A vehicle fire on the trail can be a big problem but a problem that can be easily mitigated by having a fire extinguisher nearby. A vehicle fire can be dangerous for your rig, your personal safety and potentially cause a forest fire (which you could be responsible for financially). But let’s be honest – there’s a good chance you’re looking at buying an off-road fire extinguisher because it’s requirement of your 4×4 club or other group organizing a trail run.
No matter whether you’re buying an off-road fire extinguisher for your own safety or simply to fulfill a 4×4 club gear requirement, in this article we’ll cover the top off-road fire extinguishers. They’re a little bit different than your normal household extinguishers in terms of size and mounting options – keep reading to find out the differences.
Check out other safety items you should bring, too.
Overview
What Is an Off-road Vehicle Fire Extinguisher?
An off-road fire extinguisher is essentially any vehicle fire extinguisher, potentially with a custom mounting bracket for your 4×4 (i.e. a jeep mounting bracket).
Vehicle fire extinguishers are a little bit more unique than your normal household fire extinguishers because they’re typically a bit smaller and (ideally) they will have extinguishing materials that won’t be corrosive to your paint job or electrical. To that last point, some fire extinguishers, especially the cheaper ones, can potentially do real harm to your electrical and paint job – so read on to find out which ones won’t.
Why Do You Need an Off-road Fire Extinguisher?
The first reason you may need an off-road fire extinguisher is simply because your 4×4 club requires it. No extinguisher, no go.
But outside of club requirements, extinguishers are needed because fires are a substantial threat when off-roading. Fires pose a real threat to off-roaders because of the following:
- A lot of 4x4s have do-it-yourself electrical mods which may not be, errr, quite to electrical standards and can cause fires
- A lot o 4x4s may have a do-it-yourself fuel line mods which may not be, errr, quite up to mechanical standards
- Off-roaders tend to do a lot of camping in dry areas and something as simple as a super-hot catalytic converter can easily cause a fire
- Off-roaders tend to do a lot of open-flame cooking and also a lot of camp fires which can cause fires
Get it? There’s a lot of potential for fire while off-roading.
What Type of Fire Extinguisher Do You Need for Off-roading?
There’s a universal letter-based fire category rating scale that measures the different types of fires that an extinguisher is able to put out. You don’t really need to know what each of these letters corresponds to (see the graphic below though if you do want to geek out), just know that you will want a B-C category fire extinguisher for your vehicle which is going to include the two most common types of vehicle fires: gas fires (category B) and wiring/motor fires (category C). Many extinguishers you find will include more than the categories B-C and that’s fine.
Most safety requirements are also going to require that the extinguisher is UL certified but it’s pretty hard to find a non-UL certified extinguisher on the market.
Top 5 Off-road Fire Extinguishers
Fire Alert Off-road Fire Extinguisher
When it comes to general fire prevention problems, the First Alert Fire Marine Extinguisher provides such versatility.
This off-road fire extinguisher is capable of putting out flames from plainly combustible items like wood and clothes because of its UL rating of 1-A.
Surprisingly, it’s also capable of subduing flames under the B and C categories (10-B;C) which are Liquefied Petroleum Gases (LPGs).
And since it has a monoammonium phosphate component, you can safely spray it on your electronic devices when they’re on fire.
- Has multipurpose function.
- Useful against engine bay fire.
- Affordable.
- Doesn’t have dial to check air pressure.
- Quite difficult to install.
- Pin is made from plastic and not metal.
Amerex B417T Off-road Fire Extinguisher
Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/B001VXRYCM
A leaky fire extinguisher is as good as a gun without bullets. So, getting the Amerex B417T Off-road Fire Extinguisher spells full security.
This is because the body is made of steel and the valves are made of aluminum, which means the extinguishing agent stays intact inside.
Plus, you can use it in your garage, SUVs, and RVs.
- Mounts on different locations for convenience.
- Heavy-duty material.
- Reasonably priced.
- A bit heavy because of the all-metal construction.
Amerex B260 Off-road Fire Extinguisher
Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/B006YS2PBO
When cooking your favorite dish suddenly goes out of hand, trust Amerex B260 Fire Extinguisher to put a stop to a flame that can rapidly spread.
This off-road fire extinguisher is amazing in a sense that it not only covers flames under category A, but also those falling under category K, caused by cooking oils.
Another thing about it is it produces a fine mist that only focuses on the intended area and doesn’t leave unnecessary splashes that should still be cleaned afterwards.
- Gets rid of category A and K fires, especially the latter which is hard to subdue.
- Spraying capacity lasts for 53 seconds.
- Compact for travel purposes.
- Expensive.
- Life span is only up to 3 years.
Smoke Doctor Off-road Fire Extinguisher
Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/B09F3VX83Q
If a non-toxic off-road fire extinguisher’s what you need, Smoke Doctor’s Fire Dog Fire Extinguisher is an excellent choice.
What’s great about this off-road fire extinguisher is it doesn’t irritate the skin which is safe for people with allergies or sensitive skin.
It’s also compact that you can just take it wherever you are, whether you’re riding your pickup truck, boat, etc.
- Safe on skin.
- Can put out C, D and K fire categories.
- Affordable.
- Lightweight.
- Can only put out starting/small fires.
- Not advisable in places with temperatures exceeding 48 degree Celsius.
Cold Fire Off-road Fire Extinguisher
Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/B01I28V6C2
If you’re worried you might not be able to put out a fire in time due to extreme temperature conditions, then the Cold Fire All-season Fire Extinguisher will change your mind.
This off-road fire extinguisher won’t let the biting cold get in the way of a rescue mission because it can subdue flames even at -28 degree Celsius.
Bringing it wherever you go can be very useful in emergency situations due to its compact size.
- Specifically effective against flammable metals like magnesium (category D) but also works on cooking oils (category K).
- Has a cooling effect on hot surfaces.
- Reasonably affordable.
- For one-time use only.
- Extinguishing action only lasts for 5-6 seconds.
How to Mount an Off-road Fire Extinguisher
There are a ton of different mounting options for your fire extinguisher but it’s going to depend a lot on what vehicle you have.
If you have a jeep, there are a number of after market mounting options for mounting directly to your roll cage like the one shown below. This makes them super accessible and also look pretty cool. The problem? They’re also a big theft risk (humans suck).
There are a ton of other vehicle specific mounts like for mounting in the cargo area of your SUV, under your seat, etc. Amazon is your friend in these cases. Just search for [Vehicle make] + extinguisher mount. You’ll find something.
Conclusion
Fire preparedness is something you should always take seriously because fire can happen when you least expect it and it can cause a massive property damage. When your vehicle’s equipped with the right off-road fire extinguisher, you not only spare yourself from danger but you also protect a millions worth of 4×4 investments. Share us your insights about the topic by commenting below.
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