1017a camper/tiny house buIld

Haf-E

Expedition Leader
LPG is the easiest and cleanest fuel - low maintenance and pretty simple to troubleshoot if a problem occurs. The appliances are cheaper too.
 

Haf-E

Expedition Leader
Diesel is a good alternative for international travel due to the LPG cylinders and fittings not being standardized through even neighboring countries. Some areas require you to exchange cylinders and not refill the one you have and they won't trade your cylinder in as it is different. Some cylinders are even different shapes / sizes - so they may not fit the compartment or brackets of your previous cylinder. Diesel avoids these issues.

If you are just planning north american travel (US / Canada / Mexico) then I don't think there is much of an issue with LPG / Propane.

Boaters don't like to use propane because it is heavier than air and it can fill up the hull and explode since it settles in low spaces and displaces air. They have similar challenges getting LPG cylinders refilled also.
 
Diesel is a good alternative for international travel due to the LPG cylinders and fittings not being standardized through even neighboring countries. Some areas require you to exchange cylinders and not refill the one you have and they won't trade your cylinder in as it is different. Some cylinders are even different shapes / sizes - so they may not fit the compartment or brackets of your previous cylinder. Diesel avoids these issues.

If you are just planning north american travel (US / Canada / Mexico) then I don't think there is much of an issue with LPG / Propane.

Boaters don't like to use propane because it is heavier than air and it can fill up the hull and explode since it settles in low spaces and displaces air. They have similar challenges getting LPG cylinders refilled also.

my main travel route will be primarily the americas, North, South and Central. I am against any forms of gas because of the explosion factor, especially on bumpy roads and whatnot, as well as having troubles with border crossings. I really love the idea of limiting myself to one fuel source, but at the same time i am not sure how much time in freezing temperatures i will be spending. I know for sure lpg is out of the question. I think i may go with the origo because it seems like a better choice for warmer climates. From hours of searching boating forums, it seems like most of them recommend the diesels only for northern climates. The origo on the other hand seems to burn at low enough temps that it wont be much of an issue. It may take an extra few minutes baking and whatnot, but i think the tradeoff for being able to still sit in the kitchen while the food is cooking is worth it.
 

calicamper

Expedition Leader
I have a unpresurized Origo on my boat. Works great. I replaced a pressurized stove, that was a flaming b-ch to deal with. My only complaint is that the fuel options dont have a very good shelf life. We rarely use the stove on the boat so each time I do use it I need to pick up fresh fuel. But coffee, pancakes eggs etc it works really well. I like it.
 

Haf-E

Expedition Leader
I actually have a pair of the unpressurized Oringo alcohol stoves as well - I like them a lot especially since I can easily move them outside to cook on them. I haven't had issues with the fuel going bad or complaints about any smell etc. I keep the fuel in the original plastic bottle it comes in and it seems to last fine - but the left over amount in the stove's reservoir does evaporates away even if with the rubber seal in place.

I really like how quiet these stoves are - I have another high output multi-fuel MSR stove for boiling large pots which is much more powerful but it sounds like a jet engine taking off by comparison!
 

Sitec

Adventurer
I am against any forms of gas because of the explosion factor, especially on bumpy roads and whatnot, as well as having troubles with border crossings. I know for sure lpg is out of the question.

The explosion factor is only an issue with heavy impact and carelessness.. If you have a specific place for 2 or 3 cylinders accessed from outside only (ideally a well ventilated locker where the cylinders are clamped in place), and have a simple system for connecting 1 cylinder at a time, LPG should present little problem. Make turning the cylinder off each time after use a given, part of your routine. There are thousands of 4x4's being driven on some of the roughest roads here in Oz and they never have any problems with their LPG fuel systems or the cylinders they are carrying on the side of their camper trailers... Your fridge can be multi fuel, running on gas when stationary (on the same shut off tap if you like). To be ultra safe you could even put an electric shutoff in the line.. The moment the ignition key is turned on, it isolates the gas.
Guess I'm just trying to say don't dismiss the most usable versatile fuel there is for a few reasons that can be addressed within your build/vehicle. :)
 

Coachgeo

Explorer
ton of rockcrawlers who roll their rigs frequently run on propane. Rockcrawlers like propane cause there is no stall from fuel starvation when they are at weird angles. The same angles that make them roll often lol.

