I have not installed a wood stove in a bus. Don't do it.
However if you are going to do it...
I've installed plenty in residences, back in the day. Guidance is in National Fire Protection Association code 211 (NFPA 211), available here if you register with the site:
https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-stand...etail?code=211
Note: if you search this forum you will find a lot of discussion about the safety and practicality of a wood burning stove in a skoolie, and a lot of strong opinions. Many of us love the ambiance but won't take the risk. Others say no big whup, just use common sense. Some of them may already be dead from a bus fire, but as they say, you do you.
Further note: if you read the posts in this forum you'll also find that no insurance company will insure a skoolie with a wood stove. Period. That means all of those folks with a wood stove are skirting the insurance rules. And just because a whole lot of people do this doesn't change the fact that your insurance company may drop you, or refuse to cover your claim (regardless of whether a wood stove was involved in the damage).
Okay, got the caveats out of the way. If I were to do this, which I wouldn't, here would be my minimums, which roughly conform to the abovementioned standard yet are still likely to set a fire to burn your bus like a freakin' roman candle:
1. Floor. Must be noncombustible, and the noncombustible surface must extend 18" from the sides and front of the stove. This assumes you have at least 6" clearance under your stove. Looks like you have that, from your picture. My experience is live coals often fall out of the stove when loading wood, and even 18" isn't enough.
2. Wall behind. Stove must be 12" away, providing you have a 24 gauge steel sheet mounted so it stands off from the wall at least 1" with spacers, open all around for good air circulation. You can use other noncombustible materials but for God's sake don't build a cubby into it to store firewood.
3. Front and side clearance. 36" from any combustible surface unless you have the same treatment as described for the wall behind. From the pictures the only location that might give you that type of clearance is on the little platform.
4. Chimney pipe. At least 26 gauge steel pipe single wall pipe spaced 18" from any combustible surface. Use double wall and you can be about 6" from combustible surfaces. Any horizontal run should not be more than 50% of the vertical run outside the bus. Translation: if your elbow to elbow horizontal run out the window is 36" you need 72" vertical to ensure draft. Having said that, you need 15 feet of chimney for proper draft. Yeah, I know, but that just means if you have anything shorter your draft will not pull all combustion gases out of the bus. All pipe secured so a whack with your hand doesn't dislodge any part of it.
Other considerations:
-the wood stove will wreak havoc with your fire alarm
-when the stove is doing its best job burning wood the chimney is also doing its best to suck all the warm air in the bus out the chimney. Air infiltration may make it so you are too hot near the stove and chilly anywhere away from it, especially near windows and doors. The compromise is a poorly burning fire and associated smoke inhalation.
-wood stoves like the one you show don't burn all night.
-air quality is significantly reduced with a wood burning stove. I wouldn't let a baby sleep in the bus with a wood stove.
-carbon monoxide poisoning is a risk. Never use coal in a confined space unless you are willing to take the real risk of waking up dead.
PS. Diesel heaters are safe and work really well. For ambiance, consider candles in an enclosed sconce.
Linear Mode
