Visit our Popular Forums

SteveSueMac · 08-20-2014, 06:49 AM

Slightly concerned.

Just started cooking breakfast, DW got one of the burners to light but not all. We shut everything down. All windows are open an fans on. Let it air out a few minutes then lit front burner with a lighter. All is well. A few minutes later we hear a pop like a gunshot. I dot smell any propane and we're packed so tight here I can't tell if it came from us or someone next to us but one if our neighbors thought we had slammed a cabinet really hard.

There's definitely nothin wrong in the trailer.

I checked the electrical pedestal to see if maybe that blew up - it's fine. We smell no propane.

Thoughts and suggestions most welcome??

SteveSueMac · 08-20-2014, 06:53 AM

By the way - the sound was definitely not from inside the trailer. If that helps any...

SteveSueMac · 08-20-2014, 06:54 AM

Also - I typed too fast and autocorrect made me sound ignorant....

Wayward · 08-20-2014, 07:14 AM

Check all the rubber lines around the tanks and regulator. An over pressurized or defective rubber line would pop like that.

Also a pressure relief valve will pop when it kicks in. I never heard one so cannot tell you how loud it would be.

mojo · 08-20-2014, 08:13 AM

Check batteries. When they blow, it sounds like a gunshot.

AWCHIEF · 08-20-2014, 08:15 AM

Might have been anything. From a neighbor, kids playing, etc.

SteveSueMac · 08-20-2014, 08:29 AM

Thanks everyone - just found out it was our neighbor's battery exploding! DW and I were taking a walk and noticed a big piece of black plastic on the ground. Sure enough, it matched like a jig saw piece on our neighbor's battery box. The CG owner had been walking up and down our row trying to figure out where the "bang" came from and I showed him the plastic piece. He opened up the neighbor's shattered battery case and the battery itself had clearly exploded. The water cover on one side was nowhere to be found and the top of the battery was ripped from the sides. Must have been one healthy explosion!

Before finding this, I went to my propane tanks - the circle was still green which I thought might be a good sign - if a line had "popped", the tank would presumably have emptied (and we smelled no propane and our propane detector didn't go off). I also traced all the lines from the tanks back to the point the enter the belly pan - no splits, no cracks, no broken joints - so I was still worried something might have popped inside the belly pan. How would you know??

At any rate - while I feel bad for my neighbor, I'm so relieved to know what it actually was! My neighbor on the other side of me has the RV mechanic looking at his rig now because his DW has been smelling smoke the past few nights and thought that bang was in their trailer. And good for them for not taking any chances with that! Hopefully it's nothing, but better safe than sorry!

Thanks all for your thoughts here and the PMs. Very much appreciated!

Oh - and check your battery water often!! :-)

SteveSueMac · 08-20-2014, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mojo

Check batteries. When they blow, it sounds like a gunshot.

Spot on! I know that now! :-)

AWCHIEF · 08-20-2014, 08:33 AM

Glad you found the answer to the mystery. A bit of piece of mind in that.

SteveSueMac · 08-20-2014, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AWCHIEF

Glad you found the answer to the mystery. A bit of piece of mind in that.

Thanks - you said it! Quite a relief!

Tincampers · 08-20-2014, 09:37 AM

Gotta love auto-correct. I predict it will start WWIII.

**Stefrobrts** · 08-20-2014, 11:48 AM

So, the question in my mind is, what makes your battery explode like a bomb?!!

rasjad · 08-20-2014, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

So, the question in my mind is, what makes your battery explode like a bomb?!!

Batteries usually explode either because they are in an unvented space and a spark occurs. Or they are being overcharged and excessive hydrogen gas is vented (and again a spark occurs). Very scary!

Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

**Stefrobrts** · 08-20-2014, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RKL1954

Very scary!

Particularly since mine is under my bed!

Protagonist · 08-20-2014, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

So, the question in my mind is, what makes your battery explode like a bomb?!!

Batteries venting hydrogen might cause an explosion in the battery box, but normally won't cause the battery itself to explode. For that to happen, there has to be ignition INSIDE the battery.

My best guess is that the missing cover that you couldn't find was already missing from the battery, not as a result of the explosion. Then when the spark ignited the hydrogen inside the battery box, the flame back-flashed into the battery through the open fill ports. As the fire tried to expand inside the battery, it expanded faster than the flame could come out the fill ports, and BOOM! That's what an explosion is, a very fast fire that has nowhere to go fast enough to get out of its own way.

Lesson to take away from this (even if it is speculative on my part) never charge your batteries (or use them, for that matter) with the fill covers off.

Jammer · 08-20-2014, 01:04 PM

It's not unusual for batteries with a shorted or frozen cell to explode when being charged or if they are in parallel with a good battery.

cwf · 08-21-2014, 08:38 PM

Was that an SOB or Airstream that had the failure?

Due diligence on batteries... duly noted. Also, a 'spark' can come from poor terminal connectivity... clean your terminals and the clamps...!!!

SteveSueMac · 08-22-2014, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cwf

Was that an SOB or Airstream that had the failure?

Due diligence on batteries... duly noted. Also, a 'spark' can come from poor terminal connectivity... clean your terminals and the clamps...!!!

SOB - plastic battery case blew apart when the battery blew up.

A W Warn · 08-22-2014, 08:39 AM

I left my 99 in storage 700 miles away, plugged into shore power (converter is on a timer though). I was halfway home when I realized I'd forgotten to check the water in the battery. Two months till I'll be back. Reading this thread is giving me heartburn!

SteveSueMac · 08-22-2014, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A W Warn

I left my 99 in storage 700 miles away, plugged into shore power (converter is on a timer though). I was halfway home when I realized I'd forgotten to check the water in the battery. Two months till I'll be back. Reading this thread is giving me heartburn!

Anyone near your storage location with access? Sorry - didn't mean to cause agita!