Check Emergency Exit Window

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BobM

Check Emergency Exit Window

Post by BobM »

I recently read an article on motor home fire safety that caught my eye. One item in particular seemed to warrant immediate attention, so I went out to my 2004 26RSB Born Free to check the emergency exit window which is in the rear of my coach. The concern identified in the article was that the window gasket may stick to the window frame thus making it difficult to open. What happen, was totally unexpected. The gasket, though sticky, was easily freed from the window, but the window would not open. It took me 20 minutes to open the emergency exit window. It is fair to say that in a real emergency I would have not survived. The problem, the window was jammed by a piece of Styrofoam that was 3 inches, by one inch by 1/8 inch thick. It appears that either the window manufacturer or Born Free used a number of these pieces ( a total of 6 ) to ensure a firm fit for the window. Over time, 13 years in my case, the Styrofoam which was glued to the window frame unglued and wedged itself between the window and window frame. In a real emergency I might have kicked the window out, but this is not easy to do in a Rear Side Bed model. This is a serious problem with an easy fix, unless you are in an emergency situation. I think it is important that all Born Free owners take the time to check their emergency windows. Maybe Born Free could alert owners to review this issue and offer a solution other than removing the Styrofoam strips if they were used in more coaches than just mine. Removing the Styrofoam strips is not difficult. Not sure what the long term issue is with removing the strips, but time will tell. Take the time to check your emergency exit window. It is well worth your time.
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