Campfire in a Box

[WeeJeep2]

We decided to get propane fire pit several years ago after a cold snowy Thanksgiving trip with a burn ban in place. There's nothing like sitting around the flashlight in the cold eating Thanksgiving dinner. Due to space limitations we went with a Quickfire. http://www.quikfire.com/productInfo.htm It has folding legs and is pretty small.

Top view

Side view showing folding legs.

Bottom view showing folding legs.

The flame in the basic unit isn't bad but is a little unsatisfying to me.

So some lava rocks were added to help give it some character. But they just make it more difficult to carry the assembly.

To help keep everything together and compact the folding legs needed to go so the leg tabs could be bent back flush with the bottom of the unit.

Next up was to make a metal box that would hold the unit, and when turned over would be the base to take the place of the legs.

I had an AC company make a miniature version of a drip pan. It measures 14.5" square x 2.5" deep. With the hose removed and coiled in first the fire pit fits inside.

The box being used as the fire pit base to hold it up off the ground.

To dress it up a bit the box was painted with some black high temp grill paint and a wooden cover was added.

Fire pit back in the box.

And with the cover on.

Complete with a para-chord pull handle. Ready to be compactly packed for the next trip.

 

[huachuca]

^ Nice - Looks to be a functional product especially with the mods. Good work.

 

[lqdchkn]

What about a some webbing as a strap of some kind to hold the lid and the base together that way you can lift and carry the entire unit with the pull handle?
.
A few snaps, Velcro or even a bungee cord could be made to work nicely or even something a bit fancier like:
.

.

 

[WeeJeep2]

What about a some webbing as a strap of some kind to hold the lid and the base together that way you can lift and carry the entire unit with the pull handle?
.
A few snaps, Velcro or even a bungee cord could be made to work nicely or even something a bit fancier like:
.

.

Good idea on the straps. I have a pair that will fit nicely around the box. That will keep me from having to do a lava rock roundup when this get's bounced around some.

 

[WeeJeep2]

Straps added. Always good to post up projects to get a few more good ideas. Thanks lqdchkn.

 

[danfromsyr]

that's the simplist firebox I've seen yet, looks great.
I've been in the process of making an "ambiance firepit" out of an old Folgers can with a gas stove burner in the bottom and glass marbles(fireplace ones)
for just those times when you don't want to be a dolt sitting in the dark around a flashlight.
where the hose nests inside and once you snap the cap on it's only a coffee can in size to tote extra, but I do like the flat profile of your firepit.

 

[perkj]

Does the QUikfire produce a good amount of heat? Are you able to compare it to the CampFire-in-a-Can or Big/Little Red Campfire?

 

[WeeJeep2]

Does the QUikfire produce a good amount of heat? Are you able to compare it to the CampFire-in-a-Can or Big/Little Red Campfire?

I pulled these specs from their website

Product Specifications

Product Weight: 5 lbs.
Shipping Weight: 6 lbs.
Standing Height: 7 in.
Folded Height: 4 in.
Pan Diameter: 13 1/2 in.
Hose Length: 6 ft.
Fuel Type: Propane
BTU Output: 150,000 BTU max. Average size flame is 40,000 BTU
Temperature Output: Up to 1600 degrees 12" above pan. Max temp. at pan is 450 degrees.
I have only seen the other ones you've mentioned on their websites. They were larger than I wanted to mess with. This one works pretty well for me in a compact size. Adding the box makes it more convenient to transport. They only offer a carry bag and with the lava rocks I added I didn't see that being a good solution.

 

[whitenoise]

Nice work. How long does a 20lb tank last?

 

[Robert Bills]

Nice work. How long does a 20lb tank last?

From their website:

Q. How long will Quikfire burn on a tank of propane?
A. Much of the burning time depends on the size of the flame, but on average Quikfire will burn for 16-18 hrs. on a standard 5 gallon propane tank.

 

[whitenoise]

From their website:

Q. How long will Quikfire burn on a tank of propane?
A. Much of the burning time depends on the size of the flame, but on average Quikfire will burn for 16-18 hrs. on a standard 5 gallon propane tank.

Thanks for the info, but that's a marketing claim. Is there a reason I doubt their claim? Yes, simple math!

BTU contained in a 5 gallon propane tank = 91502 BTU/gallon * 5 = 457510

Average BTU output of Quikfire according to their own website = 40,000 /hr

So that makes average run time = 11.4 hrs.

Now its true that environmental factors etc would have an influence on this calculation. Even so, 11.4 hrs is 50% off from their claim!

You'd only be able to get about 27,000 BTU/hr and not 40,000 if you wanted your propane tank to last 16-18 hrs..


Your average campfire will put out 50-90,000 BTU/hr so that is roughly what I'd want my "Quikfire" set at....which is why I'd like to hear from the OP as to what runtime to expect with the fire going at a comfortable level.

 

[lqdchkn]

Straps added. Always good to post up projects to get a few more good ideas. Thanks lqdchkn.

 

[WeeJeep2]

Thanks for the info, but that's a marketing claim. Is there a reason I doubt their claim? Yes, simple math!

BTU contained in a 5 gallon propane tank = 91502 BTU/gallon * 5 = 457510

Average BTU output of Quikfire according to their own website = 40,000 /hr

So that makes average run time = 11.4 hrs.

Now its true that environmental factors etc would have an influence on this calculation. Even so, 11.4 hrs is 50% off from their claim!

You'd only be able to get about 27,000 BTU/hr and not 40,000 if you wanted your propane tank to last 16-18 hrs..


Your average campfire will put out 50-90,000 BTU/hr so that is roughly what I'd want my "Quikfire" set at....which is why I'd like to hear from the OP as to what runtime to expect with the fire going at a comfortable level.

I have an 11 lb. tank I use. I typically use the fire for 1 to 2 hours in the evening, and maybe a little in the morning depending on the weather. I've never emptied a tank on a trip so I don't have a feel for consumption rate.

 

[ZMagic97]

Wow, that's a nifty little package at a competitive price. Nice find!

 

[perkj]

WeeJeep2 - how long did it take to receive your Quikfire once you placed your order? I ordered mine on the 29th of Feb and haven't heard anything from them nor have I received anything. I don't see any contact info on their website either. I tried messaging them via PayPal but again nothing back yet.