Fire Extinguisher Mount - How to, parts, prices and pics

[LBM4]

I did a search, but didn't see anything regarding this, so here is goes. Mods, if I am wrong, I apologize. This would be a general how to post and parts list (where to buy and pricing):

1. I bought a general ABC fire extinguisher off Amazon for $20. (First pic below). It's a nice small one that would be good for a small fire in the cabin. Won't do much if the main battery pack is on fire, so that IS NOT what this is for.

2. Bought a quick release mount off AliExpress for $6.99 (Second pic below). Took a couple weeks to arrive, so if you are in a hurry, you can get them off Amazon, but you'll be spending $26. Just do a search for "fire extinguisher quick release mount"

3. Bought the Model 3 rear trunk organizer/side divider off Amazon for $16.99. (Third pic below). This is the mounting point for the quick release and extinguisher, as it is just velcroed in place and is easy to mount the fire extinguisher on to it. Buy a few bolts from Home Depot or Lowes or whatever hardware store is in your country. Get bolts that a about 1.5 inches long, two washers and nuts. The divider is just ply wood, so there will be no need to over torque this.

4. Mark and drill 2 holes on the divider. (See fourth pic below) Do a dry fit first, so your holes will be high enough off the bottom of the trunk, that way the fire extinguisher has clearance when mounted. Then put the extinguisher on the quick release stand. (See remaining pics)

5. Put the C-clamps around the bottle and attach the quick release. And yes, you can still pull the top off the lower trunk bay, without removing the fire extinguisher. There is just enough clearance. If you buy a larger extinguisher, this may not be the case though. Enjoy.

 

[ScottNY]

Probably a bit more expensive than your solution, but way more compact and much better suited to an EV:

Element - Fire Extinguishers

80% smaller & has 5x the discharge time of a traditional fire extinguisher. Makes no mess, requires no service and will not cause additional damage to any of your possessions.

elementfire.com

 

[LBM4]

Probably a bit more expensive than your solution, but way more compact and much better suited to an EV:

Element - Fire Extinguishers

80% smaller & has 5x the discharge time of a traditional fire extinguisher. Makes no mess, requires no service and will not cause additional damage to any of your possessions.

elementfire.com

It's pretty cool, but 2 disadvantages that I see. 1. You have to be within inches of the fire to use it and it only puts out a very small area. 2. Once you start it, you can't stop it, nor recharge it.

 

[jjrandorin]

OP, since you acknowledge this is not for battery fires, in what circumstance do you expect to be able to use a fire extinguisher that you have in your vehicle, on your vehicle? How is a fire getting into the cabin (one that you could put out with such an extinguisher)?

I have one for my kitchen (everyone should, imo) but the use case there is super apparent. I am not seeing it here.

 

[civicdrivr]

Not to pile on, but if there is a fire in the cabin, you want the extinguisher within arms reach in the cabin with you. Not in the trunk.

If you have an electrical fire, there's no guarantee you're getting the trunk open, and the extinguisher won't help anyway. Your one and only goal in that situation is making sure you and any passengers are safely out of the car.

 

[LBM4]

Not to pile on, but if there is a fire in the cabin, you want the extinguisher within arms reach in the cabin with you. Not in the trunk.

If you have an electrical fire, there's no guarantee you're getting the trunk open, and the extinguisher won't help anyway. Your one and only goal in that situation is making sure you and any passengers are safely out of the car.

Not piling on. I have no illusion of putting a big fire out with a tiny canister. This is for certain situations that might arise. Small fire in the house, while camping, good Samaritan need, maybe someone else needs one, maybe a small fire is caused due to a stuck rotor/pads.

If the car is engulfed in flames, nothing is going to help. This is nothing more than a little extra insurance. People love to break other people down on here, for no apparent reason. I could care less if people do that to me. If you think the idea of a fire extinguisher is stupid, or a waste of time, so be it. I'm not forcing anyone to do what I did. This post is simply here for those that wish to use the info.

 

[ScottNY]

It's pretty cool, but 2 disadvantages that I see. 1. You have to be within inches of the fire to use it and it only puts out a very small area. 2. Once you start it, you can't stop it, nor recharge it.

I’ve actuallly tested one. You absolutely don’t need to be “within inches” of the fire to use it, and I’d rather have a minute and a half of discharge than the typical 15-20 seconds of a small extinguisher. With such a long discharge, you can use it on a larger fire (area, not intensity - though I’m sure it would handle higher intensity fires better than a typical rechargeable ABC canister type extinguisher.) True, you can’t use it again, but having a longer discharge is much more likely to put a fire out. Also, if using it for home or office, especially with electronics involved, the fact there is no residue (and won’t asphyxiate you like using halon can) makes a huge difference in post-fire cleanup and damage from contaminants.

 

[LBM4]

I’ve actuallly tested one. You absolutely don’t need to be “within inches” of the fire to use it, and I’d rather have a minute and a half of discharge than the typical 15-20 seconds of a small extinguisher. With such a long discharge, you can use it on a larger fire (area, not intensity - though I’m sure it would handle higher intensity fires better than a typical rechargeable ABC canister type extinguisher.) True, you can’t use it again, but having a longer discharge is much more likely to put a fire out. Also, if using it for home or office, especially with electronics involved, the fact there is no residue (and won’t asphyxiate you like using halon can) makes a huge difference in post-fire cleanup and damage from contaminants.

1. No one is using halon. Not even sure why you put that in your post?
2. I agree that clean up is much easier with this, and I'm sure it has its use cases, where it would be more effective than an ABC fire extinguisher.
That said, as someone that had to learn to be a firefighter onboard Navy ships, I know with 100% certainty what a fire extinguisher can deal with and in a majority of conditions.
3. As someone that has 3rd degree burns on 10% of my body (not related to fire fighting, but from a motorcycle vs car accident), I would never risk getting close enough to a flame with what is essentially a flare to fight a fire.
That's just me though. I'll stick to the tried and true fire extinguisher.

