The pros and cons of an RV wood-burning stove

By Cheri Sicard
Having an RV wood-burning stove might seem like a weird idea, but it certainly worked well in the early days of RVing and it possibly can now.

In the video below, we join Mel of Mel’s Big Van Small World for a look at the pros and cons of wood-burning stoves in vans or RVs. Mel has a U.K. van life channel, but the principles of wood-burning stoves and fire safety remain the same regardless of which side of the pond you travel on.

Mel lives in his Mercedes Sprinter Van full-time and he does, indeed, have a small wood-burning stove inside. This unusual RV accessory prompts a lot of questions from his YouTube viewers, so he made this video to address the pros and cons of having a wood-burning stove in your camper van or RV.

Mel’s stove is made by a Canadian Company, Cubic Mini Wood Stoves, which specializes in wood-burning stoves and water heaters for RVs, boats, and tiny homes. The stylish stove has all the features you would expect in a high-quality, full-size, wood-burning stove, but in a tiny package.

While there are DIY ways to make an RV wood-burning stove, getting a professionally made one like Mel’s provides the optimum level of safety. Be sure to watch the video to see the features of the tiny stove that make it an efficient heat source while being extremely clean-burning.

Pros of an RV wood-burning stove

• The stove efficiently heats small spaces.

• You can also cook with the stove.

• It uses no electricity—especially important in winter when solar panels do not work as well.

• It’s simple and reliable.

• It’s pretty much silent.

• It burns readily available wood or fire logs.

Mel shows fire logs he bought at Aldi’s in the video. Half of a log provides 4 to 5 hours of heat in his tiny wood-burning stove.

Cons of an RV wood-burning stove

• The stove does not work well if the RV is in high winds, as it creates a backdraft that blows smoke inside the coach.

• You can’t drive while using the stove, so you have to make sure that when you do light it, you have time for the fire to completely go out before needing to move.

• You need adequate ventilation inside. In Mel’s case, he sleeps with his skylight open so he gets cool fresh air coming into the van that gets drawn up into the stove’s flue for heating. You must have air circulation, but Mel says the stove puts out so much heat it’s not an issue and the end result is a nice balance between humidity and hot air.

• While a stove like Mel’s is extremely safe, it must have a safe place to sit. Mel solved the problem by building a small hearth from a fire-retardant plasterboard covered in colorful ceramic tiles. While the stove itself is lightweight, the hearth is not. But it is essential. So take into account the extra weight you will add if you decide to install a wood-burning stove in your RV or van.

• The stove takes up space. Mel says you could probably put a small shower in the same space. He somewhat compensates by having his stove off the ground so he can have storage underneath.

• You will need someplace to store wood or fireplace logs.

• Wood-burning stoves are not allowed in some areas. Basically, if you are not allowed to have a fireplace in a house, an RV wood-burning stove will be equally off-limits.

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