Wood stove in an rv

savagelh

savagelh

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Wasn't sure where to post this but it is a hunting camper after all so..... I have a dedicated hunting camper that I use 4-5 times per year for up to a week at a time. I decided a wood stove would be a nice addition and this week princess auto just happens to have them on sale. I picked one up today now I'm not sure how to proceed. Where to I even begin to look for the flashing to go through the roof. Is there a high temp switches that I should be looking at? Google didnt really give me any leads. The chimney is approx a 2" diameter and I wouldn't mind going a bit bigger and have a double walled chimney or is that a bad idea. The stove will be for heating the rv primarily and cooking secondary.
 
Look at marine hardware - lots of boats have wood stoves or diesel heaters, so there are lots of “through hull” fittings and rain caps that should do the trick. When you’re selecting fittings, be aware that the temperature rating for diesel heaters or pellet stoves might not be appropriate for your wood stove.
 
I put a grizzly wood stove in my camper it heats it up fast . The only thing is it is a little on the small side it dosnt hold much wood. As for install look on Amazon they have some nice silicone chimney gaskets for the exterior . For chimney stuff check out the small pellet stove flashing and accessories. Or get creative with some sheetmetal and .
 
Dumb idea, too many things to go wrong and you wouldn't be the first to die in one of these, by asphyxiation or fire. Doesn't sound like you have any experience with this either. Clearances alone are problematic. Princess auto stove aren't approved for living units, which a camper is, it would be the last I'd consider for this application. Bite the bullet and put in a properly installed propane unit.

Grizz
 
Grizzly Adams said:
Dumb idea, too many things to go wrong and you wouldn't be the first to die in one of these, by asphyxiation or fire. Princess auto stove aren't approved for living units, it would be the last I'd consider for this application. Bite the bullet and put in a properly installed propane unit/

Grizz
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This is a very, may I say "Politically correct" answer for the question being asked.

If appropriate measures are taken, there is very little risk vs reward.

I suppose one would want to have a couple fire extinguishers on the ready at all times, and have a working smoke alarm/ co detector, but other then that I don't see the inherent problem with the question? Maybe you know better???

You definitely have to look at the venting system in detail to find to answers the OP asks..... Z-vent, nope, B-vent, nope , but there are very well made Venting products / vent connectors that ARE SAFE for wood burning appliances.
 
Propane is a wet heat, terrible condensation. Wood stoves are great, but be smart about it. Get a CO detector/alarm. Leave a vent open low to the ground, and one high. (CO is heavy.) This might not be the best stove, but as mentioned, wood stoves can be used for small applications, as they are in boats.
 
Look at a G-stove before you buy that one at Princess Auto. It's a lot more money, and a much, much better stove that you might decide is worth the wait saving up for. Classic Outdoors sells them so you can see it in person (Speers Ave. open SAT 10:30-14:00, closed SUN) and if you're sure you still want the cheap one from Princess Auto you are about three minutes drive away.
 
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Make sure you fire up that princess auto stove before you commit to the project. My brother has one for his ice fishing shack, doesn't draw well and smokes a lot.
 
Venting products / vent connectors that ARE SAFE for wood burning appliances.

True, but they are expensive, probably looking at about 600. minimum for a suitable installation. plus, there's going to be a fire resistant hearth and heat shielding. I've installed a few wood stoves in my time and partially heat my home with wood. :)

Grizz
 
woofer2609 said:
Propane is a wet heat, terrible condensation. Wood stoves are great, but be smart about it. Get a CO detector/alarm. Leave a vent open low to the ground, and one high. (CO is heavy.) This might not be the best stove, but as mentioned, wood stoves can be used for small applications, as they are in boats.
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CO and air are pretty much the same weight, it doesn't settle indoors very quickly.
 
Kenny_G2 said:
CO and air are pretty much the same weight, it doesn't settle indoors very quickly.
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Yes, CO is buoyancy neutral and follows the slightest air current and can collect just as easily near the ceiling as it can near the floor. Install the detector near the appliance and half way up the wall.
 
Thanks for the helpful responses. I already bought the stove and fired it up yesterday. I didnt have the best wood to burn (elm) and it did smoke quite a bit. I will try some other wood types before I make up my mind as to whether or not to go through with it.
 
Nothing beats wood heat for warming up after a wet cold time in the bush. Would you consider a side vent and add and remove the chimney when on site? Campers take about 2 minutes to burn down so be really careful.
 
We ran those stoves in tents this fall. Took me a day to figure them out. Start small and make sure the fire is at the back near the chimney. Once it gets going, it will draw fine and you can load it up. Just keep an eye on it. They start to turn red before you know it and give off lots of heat. We used pine exclusively and it went pretty quick.
 
If something were to end up happening, and the camper and vehicle it is mounted in burn, you will have a hard time getting insurance to cover your loss, heaven forbid if you or someone else is hurt or killed at the same time. Too risky imo, seen campers and trailers burn down enough times without adding a wood stove
 
woofer2609 said:
Propane is a wet heat, terrible condensation. Wood stoves are great, but be smart about it. Get a CO detector/alarm. Leave a vent open low to the ground, and one high. (CO is heavy.) This might not be the best stove, but as mentioned, wood stoves can be used for small applications, as they are in boats.
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Is CO heavy? I don't think it is? Atomic weight of CO would be ~14, which is the same as N2 but lighter than both O2 (16) and CO2 (22). Propane (c3h8) would be ~26 for comparison (and we know that propane is heavier than air.)
 
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