Outside wood heater for a small trailer

[MissouriFree]

I am going to have a 30-35 ft trailer *in the woods *while biulding the house ( sometime *and it will take awhile ,, i am going to do it all myself) and want to find a way to heat the trailer on wood. *the only inside wood heater that I have considered is the kind that goes on boats.

http://www.marinestove.com/futurestoves.htm
Cost a lot...$$$

AND I am still *none to excited about a wood stove in a trailer ( even with all the proper *clearance's , non combustable surfaces etc).

I ran across this ad. but it is way to much for a small trailer. but like the idea of force hot air

http://www.outsidewoodheater.com/page2.html

I am sure this has been discussed many times but appreciate any new thoughts.

thanks

mo free

[alwaysacowboy]

I'll be watching this topic with interest since we're moving into a 25' trailer this spring while we build our house.
I saw a plan that used a 55 gallon drum for an outside stove, and sitting on top of it was another drum. It was cut to fit on top of the lower drum. In that drum they ran a 6" air duct, in a U shape so that both ends came out the back. The two ends went into the trailer, with a blower on one end. Circulated the heat.
Would probably work, but we won't have electric, so it's not for us.
Art

[MissouriFree]

I like that "little sadine" but $650 for a 12" x 12" stove.. it did say it was for sleeping cabins on boats though. todays prices propane or electric you could pay for in a little bit

[Anon001]

Missouri Free. I wouldn't worry about heat now in Missouri as the cold is about gone. If you plan to be in it next winter do like I did.

I already had bought my used 500 gallon propane tank. Bulk is the cheapest and much much cheaper than 5 gallon or 100 gallon cylinders. I bought a small ventless propane blue flame heater (Comfort Glo- I think). They have sensors and if the oxygen level indoors drops below a certain level, the propane source is closed off. (safety). Anyway, I sat that in the back end of my 27' camping trailer and used it for 3 winters. Even at -14, I stayed warm. I also stacked bales of straw up around the bottom of the trailer high enough that they went up either 2 or 3 rows high. Can't remeber now. And I stacked them all on edge to make them taller. This kept the pipes from freezing. That little heater didn't use as much propane as I thought it would and would work okay for you for just one winter or so.

The other thing is that if you get an outdoor furnace, you still have no heat if the power goes off. I would get a wood stove and try to duct the heat into the trailer from underneath since hot air rises.....

Just some thoughts.
Paul

[SPIKE]

We have a Lil'house wood burning stove and we are in a 16x80. (One of the above links)
It works well, but it will make us open the doors on the coldest days when I over do it. LOL

It did cost a bit more than I wanted, but it solved the heating problem if we lose power to the all electric mobile home. Yes it has an electric blower, but it is only a 1/10 hp motor. A small generator will operate the blower in a power outage. I have been considering a small solar set up for justin'(just in case).

SPIKE

[MissouriFree]

We have a Lil'house wood burning stove and we are in a 16x80. (One of the above links)
It works well, but it will make us open the doors on the coldest days when I over do it. LOL

It did cost a bit more than I wanted, but it solved the heating problem if we lose power to the all electric mobile home. Yes it has an electric blower, but it is only a 1/10 hp motor. A small generator will operate the blower in a power outage. I have been considering a small solar set up for justin'(just in case).

SPIKE



Yeah way to much heat but might be a good idea for for the house.. How *much wood do you have to feed over a winter ?

[MissouriFree]

Missouri Free. I wouldn't worry about heat now in Missouri as the cold is about gone. *If you plan to be in it next winter do like I did. *

I already had bought my used 500 gallon propane tank. *Bulk is the cheapest and much much cheaper than 5 gallon or 100 gallon cylinders. *I bought a small ventless propane blue flame heater (Comfort Glow- I think). *They have *sensors and if the oxygen level indoors drops below a certain level, the propane source is closed off. *(safety). Anyway, I sat that in the back end of my 27' camping trailer and used it for 3 winters. *Even at -14, I stayed warm. *I also stacked bales of straw up around the bottom of the trailer high enough that they went up either 2 or 3 rows high. *Can't remember now. *And I stacked them all on edge to make them taller. *This kept the pipes from freezing. *That little heater didn't use as much propane as I thought it would and would work okay for you for just one winter or so.

