| Author | Message | ||
| NH BIll (Nh_wanderer)
Registered Member Username: Nh_wanderer Post Number: 30 Registered: 11-2008 Posted From: 98.229.237.8  Rating: N/A |
Hello all, Some friend's 1995 Blue Bird Wanderlodge coach burned a few nights ago while it was plugged in at their home. They had just returned from five weeks on the road. They were in the house eating when he smelled the electrical burn and alarms in the coach went off. The fire appears to have started in the front at the genset. He put hoses and extinguishers on it at once, called 911 and the fire dept came put it out. Then the fire department left. At this point the damage was confined to the front and primarily in the generator compartment. He towed the coach away from the house and left it in the driveway. They went out to get a pizza and less than an hour later got a call from a neighbor stating they heard an explosion and the entire coach was in flames! Still trying to determine the exact cause. Speculating it might have been a chaffed battery cable grounding out. The following link is to a current "lessons learned" discussion and more photos. Randy and Carol have owned buses for over 30 years and are very knowledgeable about them. The point is, this could happen to any of us. Condolences to Randy and Carol. < http://www.wanderlodgeownersgroup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4558 >  NH Bill (Message edited by NH_Wanderer on November 08, 2009) | ||
| marvin pack (Gomer)
Registered Member Username: Gomer Post Number: 654 Registered: 3-2007 Posted From: 71.53.155.14  Rating: N/A |
Gosh!! Condolences to them also. Thanks Bill Gomer | ||
| thomas flocks (Taflocks)
Registered Member Username: Taflocks Post Number: 66 Registered: 9-2009 Posted From: 69.205.11.117 Rating: N/A |
that sucks...i just found 3 loose battery connections and one on the genset i will look for chafing this morning.maybe battery shutoffs would be a good idea for storage use? | ||
| Nellie Wilson (Vivianellie)
Registered Member Username: Vivianellie Post Number: 385 Registered: 11-2008 Posted From: 75.178.92.43  Rating: N/A |
My condolences too. That is just awful...if I put myself in their place I'd be totally devastated. I pray things work out for them. Nellie Wilson | ||
| Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Registered Member Username: Buswarrior Post Number: 1737 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 76.68.122.187  Rating: |
Interesting... the first thing the fire department likes to do is cut the battery cables with the bolt cutters... Sounds like they didn't in this case. Burned wires up front, with the batteries still connected? Recipe for disaster. No system on that coach could be trusted after the first fire. If you have a fire, all sources of power and fuel should be isolated until systems can be verified, and all cabling, chassis, house, shore, inverter, converter, charger and generator in the vicinity can be inspected for damage. Your batteries and wiring need to be considered an equal or bigger danger than the propane tank. a most unfortunate incident! happy coaching! buswarrior | ||
| doug yes (Dougg)
Registered Member Username: Dougg Post Number: 109 Registered: 1-2007 Posted From: 174.131.47.77 Rating: N/A |
I'm glad they were not in the bus. | ||
| NH BIll (Nh_wanderer)
Registered Member Username: Nh_wanderer Post Number: 32 Registered: 11-2008 Posted From: 98.229.237.8 Rating: N/A |
Here is another Photo of Blue Bird Bar B Que. Check that wiring and those fire extinguishers!  NH BIll | ||
| Josh McElhiney (Zcommanager)
Registered Member Username: Zcommanager Post Number: 94 Registered: 1-2009 Posted From: 75.187.41.177  Rating: N/A |
WOW!!! With that kind of heat and "flameage" I'm truly surprised there is anything left of the Old Bird. From the initail photo, it did not look so bad. I am surely glad nobody was inside when it became engulfed. Best Wishes to the Owners!! Josh |
