As above I’m thinking of putting a small log-burner in my lwb Sprinter for weekends away with the bike etc.. although the van is ply-lined I don’t think there is any insulation behind it. Has anyone done this or can advise what why how when etc.. how the stack comes through the roof etc..
TIA

Wouldn’t do this.
You need a real, small chimney, 120 mm diameter and this beast needs some lenght to create under-pressure in the burner. Then you need all kind of CO sensors in the inside to warn you shortly before you die.
The chimney will be roughly 300 deg C hot, and when you start driving with hot ashes still in the oven this will cause all kind of unhappy events. Log burners are crappy little machines which aren’t designed for lots of g loads. Means they will desintegrate when driving all day around with them…
In short, your question: yes you will die and or burn your van down.

this sounds like the worst idea EVER !

Seen a fair few builds with a log burner so it can be done

Seen a fair few builds with a log burner so it can be done

Many things can be done – that doesn’t mean they should be.

Yeaaahhh… no. Carbon monoxide poisoning, anyone? You’d be better off getting a decent inverter and an oil-filled radiator.

folk do it , most of them dont give a shit to safety or REGs and quote *im not dead yet so its safe*

reality is many dont actually know what the **** they are doing and are risking pyrolysis of near by wood in the most part – coupled by it being a small space and things getting dropped/stored near it and melting/catching fire and many of the chimneys not being long enough for a full draw so risking poisoning them selves.

We have a truma(the one propex cloned) in our van – gives instant heat and has the van up to temp in 5- minutes or so(and its a big van) and more importantly if i need to move – i dont need to put out the fire , i turn to off and im ready to go immediately.

i dont see why you’d want a wood burner in a van (even though i have one in the house) even the “fuel” aspect of it. You still have to carry fuel – or youll have to buy it when you get to where ever – your unlikely to find ready to burn wood where ever you parked.

look at propex ,Quiet , cheap easy to fit , safe and thermostatically controlled (means its great for keeping a constant temp through the night)

You’d be better off getting a decent inverter and an oil-filled radiator.

to quote the goonies “only problem is the batteries aint so good”

you would need a serious battery bank to run that for any length of time.

we have 260AH and 300watt of solar and still wouldnt dream of it.

oh and dont forget the fact you now have a cast iron missile in the back of your van should you stop suddenly say – your heaven forbid in a head on crash with something ?

@weeksy, it’s not the worst idea ever. That would be a charcoal BBQ.

Plenty of people do put log burners in vans – if done properly they won’t kill you. The main argument against them is that they are difficult to regulate the heat, which is a pain in a small area. Plus having to wait for the fire to burn out before you drive anywhere

Propex (propane/butane) or Webasto (diesel) heater would be my suggestion, and if properly fitted also won’t kill you (combustion happens in closed circuit with inlet and exhaust piped outside the van).

Carbon monoxide detector still a good idea!

Budget option: hot water bottles!

We have a Webasto running off tthe diesel tank. Quick, clean, safe, efficient.

Lots of Japanese use charcoal BBQs in their cars.

Of course, they are actually trying to commit suicide.

Put in a diesel heater instead.

Certainly feasible with a very small pot belly stove with no glass, but you’d need to take care installing it, perhaps using similar standards applied to narrowboats. So you’d have to install vents of a certain size high and low, that move a set volume of air. Plus CO detector of course. Then you’d need to insulate better, and get a gland for the chimney going through the roof.

You can certainly get enough draw with the correct flue, it works in shepherds huts and narrowboats well enough and they have similar headroom to a sprinter! But you could also just use a decent sleeping bag and insulate a bit more! 🙂

But as above, not very practical per se, and you’d have to secure everything very well, and constantly check sealing of any flue joints.

this immediately came to mind!!

Aye, it can be done, but it’s a sh*te idea in a van. We’ve had a Webasto diesel heater fitted to our van and it’s the best money I’ve spent on the thing. Get back from a cold ride, hop in the van, turn thermostat up and van starts to get warm within 2 or 3 minutes – don’t even have to leave the bed to reach the thermostat in the morning:)

There are some Canadian wood burners made specifically for the Job, c.£300 from memory. Bit of googling will have you sorted.

yeah but those guys also think that unvented catalyst gas stoves as good heating for a van ……

(thats a bit like having a lit BBQ in your van)

Here you go..

I dont think its killed anyone but suppose theres always a first.

When I’ve seen it done it’s usually been by folks who live in the van who park up for long periods of time as a ‘home’.

Appears it can be done, maybe safely if you do it the right way.

