It is a good and useful tool to have the latest comments post at the top of the topics list, unless you are completely in love with your own topic and post too often, then it's just embarrassing. 😳 Sorry.
Be that as it may, I think the RV way of life has a place in a shtf way of life, and keep finding interesting and informative articles. The Bison Survival Blog has many posts regarding living in cheap and decrepit trailers. Just type in the word trailers in his site search bar.
http://bisonsurvivalblog.blogspot.com/2007/07/dysfunctional-trailer.html
One of the things I've been wondering about is why travel trailers don't have little woodstoves. This being a coastal city I've been in stores that have beautiful and small stainless steel stoves for boats. I've googled and seen lovely tiny woodstoves for lovely tiny cabins. Granted they're expensive, but wood will always be found, whereas filled propane tanks may not.
The clearance required around a woodstove would require a rethink of layout for a trailer. Most trailers are able to sleep 4 to 6 people, but what if the same space were meant for only 2, then dinettes for example wouldn't have to be so wide. I think there is a niche market for trailers designed for the prepper-minded, more independence, more storage, better insulated, etc. :geek:
Vanislemom, your right, wood stoves can and do go in the trailers just fine. I will be adding a wood stove or rocket stove to my little Truck soon. I am not so in love with my post as to have said go read the answer there, but maybe I should as there are just no comments there, sigh, wowww is me.
The smaller and more efficient the space the smaller stove you need, the smaller the stove you need the less wood you need. Rocket stoves use even less wood, although, you have to make the pieces smaller as well. So there is a trade off in less wood but more labour. In thinking on it some, a Rocket Stove to cook on and they put a steel plate ontop to retain heat is a good way to go and just use a small wood stove for regular heat when not cooking and for banking overnight.
Paintergir, you asked me about my Living and bug out vehicle,
for an answer, follow the link to a new post, thanks.
http://internationalpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=419
http://internationalpreppersnetwork.net/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=419 :ugeek:
I loved the post!! Thank you!!
I am not so in love with my post as to have said go read the answer there, but maybe I should as there are just no comments there, sigh, wowww is me.
My profuse apologies, we have been in hyper prep mode the last couple of weeks because we had some extra resources to work with and wanted to "get'er done!"
Life is back to normal now! 😀
...and I had no idea that a woodstove or rocket stove could work in an RV!! The wheels are turning ... I want to know more!
Look at these links then, major amount of stoves;
http://zenstoves.net/LinksGeneral-DIY.htm
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/cheap-shelters/message/13482
http://www.rocketstoves.com/
Every stove you can think of... we have been onto the home-made rocket stove idea, but I hadn't realized that a wood stove could be worked safely into the space of an RV, ( venting etc.) A happy thought especially when I consider wintering in the area we are targeting...
As mentioned in a previous thread I have started a new project, rehabilitating an old 1978, 23 ft., Ford, 460cc, Okanagan RV.
Thats new compared to mi 🙄 ne.
I have a bunch of water sealing to do this year, possibly repair some structural braces that got wet and soft.
Ideally, I was thinking about an older Atco 30 ft trailer from an auction, take it home to my acreage to gut it and re insulate, re wire, new propane gravity heater, and a wood burning stove in the corner. Drop it into the bush on some private property, make a covered deck and built a wood shed.
I'm home!
I have seen people that build covered decks that are really mud rooms. In these Mud rooms they put the heaters, so it frees up space in other areas. The last one I saw, had the deck so long it covered both doors, massive heater with stone around it. Just use some computer fans which are 12v, use even the small 1.5 or 2watt panels to power them. The excess power can be diverted to a small 12v deep cycle battery, I got mine from a used Electric Bike dealer. One could put an addition onto the back, even insulated Canvas would work, then you increase the mobility of the RV/Camper while creating extra room and a place for the larger heater.
Now I am working on two projects, well actually 3 projects.
1st was simple, I gutted an old Kerosene heater, put in a small catalytic propane heater. I am using the old cabinet from the Kerosene in order to make it safer as well as direct the heat better. Last night, I put an old brake rotor on top, since it is solid metal it took a while for it to heat up, likewise it will take a while to cool down. So there is some mass.
2nd my mechanic uses the old oil he takes out of vehicles to heat his shop. He puts them in some soup cans, 3/4 full then squirts a bit of BBQ lighter fluid into them to get them going. After a while, he will put some wood on top, to really get it heated up. Heating cost $0, although you need to clean the chimney more. I have two portable camping wood stoves now. One brand new the other cost $40 with the home-made chimney.
3rd Will be making a rocket mass heater for this coming Winter and Fall, enough of spending so much money on Propane. I will of course use the propane as an emergency supply or a quick warm up, while the rocket mass heater is doing its thing.
Now seeing as this is a vehicle, RV there is not as much room in it as I would like, so the outlet pipes will be modified. I have picked up some used (although maybe never used at all) gas heater pipes. This will be for the outlet of the Rocket Mass Heater. Since it is already a duel pipe system, the inner pipe, the smaller one will be for the exhaust. The outer ring will be filled with Vermiculite or Perlite. (almost the same, slightly different but very similar) They both hold and retain the heat, are both very lightweight.
Next I will attach a cheap copper or other metal pipe to it, this will be the outside air, so it is warmed as it travels along to the Rocket Heater. The heat and fire will draw the air so no need for a fan for the fresh air intake pipe.
Next, since I finally found a local supplier of Clay, I an now make my Portable Rocket Mass Heater. The base will be a concrete slab/patio stone with some clay bricks with air gaps, so the floor does not get too hot. The combustion chamber will be a Propane Bottle, modified of course. Inside and outside will be the clay to absorb the heat. I will be using a 20pndr for size reasons. Since the Rocket Mass Heater is so efficient, picking up small wood from building sites and other small wood sources will provide the bulk of the fuel. In this I might experiment using the used oil as well. There is a few hundred gallons kicking around this place and I already have the permission to use some of it.
The exhaust since it burns so well, and the way rocket mass heaters work, it will just travel along the floor under my living wall, into my storage/workshop area in the back, down one of the sides that has an opening for the back doors.