The other thing is that if you get an outdoor furnace, you still have no heat if the power goes off. *I would get a wood stove and try to duct the heat into the trailer from underneath since hot air rises.....

Just some thoughts.
Paul

Thanks Paul, good idea that i will consider.. you are right about the propane,, not only cheaper at 500 gal but in most cases they won't deliver real far out unless you buy a bunch. I am also interested in the straw. i was going to use straw under ( like skirting). It sound like you put in on the outside and up the sides of the trailer a bit. Did you leave the original there or change it every fall ? what about critters ( bugs or what every in the straw ?)

mo free

[Anon001]

Mo Free,

I left the straw there. I had my old dog and 3 or 4 outside cats. I left one very very small opening in the strat and and hung fabric over it for the dog and cats to get under the trailer. The cats took care of mice. But otherwise, I don't know what bug problem you might get from straw? Straw doesn't draw bugs too much other than mice and the cats took care of that.

The only other problem was that the water heater and the fridge pilot lights were on the outside. So where I left a "hole" for those, I lined with metal to keep from igniting the straw.

You can use straw just underneath as skirting, which I did. But in a camping trailer, the water lines are usually near the outside walls and in the cabinets where heat can't get to them. So my plumbing still froze until I went higher up the sides of the camping trailer.

I had the straw there for all the time I lived in that camping trailer. I did have to run an electric fence (with a solar fencer) around it to keep the cows and calves from trying to eat the straw! LOL

Paul

[kmccune]

maybe you can find a small used "Hardy" or"Taylor" outside wood fiurnace-you can swap
over to the house when done-Kevin-Sorry I didnt read the whole post-but sometimes the smaller older ones are available cheap,perhaps it could be setup for thermosyphon if you can get enough difference in elevation



























"

[SPIKE]

Hey MO FREE,

We burned about 2 1/2 cords of wood this year. Remember that I am in west TN, and winters are not extreme usually. The stove does well and I usually only fed it 2 times a day, before I left for work and once in the evening.

SPIKE

[MissouriFree]

Mo Free,

I left the straw there. *I had my old dog and 3 or 4 outside cats. *I left one very very small opening in the strat and and hung fabric over it for the dog and cats to get under the trailer. *The cats took care of mice. *But otherwise, I don't know what bug problem you might get from straw? *Straw doesn't draw bugs too much other than mice and the cats took care of that. *

The only other problem was that the water heater and the fridge pilot lights were on the outside. *So where I left a "hole" for those, I lined with metal to keep from igniting the straw.

You can use straw just underneath as skirting, which I did. *But in a camping trailer, the water lines are usually near the outside walls and in the cabinets where heat can't get to them. *So my plumbing still froze until I went higher up the sides of the camping trailer.

I had the straw there for all the time I lived in that camping trailer. *I did have to run an electric fence (with a solar fencer) around it to keep the cows and calves from trying to eat the straw! LOL

Paul

Man I am afraid to ask questions.

Your answer was great( I had even thought about the dogs) but then I got to the part about the pipes in travel trailers being on the outside..... somthing else to think about. but will look seriously at your idea.

Really appreciate the feedback .

mo free

[MissouriFree]

Hey MO FREE,

We burned about 2 1/2 cords of wood this year. Remember that I am in west TN, and winters are not extreme usually. The stove does well and I usually only fed it 2 times a day, before I left for work and once in the evening.

SPIKE

Thanks much Spike
I wish they made'em a little smaller,, after I am in house it would be great for the shop. still thinking hard about this one.

mop free.