timabob Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Hi Everyone, As you can see I'm new to the forum and also new to Motorhoming (although I have plenty of tugging experience from a few years ago). My wife and I have imported a Hymer from Germany and it is sitting on our drive at the moment while DVLA do their stuff. We are making use of the time to equip our new home. I was loath to starting drilling holes in our pride and joy before we had even used it, but decided we should install a smoke detector, CO detector and fire blanket. The obvious solution seemed to be some of that heavy duty double sided tape. Unfortunately having tried two different sorts everything falls off the walls within 24 hours!!!! I therefore have two questions: firstly has anyone found a non screw based technique for fixing such things. If not or alternatively, what size and type of screws should I use? The wood/laminate or whatever the internal walls are made of seem more substantial than chipboard, so a specialist chipboard screw doesn't seem appropriate. Should I just go for a small diameter wood screw? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sshortcircuit Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Try adhesive velcro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 Welcome to the mad mad mad world of motorhomes and their eccentric owners! Once fitted the items you mention become part of the van and unless you intend to remove them when you sell it why not just screw them to the van like everyone else does! Don't put the smoke detector too close to the cooker or the heater or it will drive you insane with false alarms! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted June 26, 2015 Share Posted June 26, 2015 I used 151 double sided foam tape, make sure the area you stick it to and back of alarm is thoroughly clean, a good rub down with tissue paper worked for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashpark Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 Tracker - 2015-06-26 8:03 PM Don't put the smoke detector too close to the cooker or the heater or it will drive you insane with false alarms! Good advice. I don't know what they put in South American Red wine, but on our first trip in the van, every nocturnal visit to the loo was accompanied by the smoke alarm going off :-| It was also evident that any cooking, regardless of the amount of ventilation or operating extractor fan, would set it off. I'm looking at an alternative model........smoke alarm that is, not Motorhome ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 Ashpark - 2015-06-27 8:11 AM I'm looking at an alternative model........smoke alarm that is, not Motorhome ;-) In our house the only alternative was to fit a heat alarm in the kitchen, don't think that's practical in many vans, but you could go down the changing the van route to one like ours so you can shut the door between the galley and the alarm. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted June 27, 2015 Share Posted June 27, 2015 I'venused double-sided tape to secure things like smoke detectors - but rememeber that it is important to clean and de-grease the surface, so the adhesive can stick properly. I use brake/carburetter cleaner in an aerosol can, squirted onto a piece of kitchen roll with which i then wipe the surface. It is available widely, inc from Halfords. Take care to test the effect of the solvent on the surface somewhere that won't show, just in case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timabob Posted June 29, 2015 Author Share Posted June 29, 2015 Thank you for all your inputs. At the weekend I bought some proper quality double sided stick foam (Unibond) and fingers crossed that seems to have done the job. The stuff I was using before came from a local equivalent of Poundland! You get what you pay for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted June 30, 2015 Share Posted June 30, 2015 Not directly on topic, but still fire-related... On page 184 of the June 2015 issue of MMM magazine - within the “Tech help!” columns - was a question asking “What type of fire extinguisher should I buy?” with the writer saying that he had been advised that it was not good practice to use a dry powder-type of extinguisher within a motorhome. The replies supported that advice, with Peter Rosenthal saying that “... it’s worth noting that the mess caused from the discharge from a dry powder extinguisher is horrific - it’s fiercely corrosive.” I accidentally discharged an ancient ‘one shot’ dry powder extinguisher recently (nothing to do with motorhomes and I’m not going to bore the forum with why and how this happened). Fortunately this was in the open air, but I was still appalled by the mess the powder made. My motorhome was supplied with a 1kg dry powder extinguisher, but I’ve now ‘invested’ in one of these http://www.nationwidefireextinguishers.co.uk/p520089/1ltr-dry-water-mist-fire-extinguisher.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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