Well, here's a story I want to share with you:
Saturday, we went shopping. To store our frozen food, I have 2 electrically powered coolers. One I plug in a socket I installed in the back, the other one I plug into the front cigar lighter with the help of an extension cord I've owned and used for a long time.
Anyway, both coolers run and we go to another store. We come back after 45 minutes, open the sliding door - the van is full of smoke! Can't see a thing. Something is burning but I can't see flames. The cooler that is plugged into the rear socket runs, the other does not. Traced the cable and found that the extension cord had burned / melted between the passenger seat and the center console. The fuse had blown after the damage has occured. Quite a strong fuse - 20W. I replaced it with a 10W fuse. Sunday, I removed the center console - it has a hole on the side. The carpet is black on a 2 inch piece. This showed me the use of non-flammable / hardly inflammable materials in the van. I guess I could have come back and found a burned wreck on the parking lot

 

I guess it's a good thing that you didn't keep any pets in the van while you were gone!!

 

Had this van had the ignition switch aux curcuit recall?

Could this be the factory defect that was never repaired..

I need to take mine to the dealer and have them run it through Oasis and see if that and the fuel tank recall have been done..

 

That's against the law here in Texas.....the cops will break your window, remove the pet(s), and write you a fairly heavy ticket.......

 

Here is a good example why to replace your extension cords every once in a while. They only last so long. If they start to get worn or frayed, replace them, they are only a couple bucks. A lot cheaper than a new van or you.

I am glad that the damage was minimal and that no-one was hurt.

pauldee0046 I doubt that it was the ignition issue sense it happened in the extension cord.

 

That reminds me I'm going to take some of those relic extension cords out of commision in my house .

Also this is a lesson about wire gauges you never want to try to pump any device with a compressor through a cord too thin. If you ever looked at a window A/C cord or a refrigerator cord its that thick for a reason and you need a 12 or 14 AWG extension cord to power it safely without the cord overheating.

While I'm sure the coolers compressor (which I think it must have since I don't own one) runs on much less current then your typical household refrigerator or A/C unit you should always match your extension cord WG with the proper voltage and wattage of the device your operating. Also in some situations (not this one) if your running a device a number of feet away from the device to the outlet you should get a thicker wire.

This is especially important with the vehicles stock wiring remember a cigarette lighters wiring was designed to power the lighters heating element or a low draw device like a laptop or cell phone charger for instance and not a high draw device such as a 1,000 watt power inverter for instance most inverter manufacturers specify that if the device draws more then 200 watts you should run suitable wiring directly from the battery.

But then again a rule of thumb I used to use is if you grab the wire and don't feel excessive heat then chances are your device isn't taxing the cord and your good.

But its also important to inspect your cords sheathing every once in awhile and if there are any cracks or the cord is heating up or its really old replace the cord or upgrade to a thicker wire.

Its good no one was hurt and the fuse was able to prevent further damage.

 

The cooler draws 50W, not so much power. The coolers power cord is not very thick either. Two weeks ago, we were on a long trip and drove for about 12 hours. Used the same cooler with that extension cord, everything fine. I guess that thing was too old and something broke.
We have no pets but our kids could have stayed in the car watching a movie. However, they are old enough (10 and 8) to open the doors, get out and call for help.

 

I'm going to start carrying a fire extinguisher just as a precaution.
My wife heated up our AutoZone "lifetime" brakes to the point of catching fire.
Luckily they were close to a very nice ladies house who came out and hosed the brakes down.
There was also a time a few years back when me and my daughter happened upon a wreck where the car was on fire and we could not get it put out, we barely pulled the driver from the car before flames engulfed it. (they were drinking and driving, the passenger was a full grown man sitting in the ditch crying, and would not help me get his "buddy" out! The drivers wrists and ankles were broken)
A fire extinguisher would have come in handy in both situations.
So I'm getting one as soon as possible and I recommend every motorist carry one!

 

I always carry a fire extinguisher.

One with a metal handle and valve assy NOT one of those kidde plastic ones.

Also make sure it is #5 or more...

Learn HOW to use one properly...

General Guidelines...
Start 8 feet away from the fire, squeeze the trigger and sweep the spray across the base of the flame and work your way towards the fire...

When fuel is involved be aware that after you put out the fire the fuel will saturate the powder and can flare back up in just a minute or two...

(I have pulled two people from burning cars at different times)
It really can happen...