Tom & Shelly's build

...ask your questions in the appropriate forums BUT document your build here...preferably in a single thread...dates for updates, are appreciated....

Re: Tom & Shelly's build

Postby pchast » Tue Oct 19, 2021 9:34 pm

No that's good. Thanks.
:D
It helps to hear what short comings others find.
Gives us a jump on things we might avoid.
:thumbsup:
Last edited by pchast on Thu Oct 21, 2021 8:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Tom & Shelly's build

Postby Tom&Shelly » Tue Oct 19, 2021 9:43 pm

tony.latham wrote:
Instant coffee got to be a drag...


OUCH.

Image

Instant? C'mon! :frightened:

Tony


Hey! I remember those things! Percolators, right!?

I had to wake Shelly up to ask her why we decided not to use one. She said something about not remembering how they work. I told her it's just like riding a bicycle, or driving a standard, or dialing a telephone, or one of those other life skills our parents had that we somehow managed to avoid--we can look it up on the interwebs :?

In fairness, some instants are better than others. When we only camped for a week or so a year, we could afford Starbucks, which to my untrained pallet is just as good as the real thing. Too expensive when camping 50+ days a year tho.

Tom
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Re: Tom & Shelly's build

Postby rjgimp » Tue Oct 19, 2021 9:49 pm

Tom&Shelly wrote: Water ran down the frame and fell on me. Since Shelly refused to trade places...


She'll get you properly trained one of these days.

Tom&Shelly wrote:At some places back east, the mosquitoes were fierce! I know that isn't exclusive to that region...


In northern Minnesota the skeeters often have small critters hitching rides on their backs.

Tom&Shelly wrote:Instant coffee got to be a drag after the first day.


"Got" to be...? Egad, man! Get yourself an old school percolator for that propane stove!
-Rob


I hope to make it to a Procrastinators Anonymous meeting someday...
just as soon as the steering committee gets around to scheduling one!
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Re: Tom & Shelly's build

Postby tony.latham » Thu Oct 21, 2021 7:23 pm

Hey! I remember those things! Percolators, right!?


Nope. We French press. The guts are long gone.

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Image

Tony
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Re: Tom & Shelly's build

Postby western traveler » Thu Oct 21, 2021 8:39 pm

Tom that is a great list and yes, helpful to this current builder.

We have gone through many various coffee makers over the years including a lucite type material French Press that was the go to for a long time.
Then I found this;
It’s a little big for storage but it has replaced all coffee makers in hunting camp and other outdoor camps for us and my hunting partners for several years. We go through a lot of coffee so it has seen a plenty of use. The top with plunger fits sideways into the base for storage. Not as cheap as bulk coffee but so simple it’s worth it.

https://www.amazon.com/Pressing-Machine ... 362&sr=8-1
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Re: Tom & Shelly's build

Postby Tom&Shelly » Thu Dec 09, 2021 2:52 pm

We finally pulled the trigger and ordered a Partner Stove. Should be delivered in February.

We designed our galley for a removable stove, which, with our folding table from tent camping days, works well for us and gives us some flexibility in setting up our kitchen

166448

The Partner stove should fit right in the same cubby hole when traveling. So the next question is: should we buy an adapter and keep using the green 1 lb propane cylinders, or spend more up front, get a 10 lb tank, mount it to the tear, and plumb it so we can run a hose to our desired stove location? We are leaning to the latter, but honestly, as the costs add up, those 1 lb cylinders are beginning not to look too bad.

One idea would be to mount the tank behind the left fender, and use the hose that comes with the stove. But, I saw an old thread here where folks don't like how exposed the tank is to traffic. Of course, if they hit us hard enough to detonate the tank, they ruin the tear anyway, and an exploding tank may leave permanent reminders on their vehicle and persons, so there is that... :thinking: (Naw, I'm not really that callous.)

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Another option is to mount the tank in front, next to the cargo door, and run a hose back, the way Tony did for his last build.

166900

Originally, we thought about some sort of quick disconnect under the galley, and then a 5 foot, or so, flexible hose to wherever we want the stove. However, with the quick disconnect, we might trap propane in the hose, which seems like a bad idea. So another idea would be a longer flexible hose from the front, to the area behind the left fender, where we could build a "saddle bag" style box that would hold the curled up last few feet of hose. Then we just run that out to the stove and screw it in when we set up camp. That would be, maybe, up to 20 feet of hose total. Incidentally, if we make the saddle bag correctly, we might also fit our power cord in there, in separate compartments.

Another option: we keep it coiled up next to the tank in the front while traveling, and run it out from there every time we set up camp. That might spare the hose some wear and damage from part of it living under the tear.

So, our options for the hose fabrication are

1. Have Partner Stove make it for us out of whatever flexible hose they use between the regulator (included with our stove) and the stove. Seems like the simplest if, in fact, that kind of hose works for 20 foot lengths and can stand whatever abuse it gets sitting partly under the tear. (I'm about to email them for a quote.)

2. Buy "braided liquid motor fuel line", which evidently is what Tony used. (Can you suggest a vendor Tony, if only to get a cost estimate? Thanks!) We may talk to our cabin propane vendor to see what they know about it.

3. This may or may not be the same thing, but our ballooning friends use this:

https://www.hydradynellc.com/product/ss25ul-6-rl/ss25ul-series

although they are running liquid propane through it at 150 PSI. (The balloon burners have metal spiral tubing they run it through that goes around the flame, to vaporize the propane. This tubing costs $12.61/foot, so it wouldn't be cheap for 20 feet!

