We have purchased some land and it came with a nicely used double-wide trailer that we will use for a number of years to live in until we can build. Can you install a rocket stove in a mobile home? I am thinking I could insulate the floors and walls around the stove for fire retardation but is it even viable. I would love to build something like this myself rather than buying an expensive wood-burning stove that would be less efficient and burn so much more wood. Thanks in advance for your thoughts. 

If you build a massive rocket stove, you would need to add some under floor support as floors in mobile home aren't designed for much weight.  Here in Washington to install a wood stove in a mobile it must be equipped with an outside air source.  Paul was building a portable rocket stove but I haven't seen the results of that experiment.

you can build a lite version of a rocket stove. I've seen one made out of wood that was filled with sand. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bsUd5zLcLw)

More over I'm planning on converting my wood stove to a rocket mass heater this summer. Having said that you must be very care full to spread the added weight out. You might think about building a foundation under the stove?

Having lived in both travel trailers (RVs) and mobile homes, and knowing that a rocket stove can hit up to 2000 degrees F inside, I shudder to think of them being in a trailer.  I've seen how fast these can burn down.

  Hi, check out this newly invented Veg Oil stove, it may help solve a lot of your problems!
http://www.lodge-tech.net/Veg-oil-Stoves-.html

Those are cute for camping but I don't think it will throw much heat.  So far in my trailer , I'm running an Edenpure electric and another small 1500 watter.  Electric is cheaper than gas right now but I too am looking for an off the grid solution.

Woodmyst wrote:
Those are cute for camping but I don't think it will throw much heat.  So far in my trailer , I'm running an Edenpure electric and another small 1500 watter.  Electric is cheaper than gas right now but I too am looking for an off the grid solution.

  The secret is to pile a bunch of bricks or flat stones over the flame, -but not on the metal grate- so you have lots of themal mass, once they get heated up in a few hours it can put out a lot of heat~ and if you have two or three - all the better!
  They might not heat the whole trailer but you would save lots of money~

My 1st thought is that you should contact your Insurance agent befor adding any wood burner to your Mobil home. You could get your policy dropped like a hot potato otherwise.  Many people here in Pa add a room on to the MH and put the heater in that.  Safer because you can build in the support you need plus get all of the proper spacing to combustible walls floors ceiling etc.  You also avoid some of the concerns about trailer fires. 

Why not add a heating room in the likeness of an addition ?

I mean cut a hole in the trailer and build a room outside that can hold practically infinite weight, perhaps it's even a brick room that is fire resistant.

The hole in the trailer can be a door that is closed in the hot months and removed (or opened) in the cold months. Box fans can be placed in the door hole to drag the heat in

Mod the trailer

And when you go to resell it (if you resell it) no one will think an "extra door" is so wacky.

What do you think of that ?

Cheers,
Craig