RVers who went to bed believing everything was fine frequently pass away from carbon monoxide poisoning. but you never get up.

The main risk to RVers is carbon monoxide.

The story of how it occurs is all too frequently told by a horrific event that occurred in Alabama.

near the Talladega Speedway, in a campground. Carbon monoxide poisoning claimed the life of Murfreesboro, Tennessee resident Craig Franklin Morgan, 46. Friends who went into the RV that Morgan and his wife, Jami Allison Morgan, 38, were staying in at the South Campground outside the track, found them motionless.

According to the police, the family’s RV’s exhaust system may have been the source of the carbon monoxide leak.

According to Talladega County Sheriff Jimmy Kilgore, the RV’s generator, which operated all night Friday, had a damaged exhaust pipe.

Friends went hunting for the Morgans on Saturday morning after they failed to appear.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning is common

The CDC estimates that every year, unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning claims the lives of at least 430 Americans.

The U.S. emergency room sees about 50,000 cases of unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning every year.

In fact, the leading cause of poisoning-related fatalities each year is carbon monoxide.

Carbon Monoxide is the Silent Killer

The incomplete combustion of solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels results in the production of the lethal, invisible, and odorless gas known as carbon monoxide.

Furnaces, kerosene heaters, automobiles “warmed up” in garages, stoves, lanterns, gas ranges, portable generators, and the burning of charcoal and wood all emit gases that contain carbon monoxide.

These sources of carbon monoxide have the potential to accumulate in enclosed or partially enclosed areas, such as an RV.

Usually, campers have the most issues with RV furnaces and generators.

First responders summoned to examine incidents of RVers suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning frequently point to poorly maintained equipment.

Carbon Monoxide Monitors in RVs can and do fail

Today’s RVs are almost universally equipped with carbon monoxide sensors.

But problems can and do arise.

As a result, you should regularly check the carbon monoxide detector whenever you use the RV. If they have batteries, swap them out at least once a year, and twice if the device is exposed to very cold temperatures. Changing the batteries when you adjust your clocks for daylight savings time is a wise move.

The tragic fact is that a lot of deaths involve victims who are asleep. They just quit breathing if their detecting monitor breaks down or if they don’t have one at all.

Carbon monoxide poisoning signs and symptoms

When awake, some symptoms are discernible. They are frequently compared collectively to the flu but don’t have a fever.

They also may include.

• Dizziness
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Muscular twitching
• Intense headache
• Throbbing in the temples
• Weakness and sleepiness
• Inability to think coherently

A Few Pointers to Avoid Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in an RV

Here are some additional tips for RV owners provided by the website Carbon Monoxide Kills.

1. Regularly check your RV’s chassis and generator exhaust system, preferably before each trip and after bottoming out or any other potentially damaging event.
2. Check the RV for any floor or sidewall openings. Before operating your generator again, if you find a hole, seal it with silicone adhesive or have it fixed.
3. Check the condition of the weatherstripping, window seals, and door seals.
4. A lack of oxygen is typically indicated by yellow flames in propane-burning appliances such coach heaters, stoves, ovens, and water heaters. Find the underlying cause of this issue and fix it right away.
5. Have your built-in vacuum tested, if necessary, to ensure that it does not exhaust underneath the underside of your RV. If it does, have the system updated.
6. If the exhaust system is broken in any way or if there is an odd noise, do not use your generator.
7. Place your RV in a parking spot where the exhaust may easily exit the vehicle. Avoid parking near tall vegetation, snowbanks, structures, or other barriers that could hinder exhaust fumes from diffusing properly.
8. Remember that shifting winds could cause exhaust to blow beneath the coach one second and away from it the next.
9. Be mindful of other nearby vehicles when stopping for an extended amount of time, especially tractor-trailers at rest areas, as they may have their engines and freezers running.
10. Never fall asleep while the generator is running.
11. Even in the winter, keep a roof vent open whenever the generator is working.
12. If you’re feeling under the weather, don’t assume that it’s because you’ve been driving too long, you ate too much, or you have motion sickness. Just to be sure, turn off the generator and go outside for some fresh air.

Advice on how to handle someone exhibiting signs of carbon monoxide poisoning

Obtain Fresh Air for the Person. Immediately remove the victim from the carbon monoxide area. Before you move, make sure they are not hurt.

Call 911

Start CPR if the victim is unconscious, not breathing, or not breathing regularly and continue it until emergency personnel arrive or they resume breathing.

AMT responders will administer oxygen therapy.

“If it wasn’t for the carbon monoxide detectors, my husband and I wouldn’t be here. The heater in the camper, which was old, was bad!!!! They are definitely worth having.”