Wood stove in back of pickup?
- Thread starter Bakes5
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calicamper
Expedition Leader
We do it on sailboats all the time. Small spaces dont need much to heat. The stove can be pretty small. An oil lamp can often be enough heat in some cases.
Hummelator
Adventurer
It's funny I had this thought a week ago. Would always have free fuel around and as mentioned it doesn't take much to heat a small space.
I also have an ARE MX series cap, w/3 win-doors.
If you have a properly sized inverter set up, dual batteries, decent alternator & only use it while engine is running, you could run a small elec heater. Or if you had a small generator, you could use it all night. We use this one for our camper: ( http://www.pattonproducts.com/ ) -the red one, Patton PUH4842M-RM. It will heat our entire 18' camper, on low, to the point that you will be too hot, in just a few hrs when you can see your breath outside. Our camper is insulated though.......but it's a camper, so no where near house insulation standards. I would just be leary of combustion inside a small space. Hard to modulate a wood stove inside such a small space as well, I would suspect. Plus, you want to sleep. The elec one is either on or off. It has a fan only, low & Hi heat settings. It also has an adjustable t-stat. It uses 1500 watts on Hi & between 700 & 1300 (not really sure) watts on Low. It also has a safety tip over shut off & an overheat shut off. Also has a nice cord wrap on back. We liked it so much, we bought a second one.
So, can you use a wood stove inside you cap ? Yes, you can. Would I do it ? No. My cap cost $3650 total. I would not want to take a chance ruining it with excess heat. I would use our elec one in a heartbeat though, inside the cap.
If you have a properly sized inverter set up, dual batteries, decent alternator & only use it while engine is running, you could run a small elec heater. Or if you had a small generator, you could use it all night. We use this one for our camper: ( http://www.pattonproducts.com/ ) -the red one, Patton PUH4842M-RM. It will heat our entire 18' camper, on low, to the point that you will be too hot, in just a few hrs when you can see your breath outside. Our camper is insulated though.......but it's a camper, so no where near house insulation standards. I would just be leary of combustion inside a small space. Hard to modulate a wood stove inside such a small space as well, I would suspect. Plus, you want to sleep. The elec one is either on or off. It has a fan only, low & Hi heat settings. It also has an adjustable t-stat. It uses 1500 watts on Hi & between 700 & 1300 (not really sure) watts on Low. It also has a safety tip over shut off & an overheat shut off. Also has a nice cord wrap on back. We liked it so much, we bought a second one.
So, can you use a wood stove inside you cap ? Yes, you can. Would I do it ? No. My cap cost $3650 total. I would not want to take a chance ruining it with excess heat. I would use our elec one in a heartbeat though, inside the cap.
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calicamper
Expedition Leader
Wood pellets seem to be ok also. Easily packed in a ziploc baggy for storage etc. but the point about needing attention more often is a good point.
rnArmy
Adventurer
If you're anywhere near anyone else when camping, it is extremely rude to be running a generator all night. You might not be able to hear it in your insulated trailer, but anyone outside in a tent sure can. You'd be surprised how far a generator sound travels at night, even when near loud running water. Ruins the outdoor experience to have to listen to someone's generator running all night (and I don't care how much they advertise the generator as "whisper quiet" - trust me - it isn't). Most campgrounds have a posted "quiet time" (usually 2100 or 2200); should be the same when outside a campground.
yeah...the more I think about it the more of a pain it sounds like. My biggest concerns are catching my sleeping bag on fire or at least putting little fire holes in it, smoky interior, melting my cap, screwing around with fuel all night and then what happens when I want to leave and its still hot.
In the end, I think I'm better off just spending a few hundred more dollars and installing a furnace of some sort.
In the end, I think I'm better off just spending a few hundred more dollars and installing a furnace of some sort.
SportsmanJake
Adventurer
Propex heater plus some thick insulation for the interior sounds like a more practical way to stay warm.
MNCarl
The Moose
I sleep in the bed of my pick-up with a topper/camper shell....but very small area (mid-size pick-up / short bed).
I used a candle lantern to take the cold edge off prior to going to sleep....but that was in the fall not winter only got down to around 40 degrees F. I put out the candle lantern prior to actually going to sleep.
https://www.ucogear.com/candle-lanterns/
I used a candle lantern to take the cold edge off prior to going to sleep....but that was in the fall not winter only got down to around 40 degrees F. I put out the candle lantern prior to actually going to sleep.
https://www.ucogear.com/candle-lanterns/
Here is what I would do for solo use in that situation.....
A small propane tank plus a lab type Bunsen burner. They are adjustable flame/heat output. To just use to warm up to bathe/dress/cook/etc.
NOT to use while sleeping, or more than a few minutes while awake.... With small outside fresh air venting even for short times since small space.
I would rig it so it (burner) could not be knocked over, and the flame aimed up into a vented upside-down medium sized tin can for radiant heat (at the proper height/amout of gas the bottom of the can would glow red, and a few air holes high/top on the sides would allow the products of combustion to escape...)
Would need to be used carefully... And intelligently.
A small propane tank plus a lab type Bunsen burner. They are adjustable flame/heat output. To just use to warm up to bathe/dress/cook/etc.
NOT to use while sleeping, or more than a few minutes while awake.... With small outside fresh air venting even for short times since small space.
I would rig it so it (burner) could not be knocked over, and the flame aimed up into a vented upside-down medium sized tin can for radiant heat (at the proper height/amout of gas the bottom of the can would glow red, and a few air holes high/top on the sides would allow the products of combustion to escape...)
Would need to be used carefully... And intelligently.
I think the concept mentioned before here is the right idea....
INSULATION is your friend. The interior, all the way around, can be covered with foam insulation, and the door/opening can be weather stripped. Some of the newer thin foam insulations have remarkably high R values.
With that accomplished, a multi wick candle jar, or small alcohol burner would certainly take off the chill. Wouldn't be "quick", tho.
The alcohol burner uses a wick, burns VERRY CLEAN, so it doesn't polute your airspace/breathing air with burned hydrocarbons (soot).
Worth considering whether it would work for you.
INSULATION is your friend. The interior, all the way around, can be covered with foam insulation, and the door/opening can be weather stripped. Some of the newer thin foam insulations have remarkably high R values.
With that accomplished, a multi wick candle jar, or small alcohol burner would certainly take off the chill. Wouldn't be "quick", tho.
The alcohol burner uses a wick, burns VERRY CLEAN, so it doesn't polute your airspace/breathing air with burned hydrocarbons (soot).
Worth considering whether it would work for you.