Dickinson Marine Propane Fireplace Install

[Adventure.AS]

25' RB Serenity

Fireplace installed on the refrigerator bulkhead (TV removed), at the end of the lounge.


The flue is double walled with the exhaust on the inside and combustion air coming down the outside. The chimney is warm to the touch, but likely won't burn unless you grabbed a hold for several seconds.


Chimney cap is low profile and as it is designed for the marine environment will keep out the rain.


The fire adds lots of heat and ambiance.


The propane line was tee'd outside the coach and then the run through the refrigerator compartment and through the bulkhead. 12 volt power to run the fan was also brought through from the bulkhead.

[LiLNomad]

How hot will the bottom get? It looks close to the cushions.
Thanks
LilNomad

[Adventure.AS]

Originally Posted by LiLNomad

How hot will the bottom get? It looks close to the cushions.
Thanks
LilNomad

It needs to be 6" from the bottom of the firebox. The bottom of the unit is the fan control and interior air re-circulating inlet. When the fan is running the room are is brought in at the bottom and then is distributed out of a vent at the top. The unit is surrounded by a stainless outer box so only warm to the touch. The door, of course, is too hot to touch when in operation.

[gouchodon]

Love this

[SCOTTinNJ]

Very nice. Is that more efficient than the furnace?

[Troutboy]

Cool project. So it is gas burning, not wood? I like how it looks in the overall decor.

[TheGreatleys]

I really love this solution for heating with propane. No water vapor buildup in the coach like a catalytic heater, and you get the ambiance of an actual fire.

Nice, clean install, too. Beautiful job.

[Adventure.AS]

Originally Posted by SCOTTinNJ

Very nice. Is that more efficient than the furnace?

We installed the Dickinson P12000 which puts out 4000 BTU on low (5.5 hours per pound of LP) and 5500 BTU on high (3.9 hours per pound of LP). There is a 12 volt fan that can be turned off so that there is no electrical consumption, unlike the heavy draw of the furnace.

It went below freezing at The Pinery Provincial Park in Ontario this weekend and with the fireplace running the furnace cycled on for about five minutes once every 15 minutes. This was good to keep warm air circulating in the tank area.

Unlike catalytic heaters this unit uses outside air for combustion and exhausts outside so there is no problem with oxygen depletion inside or with noxious (or dangerous) combustion products inside.

[Adventure.AS]

Originally Posted by Troutboy

Cool project. So it is gas burning, not wood? I like how it looks in the overall decor.

Thanks for your kind comments. This is a gas burning model, but they do make a solid fuel burning unit. We considered that one, but didn't want to contend with ashes and you loose the ambiance of the visible flame. Here is a link to a YouTube video of an install of the solid fuel stove in and Airstream in Europe.

[dandraws]

Well done, very clean!

[Del Gurney]

I just put one in my '65 26' and it is very nice.
The flue does get hot enough to concern me as
I have replaced the aluminum inner shell with varnished
marine plywood. So I have a good gap at the penetration
area.
I plan to run a couple computer fans on the flue to improve
air circulation and try to cool it down.
Also had it on during sub-zero conditions with a 30kt wind
and the trailer stayed at 65 degrees all night.....but with
wind like that I felt like I was back on a boat!

[RMB]

Ahhhh I can feel the heat now on this rainy cool blustery day!

I had the identical heater in my 37' sailboat and it served us well on Great Slave Lake
(North of 60) and the Pacific Northwest and loved it.

The flu never got hot enough to burn or melt the deck had which was covered with a vinyl lined fabric, but warm enough to radiate nice dry heat inside; never discoloured the teak wood behind or under it and operated flawlessly for years.

I liked the safety aspect of drawing its combustion air from the outside and venting outside A compeletley closed combustion system with no carbon monoxide inside ever.

While the little exhaust cap doesnt look like much, even with boarding seas and decks awash it never admitted any water.

[Zymurbrian]

Sorry-wrong location.

[Lily&Me]

Very nice.

Maggie

[GracieDog]

So I ordered a Suburban furnace. Came from Walmart - it arrived having been USED. Scratched and dented and infuriating. Sent back. So I ordered another one from Home Depot - arrived scratched and dented having been USED. I called Suburban and they said - yeah, we don't recommend buying from any where but an authorized dealer. Hm. Well, how am I supposed to know that a major retailer like Home Depot is not authorized. So I feel done with Suburban.

Wonder how the Dickenson is going. I love the idea of having a small fireplace and that it will by a dry heat vs. fogging up the windows. So... Adventure AS, still loving it? And will it heat a 24' in cold, cold winters?

Thanks for any thoughts...

[Adventure.AS]

Originally Posted by GracieDog

So I ordered a Suburban furnace. Came from Walmart - it arrived having been USED. Scratched and dented and infuriating. Sent back. So I ordered another one from Home Depot - arrived scratched and dented having been USED. I called Suburban and they said - yeah, we don't recommend buying from any where but an authorized dealer. Hm. Well, how am I supposed to know that a major retailer like Home Depot is not authorized. So I feel done with Suburban.

Wonder how the Dickenson is going. I love the idea of having a small fireplace and that it will by a dry heat vs. fogging up the windows. So... Adventure AS, still loving it? And will it heat a 24' in cold, cold winters?

Thanks for any thoughts...

Still love the fireplace. It will heat the trailer in the spring and fall, but when the temperatures are below freezing I like to have the furnace running too for putting heat into the tank area.

[northvan]

Here is a pic of the Dickinson Marine Propane Heater P1200 in our 25' FC FB. It is mounted on the wall beside the fridge. We just used it for a week in British Columbia - low temperatures where about 7 degree C weather. It heated up the trailer nicely through the morning and evening.

We did not use the furnace at all.

I would highly recommend this heater.

Cheers,

[GracieDog]

I just got the Dickinson fired up for the first time today. I am completely perplexed though. When I close the door the fire goes out. Tells me it's not getting air. I followed the instructions. Doesn't appear to be any blockages for the intake air. Just don't get it.

[RMB]

It sounds like you do not have the specialized piping required for that stove. The proper exhaust pipe contains within it, an air intake pipe so that there is no air used from the confined space of the boat or Airstream. In other words, the pipe running out of the trailer sucks and blows at the same time.

[GracieDog]

Dickinson has some of the best customer service I've ever experienced. Spoke to the today. I love this unit and I'm determined to make it work. I do have the right piping. But they said maybe it's not completely inline with the chimney or I have somehow blocked the inner exhaust or air intake. Not sure how that could have happened, but I am going back piece by piece to see where it's failing.

I do love this unit. How cool is it to have a tiny little fireplace that actually heats... So, so cool. :-)

I'll keep you posted.

Thank you for taking the time to replay.