Coal ???
can you spell 'p o l l u t i o n ' ??

the two common heaters used in vanagons for 'camping heat' use propane, or
diesel fuel.

A nice modern unit, for propane, uses very little electrical power to
opeate, is quiet, and is only somewhat bigger than a shoe box.
Propex is one good one.
Expensvie though.
And I doubt caol smoke coming out of the top of a vanagon is good for urban
or stealth camping !
I can't imagine fellow campers in a camp ground liking coal smoke.
I have to think there's a air quality issue inside a van, with coal in
there, like what you're breathing, coal dust in the air, etc.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Arkady Mirvis" <arkadymirvis@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 9:45 AM
Subject: Staying warm

> The easyest way to stay warm, I ever saw, was installing a "burzhuika" - a
> wood, or coul burning stove in a Vanagon in Saint Pier Port Joli, Quebeck,
> Canada. I met french speaking Canadian in mid - November 1991. The stove
> was
> bolted to the floor and its chimney was protruding 1 foot above the roof.
> The fellow had an extention 6 feet long easily mounted on top of chimney
> for
> heating while stationary. It was already 11 deg. F outside but almost 85
> inside. I was drowning in sweat, the owner was seating topless.
> A small fan was blowing air into the stove. The guy had a trailer loaded
> with wood and coal, enough for a week. Cooked there.
> Go back fellows. There is a great choice of casted iron stoves and enough
> kentucky coal  and get back to that gorgeous way of heating out ancestors
> enjoyed. You look at the fireplace, seep strong black tea, a great feeling
> tempting you to sleep, be worryless and let others vote for this or that
> president - nothing matters, nothing will change! The stove. What can be
> easier?! A moron can troubleshoot the problem!
> Ark.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "David Beierl" <dbeierl@ATTGLOBAL.NET>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Monday, January 11, 2010 10:32 PM
> Subject: Re: Replacing Propane Regulator Advice?
>
>
>> At 05:11 PM 1/11/2010, Doug Noganav wrote:
>>>I had thought alcohol stoves were the only fuel allowed.
>>
>> When I were a lad, people used alcohol, diesel, coal and maybe
>> wood.  The diesel stoves were primed with alcohol.  Alcohol was
>> favored because it dilutes with water and doesn't smell to speak of
>> -- but it's expensive and doesn't give lots of heat.  Diesel was
>> favored for BTU content, cost, ready availability and low volatility
>> -- but it tends to smell up the galley.  Coal was used for heating
>> more than cooking, diesel for both, alcohol just for cooking.
>>
>> Nowadays all the above is still true, but except on small
>> diesel-powered fishing boats I'd bet that LP outnumbers all the rest,
>> and coal has faded away some.  And diesel stoves tend to be primed
>> with a propane torch.  Big commercial fisherman might even use
>> electric ranges, though I've seen a bunch of medium-sized fishermen
>> with a pair of hundred-pound tanks standing on deck somewhere.
>>
>> Yours,
>> d