Erv,
Glad to hear everybody got out and the coach can be repaired. I'm a first
time GMC owner, too and an engine compartment fire is one of the scariest
things I can imagine.
Hope everything works out with the insurance and that Cinnabar gets your
coach repaired soon so you can enjoy it some more this summer.
Keep on GMCing,
Peter
77 Eleganza II
Colorado
> After we got home and unloaded, we went to town to dump our holding tank
at
> the 4-H Fairgrounds (town of Lagrange, about 2 miles from home). On the
way
> back through town, I suddenly felt the accelerator pedal drop to the
floor. I
> started turning to leave the road, and noticed the engine had died. We
> stopped in front of a glass shop, and immediately saw smoke rolling from
the
> front. I got out to look behind the access doors, but could only see a lot
of
> gray smoke. A man across the street at a supermarket yelled "You're on
fire -
> should I call 911?"
> I said "Yes, get the fire department out here!"
>
> I cleared off the engine cover and took out the screws, then waited for
the
> firemen. They got it out in short order. Big excitement for a while,
though.
> Big fire engine, Rescue unit, Police, traffic blocked on Main Street - the
> whole shebang! I believe half the people in town were at the supermarket
> across the road, watching us.
>
> We lost all the hoses and wires on top of the engine, the engine cover is
> badly charred, etc. Haven't really dug any further than this, but it
appears
> it started from an electrical short (?). Fuel line does not appear
damaged,
> as there was no fire below the top of the engine.
>
> Rear air bags were low because of damaged airlines, and the tow truck guy
saw
> he couldn't tow it from the front, so he towed from the rear - had to
> disconnect shift linkage, as the shift lever won't budge. It is now
sitting
> in his wrecking yard, awaiting an investigator from the insurance company
to
> try to determine the cause of the fire.
>
> I learned a few lessons:
> - I WILL HAVE a fire extinguisher on board when we go on the next trip.
> Really stupid not to have had one this time, after the minor fire we had
in
> CA on our first day.
>
> - I WILL put a Schrader valve and a shutoff on each air bag before our
next
> trip. Dave at NorCal GMC in San Rafael told us we should put these on, and
> showed us a coach with these installed. I thought it was a good idea, but
> just hadn't got it done yet . . . I will now.
>
> Because of the good reports from you folks on this Net, we got insurance
from
> RV Alliance. Their Claims Dept. called me today, and it sounds like they
will
> be good to work with. When I mentioned that I would like to have it
repaired
> in Sandusky, MI (about 250 miles from here) they said that should be no
> problem.
>
> I'll keep you posted on how we come out with this.
>
> Erv and Emma Troyer
> Lagrange IN
> 74 Sequoia (temporarily retired)
>
Glad to hear everybody got out and the coach can be repaired. I'm a first
time GMC owner, too and an engine compartment fire is one of the scariest
things I can imagine.
Hope everything works out with the insurance and that Cinnabar gets your
coach repaired soon so you can enjoy it some more this summer.
Keep on GMCing,
Peter
77 Eleganza II
Colorado
> After we got home and unloaded, we went to town to dump our holding tank
at
> the 4-H Fairgrounds (town of Lagrange, about 2 miles from home). On the
way
> back through town, I suddenly felt the accelerator pedal drop to the
floor. I
> started turning to leave the road, and noticed the engine had died. We
> stopped in front of a glass shop, and immediately saw smoke rolling from
the
> front. I got out to look behind the access doors, but could only see a lot
of
> gray smoke. A man across the street at a supermarket yelled "You're on
fire -
> should I call 911?"
> I said "Yes, get the fire department out here!"
>
> I cleared off the engine cover and took out the screws, then waited for
the
> firemen. They got it out in short order. Big excitement for a while,
though.
> Big fire engine, Rescue unit, Police, traffic blocked on Main Street - the
> whole shebang! I believe half the people in town were at the supermarket
> across the road, watching us.
>
> We lost all the hoses and wires on top of the engine, the engine cover is
> badly charred, etc. Haven't really dug any further than this, but it
appears
> it started from an electrical short (?). Fuel line does not appear
damaged,
> as there was no fire below the top of the engine.
>
> Rear air bags were low because of damaged airlines, and the tow truck guy
saw
> he couldn't tow it from the front, so he towed from the rear - had to
> disconnect shift linkage, as the shift lever won't budge. It is now
sitting
> in his wrecking yard, awaiting an investigator from the insurance company
to
> try to determine the cause of the fire.
>
> I learned a few lessons:
> - I WILL HAVE a fire extinguisher on board when we go on the next trip.
> Really stupid not to have had one this time, after the minor fire we had
in
> CA on our first day.
>
> - I WILL put a Schrader valve and a shutoff on each air bag before our
next
> trip. Dave at NorCal GMC in San Rafael told us we should put these on, and
> showed us a coach with these installed. I thought it was a good idea, but
> just hadn't got it done yet . . . I will now.
>
> Because of the good reports from you folks on this Net, we got insurance
from
> RV Alliance. Their Claims Dept. called me today, and it sounds like they
will
> be good to work with. When I mentioned that I would like to have it
repaired
> in Sandusky, MI (about 250 miles from here) they said that should be no
> problem.
>
> I'll keep you posted on how we come out with this.
>
> Erv and Emma Troyer
> Lagrange IN
> 74 Sequoia (temporarily retired)
>
wner-gmcmotorhome]On Behalf Of Reo43
