Message Forums

Heck!!!

The most frightening bit of your story is, of course, about the tent fire! Any idea how that could have happened? What type of fridge was it? How old?

I'm sure you'll have some recourse with Coleman about the Weathermaster, but the rest, well, scarey stuff!

P.S.

Another reason to have a kitchen tent, methinks, and perhaps to have all gas appliances regularly checked? Could be a warning for us all...

Quote: Originally posted by Liddenham on 13/4/2009

---

P.S.

Another reason to have a kitchen tent, methinks, and perhaps to have all gas appliances regularly checked? Could be a warning for us all...

---

Quote: Originally posted by stormchaser2005 on 13/4/2009

---

the fridge was a combicool 3 way one and it was about 3/4 years old. It was nowhere near the fly sheet as I was always careful about that because of the pilot light. It caught fire around the control panel which is where the gas goes in, the bottle was almost empty so I was hoping that it would last the weekend, thinking perhaps there might have been a leak although I didn't smell anything. I won't be buying another thats for sure! It could have been a lot worse but thankfully nobody was hurt and my dogs were ok but only because of a complete stranger camped next door, people I knew stood and watched it burn.

---

Quote: Originally posted by stormchaser2005 on 13/4/2009

---

Quote: Originally posted by Liddenham on 13/4/2009

---

P.S.

Another reason to have a kitchen tent, methinks, and perhaps to have all gas appliances regularly checked? Could be a warning for us all...

---

Possibly but I don't think I will be camping again any time soon

---

You must be still feeling very shocked (I bet your neighbours are, too!) but there must have been a reason for this, eh?

Quote: Originally posted by stormchaser2005 on 13/4/2009

---

I connected the fridge to the gas at home before I left, I put washing up liquid along the ful length to see if there were any leaks. The fridge was kept indoors so the clips were still spotless. If there were any leaks they weren't obvious and they weren't on the hose itself. As for the reason, I have come to the conclusion that I am not meant to be camping. last easter was a disaster too. I feel like somebody "up there" doesn't like me and is playing with my life just for their own amusement as on top of all this my dog went lame yesterday for the first time in his life.

---

Just trying to work out what happened here, not to apportion blame, but we never attach our gas bottles to appliances until we arrive on site, since things can work loose when packed in a car or trailer, with other stuff up against them and with the vibrations and jolts during a journey.

We do the checks then, not before we leave home.

You reckon this might have made a difference?

PS

We also remove all hoses when the items are in storage, between uses, so there's no residual gas. Did you keep your fridge attached to the gas bottle whilst in storage at home?

So sorry you are feeling so low.

Sounds like a post-mortem on the fridge might be a good idea, and a letter to the manufacturer?

You must be pretty shaken, stormchaser2005. What an experience!

Oh what an awful, shocking experience for you. And so hard to understand and make sense of.

Take care.

Quote: Originally posted by stormchaser2005 on 13/4/2009

---

the fridge went in the skip along with the tent. The side that caught fire was melted along with the whole control panel and the wiring that you could just about see inside. I may contact the manufacturer but I don't think it will make much difference. I'm glad to be home and even more so that my dogs were ok and nobody was injured. It says a lot when people you know watch your tent burn not knowing or apparently caring whether you were inside while complete strangers put it out and help you sort it all out with offers of food, cups of tea and a bed for the night. I have sat and cried a lot and am still to unpack the car which has to be done today as I am back at work tomorrow. If I can get a replacement set of pole for the weathermaster from coleman that will be sold. I am in no hurry to go to any more agility shows or spend another night in a tent.

ETA: I did a quick search and this was the one that I had for anyone that is concerned;

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/articles/view.asp?id=82

---

Seriously, since the fridge wasn't old or damaged, a letter to the manufacturer might help - this might have been from a faulty batch or something?

Perish the thought...

Hope you can keep smiling, stormchaser2005. Instead of thinking negative things are happening, maybe you can look at it this way; you certainly had a lucky escape, so maybe fate was smiling on you after all!