Is a propane fire ring a waste of money???

I have been looking at them for a while...While we love real wood campfires, the smoke they give off is a tigger for my breathing , and I cannot be near them anymore..

Just have not been able to pull the trigger as I was not sure which worked the best, and which looked the closest to real....

Joe

GordonThree wrote:
It is a waste of money, BUT is that a bad thing? If you enjoy having a no hassle fire, why not? It's cheap entertainment I guess. Almost all of RVing is a waste of money, but it's a very popular waste.

I built a 24" double ring fire pit on my deck. Added a couple of propane torches for evening firelight. I got all my stuff from this guy: Easy Fire Pits I have two 100lb propane tanks which feed it: Link. Each tank holds 23-24 gallons of propane, and at $2/gallon it is a C-note to fill them up. (Not to mention they weight a LOT more than 100lbs when full). I refill them 2-3 times a year.

Is it a waste of money?? Absolutely! No question about it. I am pissing away money on propane just to watch it burn. But I enjoy the time with friends out on the deck in the evenings. And being propane exempts me from the outdoor burning bans.

The trick is putting the propane in the 'discretionary fun expenses' category rather than the 'life necessities' category. If my financial situation changes then running the fire pit on the deck will be one of the first things to go. But as of right now I can afford it and I enjoy it. And that thinking it is not too different from RV ownership in general.

Thanks,
-Eric

DutchmenSport wrote:
Most folks transport 20 or 30 pound propane tanks in milk crates in the back of their pick-up trucks.

Watch out for the milk crate police

;)

Sorry couldn't resist

I've thought about getting one. I like 'em, especially for quick evening fires.

Mike

we have one and use it when fire ban is in affect. I even let the grandkids make smores with it, sure you get marshmallow dropped on it once in a while but what the heck, a pressure washer will clean it up. camping without a fire is not camping

we have one and prefer it over wood fires. no stink, smoke, no allergies, and when your done with it just turn if off and let it cool off. No chance of having a storm in middle of night blow sparks into woods and burn forest down. or dumping water on it to put it out, leaving a soggy mess.

mine puts out like 60,000 btu on high. 1 lb of propane will produce 21,000 BTU, so I expect I could burn 3 lbs per hour.
I have thought of trying to refill 1 lb tanks, but I just use a grill tank and I have 2 of those Colman 10' extension hoses wally world sells so the tank is back out of view.

Whatever blows your dress up I guess. I don't like the smell propane gives off anyway. Bad enough I have to cook on it in the camper.

Much prefer an open hardwood fire and my cast iron dutch oven and grill.

fpoole wrote:


I'd recommend a 3-gal + propane bottle, not too big.

My neighbor in a campground had a one gallon propane bottle. Was very cute.

I think they're wonderful especially in light of the fact that so many campers in campgrounds don't have a clue as to how to build a proper fire. I have a strong dislike for smelling like I escaped a burning building for days after being downwind of a badly built campfire. Mind you, I'm not pointing any fingers in anyone's direction so no need to elaborate on your particular skills :-)

" Is a propane fire ring a waste of money???"

Only if you buy it and dont want or use it.

Value is a relative thing, If you like it, and it doesnt harm someone else, enjoy it.

We bought ours {Little Red Campfire/Campfire in a can???} at Quartzsite about 4 years ago. A guy in the big tent sells returns/refurbs for $75 which is about half of retail. Ours has one cracked log but works just fine.

I always carry a 20# bottle for the BBQ, lantern, etc. so feeding the firepit was not an issue. Many, if not most RV parks prohibit wood fires but allow the LP pits. Also as noted there are often Red Flag restrictions that prohibit wood fires and some State Parks here in Arizona prohibit any ground /wood fire but allow the propane firepits.

Ours puts out a max of 64K BTU which is a lot and even though we usually have it turned way down it gives us a nice warm fire that is easy to use. Silly? Compared to much of what I do this isn't even close. :B