I have used a petrol stove whilst sleeping in a Transit but to be fair I could see the snow through multiple holes. Carbon monoxide was not top of my worries, setting light to myself was.

The Cubic Mini looks very good but this FAQ is scarey:
“Do I need to install a fresh air intake? The use of a fresh air intake is generally not required. The air is normally replaced through cracks in the space, and in most cases you can just open a window slightly. However, there are certain instances that it is necessary due to specific situations, such as tightly sealed spaces. For that we have a wall mount with a fresh air intake for each stove.”

why do you folk think it cannot be done? Do you think your vans are hermetically sealed?Mine did have an air intake underneath it and i would not fit one without it but I knew plenty of folk who did not bother

It depends on what you want if you are a leisure user then a webasto or ebberspacer is a far better idea and more user friendly.
IME the problems are more that the space is so small its hard to have a fire that does not do one of two things

1. Get to warm
2. Not burn for a long time

I have seen small stoves on ebay that may work better than a pot bellied stove that I had
stove link

full flue kit but dear for what it is
[url=https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bell-Tent-Stove-Wood-Burner-Flue-Flashing-Kit-for-Bell-Tent-Tipi-Yurt-Shed-Boat/122400518482?hash=item1c7fa3b152:g:pRcAAOSw2gxYyrYB]jutst the flue exit NB Designed for tents so pretty cool temp wise[/url]

As noted above its the option for folk who live in vans not folk who stay in in it for a weekend

I have an Eberspacher diesel heater: you get back into the van and push a button, it comes on and heats you up, or you wake up in the morning push a button and it comes on, either way in less than 10mins you are warm. My Mates’ wife has even adapted theirs as a hair dryer when need be!

The potential mess and risk is not worth it in a van never mind the danger from is being shaken loose (flue or fire box) whilst driving along, only for you not to notice. These things work well in narrow boats as there is significantly less vibration.

Pretty much how my grandparents died. Both together leaving their 3 young children sleeping in a nearby friends house, luckily or I wouldn’t have been born! I would be being very careful indeed.

Seen it done plenty of times no big deal really.
Eb, Webasto would be a smarter option though, also consider a Propex then might as well install a gas hob n kettle at the same time.

https://www.propexheatsource.co.uk

A lot of the crusties aka new age travellers I knew back in the day had them in their buses, but they were usually parked up for ages (probably broken down), and probably too stoned to care about things like fumes and safety. I wouldn’t do it, if a good duvet and hot water bottle doesn’t do the job, as other say get a proper gas/diesel powered heater.

no one said it cant be done junkyard.

anything can be done.

its just a poor idea compared to the other options out there today for a vehicle that is mobile.

aye fair point

What about one of these – designed for tents.

https://www.nordicdev.co.uk/eldfell-pro-5-stove.html

My mum and dad had a small wood burner on their narrow boat. It looked nice but even when the canal had frozen over if you had the thing goung it was oppresively hot within an hour. In a van it’d be a nightmare.

I’ve never heard such a hair brained idea as this. Like why! 😀

Good luck though, just don’t forget to mention it to your insurance company. 😉

I seem to sense an overwhelming ‘don’t do it!”
I suppose I like the idea of not heating with diesel and the fact that I can throw a kettle on top sit back a watch the pretty flames… I work with wood so a fuel source would cheap and constant…
It’s the same as cladding the inside with wood as opposed to plastic paneling.. it’s more natural.
Not to mention it’s something I can install myself unlike an Ebersbacher which is probably 20 times the cost of a small log burner..

the fact that I can throw a kettle on top sit back a watch the pretty flames

You will be watching from outside then as it will be about 90 degrees inside

I seem to sense you want to do it. In that case, proper ventilation (either external air intake to stove or fixed vents), proper flue, good sealing and a CO detector that works. Ensure that there’s also sufficient separation between the stove and anything flammable.

But eberspachers are just downright brilliant. I had a 2kw in my van – it was on a 24/7 timer and i could text it. Great for this time of year so the van was nice and toasty and ice free when setting off.
Relatively simple and reliable bits of kit, admitedly more pricey than a stove though.

eberspacher heater buy one use it and then re sell it when you get rid of the van. You won’t be to far out of pocket they command good money used.

Put it in a T5 instead, the bearded naysayers on here will soon change their tune!

I’d have a sprinter over a t5 any day Infact my t5 went last month after 4 years one gearbox and a crap seating position oh and the build quality has gone down hill since the t4

My father has gone from a t4 to a t5 and regrets it also.