Visit our Popular Forums

Horsfall · 08-15-2016, 12:46 PM

Yesterday morning, relaxing in our 23' Flying Cloud on a misty morning on the Longbeach Peninsula, WA., I was frying bacon on the stove - one burner lit, vent fan on (vent fan open too), med. heat, 4 strips, not a big deal, and the smoke alarm goes off. Holy cow it's loud! We finally yanked the battery out of it (and later put it back in). There was no smoke. We opened the door and started the ceiling vent. Has this happened to anyone else? Is the stove vent not up to the task? If it's cold and rainy outside, do I still need to open doors and vents to cook? Thank you for any tips.

Mike

OTRA15 · 08-15-2016, 01:02 PM

Welcome to the forum! Sorry you had to endure this, but IMO the new generation of smoke alarms is ultra-sensitive and unpredictable. I think you did the best you could, and may have answered your own question. Next time, try opening the roof vent closest to the bacon, and put the fan on low, making sure an upwind window or door is cracked open.

At home we have had to come up with lots of work-arounds like this for new smoke detectors installed after a renovation. A pain in the neck but the life you save may be your own.

How have you liked the new trailer otherwise?

Cheers,

Peter

PS -- It is possible that the invisible "smoke" included some burn-off from the cooktop's griddle and other related metal work -- of factory oil etc. applied to prevent rusting. Ditto for a new cast iron pan if you used one. Our dealer mentioned running the oven for an hour to burn it off similarly, but not sure if you have a propane oven.

Hittenstiehl · 08-15-2016, 01:25 PM

There was some previous of bacon inside setting off the alarm.

The answers ranged from taking the battery out for that use only, putting a plastic shower cap on it and what, you cook bacon inside?

lsbrodsky · 08-15-2016, 01:37 PM

This was a real problem for us, with anything on the stove. At first I just pulled the battery. Then I moved the smoke detector to the other end of the trailer. Now all is well.
Larry

Goal15 · 08-15-2016, 01:46 PM

Unfortunately it's not just bacon.... it's impossible to even make toast inside our 23. We use the shower cap solution..... actually any plastic bag that you can put over the smoke alarm. others have suggested hitting the quiet button before making the toast.

My best solution.... making toast outside. i kind of like making toast and coffee outside in the morning...just have to do my best to not wake my spouse with all my clattering around

Dana

Tim A. · 08-15-2016, 01:54 PM

When it was new, our 19' had the smoke alarm essentially above the stove and anything would set it off. The alarm now resides over the bed and no further problems. It isn't as if real smoke from a fire would have far to go to get to where the alarm has been now for years.

Tim

Horsfall · 08-15-2016, 02:36 PM

Thanks guys! I'll try moving it, or temporarily masking it, that is if I don't fry the bacon outside. It was cold.... I know, don't be such a glamper. Appreciate the feedback. MH

John&Vicki · 08-15-2016, 02:56 PM

The smoke alarm going off while making toast appears to be somewhat of an Airstream tradition.

Cheers,
John

teagues · 08-15-2016, 03:23 PM

So this might not apply to your specific model or year, but I discovered last summer (after only owning ours 6 years) that the ventline exhaust thingy outside the trailer has two little tabs that lock the flapper in place. Unless those tabs are turned out to allow the flapper to open, the exhaust hood inside the galley does essentially nothing other than make noise.

I think I might have actually been able to upload a photo!!! If so, on the left you can see one of the two tabs locking down the flapper.

OTRA15 · 08-15-2016, 03:49 PM

Good point teagues, I missed that also when we got our new trailer recently.

Peter

PKI · 08-15-2016, 04:02 PM

Issue discussed prior. Suggestions included replacing with dual detection type smoke detector. More expensive, but not over the top.

The smoke detector issue came up yesterday. A group of WBCCI rally attendees were sitting around at happy hour when the smoke detector went off in the trailer we were siting behind. The oven was heating a the main dish for the pot luck dinner. So even seasoned AS folks struggle with this problem. We just reach up and touch the button on the unit and turn on more vent fans. Someday we'll get around to trying a different detector.

Good luck with yours. Pat

OTRA15 · 08-15-2016, 04:18 PM

FYI here are the search results for "smoke alarm"

https://cse.google.com/cse?cx=011403...arm&gsc.page=1

which include this recent thread when you add "bacon" to the search terms:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f44/...nt-144540.html

As the ad for dog treats says, " I'm bacon ya' ! "

Horsfall · 08-15-2016, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teagues

So this might not apply to your specific model or year, but I discovered last summer (after only owning ours 6 years) that the ventline exhaust thingy outside the trailer has two little tabs that lock the flapper in place. Unless those tabs are turned out to allow the flapper to open, the exhaust hood inside the galley does essentially nothing other than make noise.

I think I might have actually been able to upload a photo!!! If so, on the left you can see one of the two tabs locking down the flapper.

Thanks for the tip. I did check that, and sure enough, it was open. Easy to forget that one, though. MH

Jim Flower · 08-15-2016, 07:12 PM

An Airstream is just like any tin can that must have air egress if one wants air to exit. Long way of saying that if you open a window a bit, all should be ok. Worked for me, but who knows? Jim

Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

Caffeinated · 08-15-2016, 08:43 PM

We pretty much just cook breakfast outside the trailer, on an electric grill plugged into the trailer, and have never had and issue with the smoke detector.

AWCHIEF · 08-15-2016, 08:49 PM

Mine will occasionally set itself off. Usually when I let the pan get too hot or forget to turn the range hood vent fan on.

3wd67rg · 08-15-2016, 08:56 PM

We have a few small, 6 inch clip on fans that we set in various areas to circulate the cool air. I have one that I can point directly at the smoke alarm for just this reason, as soon as I point the fan, alarm goes off.

I don't wish to remove the batteries. Murphy's Law demands that there be a fire shortly after I remove said batteries.

I don't much like Murphy, but I do love our Airstream.

Jammer · 08-15-2016, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Horsfall

Yesterday morning, relaxing in our 23' Flying Cloud on a misty morning on the Longbeach Peninsula, WA., I was frying bacon on the stove - one burner lit, vent fan on (vent fan open too), med. heat, 4 strips, not a big deal, and the smoke alarm goes off. Holy cow it's loud! We finally yanked the battery out of it (and later put it back in). There was no smoke. We opened the door and started the ceiling vent. Has this happened to anyone else? Is the stove vent not up to the task? If it's cold and rainy outside, do I still need to open doors and vents to cook? Thank you for any tips.

Mike

We have switched to a photoelectric detector (not ionization) and now have far fewer false alarms.

Wolfe · 08-15-2016, 10:25 PM

You are going to miss that bacon (NOT) or git a photo cell unit and mount it above the bed, I dont need to be woken when i am cooking.
Not every new wissbang is the best.

Wayne&Sam · 08-16-2016, 07:49 AM

We have a small gizmo that's like a shower cap, used to cover small food containers. I put it over the smoke detector when cooking. I taped a long piece of orange surveyor's tape to it so I wouldn't forget to remove it when I'm done cooking.

Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums