CNC Build: The Bed and Breakfast at 4 years and 40,000 miles

[capnTelescope]

[capnTelescope]

The last of my propane fittings finally arrived on the slow boat from ... Brooklyn? Please, don't ask.

You may recall:

The propane plan is to put a 20# bottle in the tongue box, regulate it down to 30psi, run it through a 1/2" black iron pipe under the floor to the galley, up through the floor, and then to the slider with the stove and oven.

With the stove/oven slider fixed mostly to my satisfaction, all that's left for that is flare fittings and bent tubing. Armed with a flaring tool, tubing bender and plenty of copper tubing, I went at it. Here's what happened:


The loops are there to supply some give from vibration. I think it looks kinda steampunk cool. Too bad this is all behind where it won't be visible.

Hooked it up to the tank in ye olde grille to give it a test:


Success! The high pressure appliances work just fine off the 30psi regulator.


*********************************************************
(EDIT) 7/2/15

I got an excellent question about the propane setup from ukewarrior. Here's my reply:

Hi David,

Thanks for reading my build journal.I hope you've enjoyed it.

I guess I'm asking if there are two regulators going to the stove (not the oven).

The short answer is "Yes." First, the propane goes to a 30 psi regulator(see below), to the plumbing, to the stove's original stock regulator, to the stove. The stove's regulator is built into the propane assembly that screws onto the disposable bottle.

The propane plan is to put a 20# bottle in the tongue box, regulate it down to 30psi, run it through a 1/2" black iron pipe under the floor to the galley, up through the floor, and then to the slider with the stove and oven. One of the posts in the plumbing and propane leads me to believe that will be enough pressure for the disposable bottle appliances, using their own regulators.

BTW, it worked!

From the propane tank, it goes through a Bayou Classic 0-30 PSI Adjustible Regulator/Hose Assembely which drops the pipe pressure to 30 psi. This is done for fire safety. Better to have 30 psi propane than 200 psi in the pipes. 25-30 psi is enough pressure to work the stock regulators for the stove and oven. From the galley end of your piping, plumb to suit to a male disposable bottle adapter.

RV building codes require a very low pressure (11" WC) propane regulator. These won't work with the stock stove regulator, and there's no workaround if you get this type of regulator.

Hard plumbing is 1/2" black iron pipe. Galvanized piping is thought to flake the galvanizing into the propane stream, eventually clogging your orifices. The gas orifices in your appliances. Not your personal orifices. Added bonus: Black iron is cheaper than galvanized.

Here's a list of the fittings I used. Starting from the galley end of the piping:
[*]Anderson Metals Brass Tube Fitting, Coupling, 3/8" Flare x 1/2" Female Pipe
[*]Flexible propane hose to suit. 3/8" female flare x 3/8" female flare
[*]Plumb to suit: 3/8" male flare to 1/4" FIP (Female Iron Pipe), same thing as FNPT (Fem Natl. Pipe Thread) HoDePo calls it FIP, Amazon calls it FNPT
[*]From the 1/4 FNPT, attach a Mr. Heater F273755 1/4" Male Pipe Thread x 1"-20 Male Throwaway Cylinder Thread Fitting
[*]Screw the cylinder adapter into your stove's regulator.
[*]Attach the stove's regulator to the stove, as you normally do.
[*]Leak test
[*]Cook

Safety concerns:
[*]Always shut off and disconnect propane tank before towing your trailer.
[*]It's a good idea to shut off the propane tank anytime you're not burning propane, in case of small leaks.
[*]I can't say whether or not this setup is legal in your or any other state.

Thanks for your question. I hope this helps.

(/EDIT)

[KCStudly]

Nice job plumbing that. Very tidy.

[wagondude]

Looks cool. I think I would put a support clamp on that run from the tee to the oven, though. Maybe right before the loop. That one looks like it would be the most susceptible to vibration damage.

[capnTelescope]

Good point, wagondude. It does look like it could sag over time and miles. That would stress the flare joint at the tee.

A couple of holes and a zip tie ought to do the trick.

Thanks for the tip!

[mikeschn]

Doesn't that little oven get hot in that box?

Mike...

[capnTelescope]

I guess there's enough ventilation that it doesn't overheat. It didn't get very hot off of regular propane bottle either. It only gets up to about 350.

Cookies!!

[ryuandwings]

I guess there's enough ventilation that it doesn't overheat. It didn't get very hot off of regular propane bottle either. It only gets up to about 350.

Cookies!!

How do you like you oven stove setup?
I'm debating to do something similar to yours with separate or go with Camp Chef's Camp Oven.

I think your oven fits a pan size of 9x13? Do you find it big enough?

[capnTelescope]

Howdy Ryu,

How do you like you oven stove setup?

