover later on. I had just lathered up with the shampoo when a shrill alarm sound pierced the morning quiet. It was like a clap of thunder on a partly sunny day. It just seemed altogether out of place! I immediately lept out of the shower in my "starkers" shouting "What the heck is that?". Of course, my glasses were somewhere and I couldn't see a thing. It certainly didn't sound like a standard smoke alarm. My wife shouted back "Its the LP gas detector." She could smell the gas, but I couldn't smell a thing.
I immediately thought of the furnace. Somehow the gas valve hadn't shut off completely. I shouted to her, "Go shut off the LPG tanks outside and I will start venting the trailer. Those dreaded words in response are still echoing in my head, "Well, how do you do that?". I thought "towel wrap or briefs, which one?". About thtat time my wife noticed that a range knob was turned to the ignite position. Evidently, while I was in the shower my wife had leaned up against the range to clean the microwave above after frying bacon. She had inadvertently leaned in far enough to turn the knob. I tested this later and it easily turned with little push and turn effort. She immediately turned the burner off. After finding my glasses and then pants, in that order, I opened the front door, since this represents the biggest opening for venting at floor level. I then turned on the Super Fan to the "IN/HI" position and hoped for the best. The alarm cleared in about a minute and we breathed a sigh of relief.
Well, I thought I could: install a spacer bar behind the knobs to prevent operation when not in use, pull the knobs off altogether until use, replace the springs in the burner valves, or shut off the LPG tanks outside when not in use for cooking. Conceivably if the fridge and water heater can be operated on power and an electric space heater used for chilly mornings, then the LPG tanks aren't needed much. I'm still mulling this over. A 30A system is pretty well taxed with a hair dryer and coffee maker.
Well there you have it! Our RV neighbors almost got a show and we had some life's lessons!!
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