Which fire extinguisher should I get for my van if I want to cook in there?

GervisLooper

What type for possible gas fires

Also I had been thinking about cooking with liquid gases such as petrol or meths/bioethanol. People said generally it is dangerous due to risk of spillage but some said ok if careful.

What fire extinguisher would be suitable for each.

I had been interested in liquid fuels just because they are easier to purchase but may go for gas for safety but recommendations for each.

subjecttocontract

I know nothing about fires or fire extinguishers but in your shoes id be looking at what people do in caravans and motor homes. Usually they cook on bottled gas...butane or propane. Usually they have a standard fire extinguisher (for sale in any camping shop) AND a fire blanket.

GDB2222

As it’s a small space, I don’t think it’s worth hanging around to try to fight the fire. You are probably going to need to claim on insurance anyway, and it’s not worth risking your life to save the insurance company’s money.

twopenny

Maybe have a look in a caravan supply shop and see what they have.
Or an onsite shop in a caravan park. I've never found they mind people walking in.
A fire blanket sounds an ok idea but as said, you'll need to be out the door sharpish so keep it near the door so you can grab it.
Also you be between the door and the stove to be safe while cooking would be a good habit to get into.

GervisLooper

twopenny said:

Maybe have a look in a caravan supply shop and see what they have.
Or an onsite shop in a caravan park. I've never found they mind people walking in.
A fire blanket sounds an ok idea but as said, you'll need to be out the door sharpish so keep it near the door so you can grab it.
Also you be between the door and the stove to be safe while cooking would be a good habit to get into.

Apart from my bedding, which I can move away when cooking to the other side, there arent really any highly ignitible materials. The floor, walls and roof are all wood and the rest is just plastic containers and some exposed metal of the van. Yea I know wood burns but it would take a while and if you are tending the stove with a fire extinguisher within arms reach I dont see how it would get out of hand easily unless I am missing something.

GDB2222

GervisLooper said:

twopenny said:

Maybe have a look in a caravan supply shop and see what they have.
Or an onsite shop in a caravan park. I've never found they mind people walking in.
A fire blanket sounds an ok idea but as said, you'll need to be out the door sharpish so keep it near the door so you can grab it.
Also you be between the door and the stove to be safe while cooking would be a good habit to get into.

Apart from my bedding, which I can move away when cooking to the other side, there arent really any highly ignitible materials. The floor, walls and roof are all wood and the rest is just plastic containers and some exposed metal of the van. Yea I know wood burns but it would take a while and if you are tending the stove with a fire extinguisher within arms reach I dont see how it would get out of hand easily unless I am missing something.

The risk is that you are deep frying something and the hot oil catches fire. In a confined space it can form a fireball that will burn you very severely. If you’re unlucky, you will survive. 

If you only heat up a can of beans or make a cup of coffee, the only real risk is the stove malfunctioning. If there’s a gas leak you can possibly solve that problem by turning off the gas valve on the cylinder. 

If you are going to be using this in the summer when the weather is nice, I suggest you buy a camping stove and set it up outside the van. If you’re planning on using the van during the winter, how will you heat it?

BlueVeranda

GervisLooper said:

twopenny said:

Maybe have a look in a caravan supply shop and see what they have.
Or an onsite shop in a caravan park. I've never found they mind people walking in.
A fire blanket sounds an ok idea but as said, you'll need to be out the door sharpish so keep it near the door so you can grab it.
Also you be between the door and the stove to be safe while cooking would be a good habit to get into.

Apart from my bedding, which I can move away when cooking to the other side, there arent really any highly ignitible materials. The floor, walls and roof are all wood and the rest is just plastic containers and some exposed metal of the van. Yea I know wood burns but it would take a while and if you are tending the stove with a fire extinguisher within arms reach I dont see how it would get out of hand easily unless I am missing something.

You're missing the time you forget to move the bedding away, or get out of the habit of moving it. You're missing the time you aren't actively tending the stove for some reason, or get out of the habit of being careful, and the fire extinguisher suddenly isn't within arm's reach. You're missing that things can escalate faster than you think.

If we all operated under ideal conditions all of the time, nobody would ever have a cooking fire, but they do happen 

casper_gutman

Unless I had a really big van with effective extraction I don't think I would want to do much cooking in a campervan anyway - certainly nothing beyond boiling a kettle or warming soup, beans etc.

Any cooking involving frying smells and oil spatter I'd aim to do outside to keep the van fresh and clean. My firefighting plan there would involve a fire blanket to smother pan fires (I always have one around anyway for protecting the grass from being scorched by the firepit) and, especially in dry conditions, a bucket of water on the off chance I somehow manage to set the grass on fire.

In the van I'd have a water mist extinguisher. See info at https://www.safelincs.co.uk/caravan-fire-extinguishers/

Eldi_Dos

@GervisLooper
Look into fitting a inverter in your van and using a two plate mini hotplate for cooking,saves having any inflammable liquids or gas in your sleeping area.
When you find out the correct extinguisher required you may need two.

FreeBear

GervisLooper said: Also I had been thinking about cooking with liquid gases such as petrol or meths/bioethanol. People said generally it is dangerous due to risk of spillage but some said ok if careful.

Having used meths, petrol, and propane stoves for camping, gas is by far the easiest to control. Meths has a low energy density, so you end up using a lot more than say petrol. The purple dye that is added to domestic grade meths also stains everything it comes in to contact with.

If you go for petrol, do not use pump grade fuel - modern formulations clog up the jets, give off nasty fumes, and can impart an unpleasant taste to your food. Finding stockists of suitable petrol is not that easy, and it can get very expensive..

Bottled gas, whilst not particularly cheap, is available at most garage forecourts, and just about anywhere where camper vans & caravans congregate. Unlike petrol, there is no priming involved. Just turn the tap on, and you are ready to cook. just keep the bottle in a (van) sealed container that vents to the outside.

With any appliance burning a fuel, it is essential that you have a carbon monoxide alarm (that is CO, not CO2). In a small space, it wouldn't take long for CO concentrations to rise to an unsafe level.

Eldi_Dos

FreeBear said:

GervisLooper said: Also I had been thinking about cooking with liquid gases such as petrol or meths/bioethanol. People said generally it is dangerous due to risk of spillage but some said ok if careful.

 just keep the bottle in a (van) sealed container that vents to the outside.

With any appliance burning a fuel, it is essential that you have a carbon monoxide alarm (that is CO, not CO2). In a small space, it wouldn't take long for CO concentrations to rise to an unsafe level.

Also a rotary roof vent  would be required, not a bad idea if you are sleeping in the van.