It's really too soon to tell, as I've barely burned the "new" smell off either. I wonder about just how handy the oven will be, since it gets up to 350, and that's about it. Anyone out there have one of the Camp Chef ovens that does better? OTOH, my Camp Chef Everest stove kicks butt. Very hot flame, and the drip thingies around the burners reflect up a lot of heat. Also, this stove has a larger surface area than the oven/stove combo has.

I think your oven fits a pan size of 9x13?

Yes, it should. the rack is 16 x 10-1/2. You lose a half inch on each end, and you should probably leave some space around for the heat to go up, lest you burn your bottom.

The oven is a little bigger than an average toaster oven. I think anything that's made for a toaster oven would work good in this oven. I have a 11-1/4 x 7-1/2 roll pan that I plan to use that's maybe just a little small.

I'm debating ... separate or go with Camp Chef's Camp Oven.

My take is that you shouldn't expect home oven performance from these camp ovens. I'm sure the Dutch Oven people would argue that theirs is the way to do serious camp baking. Either the Camp Chefs or the DO's are going to have a learning curve to consistent success.

My decision process was that I had doubts about propane camp ovens to begin with. Better to have a big BTU stove separate from the oven, so that if the oven is a flop, you can reclaim the space for storage, and don't have to buy another stove. YMMV.

I've been using my Mrs. Fields cast iron skillet cookie kit in the home oven. It works fantastic. So, even as this is being written, I'm doing a test run in the camp oven. I'll post cookie porn in about a half hour.

Beer and cookies!

[KCStudly]

[capnTelescope]

Here comes your cookie, KC

WARNING: Extremely graphic images. Viewer discretion is advised.

What you are about to see was photographed as it actually happened. No attempt was made to reduce the gruesome awfulness of what actually happened. The actual participants are actually shown actually participating. This is really for real.

You have been warned.

Mrs. Field's skillet cookie dough mix had been sitting in my freezer since before Christmas, wondering if it would ever get baked. Countless packages of Nestle's toll house cookie dough had gone to the gas chamber, but Mrs. Fields sat alone, shivering in the freezer.

It was a dark and stormy night. Suddenly the door to Mrs. Fields dungeon apartment opened. Two hands rushed in and grabbed her, treating her roughly and carrying her off into the night.

Enough of that.

While I was preheating the Camp Chef oven and Mrs. F's cookie skillet, I mixed according to instructions and put the dough into the refrigerator while I waited on the oven (Looks at watch, taps foot). Baked for 23 of the recommended 25 minutes. Looked through the oven window and saw this:

Almost ready!

Pulled it out and took it to the kitchen. Fresh out of the oven:




Bottom view. verging on burnt, but not.


Breaking bread

Where's the chips?

Overall, this test bake was successful. If I stick to the pre-prepared cookie doughs, things should be fine. Nestle's Toll House dough is better. IMHO.

[S. Heisley]

[KCStudly]

Yeah, I'd eat that!

Your posts are always entertaining, Capn.

[capnTelescope]

Thank you all. Thankyouverymuch.

Chef Telescope has left the building.

[ryuandwings]

Howdy Ryu,

It's really too soon to tell, as I've barely burned the "new" smell off either. I wonder about just how handy the oven will be, since it gets up to 350, and that's about it. Anyone out there have one of the Camp Chef ovens that does better? OTOH, my Camp Chef Everest stove kicks butt. Very hot flame, and the drip thingies around the burners reflect up a lot of heat. Also, this stove has a larger surface area than the oven/stove combo has.

Yes, it should. the rack is 16 x 10-1/2. You lose a half inch on each end, and you should probably leave some space around for the heat to go up, lest you burn your bottom.

The oven is a little bigger than an average toaster oven. I think anything that's made for a toaster oven would work good in this oven. I have a 11-1/4 x 7-1/2 roll pan that I plan to use that's maybe just a little small.

My take is that you shouldn't expect home oven performance from these camp ovens. I'm sure the Dutch Oven people would argue that theirs is the way to do serious camp baking. Either the Camp Chefs or the DO's are going to have a learning curve to consistent success.

My decision process was that I had doubts about propane camp ovens to begin with. Better to have a big BTU stove separate from the oven, so that if the oven is a flop, you can reclaim the space for storage, and don't have to buy another stove. YMMV.

I've been using my Mrs. Fields cast iron skillet cookie kit in the home oven. It works fantastic. So, even as this is being written, I'm doing a test run in the camp oven. I'll post cookie porn in about a half hour.

Beer and cookies!

Humm, I really didn't consider BTU power of stoves all that much. I was assuming stove on combo unit was powerful enough.
Also good point on the benefit of separate unit when one goes down, you only deal with one not both.

I'm expecting anything to be like residential range, so I'm fine with spending a little more time for cooking as long as they work.
I sorta planned my galley with the combo unit in mind, so that space I'm thinking about is not wide enough to hold Camp Chef Everest stove. I may be should be able to fit Camp Chef Ranger, though. That would be more powerful than most.

More to think about... Thank you for your input.