Wood stove for 13 foot burro?

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by theresa p

Cannot deny that there's work to having a woodstove ANYWHERE. But it would certainly be nice on those frosty mornings


...just sayin'....

That it would, as long as somebody else gets up and lights it. <_<

[David B.]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

That it would, as long as somebody else gets up and lights it. <_<

Glenn, that is the very reason that I installed the thermostat within arms reach from where I sleep when I installed the PROPEX furnace in our Lil Snoozy.
Dave & Paula

[northwinds13]

That is one tiny firebox on that stove. A person would get lots of exercise keeping it going through the night. Standard sized firewood will not work; bring a small chainsaw or maybe a pocketknife for custom sized firewood.

[Jon in AZ]

You know what they say- a wood stove warms you three times: once when you cut it, once when you split and stack it, and again when you burn it.

[Donna D.]

This is at LEAST the third time I've seen these little tiny woodburning stoves inside all-molded towables. First time was inside a Scamp 5th wheel (saw it at the Oregon Gathering), second time was inside a 13' all-molded (Pinecone Don) and now inside a 16' Scamp (Yo NOGGER). So far, I haven't seen or read any of the three that had any regrets. ALL camped in severe snow (downhill skiers). Just because I don't want it, doesn't mean it doesn't work for others...

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Just because I don't want it, doesn't mean it doesn't work for others...

Not sure what you are trying to say. Should we not post the pitfalls of using a wood stove inside a small trailer?
And, after installing a wood stove in their trailer, do you really expect the OP to post how poorly it works?

[Donna D.]

My POINT Glenn, is just because someone doesn't think it will work, or is concerned it won't work... ask the people that it's working FOR. I've seen the tiny woodstove working inside a Scamp 5th wheel and TWO 16' Scamps (same owner of both 16' trailers). Opinions are like belly buttons, everyone has one. But until someone sees F-2-F and asks questions...
it's just back to opinions...

And yes, I've read/seen plenty of modifications that didn't work out and the folks that TRIED readily admitted it. That's one of the benefits of being a member here on FiberglassRV for years.

[Glenn Baglo]

I had a small wood stove in my 10' X 14' cabin and I had a small wood stove in my living room. I would never install a wood stove in a trailer for the reasons I've stated. Those are my opinions based on my experience. Should I not share those?

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

I had a small wood stove in my 10' X 14' cabin and I had a small wood stove in my living room. I would never install a wood stove in a trailer for the reasons I've stated. Those are my opinions based on my experience. Should I not share those?

Of course you should. But a cabin (sticks 'n bricks) isn't an all-molded towable (or a boat). And how you installed the wood stove in your cabin may be really different then a different build type (or needs or wants or budget).

[Glenn Baglo]

I give up.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

I give up.

Me too. I don't want one. But like I said, ask someone who's using one successfully before passing judgment AND maybe also ask someone who considered it a total "Fail."

[Glenn Baglo]

Someone who has used one successfully is welcome to post to the thread.

[Glenn Baglo]

Maybe somebody can post instructions for a space-saving combination wood stove and composting toilet.

[Raspy]

I recommend to anyone interested in wood heat: Try it and let me see how you made it work.

Of course, wood heat is delightful and natural and requires no electricity, etc. So it seems appealing. Wonderful for camping. Romantic. I have a beautiful stove in my home and use it all the time in winter. Campfires are an important part of any camping trip.

In my boat, I wanted the bulkheads and ceiling to be safe at close spacing to the stove, so I tested lots of reflective materials. Best I found was aluminum foil with the shiny side towards the stove. Just a sheet pinned to the wall reflected all the heat away and kept the wall cool. This isn't the most practical or beautiful, so I ended up with Hardyboard and tile. Heavy, but it did the job.

The biggest problem with the stove itself was getting it up to temp and running clean enough to not carbon up. It turns out that the small firebox is the problem. Fires cannot have a cold and massive surface nearby, or they cannot get hot in a limited firebox volume. Residential stoves are big enough to overcome this problem and they often have the firebox lined with firebrick which is not as massive and conductive as iron. Based on this inherent problem of the smaller the firebox the harder to get the fire up to temp, I figured out a fix that made it work much better, but it was still dirty.

There must always be a window open to supply combustion air.

I already had propane and diesel fuel on the boat and introducing another fuel meant boxes of wood. This led to lots of chips, dust and smoke on the walls. It also led to lots of preparation outside the boat finding wood, preparing the pieces and storing them on-board. I also tried coal. It works, but smells terrible outside and may get some serious complaints. Plus, you have to find and buy it.

So, in the end, I went with a Dickinson diesel heater. The fire looked like a wood fire with a window into the firebox, it only required a fuel supply, but no electricity. I could leave it alone all day and it was running just the same when I came back. After a lot of design work, I had it running clean, burning all day unattended and only using 1 gallon per day.

But I would not do that in a trailer. A safe propane stove and a thermostat to control it are very nice. This is a problem, though, if you want to be off the grid for a longer period of time.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Raspy

I recommend to anyone interested in wood heat: Try it and let me see how you made it work.

