Any experience with a gas fire pit?

[KKELLER14K]

Well..The wood campfire is getting outdated...smoke and fire danger is not a good idea anymore. So..the new way and clean way is to hook up a LPG camp fire...been looking at the options. Most of us already have an LPG outlet on the rig...so why not go this route? Just hook up the hose and turn it on ...instant campfire clean no smoke or chance to start a forest fire.
Your thoughts?

[KKELLER14K]

Adamis ...this is exactly the outcome I was looking for. The screened enclosure is a super plus. My wife hates the bugs, well me too.. let alone the smoke...we are both terribly allergic to fire smoke but enjoy having the sit around.. I have plenty of LPG, 4 large tanks and wood is not worth the hassle in my opinion. I don't discount those who go for the real thing ...but also given fire bans and just the thought of being a responsible custodian of the forest ..we believe this is a way better way to go.

[StirCrazy]

I have had one for aproximatly 21 years now. It was one of the first sold in stores and only around 10000Btu. it is nothing like having a real fire, but normaly we have fire bans starting mid June and lasting till september so if you want a fire thats how you do it. the last two years we havent had fire bans and it has stayed home in the garage. for the record in the same space that it and its 20 lb tank sit I can store 2-3 days worth of wood and if I have my 5th wheel I usaly fill the truck box with wood and I am good for over a week. federal parks up here charge for a fire permit but wood is free if you buy one, and a lot of places gie you so much per day and some times you have to buy some. I would rather have a real fire any day but if you cant they kinda simulate a fire, with out the gloing coals and the heat and the beautiful smoke smell.....

Steve

[adamis]

We made the switch about four years ago after we were on an early spring camping trip and the weather was drizzly and cold. They won't let you bring your own firewood in many of the campgrounds out in California because of insects so you have to purchase from the campground. Usually it's about $7-$10 a bundle and that lasts a couple of hours. They actually prohibited scavenging for wood on the ground but we did it anyway on this cold weekend or we would have spent $100 on firewood just to stay warm. Because of the rain and scavenging, most of the wood was wet and our fire was pitiful and smokey. Nearly wasn't worth the effort. I would have just gone in the camper and called it a day but we were the hosts for the trip and everyone else was tent camping so that would have looked bad. One of the coldest weekends of my life...

After that experience, I decided there had to be a better way. Searching on amazon led us to gas fire pits and we pulled the trigger as others have. However, we went one step further and also purchased an outdoor canopy with a mesh enclosure on the side walls. It's large enough to fit the gas fire pit and about ten chairs. What we get is a bug free, smoke free, rain free camping experience. Because of the mesh, it helps to hold the heat from the fire inside and it can easily be about 5 to 10 degrees warmer.

This has changed our camping experience entirely. We store the fire pit in the shower and an extra 20lb propane bottle under the dinette. It only takes about ten minutes to setup fire pit and canopy and we have an enjoyable outdoor space if we want it.

One tip to add... At campgrounds that have fire restrictions, it is important to ask the host if they will allow a gas fire pit or not. Most may but not all. Last place I was at they were fine with it, just asked that I raked the pine needles away from the fire pit.

[Bedlam]

We have had the Little Red fire for 15 years now. The logs are beginning to fall apart from the all the travel and nights burning, but it is still burning a flame and we have had not logs explode even if kept out outside (under cover) on rainy days soaking in the humidity.

Although a wood fire is nicer than LPG, the ease of having a fire anywhere has made me too lazy to even bring wood with me where there are no restrictions.

[zb39]

I love mine. We use it at home and in the RV. We still love a wood fire but you can't always have one. Also propane is instant on and OFF. The off is important if we want to leave and do something else. Go for it.

[KKELLER14K]

Ok not the outcome I was looking for..Exploding logs was not expected...I know there is better than this...it has already been shown that it is a better alternative... it is not horrible!!...without smoke or having to bring wood..keep it safe...
....tell us why wood fire is so great.. It is not a good thing with fire danger and embers in the air.....I like it but now we need to think another way...we can't keep setting the forests on fire..

[azdryheat]

We bought a $100 model from Lowe's, took out the rocks, and filled it with blue mirror glass chips. Don't get to use it much here in So. Ariz. but when we do get to use it the thing sure puts out some heat.

[Youngm3571]

Our friends bought one and tried it out with us one night...several minutes after firing it up the “rocks” started exploding...turns out there was a recall due to some of the “rocks” having moisture trapped in them!

[MORSNOW]

Any recommended models and models to stay away from? I've always burned wood in Alaska, but now live in ID where there is a lot of dry high desert areas where a propane fire pit would be nice.

[JimBollman]

I went with a Solo smokeless stove with the top off for a small portable campfire. They come in a couple of sizes, one or more smaller and a couple of bigger. It doesn't solve all the problems the original poster was trying to solve but it solved some. I started carrying mine in an 8' slide in camper and now carry it in a 19' B.

My needs: had to be small because of limited space, low smoke easy on fuel. I cut up scrap lumber into small chunks roughly 1X1X4" but end up with assorted sizes. I can carry the stove and enough fuel for a couple of fires in one of those square white pails they sell kitty litter in. Because mine is small you get a small fire that is still nice for 1-4 people and it burns down below the edges fairly quick when you are done. You can supplement your fuel supply with twigs around the campsite. By morning there is about a 1/2 cup of ash to dump out and wipe it out with a paper towel. After the first few minutes it is near smokeless. I have small fire starters that I use that I light then dump in some of my scrap wood. I carry an extra pail of wood if I I'm planning more fires.

A friend has more storage in his RV and has the largest model and can burn small logs up to 12-18" long and is fine for a larger group.

[Sjm9911]

There decent, and good for fire bans and places where the only wood you can buy is soak and wet. I have one, i use a seprate 20 lb tank for it and my outside kitchen set up. Easier to fill that then take the tanks on and off the camper.

[Bird_Freak]

For me if its not a wood fire I have no fire. Might as well sit by the grill with the lid open.

[bgum]

I guess you could burn up a tank in no time but then who wants a towering flame. A reasonable flame will make a tank last a long time and is much cheaper if you are buying firewood. The convenience and portability are hard to beat.

[specta]

MitchF150 wrote:

But, in the end... It's not so much what uses more... It's what type you prefer and what you are willing to do or not do to achieve that?

I love a fire when camping but I don't think I'll go the expense of a LP fire pit.

I went and checked some out and they look pretty nice but I don't think they are for me.



I get my firewood for free.




And its easy to take with me.

One last camping trip scheduled for early Nov in the higher elevations. Maybe the fire restrictions will be lifted by then. No fire wont ruin my trip.