Our Business is Your Safety and Peace of Mind!

Show Special Pricing:  We are extending our show special pricing on our fire suppression system for a limited time.  We have chosen not to publish the substantial reductions in pricing.  Please call us for the most recent prices (888-349-0704)

Engine and Generator

Fire Detection AND Suppression System

This system was developed by RV Safety Systems.

Please note:  while this system was developed for the RV market, it has a broad range of possible applications including stationary generators, logging equipment, etc. 

Please call us to discuss your application (888-349-0704)

Major System Components:

EG-400 Fire Detection Monitor	RValve electrically activated valve	2.5 Gallon Supply Tank	Special Swirl Nozzle

Note: the above photos are thumbnails - click on them for larger view

This system is designed to continuously monitor the engine and generator compartment's temperatures and automatically extinguish a fire.  The system is very fast reacting and will extinguish a fire before it becomes fully involved.

The generator can now be operated when you are away from the RV without fear of losing of the vehicle and its contents or  exposing your pet(s) to disaster.  If the monitor detects a fire, it triggers the RValve™ which then dispenses highly effective Cold Fire® fire suppression material. 

Our system can safely shut down the generator and/or the propane system if a fire is detected.  Our complete kit contains the generator shut-off module and the propane detector/solenoid valve kit that shuts off the propane in the event of an engine or generator fire.  In addition, the propane system will also shut off the propane if a leak is detected. 

The system mounts the pressure supply system in one of the bays and then dispenses the Cold Fire® racing based fire suppression material very accurately via two swirl head nozzles for the engine compartment and one swirl head for generator compartment. 

System Details:

The two major components of the system are the EG-400™ fire detection system and the RValve™.  They are described below. 

EG-400™ or EG-400-5™

The EG-400™ or EG-400-5™is the fire detection system.  Both units were developed by RV Safety Systems.  They are active alarm systems which continuously monitors the temperature of both the engine and generator compartments and display the selected compartment temperature.  The system provides an audible early warning alarm as well as triggering the RValve™ and fire suppression system if a fire is detected.  Major features of the detection system are:

The EG-400™is a two sensor system that monitors the engine and generator compartment temperature.  The features of this system are listed below.

• A fail-safe and reliable device designed to continuously monitor the engine and generator compartment temperatures.  The digital readout assures the owner that the system is functioning properly.

• Two levels of alarms to give early warning of potential problems.

• Monitor has a relay which activates the RValve™ and the fire suppression system.

• Each compartment low-level (or early warning) alarm set-point can be set by the owner, based on history of that compartment's temperature

• System will detect wiring problems in the sensor wiring (shorts or open circuit)

• Can be easily installed with basic tools

The EG-400-5™ has all of the features of the EG-400™ plus three additional channels to monitor owner selected locations.  The additional three channels are for additional monitoring of temperatures  and are for information only.  They will not trigger the fire suppression system.

For detailed information on the EG-400™, click here

For EG-400™ owner's manual/installation instructions, click here

For EG-400-5™ owner's manual/installation instructions, click here

RValve™

The RValve™is the heart of the fire suppression system.  It was jointly developed with Safecraft Inc., a leader in developing fire suppression systems for racing and military vehicles.

The valve has a proprietary design which incorporates  a high-flow spool valve.  The valve is activated electrically by the EG-400™ if a fire is detected.  It can also be mechanically activated in the event of a major electrical system failure (please note:  the mechanical valve must be held in the open position to completely discharge the pressure vessel.

For more information on the RValve™, click here 

For the fire suppression system installation manual, click here

If all of the information on this, and other referenced, pages is confusing (it was written by an engineer for crying out loud), please check our FAQ document (updated 9/10/07).  This document should concisely answer most questions.   click here

We recently did a "full blown" installation with very high level of "attention to detail" on a gorgeous new coach.  I consider this to be the best installation that I am aware of.  We have documented that installation with several photos, brief description of the installation of each system component, and links to hardware suppliers.  click here

We market our system at three levels:

    The basic system $1695 (add $200 for the EG-400-5):

• EG-400™ or EG-400-5™ fire detection monitor

• RValve™ fire suppression activator

• 2.5 gallon pressure vessel (7 inch diameter, 24.5 inches tall)

• Three swirl nozzles and associated hardware

• 32-ounce bottle of Cold Fire® concentrate (see below for more information)

The complete system $2195 (add $200 for the EG-400-5) (see photos below):

• The basic system listed above
• Beautiful hardwood surround for the monitor (Oak or Cherry)
• Ram Mount for easy mounting of the monitor/surround
• Propane detection and shut off solenoid system.  When this system detects propane, it shuts off the supply.  In combination with our fire suppression system, it will shut off the propane if a fire is detected.
• Generator shut-off timer module.  This relay can be used with most generators.  It briefly connects the stop and ground circuits in the generator control circuit. 

