Bobby Honays

Tristan Vitali wrote:As a former full-time RVer I should point out that those tires on your bus can and will blow out over time, even when parked, and the increased weight of any mass inside will make this more likely to happen with even newer/less worn tires on your rig.

It is true that more weight adds stress to the tires, however a school bus is built to be loaded full of people... Stripping out the seats and adding back some wood weight for furniture/storage and even a water tank & furnace doesn't add back nearly as much weight as what the bus was originally designed to carry. It's a bit harder to drive now just because the suspension likes to float around from lack of loading. That said, a 3-person bench full of rocks might be more weight than I'm willing to add for the given purpose, although it being across from the fuel tank would get the loading a bit more even than it currently stands.

Avoid retreads, cover the tires when parked, and jack the frame when possible. No tires last forever... But that is definitely something I wasn't considering when thinking about RMHs... was more concerned with fuel economy- but can't get very far with only 5 tires. Good thinking.

Glenn- That's very awesome, and likely the route I'll be pursuing. A bit concerned about it caving in, but hoping that scenario can be avoided/delayed/minimized with proper/generous mortar use. The only issue with a low chimney is a back draft, right? What about using a modified something like this Vent, ported out the side like a dryer? I figured the temperature difference in the bell would keep positive pressure out the exhaust and everything would be peachy... What am I missing?

F- I chuckle every time it comes to mind. Firewall draw is a good idea. The plan is to have this thing mounted in a rear corner, so that run down the length of the bus would likely negate the benefit of warm air from the engine bay in regards to starting to fire... But now you've got me re-thinking my layout. Just ripped up the interior behind the driver seat 2 weeks ago to re-do everything, and the possibilities are endless again. The bus in that pic is by far the nicest side exhaust stack I've ever seen on a bus.. Haven't found any old rig stacks yet, but been on the lookout- if nothing else, that's primo scrap metal. Your gravel bench idea is fantastic, although I'm not sure the added mass heat for occasional seasonal use can beat the year-round storage the bench would alternatively provide. Getting me contemplating thermal masses in between the frame rails down the center now though-- it's a shame to lose so much heat up and out any chimney.

Blendi- I was initially thinking something along those lines, except dampers on the floor instead of the ceiling... I suppose it's possible, and would fix the brick deterioration problem, but the feat of mechanical engineering to pull that off would be way beyond what I'd be will to deal with (i drive like an animal). It'd make sweet research though, for sure. Is that your frame? have you subjected it to much/any shock abuse? I'm really digging the threaded rods to adjust the tension.

Hi,

I've scoured the Internet looking for someone who's done this before, but it appears that everyone else who's gotten this idea has gone another route (likely for obvious reasons).

Is it possible to construct the burn chamber and riser in a way that won't leave it susceptible to shock and road vibration? My original plan was to construct the entire stove out of steel, however this forum has enlightened me to the inevitable pitfalls of going the YouTube route. The bus doesn't move very often, but when it does, I don't want to be creeping down the road like I'm transporting fine China- I'd rather the stove be over-built if that alleviates the durability issue. If there really isn't a solution for the shock and vibrations on fire brick (or anything else that can handle the heat), can it be constructed in a way that keeps the temperatures down enough to build the burn chamber out of steel without inevitable damage? I realize this wouldn't be a true RMH at that point, but the benefits of a system like that over a traditional wood stove would still make the effort worthwhile.

It's a short bus, so the inside volume doesn't really necessitate much of a mass, I was planning on piping the exhaust down through the floor and out next to the engine exhaust tailpipe, and covering most of the outer barrel (40lb propane tank) with clay to retain some of the heat. Intake pipe would also draw outside air into the chamber to avoid using cabin oxygen. Picture attached below to give a better idea of what I'm roughly looking to do:



Any critique or suggestions are wildly appreciated.