Warning: Some RV emergency exit windows may be one use only!

This article was originally published in early 2025, but we are bringing it to your attention again because it is very important. 

Dear Dave,
If you own a Coachmen Pursuit Class A motorhome RV or similar camper and are thinking about conducting a fire drill for your personal safety to ensure you know how to exit your Coach in case of a fire… Please don’t. Here is our story.

With all the recent wildfires in California, we thought it might be a prudent exercise to try and escape our RV bedroom in case of a fire. Our search on YouTube just encouraged our decision.

We opened the rear window emergency escape mechanism to see how difficult it would be for us to get out in a hurry, and when the window opened to about 30° to 45° it just fell out of the track.

Our good neighbor (Bernie) saw our struggle attempting to reinsert the window, and called out the posse to help.

All the king’s horses and all the king’s men could not reinstall the window.

Thanks to all the responders (at Orchid Lake RV Resort) who answered the call, and tried to help us. Duct tape provided a temporary solution.

Communication with Coachmen RV, a subsidiary of Forest River, provided this response…

“These egress windows are designed to fall from the unit once opened and unfortunately the top track that hold the window in will be deformed preventing the window from being repaired. The complete window will need to be replaced.”
Coachmen part# C01263049 (WINDOW, 42-5/8W X 27-1/2H FRAMELESS PICTURE “EGRESS’ SINGLE PANE 1-3/8″WALL)

We are trying to locate a new window.

Unfortunately, our desire to insure our safety is going to cost us a lot of money.

Public Service Announcement

This is a public service announcement (PSA) provided by Joe and Judy.

Please spread the word to all owners of an RV that uses a Lippert HEHR egress window, especially Coachmen Pursuit owners.

I wish someone would have posted a message like this last week. It would have saved us a lot of grief.

I suggested there should be a warning label on the window informing owners “Single use only.”

I will place a label on our new window and the egress window in the front of the coach:

CAUTION
Once deployed, this window
Cannot be replaced

—Joe, 2019 Coachmen Pursuit

Fire safety

Dear Joe,
Several years ago, I helped develop the RV Safety & Education Foundation (RVSEF) comprehensive safety training program, which included Fire Safety as one of the topics. We researched the various codes, developed the training manual, and also shot video content. I worked with John Anderson and the late Mac “The Fire Guy” McCoy. We shot several videos of Mac demonstrating how to use a fire extinguisher and egress windows.

Emergency Exit or Egress windows are part of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) code. It does not specify the type of window that must be used or the location, as every floorplan is different. However, I do believe it does specify a minimum size and that it must have a handle or means of opening by hand and not require a tool.

Over the years, I have seen a wide variety of windows used, mostly in the bedroom or back of the rig opposite an entry door. They have come in all sizes and styles. Many RV manufacturers use a “one-off” window that has a red seal zipped around the window and frame. When that is pulled off, the entire window gets removed—which requires a new window.

I have also found models that had a very small window on the back wall, and the back ladder ran up the wall to the roof, covering the window and blocking egress! Unfortunately, common sense is not a requirement by code!

Mac McCoy had some great information in his seminars and presentations, such as throwing a bedspread over the lower frame of the window to soften the sharp edge while exiting. He also recommended pulling a picnic table or some type of higher platform under the exit window so the drop was not so far down.

Have an exit plan

Another recommendation was to have an exit plan in case of emergency and understand where the exit windows and other options, such as entrance or driver’s doors, are located and how to use them. He also recommended practicing opening the emergency exit window as the glass can stick to the rubber seal.

At the “Life On Wheels” conference, we shot footage of Mac demonstrating how to use a fire extinguisher and attempting to open an exit window in one of the attendees’ 5th wheel—it was stuck shut! Of course, Mac went into a panic demonstration, as this was his preferred method of getting his point across. However, it did show the importance of being prepared.

Hehr window usage guide

I do not recommend practicing on a window that is a “one-off”. However, sometimes it is hard to tell. I contacted Lippert and got a copy of their Hehr window usage guide:

In the Emergency Exit Operation section, it states:

Note: Opening the vent section beyond the red tip of the handle will allow the section to fully open for emergency egress from the vehicle. However, if rotated beyond 45 degrees, the section will come disengaged from the window and need replacement.

Warning label needed

I agree with you. There should be a label stating this so that owners can practice opening the window but not go to the point it disengages. This way, they would know the window is not stuck to the frame and are prepared in case of an emergency.

Thank you for the post and information. You have probably saved some of our readers a lot of money by sharing your expensive lesson.

RELATED

• Escaping your RV in a fire: you have 20 seconds
• Fire extinguishers are not created equal
• How to tell if your fire extinguisher is in good working order
• The importance of smoke alarms in RVs
• The common causes of RV fires

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How can I get my RV’s frameless windows to open more?

Dear Dave,
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Read Dave’s answer.

Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and the author of the “RV Handbook.”

Read more from Dave here. 

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