Wood stove

[Rustynails]

Hello everyone, hopefully everyone had a great and safe weekend.

Happy upcoming thanksgiving to everyone!!

I’m looking for some advice and ideas related to putting a wood stove in my skoolie.

Where does everyone keep their wood inside the bus for use though the night.

Where do you store the extra wood allowing you to boondock for a week or better? And keeping it dry.

Can I use the stove as we are cruising down the road?

Thank you very much for your interest and response to our questions.

Hope everyone finds their pot of gold!!
Stay safe!!
Frank & Beth

[s2mikon]

I would do a search for previous threads about wood stoves. There is a lot of useful posts. And a few not so useful.

[musigenesis]

Originally Posted by Rustynails

Can I use the stove as we are cruising down the road?

The inadvisability of doing this should be self-evident.

[s2mikon]

Originally Posted by musigenesis

The inadvisability of doing this should be self-evident.

Now where is your sense of adventurism?
That is how you get nominated for the Darwin Awards.

[rossvtaylor]

Hi Frank and Beth,

Before you consider a wood stove, be sure to check on the viability of getting your necessary insurance coverage. We've worked with 3 different insurers and all three asked two questions...do you have a wood stove...and do you have a rooftop deck. A "yes" to either one would cause them to decline coverage.

If you do find insurance, you should only use the stove when stopped and in a safe place (free from burn hazards). The moving air, while driving, can cause a backdraft in the stove...filling the bus will smoke and possibly sparks. And, if that doesn't happen, keep in mind that you'd be sending some embers out the chimney...which can be a fire hazard.

I love wood stoves and am sitting in front of one as I type this, but it's in our home. We have never had one in a bus.

Best wishes to you both.

[john61ct]

Read through this so it need not be repeated

https://www.skoolie.net/forums/f51/wood-stove-project-37827-post457146.html

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by musigenesis

The inadvisability of doing this should be self-evident.

the other piece i wonder is WHY? when the engine provides a free heat source that is just perfect for going down the road.. heat that is otherwise dissipated by the bus cooling system.. and in fact the bus heating system stays warm for awhile after you shut down the bus.. so you can park someplace, shut the engine off and keep the bus warm with residual engine heat while you get your wood fire lit and going... the fire will be nice and warm by the time the bus heaters cool off..

[john61ct]

Some just like the Mad Max visions of trailing a cloud of sparks down the road

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by john61ct

Some just like the Mad Max visions of trailing a cloud of sparks down the road

it does look cool at night on a steam train when they really shovel in the coal!!

[s2mikon]

Here is something cool I just saw. https://509stoves.com/products/mini-...31737599623216

[Rucker]

Originally Posted by rossvtaylor

Hi Frank and Beth,

Before you consider a wood stove, be sure to check on the viability of getting your necessary insurance coverage. We've worked with 3 different insurers and all three asked two questions...do you have a wood stove...and do you have a rooftop deck. A "yes" to either one would cause them to decline coverage.

If you do find insurance, you should only use the stove when stopped and in a safe place (free from burn hazards). The moving air, while driving, can cause a backdraft in the stove...filling the bus will smoke and possibly sparks. And, if that doesn't happen, keep in mind that you'd be sending some embers out the chimney...which can be a fire hazard.

I love wood stoves and am sitting in front of one as I type this, but it's in our home. We have never had one in a bus.

Best wishes to you both.

Agreed.

But just in case you decide to move forward with a wood stove note that the stove surround should be very, very robust (fireproof within 3 feet, air gap to prevent conducted heat). Also, something in front of the stove on the floor to prevent sparks from burning the bus down.

And in California (and perhaps other places) there are no-burn days due to air quality, and full on no-burn months due to the drought. You'll have to be aware of and follow local code and law wherever you travel, so a back-up system will be an important consideration.

[Rucker]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

the other piece i wonder is WHY? when the engine provides a free heat source that is just perfect for going down the road.. heat that is otherwise dissipated by the bus cooling system.. and in fact the bus heating system stays warm for awhile after you shut down the bus.. so you can park someplace, shut the engine off and keep the bus warm with residual engine heat while you get your wood fire lit and going... the fire will be nice and warm by the time the bus heaters cool off..

...except that the first thing most newbies do is rip out their A/C and heat exchanger.

Or do they first rip out all the wiring? Can't remember.