 

[ScottNY]

1. No one is using halon. Not even sure why you put that in your post?

Many commercial IT server rooms and even some older data centers still have halon extinguishers since ABC is not allowed in those locations. The Element extinguisher is perfect for those environments.

 

[ScottNY]

3. I would never risk getting close enough to a flame with what is essentially a flare to fight a fire.

A flare projects its “flame” maybe 6-8 inches. The Element may be shaped like a flare and ignited like one, but that’s where the similarities end. Like I said, I’ve actually USED the Element and have also used a few different sized Kidde ABC rechargeable extinguishers in my day, and the reach of the Element is equivalent to any portable Kidde; therefore the distance to the flame is equivalent. If you’re talking about the reach of a larger wall-mounted extinguisher vs. the Element, then you aren’t comparing “apples to apples.”
As a firefighter, you know that a traditional extinguisher is pointed at the base of the fire and can often scatter burning materials from the force of the discharge.
With the Element, you sort of “surround and enclose” the flames with the Element’s vapor. There is no forceful discharge, so you won’t spread any burning materials. That’s a huge plus.

I don’t work for them, and I’m not trying to sell anyone on it, but I’m correcting your statements so that if someone on this forum IS interested in a great portable solution that works well, they get accurate information from someone who actually used the product to put out a gasoline fire from a riding mower that also set part of the shed on fire. My old ABC extinguisher would have been long depleted before that fire was out; and I didn’t need to get closer with the “flare” than I would have with a traditional portable extinguisher.

Many people are very happy with older, more familiar technology, but that doesn’t mean newer products aren’t as effective or even more so. To each their own.

 

[rosinhound]

How are you traveling with a halon system?

Silly

 

[skygraff]

Not piling on. I have no illusion of putting a big fire out with a tiny canister. This is for certain situations that might arise. Small fire in the house, while camping, good Samaritan need, maybe someone else needs one, maybe a small fire is caused due to a stuck rotor/pads.

If the car is engulfed in flames, nothing is going to help. This is nothing more than a little extra insurance. People love to break other people down on here, for no apparent reason. I could care less if people do that to me. If you think the idea of a fire extinguisher is stupid, or a waste of time, so be it. I'm not forcing anyone to do what I did. This post is simply here for those that wish to use the info.

To each their own and your purposes seem reasonably thought out. That said, even though I don’t have one installed in my model 3, every commercial vehicle I’ve ever driven or flown has had a fire extinguisher in reach of the operator.

For the purpose of fighting a small cabin fire, it just makes sense to have it within the cabin and I can think of a few less than obtrusive places to mount one in a 3 or Y (not familiar enough with current S & X layout). It also looks like that spot would interfere with cargo space and car camping options but, again, to each their own and I hope you never have to use it.

Thanks for the post!

 

[Cozy41EF]

Porsche guys mount a fir extinguisher on a bracket that attaches in front of the passenger seat. If the diameter is small, it isn't int he way.

I too went through shipboard firefighting training, many times. All of my cars have a small CO2, as well as the kitchen, garage, and near breaker box.

 

[LBM4]

Porsche guys mount a fir extinguisher on a bracket that attaches in front of the passenger seat. If the diameter is small, it isn't int he way.

I too went through shipboard firefighting training, many times. All of my cars have a small CO2, as well as the kitchen, garage, and near breaker box.

Navy, coast guard or civilian? If you are fellow Navy, what ships?

 

[Cozy41EF]

Navy, coast guard or civilian? If you are fellow Navy, what ships?

Retired Navy, Nuke ET Chief. SSBN 625B, SSBN 658B, SSN 763. Retired at Pearl Harbor in Dec 2000.

 

[LBM4]

Retired Navy, Nuke ET Chief. SSBN 625B, SSBN 658B, SSN 763. Retired at Pearl Harbor in Dec 2000.

Boomers, huh? Only time I spent on a boomer, was on the Kamehameha (SSBN642). Don't think I could do an entire cruise in a bottle! Respect to you!
I'm a retired 1630 and before that a YN. Deployed on LPD-7, CVN-71, and CVN-72. Retired in 2014. Good to meet ya, Chief.

 

[ScottNY]

How are you traveling with a halon system?

Silly

Who ever said I’m traveling with Halon? I’m an IT tech, and I’ve come across a few server closets that still have halon extinguishers. I was only making a comparison of the Element extinguisher to Halon because they are both free of residue and liquid.
Sensitive electronics/computer equipment cannot tolerate the mess a dry chemical ABC extinguisher would leave behind. Sheesh.

 

[jgilbs85]

Ex-Firefighter here. If your car is on fire, the first thing you want to do is get out, and opening the trunk to get the extinguisher might not be possible.

HOWEVER, one of the first accidents I responded to in my career was an entrapment with the vehicle on fire. The patient had some horrific burns, but due to a trucker passing by who had an extinguisher and was able to put out the fire, the patient lived. For that reason I will ALWAYS carry a fire extinguisher in my vehicle - its much more likely to be used to help someone else than myself.

 

[pikeman]

Sorry, your intention is good, but entirely wasted. If the Tesla is on fire, run away. Call 911. Tell them it’s a Tesla. Then get further away.

 

[jgilbs85]

Sorry, your intention is good, but entirely wasted. If the Tesla is on fire, run away. Call 911. Tell them it’s a Tesla. Then get further away.

Youre missing the point. The extinguisher isnt just for you, its for any situations you might encounter in the field. Also, even on the Tesla not all fires involve the HV system. But you do you.