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#1 Rob in MT

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Posted 06 December 2010 - 09:10 PM

Is there a portable stove that you can (safely) use to cook inside the camper? Thanks for your help.
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#2 Nimbl Vehicles

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Posted 07 December 2010 - 01:51 AM

Butane. I use them for my catering company when i had to set up different stations.
You can get them single or double burners.
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#3 Stan@FourWheel

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Posted 07 December 2010 - 04:42 AM

Make sure you have good ventilation inside the camper if you are cooking with butane.

I don't know what it is, but someone told me a while back it is not as safe as using propane ?

I not sure why, and I'm not even sure i'm right, but I don't think butane burns as clean as the propane ?

It might produce more carbon monoxide than a normal RV propane stove ?

Someone please chime in if you have any more info.

I tried to do a quick web search, but didn't find anything useful for data.


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Is there a portable stove that you can (safely) use to cook inside the camper? Thanks for your help.




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#4 Nimbl Vehicles

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Posted 07 December 2010 - 04:41 PM

When I talked to a fire marshal some years back; Restaurants and Catering services are checked periodically for obvious reasons; I was told that Butane is allowed indoors while Propane is not.
Butane is not classified as a toxic gas and therefore can be stored indoors and it burns very cleanly. Butane usually comes in a cartridge and does not require a secondary hose to connect to the stove.

I have never seen a propane stove used inside in any of the caterings or buffets I attended over my life as a chef over 25 years. Never; in all the countries I worked; and there are quite a few.

We use propane outside for grills; stoves etc since it burns hotter than butane; but always outside.
Butane is also more efficient ;not that that matters. The main draw back with butane is that it freezes and at high altitude it is hard to get a good flame.
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#5 Stan@FourWheel

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Posted 07 December 2010 - 05:58 PM

Again, I'm not really sure ?

Just throwing my 2 cents in there.

I was thinking more of how most truck camper manufacturers, travel trailers, and RV's use propane stoves inside as standard equipment.

I have not seen an RV company offering a butane stove in a truck camper ?

I think the propane stoves we use in the campers and the propane regulator, make it a bit cleaner burning on propane ?

Not sure ?

Yes, you are right. I would never use a portable propane camping stove inside a building.

Butane seems to be better for cooking inside a restaraunt or big open spaces.

But that is usually done in a big open environment with lost of air.

Burning a butane stove in a small camper that is closed up to fresh air, might not be the best idea.

I'm just saying it would be a good idea to allow for some good ventalation when cooking inside a camper with any gas type method.

Better to be a little on the safer side, rather than sorry.

Shoot ... HERR42 almost ran out of oxygen in his camper with 3 big guys just breathing all night

:)



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Stan Kennedy --- Four Wheel Pop-up Campers
1400 Churchill Downs Avenue, Suite A

Woodland, CA 95776
(800) 242-1442 or (530) 666-1442
www.fourwh.com  ---  e-mail = stan@fourwh.com


#6 Nimbl Vehicles

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Posted 07 December 2010 - 06:48 PM

Again, I'm not really sure ?

Just throwing my 2 cents in there.

I was thinking more of how most truck camper manufacturers, travel trailers, and RV's use propane stoves inside as standard equipment.

I have not seen an RV company offering a butane stove in a truck camper ?

I think the propane stoves we use in the campers and the propane regulator, make it a bit cleaner burning on propane ?

Not sure ?

Yes, you are right. I would never use a portable propane camping stove inside a building.

Butane seems to be better for cooking inside a restaraunt or big open spaces.

But that is usually done in a big open environment with lost of air.

Burning a butane stove in a small camper that is closed up to fresh air, might not be the best idea.

I'm just saying it would be a good idea to allow for some good ventalation when cooking inside a camper with any gas type method.

Better to be a little on the safer side, rather than sorry.

Shoot ... HERR42 almost ran out of oxygen in his camper with 3 big guys just breathing all night

:)



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We are talking about PORTABLE stoves; not built in ones. At least that is what OP asked.
And yes; it is just common sense to vent a small enclosed area when cooking.
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#7 CSG

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Posted 08 December 2010 - 12:57 AM

I use a butane restaurant burner in my Pleasureway Traverse more often than the built in two burner propane cooktop. I've used them far more often than any other type of cooktop for vehicle based camping. If I ordered a new rig from an outfit like FWC or Sportsmobile I'd order it without a stove so I could use a portable and inexpensive butane burner (although I'd still get a propane system for a vented furnace). I ALWAYS VENT in an enclosed space when cooking no matter what I'm using (and keep things away from flammables).
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#8 n0izh

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Posted 08 December 2010 - 01:31 AM

Is there a portable stove that you can (safely) use to cook inside the camper? Thanks for your help.

I would have no problem using a portable propane stove inside my camper if the stove wasn't there. Just be sure you have plenty of ventilation. But you should be doing that anyway to keep moisture and strong cooking odors down. Butane works well in warmer climates, and is a bit cleaner burning than propane. Butane has a problem though. If you plan to use a butane stove outside in the colder weather it produces less heat as it gets colder. Something to do with the gas's boiling temp. I've used butane stoves backpacking and really loved the ease and clean burning characteristics of the stove. That all changed the first winter camp I did. I had to keep the butane cans in my pocket or sleeping bag with me to keep them warm, then had to wrap clothes around the can while using it to get enough pressure to cook my food. Also butane can be harder to find when you are out and about. Propane is almost everywhere.
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#9 MarkBC

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Posted 08 December 2010 - 02:30 AM

We are talking about PORTABLE stoves; not built in ones.


But...what is the difference? I have a Coleman portable propane stove and the systems and burners and flame don't look significantly different than what's built into my FWC. In what way is a "portable" propane stove different from a built in one, and what about that difference makes it unsafe for indoor use while a "built in" is safe?

I don't know what the facts are, so I'm not in a position to say one way or the other -- I'm asking. Posted Image

Does anyone know -- for sure -- why a Coleman propane stove (for example) shouldn't be used indoors (if that's true)?
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Update: OK, I found a CO and Propane link...which doesn't saying anything about outdoor/indoor, but it gives some good facts about propane combustion and carbon monoxide.

From what I've now read, it looks like the main reason butane is used for portable catering stoves is that you don't need a heavy-walled tank/cartridge because liquid butane in a tank is at lower pressure than liquid propane.
Propane isn't actually any more toxic than butane. The reason why we worry about a gas leak (besides explosion) is that the gas displaces the oxygen from the room, so we suffocate...but not because the gas poisons us.

In reading various posts/articles on the web in the past hour about portable-propane-stove-indoors I saw lots of "warning" posts about "don't do it -- CO!", and I also read posts from people who said "it's fine if you have enough ventilation".
But...ventilation is "required" for use of the built-in propane stove in the FWC -- it says so right inside the cover, so I don't see how that's any different than requiring ventilation for a portable propane stove.
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#10 highz

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Posted 08 December 2010 - 05:04 AM

So, the way I understand the chemistry, if you have plenty of oxygen, propane will burn clean, with minimum production of CO. If there isn't enough oxygen, CO is a byproduct of the combustion. This means it is ventilation that counts (especially at high altitude).

I too can't see the difference between a portable stove and a permanently mounted one as long as you have enough oxygen (and a CO monitor).
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