Storing cooking fuel in a hot vehicle

[highdesertranger]

headache thanks for the tips and link on the pallets. you still don't want to get caught with them in CA.

Kaylee no it doesn't apply to electric stoves also it doesn't apply to built ins in a RV. however under extreme bans they ban almost everything including people.

highdesertranger

 

[Kaylee]

Kaylee no it doesn't apply to electric stoves

Thanks HDR!
If you read Gary's forum, you'll spot my latest food hacking speculation (electric crockpot/slowcooker). You've just given me one more point in favor of it.
I'm currently testing my new inverter, to see if it explodes under load. Next step will be thrift shops to find the cheapest available low end cooker to test.

also it doesn't apply to built ins in a RV. however under extreme bans they ban almost everything including people.

I'm in a van, not an RV.
Does the sub-no-people level ban allow inside only use of portable camper style butane/propane stoves?
Specifically, the GasOne stove that I mentioned I use - here's the picture again:

(Note: that's half a pouch of Tikka Masala precooked rice, bought at DollarTree for a buck. It made two easy & cheap meals, pumped up nicely by the fried egg. )

 

[highdesertranger]

if I recall correctly they must be built ins and not simply portables brought inside. which would bring up a whole other set of issues because most portables clearly state "Not for indoor use". of course I doubt a ranger will look into your van, but you never know I have been inspected before for black and grey water containment. highdesertranger

 

[Kaylee]

if I recall correctly they must be built ins and not simply portables brought inside.

Thanks again HDR!
So it might be possible to get permission, if one explicitly & politely asks (with an explanation), just like with the water containment issue?

Granted, I really can't be anywhere near smoke (e.g. an actively burning forest), so my backup to my backup plan is to carry at least two weeks of food that can be eaten without heating.

of course I doubt a ranger will look into your van, but you never know I have been inspected before for black and grey water containment.

Yes, a very stern township cop came by two days after the Natural Resources duo, and he did (very politely) ask if he could look inside. He just peered in, and joked that he just wanted to check for dead bodies.
And he at least faked knowing what Linux is.

I've had no further LEO visits.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Stage 1 - minor restrictions, mostly on campfires and smoking.
Stage 2 - major restrictions including major restrictions on dispersed camping.
Stage 3 - you can't be in the forest (some exemptions for landowners and lease holders).
Stage 4 - nobody can be in the forest except by explicit authorization (includes homeowners).

My reading of the stage 2 restrictions is you cannot use a stove (built in or portable) except under specific conditions:

1. [size=medium]Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire, charcoal, coal, or stove fire, except within a developed recreation site, or improved site; 36 CFR § 261.52(a).[/size]

https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5371474.pdf

 

[maki2]

if you read carefully you will note that there is an exemption for fire marshall approved liquid petroleum or LPG cooking devices inside of the vehicle. That is not talking about when people being in the area is pretty much totally banned without specific authorization.

The majority of modern RVs have fire marshall approved heating and cooking LPG devices built into them. So if you were to install something such as an Atwood propane stove and all of the installation of it in the structure and the installation of it was done by a firemarchal approved provider then there would not be an issue. However a DIY installation would of course not typically be inspected by the fire marshal. This is where that RVIA compliant, approved facility stuff comes into play. There is not going to be a question of those devices by such an organization not meeting approval.

 

[maki2]

As to using the Gas One Mini stove indoors. Read the label on it and you will find out that it is approved for indoor use in a restaurant but not for indoor household use. Oh well, welcome to my cafe

But this issue does not effect me personally all that much. My main cooktop inside my rig is not an open flame unit. It has a glass top and the flames are underneath inside of a metal structure. The gas one mini is something I will use outside on hot days when I don't want to heat up the space.

 

[SheepDog]

The contained fire type wood stoves pass mustard in my part of the world! I know there are parts of our country that resemble an asylum to the rest of us more than a part of the USA, but I tend to avoid those areas!

SD

 

[highdesertranger]

you must be back east then. highdesertranger

 

[maki2]

Someone mentioned that diesel fuel is one of the safer fuels to store inside and that is indeed the fuel I will be using for my primary, built in cook top which also functions as a heater/furnace. Although I do have a green gas bottle for my portable stove that I use for outdoor cooking.

I was doing a test fit on the stove today during my cabinet building activities to make sure I had clearance for the exhaust tube so I took a couple of photos to show. It is a nice, modern unit that is easy to keep clean.



When you close the lid on the cook top there is a gap between the glass and the metal of the lid. There is a blower in this unit powered by a computer type fan. When you close the lid on the stove top the fan pushes the heat up from under the unit and also the heat that is on top of the glass and circulates it out the open front edge of the stove lid. It is controlled by a thermostat.

It is the single most expensive item in the trailer. But it is very fuel efficient, there is an exterior exhaust port and it removes humidity from the air. I am so tired of being cold and it makes me ache so I wanted to at least have a decent heat source for comfort in my RV. No propane, no fumes, reasonably quiet fan, no open flames, very low fuel cost. So lots of pluses other than the one big negative, the price. This is not cheap RV living but the payback is in the benefits it offers that other heating/cooking systems don't have.  My trailer is small so I don't have the space for a Wave heater or even a little buddy heater. So this unit is a great solution for safety reasons as well as space. Of course it does weigh more than a built in propane, open flame, 3 burner stove top. 

I can fill up the tank I put under the cabinet at any gas station that sells diesel. My solar panel and battery is more than adequate for running the fan. It uses considerably less electricity than an RV propane furnace and is much quieter.  The stove was designed for use in the Nordic countries for use on boats so it puts out plenty of heat to keep me warm on winter nights and cold mornings in the desert or the Pacific NW.

 

[highdesertranger]

that looks interesting Maki, got a link? highdesertranger

 

[tamewolf]

I use a small camper’s stove that takes cans of Sterno (kitchen dept.) or camp fuel (camp store). I wouldn’t use that in an enclosed space, but I’d cook in a privacy tent if it were raining. I keep the small amount of fuel in a cooler in the cool part of the truck. Window cracked, etc. I also make use of a small, solar powered oven. They are readily available or you can make one yourself that works well and fits your space.
When you get a solar setup you can have a fridge to hold very well wrapped fuel cans safely.
My lentil rice recipe:
Cook one cup of lentil/rice mixture in two cups water for ten minutes. Put in thermos, wrap well. A homemade cardboard solar cooker also makes a good heat box. Boil more water, put in veggies and seasoning. After twenty minutes, drain any water out of the thermos and add new boiling water. And veg, of course. Give it another ten minutes or so. I always have some left over. It is good cold or warmed up later.

 

[Rainier70]

One other non-fuel alternative that I use when I am out for a short hiking or fishing. I park my truck facing the south, put up the solar screens and slide a can of soup between the screen and the windshield. When I get back I have a hot lunch ready to go.



You do have to judge your temperature and time to not over heat your soup especially if it is a pop top can. Not sure that it would explode, but I also wouldn't leave it half the the day in 100 degrees. It really doesn't take very long to heat up a can or so in this makeshift dashboard solar oven.

 

[maki2]

Cooking with solar heat is a great option in warmer, sunny weather. That way you don't have to worry about storing cans of gas in a hot vehicle.
If you wanted hot water for coffee in the morning you could use one of the small camper's fuel cubes in one of the folding stove supports. It is an option to a camper's alcohol stove They are quite small and you could store them in a watertight container inside of your cooler. Of course they can't be used outside during a burn ban.


But you can always use one of those little 12v loop water heaters that fit inside of a mug for a morning hot drink.