Hardwood surround for monitor (oak or cherry)	Ram Mount for monitor	Generator shut-off module	Propane detection/shut off system	Bosch-type relay and socket (3 ea)

Note:  the above photos are thumbnail, click on them to enlarge

    The complete system installed ($4995)

        We will install the complete system in your coach.  Please contact us for an appointment

If the system is owner-installed, they will need to furnish:

• DOT air brake tubing for plumbing (3/8 copper tubing must be used in the generator and engine compartments).

• 18 or 22 gauge twisted pair cable (commonly called communication cable) for connecting the sensors to the EG-400™, connecting the EG-400™ to the RValve™ and connecting the EG-400™ to a 12V power supply

• Misc. mounting clamps and hardware

Why be concerned about engine fires?

On Friday July 13, a fellow RV owner and vendor to the industry (Motosat products) had a devastating fire that started in the engine compartment.  Their story is posted at:  http://swaimquest.com/Coach_Fire.aspx.  This page is a must read!  It really makes you think about how you would address a similar problem.

Gary and Karen Swaim's fire 7/13/07

On Sunday June 29, 2008 there was another motorhome fire involving a top-of-the-line motorhome.  In addition to the total loss of the vehicles, the owners now face having to pay for the fire department to fight the resulting forest fire!  (click here for details)

Motorhome fire in B.C. 6/29/08

Why be concerned about generator fires?

Statistics suggest that engine fires occur far more frequently than generator fires.  However, generator fires can occur when we are away from our RV and thus can result in a total loss of the RV.  Many inverter/generator systems have an auto start feature than often starts the generator when we are away.  Some folks leave their generator running when they leave to keep the RV cool or to provide a cool environment for their pets. 

We were vendors at the FMCA International Convention in Perry, GA in March of 2007 and had a friend who experienced a major generator fire when they were away from the coach (we were having dinner with them).  Fortunately, some folks close by had extinguishers and were able to extinguish the fire before it spread to the rest of the coach.  The photo below is their coach:

Testing of the system

We have tested the system in a generator box.  The box had two 16 inch diameter pans with about 1/2 inch of diesel fuel/gasoline mixture.  The box effective dimensions were 44 inches long by 24 inches wide by 32 inches tall.  That is a typical size box for a 10-12 KW RV diesel generator.
 

The system was plumbed so that one head was in the box and two heads were outside the box (simulating their being in the engine compartment).  The head and sensor were at the top of the compartment, approximately in the center.

The ambient temperature was about 50 degrees.  The following is the timing of the test event:

• From close of door after starting pans on fire to 97 degree (F) sensor reading:  11 seconds

• From 97 degree reading to first alarm (250 degrees F):  6 seconds

• From first level alarm (250 degrees) to max alarm (400 degrees) and activation of the RValve™:  5 seconds

• From first spray to empty:  40 seconds.

The full test from ignition to complete extinguishing took less than one minute and almost no damage was inflicted on the generator box.  The spray pattern of the nozzles every effectively distributed the Cold Fire® and the fire was out within 10 seconds of activation.  The fire detection system was very responsive, detecting a fire in less than 20 seconds of ignition.  The 40 second discharge time was well in excess of that needed to extinguish the fire, which would virtually eliminate any re-ignition of the fuel.

 

*  This pricing will be announce shortly.  The pricing will be available at the tradeshows we attend, and also on our E-store.  The prices will be offered for a limited time only. Until we establish the prices, please contact us to benefit from this pricing reduction.

Contact us for more information: 

        Email:      jim@rvsafetysystems.com

        Phone:    303-478-3501  or  888-349-0704