Of course, wood heat is delightful and natural and requires no electricity, etc. So it seems appealing. Wonderful for camping. Romantic. I have a beautiful stove in my home and use it all the time in winter. Campfires are an important part of any camping trip.

In my boat, I wanted the bulkheads and ceiling to be safe at close spacing to the stove, so I tested lots of reflective materials. Best I found was aluminum foil with the shiny side towards the stove. Just a sheet pinned to the wall reflected all the heat away and kept the wall cool. This isn't the most practical or beautiful, so I ended up with Hardyboard and tile. Heavy, but it did the job.

The biggest problem with the stove itself was getting it up to temp and running clean enough to not carbon up. It turns out that the small firebox is the problem. Fires cannot have a cold and massive surface nearby, or they cannot get hot in a limited firebox volume. Residential stoves are big enough to overcome this problem and they often have the firebox lined with firebrick which is not as massive and conductive as iron. Based on this inherent problem of the smaller the firebox the harder to get the fire up to temp, I figured out a fix that made it work much better, but it was still dirty.

There must always be a window open to supply combustion air.

I already had propane and diesel fuel on the boat and introducing another fuel meant boxes of wood. This led to lots of chips, dust and smoke on the walls. It also led to lots of preparation outside the boat finding wood, preparing the pieces and storing them on-board. I also tried coal. It works, but smells terrible outside and may get some serious complaints. Plus, you have to find and buy it.

So, in the end, I went with a Dickinson diesel heater. The fire looked like a wood fire with a window into the firebox, it only required a fuel supply, but no electricity. I could leave it alone all day and it was running just the same when I came back. After a lot of design work, I had it running clean, burning all day unattended and only using 1 gallon per day.

But I would not do that in a trailer. A safe propane stove and a thermostat to control it are very nice. This is a problem, though, if you want to be off the grid for a longer period of time.

I contend that you be off the grid as long as would want with a propane furnace, even in cold weather. I have 13' Scamp and rarely see the grid during the winter months. We leave usually in December and come home in March.
A solar panel to keep the battery charged, and LED lights keep things going.

[Raspy]

Byron,

It's only a problem until you solve it by adding enough solar or replenishing your propane supply as needed, etc. It doesn't solve itself.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Raspy

Byron,

It's only a problem until you solve it by adding enough solar or replenishing your propane supply as needed, etc. It doesn't solve itself.

There's more than one way to solve off the grid issues. There's lots of talk about adding solar and more solar, larger and more batteries. Using lots of propane and therefore needing to be close to a source. This all well and good for some. However, there are others of us that look at these issues as a challenge to live with smaller solar and a single battery. To stretch propane out a lot longer than you might expect. This where I believe the dividing line between RVing and Camping happens. I'm a camper, and can live without a lot of stuff many don't feel they can get along without. We, my wife and I, really believe that less is often more.
Do you really need that electric water pump, that propane water heater, a powered vent? The toilet and show are they really necessary? Tent campers have lived without all these things for years and still are, RVers have to all this stuff. As I said before there's more than one way to live your life and your trailer life. No right or wrong, just different.

Happy RVing or camping as you see fit.

[Warren Wilson]

Great thread -- sure got lots of folks thinking.

I've had a wood stove in my home for 39 years (just calculated that. Damn.) I currently have a convection-type furnace in my 17' Boler, and wouldn't trade for an instant -- for the many reasons cited above.

What I have not read -- and might have missed -- is the reason why the OP wants a wood stove, though lots of folks imputed motives. If it is simply to save power on a furnace blower, perhaps there are still convection furnaces on the market.

[DavidG]

Lots of good ideas here, mostly about safety and making it small enough to fit, and the problems a small stove would have, using tiny fuel . Thinking of MY Scamp, my biggest problem would be the bouncing. The stove might ultimately end up on the floor, in pieces. And the 'chimney', needing some kind of opening in the fiberglas shell, could be a leaking problem. I just got back from Quartzssite, heading east to Sedona I saw tons of new potholes on Hwy 40. It was impossible to miss the potholes or patches, even the patches had patches ! Drive behind a Scamp or Casita on a bumpy road, which might be any major highway nowadays, and imagine what is going on inside the trailer ! Just my two pesos ! David in Fresno and Sonora

[Warren Wilson]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

I recall staying in a log cabin in northern B.C. one night. I loaded up the air-tight wood stove with green wood before crawling into bed. It was 26 degrees below zero.
Did I mention I too was loaded?
Woke up about 4 am and the air-tight stove was bouncing up and down from the intense heat inside, and out. Must have been 130 degrees in the cabin, but at least it wasn't on fire.
With no mind of the blizzard outside, I opened the cabin door, and went back to bed.
If you want to be warm in a 13' trailer, I highly recommend a wood stove.

I've lived in northern BC for about 40 years. You reminded me of the style of "airtight" wood stove that we used to call "hippy killers." Thanks for the smile.