We take the extra time to craft your VanLeigh Fifth Wheel with the greatest attention to detail.
We like to approach our work with a quality-over-quantity attitude.
A simple onboard fire-suppression system provides round-the-clock, maintenance-free protection.
By Bob Livingston
No one likes to talk about fires. Reality suggests that structures, vehicles and landscapes are subject to fires under unfortunate circumstances. If that weren’t the case, there would be no such thing as a fire department.
RV manufacturers build in safeguards and emergency exits to comply with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes. However, relying on first responders in the event of an RV fire likely will not end on a positive note. Therefore, owners are charged with taking certain precautions, having a solid emergency plan and practicing their evacuation routine should a fire break out.
In most cases, the provided fire extinguisher is grossly inadequate — ironic, isn’t it? Usually, the only option is for owners to get out of their motorhome when a fire erupts. In this scenario, there’s not much time to react because it only takes a few minutes for a motorhome to become fully engulfed in flames.
Proteng, a Florida-based company, focuses on suppressing fires instantly to provide owners enough time to get out of their motorhomes safely and limit collateral damage. It gained its fire-protection experience in the race-car industry, building prototypes for Grand Prix-type events. Proteng designed unique and innovative race-car chassis and engines using new technology, which led to several fires that seriously impacted investors and timing. Chemicals from standard fire extinguishers destroyed the electronics, which was another expensive lesson.
The Proteng THIA (tube + heat = instant action) system was developed out of necessity and is now targeted at the RV industry as a viable fire-suppression product that not only saves lives but prevents the aforementioned collateral damage. The simplicity of the system is astounding. Special tubes are filled with proprietary gas and a compound that is expelled when heat causes a rupture. Basically, the tube explodes, and the contents extinguish the flames instantly. When this happens, there’s a loud bang comparable to a gunshot. There’s no way to sleep through this noise, so occupants have time to vacate.
When Proteng’s owner Dusan Maly was asked about the non-corrosive gas and compound used to suppress the flames, he smiled and said, “Very much like Coca-Cola, we don’t tell you.” What Maly will tell you is that there are various types of tubing that respond at different discharge temperatures. A super heavy-duty tube can handle extreme temperatures, like those found in bigger displacement diesel engine compartments.
Of course, there are always skeptics who doubt the reliability and effectiveness of such a simple device, and its ability to suppress a fire. To prove the value of the Proteng system, a dramatic demonstration was staged. A rag saturated with charcoal lighter fluid was placed in a pan below a Proteng tube specifically sized for a Plexiglas box. The fire was ignited, and within seconds the tubing ruptured, and the fire was out, leaving no residue. It was quite impressive.
The demonstration reinforced the need to size each tube for the specific compartment and equipment being protected. Likely protection points include the refrigerator compartment (when using an absorption unit), engine bay, battery bank, hydronic heating components, generator compartment and places where there are electrical devices and wiring. The THIA system is designed for these hard-to-reach areas to suppress fire at the source. It comes in two versions: standard and heavy-duty.
Lithium batteries present an additional risk when amperage discharge is too fast and deep, and when temperatures soar. Lithium battery banks are protected by shut-off circuits, but an electronic failure can set the stage for a fire. The Proteng system may not completely eliminate a lithium battery thermal event but it will provide enough time to vacate the motorhome, according to Maly.
Redlands Truck & RV in California was an early adopter of the product, and its personnel have been trained by Proteng. To demonstrate the installation process, a number of tubes were mounted in key areas on a Class A motorhome.
Installation is customized to your RV and is relatively easy once the tricks of the trade are learned, such as insulating the tubing from heat sources that are not flame-related. First, a technician will use a worksheet to determine the length and type of each tube, based on each compartment’s physical dimensions and component(s). A laser tool is used to record measurements. The formula looks like one taught in a college chemistry class and is used to calculate the amount of suppression product inside a specific length of tubing.
The tubes are strategically placed and secured with special, heat-resistant cable ties and insulated clamps. For example, sections of rubber hose are used to keep the tubes isolated from mounting points in the back of the refrigerator. It takes about two hours to completely install tubing that will cover all vulnerable points in a diesel pusher motorhome. No maintenance is required, and the tubes can be relocated to a different motorhome, if the owner desires. If left inside a motorhome that’s being sold, the Proteng protection system can be a selling point to prospective buyers.
Motorhomes are complex machines and the last thing owners want to worry about is a fire. The Proteng THIA fire suppression system will provide peace of mind because with it in place, an unfortunate fire will likely be less catastrophic.
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