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Not too exciting--but thought someone might be interested.
WHY???
First question is always, why?
The previous extinguishers have a six-month "inspection" cycle (look at the gauge?) and I'd anecdotally read somewhere that the material inside can compact over time when bounced in a vehicle, especially since they are stored vertically. When I spotted the Element, I started thinking (always bad for my wallet). No maintenance, lasts forever, lighter, and provides (according to Element) 5x the discharge time of a "typical traditional fire extinguisher". They are rated for A, B, C and K fires, so should take care of anything (small) in the camper.
Don't misunderstand--first priority is get out if something happens, but I want the ability to suppress or stop a small fire before it consumes my trailer if that's a possibility.
Extinguishers are not very exciting until you need one right now. Maybe TucsonJim , if he hasn't already, will share his story here and the safety brief he developed as a result. (The large extinguishers I installed were a result of his original thread posted elsewhere years ago.)
The Element is stupid-expensive...but again, if I ever need it the last thing I'll be thinking about is how much I paid for them. https://elementfire.com/
The Mod
As previously mentioned, I'd installed two 9lb Fire Extinguishers in my 315RLTS, one in the bedroom behind the door and one just inside the entryway, replacing the small OEM supplied extinguisher. (I put the OEM in the passthru.) Besides the superior fire suppression capability of the Element, there's the secondary benefit of weight savings. With the wall mount and hardware, the large extinguisher weighed in at over 9lbs 3 ounces. That's over 18lbs for the two of them. The Element, with mount, is only 8.1 oz!
I used Element's optional Quick Fist (QF) HD Mount instead of the supplied clip to ensure the Element stays in place. In the entryway I used both the QF and the clip for additional security in the high-traffic location.
The QF's are tight around the Element. Not easy to get together to retain the extinguisher, but will release with a sharp pull relatively easily. The clasping aspect is why I chose to get them.
Bedroom (Before and After)
The instruction sheet was cut from the box and stuck to the wall with quick-release tape. There's instructions on the Element itself, but the extra-large and simple diagram on the box was worth saving and posting next to the extinguisher.
Entryway (No before shot!)
Passthru
As previously mentioned, I had remounted the OEM supplied extinguisher in the curb-side of the passthru. I replaced it with a 100 second version of the Element under the assumption that if I need to grab an extinguisher this is where I'll get it from. As the middle picture shows, it is larger than the standard 50 second version.
As I noted in the truck Element install thread, these are like insurance: I hope to never need to use them but will be glad if I do (need them).
Howard
WHY???
First question is always, why?
The previous extinguishers have a six-month "inspection" cycle (look at the gauge?) and I'd anecdotally read somewhere that the material inside can compact over time when bounced in a vehicle, especially since they are stored vertically. When I spotted the Element, I started thinking (always bad for my wallet). No maintenance, lasts forever, lighter, and provides (according to Element) 5x the discharge time of a "typical traditional fire extinguisher". They are rated for A, B, C and K fires, so should take care of anything (small) in the camper.
Don't misunderstand--first priority is get out if something happens, but I want the ability to suppress or stop a small fire before it consumes my trailer if that's a possibility.
Extinguishers are not very exciting until you need one right now. Maybe TucsonJim , if he hasn't already, will share his story here and the safety brief he developed as a result. (The large extinguishers I installed were a result of his original thread posted elsewhere years ago.)
The Element is stupid-expensive...but again, if I ever need it the last thing I'll be thinking about is how much I paid for them. https://elementfire.com/
The Mod
As previously mentioned, I'd installed two 9lb Fire Extinguishers in my 315RLTS, one in the bedroom behind the door and one just inside the entryway, replacing the small OEM supplied extinguisher. (I put the OEM in the passthru.) Besides the superior fire suppression capability of the Element, there's the secondary benefit of weight savings. With the wall mount and hardware, the large extinguisher weighed in at over 9lbs 3 ounces. That's over 18lbs for the two of them. The Element, with mount, is only 8.1 oz!
I used Element's optional Quick Fist (QF) HD Mount instead of the supplied clip to ensure the Element stays in place. In the entryway I used both the QF and the clip for additional security in the high-traffic location.
The QF's are tight around the Element. Not easy to get together to retain the extinguisher, but will release with a sharp pull relatively easily. The clasping aspect is why I chose to get them.
Bedroom (Before and After)
The instruction sheet was cut from the box and stuck to the wall with quick-release tape. There's instructions on the Element itself, but the extra-large and simple diagram on the box was worth saving and posting next to the extinguisher.
Entryway (No before shot!)
Passthru
As previously mentioned, I had remounted the OEM supplied extinguisher in the curb-side of the passthru. I replaced it with a 100 second version of the Element under the assumption that if I need to grab an extinguisher this is where I'll get it from. As the middle picture shows, it is larger than the standard 50 second version.
As I noted in the truck Element install thread, these are like insurance: I hope to never need to use them but will be glad if I do (need them).
Howard
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