So this project looks like: $150 for the mount for a 10 lb tank, $70 or so for the tank, $?? up to $250 for the hose (yikes!) That's a lot of green cylinders, if we can still get them for about $4 each! Last Summer, we used a bunch of nearly empty ones from earlier tent camping trips, before starting to buy full ones, but I doubt we used more than 2 full ones a week. Just not sure...

Anyway, we are very interested in comments and suggestions. Thanks!

Tom
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Re: Tom & Shelly's build

Postby lfhoward » Thu Dec 09, 2021 3:18 pm

Hi Tom!

I have an alternative for you. Buy 4 Flame King reusable 1 lb propane bottles. At $20 each they will sting at first, but after using them for a summer you will quickly recoup the cost. Filling a 1lb bottle from my home grill cylinder costs me $0.65 at the going rate for propane at my local U-Haul dealer. I use them on my Little Buddy heater inside my kitchen side tent, but they are also the backup for our stove.

We normally run our stove and Propex heater from our 11 lb propane tank mounted horizontally under our trailer. It was from a VW Westfalia Vanagon van from the 80’s. I refurbished it and installed new valves and it’s great. I love how low profile it is. I don’t know if you have room underneath for something like that, but if you want a used one, check out VW camper forums like The Samba and click through their for sale sections.

I would suggest being careful about what hose you use to plumb propane from the tank. We have a copper line from the tank to the Propex, and it has been great. The rubber propane hose we first used for the stove turned out to be problematic. Cheap propane hoses have some sort of chemical in them to make them flexible, which liquifies and turns into a clear greasy/oily substance after being exposed to propane over extended periods. Within a few weeks this gunk was in our stove’s regulator and gumming up the burners. It was hard to get out. It will ruin stoves and Buddy heaters alike. We bought a more expensive hose from Buddy that was designed for their heaters, which doesn’t have the ooze problem. No issues since. So, if going with rubber propane line, be sure it is designed not to create this goo. If it is from your stove manufacturer, you are probably fine. Ebay, not so much.
My off-road camper build on an M116A3 military chassis:
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=62581
Tow vehicle: 2008 Jeep Liberty with a 4 inch lift.
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Re: Tom & Shelly's build

Postby Capebuild » Thu Dec 09, 2021 5:00 pm

I had planned on mounting a 5lb Flame King propane tank on the left side of the trailer rear with a Power Tank bracket, but like you, I'm concerned about it being exposed to traffic. I see other rigs have it set up that way, but it does make me think. I'll be interested to see what direction you go.
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Re: Tom & Shelly's build

Postby twisted lines » Thu Dec 09, 2021 5:45 pm

I don't know what to call this tank; but I may clean it up.
I found clean they fill it :thumbsup:
probably showing it's expired (Age) ?
I don't want to buy another but I would in a heart beat.
9" Diameter.

Out past the fender not gona do it :frightened:
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Re: Tom & Shelly's build

Postby Tom&Shelly » Thu Dec 09, 2021 6:42 pm

Partner Steel came back with a quote of $162.00 plus shipping for a 20 foot hose. They say a handful of folks have ordered hoses that long with no problem. BTW, the one that comes with the stove and regulator is 5 feet long.

Thank you for the comments, and please keep them coming. We'll keep thinking.

Tom
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Re: Tom & Shelly's build

Postby Tom&Shelly » Thu Dec 09, 2021 6:44 pm

lfhoward wrote:Hi Tom!

I have an alternative for you. Buy 4 Flame King reusable 1 lb propane bottles.


Thank you for this idea! I vaguely remember seeing reusable bottles, but forgot about it before looking hard at pricing. This may be the way we go. :thumbsup:

Tom
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Re: Tom & Shelly's build

Postby lfhoward » Thu Dec 09, 2021 8:31 pm

Tom&Shelly wrote:
lfhoward wrote:Hi Tom!

I have an alternative for you. Buy 4 Flame King reusable 1 lb propane bottles.


Thank you for this idea! I vaguely remember seeing reusable bottles, but forgot about it before looking hard at pricing. This may be the way we go. :thumbsup:

Tom

The Flame King 1 pounders go through boom and bust supply cycles where they are plentiful and cheap for a while (under $20 each) and then the supply gets used up and they go to $80 or even $120 each on Ebay. Seems like we are in a Flame King famine now, but keep checking periodically and you can get them eventually.
My off-road camper build on an M116A3 military chassis:
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=62581
Tow vehicle: 2008 Jeep Liberty with a 4 inch lift.
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Re: Tom & Shelly's build

Postby tony.latham » Thu Dec 09, 2021 8:37 pm

Partner Steel came back with a quote of $162.00 ...


Geeze. I think you could have a propane company make up a line the exact length you need (like I did) that fits onto the standard Partner hose. A lot cheaper.

Tony
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Re: Tom & Shelly's build

Postby Tom&Shelly » Fri Jan 07, 2022 8:15 pm

Came up from the shop late this afternoon and found Santa left us a Christmas present!

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It is Eastern Orthodox Christmas today, so I guess that's appropriate, especially since we were told the stove would be on back-order until February. (one of my roommates in college was Greek--came back with left overs just in time for the start of the Spring semester--Yumm!)

Too late in the day to test it, so we'll connect it to a tank tomorrow. Very ruggedly built!

We plan to take the hose around and ask some propane people how much it would cost to have a 20 foot version made. Then we'll look at buying a tank and holder and mounting it to the teardrop.

So Merry Christmas everyone!

Tom
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Re: Tom & Shelly's build

Postby Capebuild » Fri Jan 07, 2022 9:02 pm

Nice Tom! What a great gift. I kind of lust after that stove after hearing all the great reviews of it (although I've never actually seen one).
Enjoy it!
I'll be interested to hear where you decided to mount your propane tank and what kind of set up you use for the propane.
John
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