Wood burning fireplace in van?
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flying kurbmaster
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there is a thread on here talking about it just lately, it is not a crazy idea and some are doing it. just do a search,
compassrose
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Lots of woodburners on Skoolie.net
Problem I see is clearance space. But they do make a TINY wood stove for boats. I think it is called a "parlor style". About the size of a 5 gallon bucket, maybe smaller.
Our birthdays/Christmas present to ourselves was an LP gas firebox insert. We did not get the fan that goes with it. A lot of the heat is puddling on the ceiling so we run the fan only on the air conditioner to move the heat off the ceiling and to the back of the bus. We have it turned down real low. Should heat us out of the bus when the wind starts up and it gets down in the teens.
Problem I see is clearance space. But they do make a TINY wood stove for boats. I think it is called a "parlor style". About the size of a 5 gallon bucket, maybe smaller.
Our birthdays/Christmas present to ourselves was an LP gas firebox insert. We did not get the fan that goes with it. A lot of the heat is puddling on the ceiling so we run the fan only on the air conditioner to move the heat off the ceiling and to the back of the bus. We have it turned down real low. Should heat us out of the bus when the wind starts up and it gets down in the teens.
WheelEstate USA
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A friend has an old iron woodstove that that would easily fit into a 5 gal bucket. That little thing sure put out a lot of heat.
Just a thought...some places have burn laws. Phoenix, for instance, is posting reminders on TV that there will be no Yule logs burning in the hearth. Many of the surrounding areas have the no burn law also.
You wouldn't want wood to be your only heat source in places like that.
I'd think it would be kinda hard to be stealth with a smoking stack sticking up from a van.
Just a thought...some places have burn laws. Phoenix, for instance, is posting reminders on TV that there will be no Yule logs burning in the hearth. Many of the surrounding areas have the no burn law also.
You wouldn't want wood to be your only heat source in places like that.
I'd think it would be kinda hard to be stealth with a smoking stack sticking up from a van.
James AKA Lynx
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read the other thread
Malibusurfer
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I am going to be building one out of a old propane cylinder that cannot be used anymore.. Have built quite a few... Does not take much heat to cook you out of a van!! 
Fireplaces are not energy efficient--the heat goes up the chimney.
"A fire in an open hearth is only 10 percent efficient at best, which means that 90 percent of the heat energy you’ve paid for goes up in smoke. Heated room air is drafted up the chimney as well, so your main heating system actually works harder to keep the house warm. Glass fireplace doors raise the efficiency somewhat but only to about 20 percent."
http://www.bobvila.com/articles/34-quick-tip-make-your-fireplace-more-efficient/
"A fire in an open hearth is only 10 percent efficient at best, which means that 90 percent of the heat energy you’ve paid for goes up in smoke. Heated room air is drafted up the chimney as well, so your main heating system actually works harder to keep the house warm. Glass fireplace doors raise the efficiency somewhat but only to about 20 percent."
http://www.bobvila.com/articles/34-quick-tip-make-your-fireplace-more-efficient/
Patrick46
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what about stacking 2 propane cylinders. The bottom one has the firebox, and it feeds into the top cylinder, which acts as a radiant heater. The exhaust feeds from the bottom, into the upper, which has staggered stove pipes inside...forcing the smoke all the way through the cylinder in order to exhaust out the other pipe, thereby heating the top can.
my buddy has a woodstove in his shop that uses 55 gallon drums set-up like this...and it works beautifully!!!
I do believe it also uses considerably less wood to heat it up as well. All GOOD!!
my buddy has a woodstove in his shop that uses 55 gallon drums set-up like this...and it works beautifully!!!
I do believe it also uses considerably less wood to heat it up as well. All GOOD!!
Malibusurfer
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I built my shop fireplace when owned a house and built a heat exchanger that was basically a set of tubes (horizontally)in a box that the fire had to go around and heat up. In the back of that I had a small fan that pushed air thru the holes.. It worked great and pretty sure my efficiency was better than 10%.
For me personally, the stove would be a backup to my Heater Buddy. A van is so small, heating would take limited wood ( which most would be free from just cleaning an area -scavaging if you were that cold!! ), but pretty consistent loading it as it would be small.
For me personally, the stove would be a backup to my Heater Buddy. A van is so small, heating would take limited wood ( which most would be free from just cleaning an area -scavaging if you were that cold!! ), but pretty consistent loading it as it would be small.