When thinking danger like Explosion.... one could also find alcohol to be just as nasty maybe even worse. Not that it will explode...... but that it burns more invisibly and thusly bystanders are put into more danger if they try to help. Also there is

Class B fires involve flammable and combustible liquids such as gasoline, alcohol, oil-based paints, lacquers. Therefore, extinguishers with a B rating are designed to extinguish fires involving flammable and combustible liquids.

Note: Do not attempt to extinguish a fire involving flammable gas unless there is reasonable assurance the source of fuel can be promptly shut off. In fact, if the only fuel burning is the leaking gas, the best method for extinguishing the fire is to shut off the fuel supply. Extinguishing a flammable gas fire, without shutting off the fuel, will allow unburned gas to escape into the atmosphere, which may permit a dangerous accumulation of gas to develop, and an explosion may occur if the gas is exposed to an ignition source.
How many on the trail who might can help will have a clue where to look for alcohol fuel shut off.
 
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it still needs a fair amount of work with the trim and paint, but it's just about ready for a shakedown run.

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Haf-E

Expedition Leader
If the alcohol is only used for the stove then we are talking about a relatively small bottle - a gallon or less. Not much of a hazard if it's kept secure. I use an aluminum backpacking stove bottle usually for shorter trips.
 

Iain_U1250

Explorer
WE have both an LPG gas stove and Diesel stove. When it is hot, we would cook outside on the gas stove, but as soon as it was even a bit cooler, we used the diesel stove. We found the the X100 to be a great stove, easy to use and with great control. We also have a 240V breadmaker, which can double as an oven, at least for heating up pies and baking cakes as well, we use that mainly when driving, as it draws 40A per hour. It takes around 25minutes to heat up two pies, just put them in before we would pull up for the night. Finally, we have an Ecopot, which we use for stews, , pot roasts, corned beef, chicken etc. Works great, runs of 12V and draws about 1A per hour so can run overnight, or the whole day powered off the solar.
 

Coachgeo

Explorer
Not meant to be the primary cooker..... but for the lunch and dinners on the day your in mode of driving to your camp destination you could always.... EXHAUST IT

Over the decades their is an occasional exhaust cooker that hits the market. Several idderations out there. Something to consider for shiats and grins. Latest one I found was

http://www.foodiggity.com/how-to-cook-a-burger-with-your-car-exhaust/

Here is old cook book
https://www.amazon.com/Manifold-Des...62687260576882[b|jalopnik&tag=jalopnikamzn-20
 
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I forgot to take pictures, but installed 24-12v converter and rear view cam up front, finished up the siding, and getting ready for a test run this weekend. We are only going a few hundred miles for our first trip, a proper shakedown test is in the works as well. The interior is still unfinished, but functional. More pics to come soon

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I just got done taking this on its maiden voyage, got mildly stuck in some mud, and discovered some leaks. Overall a fun weekend
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The interior is still lacking, the siding is unpainted (which contributed to some of the leaks), and no water is hooked up yet. We spent the weekend near lake superior, and it rained for 2 days straight. The truck was sitting unlevel, so water pooled up under the door, so I made a makeshift awning above the door. I am making a more permanent one that can easily attach and detach. I got a chance to stress test my battery bank with no solar incoming. By Saturday evening I was below 50% and had to run the generator. 4 hours and 2gallons of fuel later I was back to 100%. Usually the solar is putting out 100-160watts, I was lucky to get 10 in this rain. When it came to leave, the roads were flooded , and about 10" of mud. I had initially gotten stuck trying to drive out. Once I dropped from 75psi down to 30 I had minimal troubles with the mud. One hill was nearly impossible to climb and I just had to drive through the bush and make my own road up the hill. I saw alot of smaller vehicles having major trouble in this soup as well, especially trying to climb the hill out of this place. The only vehicles that powered up the hill were a jeep Cherokee and a Tacoma.

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Kiomon

Adventurer
This is awesome! What batteries are those under your inverter? How is the camper attached to the bed. I couldnt tell, is it actually built up from the bed itself when you replaced it? I would have been afraid to use standard windows, but this goes to show, that maybe sometimes we over complicate our builds. This is awesome.
 

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