[Michael]

I doubt that you have any access from under the coach to be able to get to the back side of the unit. If you can not get it to open much like the bay doors you may have to order a new handle and then drill out the old to get to the linkage…On some coaches I have been able to get something like a awning rod up by the bumper and push the rear engine door latch then I can access the back of the side door…..

[Will]

Thanks Jeff, got couple 1/4-3/8″ x 5 ft rods, will try, space / clearances are pretty tight from under by the door, unless maybe I go diagonally from middle of the engine compartment with the awning rod…to reach the engine door release

[Archived]

Interesting, my 02 H doesn’t have any engine locking doors, they must have changed at some point.

[Corey]

I’m glad my engine doors lock. I’ve been saving all the dues money we collect, I have filled all the available bay space with bales of Benjamins, and now I am piling the bales in the only remaining space over the engine batteries.

If this keeps up Di has volunteered to leave most of her clothes home and she will let me have use of the closet.

Would I kid you guys?

[joel]

I know you got a lotta shit growing there….but ? Geo.

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1999 XLV X-6872,  liberty #440

[Jerry]

Tom,

Doesn’t your coach have the engine latch release behind the rearmost curbside door that you have to unlock to get to the latch? That’s the way our coach is.

[Archived]

Per, thanks…you are right on …

[Archived]

All of the H’s I’ve had, had a keylock behind a spring loaded flap next to the handle on the engine bay door.

[Archived]

I am experienced at the topic of having the engine doors locked.

I cannot speak about what others have or store in the engine compartment, but I have nothing of value. I suppose someone could open the doors to play a joke, such as flipping the engine run switch, but I know the value of instant engine access. We had a serious engine fire and when seconds count, combined with the mental overload that automatically occurs during an emergency I was glad I could open the engine doors without finding they were locked, and then trying to get them unlocked.

In our case the electric to the coach was gone a nanosecond after the front door lock disengaged. I would not have wanted to have to run back to the front door to retrieve the keys after realizing the doors were locked.

Now that this topic has been brought to mind I should figure a way to always have open access to the engine, but to secure the engine run and rear start capability.

My reasoning is because we put the fire out long before the fire trucks showed up.

[Michael]

Dorel,

I looked at the door again. The mechanism for the door latch has a cover on the back side with 4 bolts. I have an open area behind the AC compressor–no floor–, so access to the back of the door is no problem in our coach. If you have room, you could push a rod up past the air filter and release the engine cover latch like Jeff said, but it is tight. If you don’t have access to the back of the door, you may have no choice but to do like Jeff says and drill out the lock.

[Bill]

Jon,

We always need to be ready for the unexpected because we never know how long the fire dept will take. Having a few fire extinguishers onboard can never hurt either.

[Raymond]

I never lock my engine bay door. I’m always in there checking whatever, or letting heat out. Like Jon, I don’t have anything in there anyone would want, I guess.

[Corey]

Jim,

The extinguishers we had on board were all used up and in addition a couple of truckers used up big extinguishers. The problem was the freon was blowing from the compressor seal behind the clutch, the freon was acting like a blowtorch and as soon as the extinguisher ran out the hot clutch re-ignited the freon.

We drained water from the tank into pots and threw the water on the clutch which was cherry red. When we got its temperature down the fire was extinguished.

The heat was so intense, despite not touching metal directly, the element in the air filter caught fire. I had to unbolt six bolts, pull it out and dowse those flames.

And when the FD showed up they chewed me out for using water. They were not pleased when I told them if they were here when needed they could have dealt with it the right way.

10 plastic battery cases plus 24 lbs of freon is a lot of fuel and the fire was impressive, but not a bit of damage to the interior.

[Archived]

I was wondering what lock everyone was talking about… so I went and looked, and by God there is a lock. Like Jerry, I see no good reason to lock it. Jon has an even better reason not to. Geo.

[Chuck]

There are times and places where we lock everything, including the tow bar to the coach. But after the fire I was really glad the engine doors were unlocked. Everyone has to do what they are comfortable doing.

I do know my fire extinguishers are bigger now and I know where everyone is. I also know that when your bus is on fire people will not react in what I consider a rational way. I had to yell loud and long to Di and her sister to get out of the bus. I assumed when my nephew and I bailed out they were right behind us.

Nope. They were still standing in the living room. We now have a plan of action.