Outdoor woodstove for camper

[loaderman]

I live in an area where guys live in trailers/campers/RV's all winter long.
And these aren't nice winters, -20C (-4f) to -40C (-40f) temperatures. And about 5' of snow!!!!!

Talking to one of the guys I work with. Usual complaints about heating being expensive with propane and condensation.
Really think a purpose built insulated trailer would be best but probably not an option.

So was thinking wood is inexpensive here, and also it is a dry heat, would help with the condensation issue.

The thought is build a 'fire box' inside an insulated (fire proof) box with about a 2" or so air gap between the two. Then run 4" insulated duct to the trailer.
Drill 4" hole in the side near the floor for the heat, and another in the floor on the opposite side/end for the cold air return, this would circulate the heat.

would love a 12hr run time without cooking out the trailer.

Any thoughts?

[mezmo]

Google "outdoor wood furnaces". Maybe perusing the mfr info can help you.
There are some that work on the wood gasification principle that are more
efficient and longer burning.

Also there are various different camping and DIY heating stoves on you-tube
and the DIY sites that may have some info/ideas you could use/adapt.

[loaderman]

I used to live on the prairies and many farmers use outdoor wood, bale,grain,coal stoves. A friend actually built his own coal outdoor stove and I helped.

Usually (always?) they use water and radiators and pumps, I wanted something a little simpler.

[Shadow Catcher]

The water and pumps could be fairly simple and safer no danger of CO poisoning if the fire box burns through or leaks.
Should you go with hoses be sure that they are heat resistant. I found hose good up to 400 F which I used with the Espar heater

[48Rob]

Condensation in a winter occupied trailer is from breathing, cooking, and wet clothes.
A dehumidifier is the best bet, as the usual "vent the trailer" isn't very practical at -40

On the wood heat, control is the issue.
In such a small space, an auto feed heater could work inside, but the outdoor heater would be a better option.
The key is long burn times (as always).
It would be easy enough to use an auto damper on a T stat in the feed line to the trailer to control volume and heat, but how to store the rest of the heat...
A boiler with a well insulated storage tank would help a lot, but may drive the cost out of sight.

If wood is cheap enough maybe the wasted heat wouldn't matter.

I'm thinking to place the stove in a small shed, and circulate the heated air to the trailer.
As pointed out, a crack in the stove, or an occasional back draft could pump unpleasant things into the trailer...

All the outdoor boilers I've seen use an antifreeze type mixture to circulate through the system.
If you had several trailers close together, a boiler system might pay off?

No matter what system you choose, having a back up to kick in if the fire dies is a must...

Rob

[loaderman]

Good points about CO2 and backdrafts and such.

2 or so sharing might be a good option. As some of the guys are 7 on 7 off if you could share with someone on opposite shifts then they could keep it going while your away.
Yep always need a back-up source.

[rebapuck]

The interior fireplaces I've seen have the intake low, the heat comes out high. There should be enough of a difference to create the circulation.

[loaderman]

That espar looks cool, but at 1200 a little pricey when wood is vitually free around here, but with it there would be no need for propane when away, may be a great option?

[stumphugger]

Here is a forum that might be good to ask on. Like any other, some folks know stuff and some don't.
http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-he ... equipment/
I lived in a 24' travel trailer in a very cold part of the state for a while. I never cooked spaghetti in the winter. You have to be careful.
Still, I'd wake up with frost on the walls by my bed. I had my trailer plugged in to power so had portable electric heaters at both ends. I also plugged up half the windows with fiberglass insulation. I found that it would be warm up by my head, and cold at the feet.
I finally found a house to rent after a few cold winters.

The guys who use that kind of a system call them OWBs for Outdoor Wood Burners. It appears that you can load them up and they'll burn quite a while between fill ups. The bad thing is that some towns have outlawed having them--some of the OWB people were burning things they shouldn't have and smoking up the place. they also can be quite spendy, but if you know some guys who can weld, well, you might be able to make one.

Good luck. Travel trailers are not good places to be during cold winters. Brrrrrrr.