Fires break out in RVs more often than you think. This is not to deter you from becoming a proud RV owner, but to educate you on how to best protect yourself and your family from fire danger.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates that nearly 2,000 RV fires occur annually. Fraserway, an RV dealership in Canada, lost approximately 100 RVs out of 400 to 500 when a fire broke out. A majority of the rest were extensively damaged. Millions of dollars were lost because of one fire.

The cause? An electrical fire from a single RV started it all. It’s practically impossible to stop a fire from spreading quickly in this situation because it travels quickly from vessel to vessel. In this blog post, you’ll discover fire safety tips for your RV that will help prevent fires from happening in the first place.

How Do RV Fires Start?

RV fires can be caused by a variety of factors, but some of the most common reasons include faulty electrical wiring, overloaded circuits, and improper use or storage of appliances.

Faulty electrical wiring is one of the main causes of RV fires as it can easily become overheated if not inspected and maintained regularly. Overloaded circuits can also cause RV fires by providing too much current to the RV’s electrical system, leading to overheating and possible sparks or shorts. Improper use of RV appliances such as space heaters, cooktops, and portable generators can also lead to RV fires if not operated correctly. Finally, improper storage of RV appliances can cause RV fires if the RV is not adequately ventilated and appliances are left unattended.

It is important to regularly inspect and maintain electrical systems, circuits, RV appliances, and RV storage areas to help prevent RV fires from occurring. 

Statistics reveal an increase in fires during the winter months. The reason? Many RV’ers use space heaters and other portable heaters as mentioned above to stay warm. The problem though is space heaters consume a ton of energy and frequently strain electrical wiring and components. When combined with weak electrical wiring from an outdated, twist-type power delivery system, you put your RV at risk of overheating.

And when that happens, it’s easier for a spark to ignite, setting your RV a blaze. So, what can you do to prevent an RV fire aboard your RV? Here are some helpful tips.

How to Prevent RV Fires

Ensure your safety and make sure all items are in place and working properly.

• A pre-trip checklist to inspect your RV every time you hit the road.
• Three fire extinguishers for your RV – one in the kitchen, one in the bedroom, and one outside in an unlocked compartment or in your tow vehicle. Make sure every traveler knows where they are located and how to use them.
• A smoke detector. In many RV fires investigated, they had either no smoke detector or a non-working smoke detector. Verify yours is in good working condition!
• At least two escape routes and an escape plan. Practice them with your travelers.
• Make sure all travelers can open the front door, hatches, and emergency exits.
• A secure power cord for connecting your RV to a campground’s power supply and of suitable gauge wire to handle the electrical load. SmartPlug is revolutionizing the power delivery industry with RV, marine, and specialty vehicle products. SmartPlug products provide 27x more electrical contact than its antiquated twist-type competitors’ products, whose technology is nearly 100 years old.

The OPTIMAL way to prevent RV fires is to equip your rig with SmartPlug! Because of the way they’re built, the traditional twist-lock power cords can’t create a tight enough connection between your RV and the campground outlet. Without this tight connection, corrosion occurs damaging both your connector and AC inlet. Over time this damage makes your RV susceptible to an electrical fire.

But with SmartPlug technology, you’re far more secure. Our customers rave about how easy it is to use. It plugs straight in – no twisting required. It’s even easy to use at night.

The most important purchase to make after getting an RV is a SmartPlug shore power cord connector and inlet. For more information about our RV products contact us here or call us directly at 206-285-2990. Here’s to your safe RV travels in 2023!