Patrick46
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I used to think woodstoves in a van was a bad idea, but there is a guy here at the RTR with one in his home-built trailer and he has changed my mind. I don't think it is something I want, but I can see it working for him quite well.
Bob
Bob
Malibusurfer
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Patrick, I was thinking of trying that very fan... No electricity sounds great!!!!
sassypickins
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I had a small old woodstove in my step-van and lived comfortably through a Colorado winter. I kept an eye on ventilation and installed it with a heat shield and air space and all that. Made a nice slow cooker and water heater and was oh, so homey.
If there is a next time I would like to try building a small double-cylinder packed sawdust stove that I ran across online recently. Silly me, I forgot to save the page, but if I can track down the design I'll post it.
But here's the gist of it:
The inner cylinder has a small hole in the bottom and sits a bit above the bottom of the outer cylinder and also isn't as tall. Sawdust is hard packed into the inner cylinder around a middle tube (like an old shock absorber) which is then carefully twisted out, leaving a center well. At the bottom of the outer cylinder is a small air intake box with a damper. A lighting tube goes from there to the hole in the bottom of the inner well.
Lit material is shoved into the lighting tube, the sawdust (dry) ignites and slow burns for several hours. The heat goes up the center, hits the lid, goes back down the inner walls of the outer cylinder and comes back up to exit through the chimney, placed midway up the outer cylinder. The chimney has a lower moisture drain and cleanout.
A smaller lid with a small hole in the center can be fashioned for the top of the inner cylinder to blast all the heat to the bottom of the top lid if cooking is desired, then removed for ambient heating.
If built/vented properly for use in a van and used safely, this might be a low-cost indoor heating/cooking appliance, but I make no claims; just sharing something I found interesting.
If there is a next time I would like to try building a small double-cylinder packed sawdust stove that I ran across online recently. Silly me, I forgot to save the page, but if I can track down the design I'll post it.
But here's the gist of it:
The inner cylinder has a small hole in the bottom and sits a bit above the bottom of the outer cylinder and also isn't as tall. Sawdust is hard packed into the inner cylinder around a middle tube (like an old shock absorber) which is then carefully twisted out, leaving a center well. At the bottom of the outer cylinder is a small air intake box with a damper. A lighting tube goes from there to the hole in the bottom of the inner well.
Lit material is shoved into the lighting tube, the sawdust (dry) ignites and slow burns for several hours. The heat goes up the center, hits the lid, goes back down the inner walls of the outer cylinder and comes back up to exit through the chimney, placed midway up the outer cylinder. The chimney has a lower moisture drain and cleanout.
A smaller lid with a small hole in the center can be fashioned for the top of the inner cylinder to blast all the heat to the bottom of the top lid if cooking is desired, then removed for ambient heating.
If built/vented properly for use in a van and used safely, this might be a low-cost indoor heating/cooking appliance, but I make no claims; just sharing something I found interesting.
highdesertranger
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I have one of those eco fans. they work great on a wood stove. I was a little leery when I bought it because of the price but could not believe how well it worked. highdesertranger
Simran
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They make small wood stoves for ice fishing houses. Below is just one example. I used to use one very similar to one of these. They would cook you out of a van if not gauged properly.
http://clancysoutdoors.com/nu-way-fish-housedeer-stand-stoves/
http://clancysoutdoors.com/nu-way-fish-housedeer-stand-stoves/
Patrick46
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WOW...Simran...those are cool (or warm actually)
...and affordable too!
...and affordable too!
Simran
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Charcoal would be to intense for one of these stoves; it would warp the metal. They do come in gas as well as wood. You would need a certain amount of clearance behind one too; unlike many of the gas heaters. The company could give you more info. on clearances. They do work remarkably well. We used them in uninsulated fish houses as a lad. Probably about 6' x8' in size and at 0 they'd keep you plenty warm if you kept them stoked with wood. Insulated I'm not sure what to expect. One caveat, however, is their need for a smoke stack of course.
I wish I could find one with an oil gun in it I'd be all over it for my bus. Wood would be fine but it is pretty scarce here.
I wish I could find one with an oil gun in it I'd be all over it for my bus. Wood would be fine but it is pretty scarce here.
Willy said:
I don't know about in a van, but I've seen many in converted school buses, which have more room for minimum clearances. What about a solid fuel stove? It doesn't really have the ambiance of a wood-burning stove, but might be a good choice for vandwelling, because (at least as I understand it) they require less clearance space.