[Rustynails]

Originally Posted by rossvtaylor

Hi Frank and Beth,

Before you consider a wood stove, be sure to check on the viability of getting your necessary insurance coverage. We've worked with 3 different insurers and all three asked two questions...do you have a wood stove...and do you have a rooftop deck. A "yes" to either one would cause them to decline coverage.

If you do find insurance, you should only use the stove when stopped and in a safe place (free from burn hazards). The moving air, while driving, can cause a backdraft in the stove...filling the bus will smoke and possibly sparks. And, if that doesn't happen, keep in mind that you'd be sending some embers out the chimney...which can be a fire hazard.

I love wood stoves and am sitting in front of one as I type this, but it's in our home. We have never had one in a bus.

Best wishes to you both.

Thank you very much for the respectful reply. Yes I’m
Very new to this and appreciate all the input I can find. The rooftop deck wasn’t part of the plan, just lots of solar. And it looks like the wood stove is now out. Would you know if a diesel heat is insurable?

[Rustynails]

Originally Posted by Rucker

...except that the first thing most newbies do is rip out their A/C and heat exchanger.

Or do they first rip out all the wiring? Can't remember.

Well I think I’m starting a new trend because the first thing this newbie did was take an ice pick to every tire on the bus. I didn’t like the new full treads. Hopefully your sarcasm helps you sleep better at night.

[Rustynails]

Originally Posted by Rucker

Agreed.

But just in case you decide to move forward with a wood stove note that the stove surround should be very, very robust (fireproof within 3 feet, air gap to prevent conducted heat). Also, something in front of the stove on the floor to prevent sparks from burning the bus down.

And in California (and perhaps other places) there are no-burn days due to air quality, and full on no-burn months due to the drought. You'll have to be aware of and follow local code and law wherever you travel, so a back-up system will be an important consideration.

Thank you very much for the education and advice!!

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by Rucker

...except that the first thing most newbies do is rip out their A/C and heat exchanger.

Or do they first rip out all the wiring? Can't remember.

ha!! imn sure youve seen my threads on that... every year in fall and spring I get people coming to me with the "I took out my A/C (or heat) and im roasting (or freezing)"...


I put several A/C systems back into busses this year for people.. but really thank you to them as the $$ I got in charging even CHEAP labor paid for the restoration of my 1978 Superior..


whats interesting is that many people rip the heat out stating they dont trust the coolant lines running inside the bus.... in restoration of said superior I pulled open the chaseways for the bus-long coolant lines and pulled out "good year" hoses that were dated 1977 (august or september something like that).... no leaks, no cracks..



now the rear heater COILS are known to leak.. but thats easily solvable with the myriad of aftermarket Heaters available ... the Hot-rodding and boating communities have our backs on that..

[s2mikon]

Originally Posted by Rustynails

Thank you very much for the respectful reply. Yes I’m
Very new to this and appreciate all the input I can find. The rooftop deck wasn’t part of the plan, just lots of solar. And it looks like the wood stove is now out. Would you know if a diesel heat is insurable?

Well, are the diesel heaters insurable? I do know that the Chinese ones are not UL listed. So probably not. I don't know about the Webasto's and the eberspacher's. For the price of them they should be. If we give the insurance racket enough time to figure out that people are using Chinese diesel heaters they will list them in their exclusions too. If the RVIA ever pushes the underwriters hard enough we will be left with only PLPD coverage.

[cadillackid]

I dont think RVIA has anything to say with the insurers. the risk assessments do.. there are many insurance products that come and go because they dont end up profitable for whatever reason.. regulations also affect insurance products.. if for some reason states were to come out with regulations that say your RV cant contain a roof deck / woodstove etc then likely those products go away.. after all its hard to handle the myriad of messes wit hcustoemrs who happen to pass through such a jurisdiction, crash, and the insurance denies them.. ot the company gets sued because "if you insured it then it must be legal".. easier to drop the product or make an exclusion for those things in a policy..



if chinese diesel heaters start becoming the cause of insurance claims then they will get written out.. as of now I havent seen anything banning them in either of my policies for my busses...

[john61ct]

At this point the fact that a couple underwriters are willing to give us any coverage at all, is something to be grateful for.

[Rustynails]

I really appreciate most of the feedback Iv read concerning wood stove and insurance. But I didn’t see any responses with regards to my questions:
Where does everyone keep their wood inside the bus for use though the night.

Where do you store the extra wood allowing you to boondock for a week or better? And keeping it dry.

If you have a wood stove or know someone that does, could you give me some insight on these two questions. Thank you very much!!

Happy thanksgiving folks!!