highdesertranger
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What do you do when there is a burn ban? Highdesertranger
Cubic mini wood stove
- Thread starter grahampa
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Notsothoreau
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You carry a small butane or propane stove. Useful for summertime, when you may not want a fire.
I installed a Dickinson Marine Solid Fuel heater last year (despite the naysayers here) and it's the best investment yet for my van. It's kept me toasty warm in 10-degree weather without using any electricity, and is easy to fuel.
Good thing about the Dickinson is that it can burn more than wood. In fact I've never burned wood in it - almost always charcoal briquettes and sometimes anthracite coal. If I need a really long burn the fire starts with enough charcoal to get it nice and hot, then it's time for the coal. Never a smoke smell in the van, and the CO detector, only about 2 ft away from the flue, has never gone off. It's a nice comfortable dry heat. To circulate the air I place a heat-powered fan on top. Without the fan the air gets stratified - cold lower down and hot up high. The heat-powered fan takes care of the stratification.
Good thing about the Dickinson is that it can burn more than wood. In fact I've never burned wood in it - almost always charcoal briquettes and sometimes anthracite coal. If I need a really long burn the fire starts with enough charcoal to get it nice and hot, then it's time for the coal. Never a smoke smell in the van, and the CO detector, only about 2 ft away from the flue, has never gone off. It's a nice comfortable dry heat. To circulate the air I place a heat-powered fan on top. Without the fan the air gets stratified - cold lower down and hot up high. The heat-powered fan takes care of the stratification.
flying kurbmaster
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Hey axel how long a burn can you get out of coal,is it easy to light and keep burning, I didn’t realize you could. Burn coal in the dickenson, I got a propane, once had a deisel one, but was thinking of adding a wood stove.I assumed the Dickenson,s firebox was too small.
desert_sailing
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Nice to see you again Axel! long time no see.
I was just thinking about your stove and how things were going. Been a bit since you've been around... welcome back
I can feel the fall and the coolness starting to arrive. I ended up putting a diesel heater in though I strongly considered a stove. I wish you had been sharing more here at that time....I would have had more confidence.. not many fans of stove heating here.
..
Stick around man.. diversity of thought and process is what gives a forum vigor.
I was just thinking about your stove and how things were going. Been a bit since you've been around... welcome back
I can feel the fall and the coolness starting to arrive. I ended up putting a diesel heater in though I strongly considered a stove. I wish you had been sharing more here at that time....I would have had more confidence.. not many fans of stove heating here.
.. Stick around man.. diversity of thought and process is what gives a forum vigor.
Thanks Desert Sailing.
The Dickinson has been a good investment.
It does take more attention than other methods, but isn't bad. I haven't burned wood because with the small firebox it would probably take constant fueling - especially with less dense woods, and the ash drawer would probably fill up pretty fast.
Charcoal works great - I start with about 10 briquettes and a compressed sawdust fire starter (looks like a half sphere shape). Once the fire is good and hot I can either add more charcoal to keep it going for 3 or 4 hours, or start an anthracite coal fire.
The coal takes a hot charcoal fire to start, but once started it lasts several hours to almost all night with one more fueling before bed. Mine has two dampers, one below the firebox with a slider (it's part of the ash drawer) and a barometric damper in the flue. Once the fire is good and hot I slow the burn by closing the firebox damper to about 1/3 open and adjust the barometric damper so it's about 1/4-inch open. The barometric damper automatically regulates the flame at this point. When adding more fuel, 5 or so minutes before adding I open the firebox damper to heat things up, then add the fuel. I leave the damper open until the added fuel is fully burning then close the damper down again. If it's really cold in the morning I'll restart a charcoal fire to make the van toasty while having some coffee. The ash drawer has to be emptied after an all-night fire, especially a charcoal fire. With coal it doesn't fill as fast, but depending on the coal quality I might have to remove clinkers from of the firebox.
The Dickinson has been a good investment.
It does take more attention than other methods, but isn't bad. I haven't burned wood because with the small firebox it would probably take constant fueling - especially with less dense woods, and the ash drawer would probably fill up pretty fast.
Charcoal works great - I start with about 10 briquettes and a compressed sawdust fire starter (looks like a half sphere shape). Once the fire is good and hot I can either add more charcoal to keep it going for 3 or 4 hours, or start an anthracite coal fire.
The coal takes a hot charcoal fire to start, but once started it lasts several hours to almost all night with one more fueling before bed. Mine has two dampers, one below the firebox with a slider (it's part of the ash drawer) and a barometric damper in the flue. Once the fire is good and hot I slow the burn by closing the firebox damper to about 1/3 open and adjust the barometric damper so it's about 1/4-inch open. The barometric damper automatically regulates the flame at this point. When adding more fuel, 5 or so minutes before adding I open the firebox damper to heat things up, then add the fuel. I leave the damper open until the added fuel is fully burning then close the damper down again. If it's really cold in the morning I'll restart a charcoal fire to make the van toasty while having some coffee. The ash drawer has to be emptied after an all-night fire, especially a charcoal fire. With coal it doesn't fill as fast, but depending on the coal quality I might have to remove clinkers from of the firebox.
I am envious of your little wood stove.
If I could have one in my BVan, I would.
About firestarters…if you’re interested in making your own, a bag of cedar mulch meant for hamster bedding and a block of melted paraffin will make a nice batch at very little cost.
I make mine at home, and use paper liners in a muffin tin, but you could drop little piles of the cedar onto waxed paper and drizzle enough melted paraffin to just hold them together and that would work well.
Store in a plastic bag.
If I could have one in my BVan, I would.
About firestarters…if you’re interested in making your own, a bag of cedar mulch meant for hamster bedding and a block of melted paraffin will make a nice batch at very little cost.
I make mine at home, and use paper liners in a muffin tin, but you could drop little piles of the cedar onto waxed paper and drizzle enough melted paraffin to just hold them together and that would work well.
Store in a plastic bag.
You can make fire starters in an egg carton too. Just break off the pieces as you need them.
MG
MG
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