masonry stove in a trailer

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stoveguyeric
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2011 8:49 am

Hello MHers!

The name's Eric Schroeder. I just bought a 1976 trailer in Bowdoin, Maine. I also build masonry heaters (www.radiantstoves.com) I'm looking to install one in the trailer, and there's some (titanic) ignorance on my part as to how trailers go together and work.
Typically we put a hole in the floor and build a concrete block support. The stove I'll build will weigh 5000 lbs at most, 2000 at least. I don't know whether to shore up the floor or simply cut a hole like I would in a house.
I know that this approach to heating will leave the stuff in the underbelly unprotected, but I'm pondering how to put a little heat into the ducts (there's one right next to where the stove will go, so a little fan built in to the stove should circulate enough heat to mitigate freezing).
Thanks for the help I've already gotten from the site. I look forward to the conversation!

Eric
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Greg
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Posts: 5696
Joined: Wed Feb 28, 2007 8:01 pm
Location: Weedsport, NY

Hi & welcome. I'm going to raise a few questions and try to bring this into prospective. Basically you want to park your car in the living room. Without some serious reinforcement we both know that it will soon be on the ground. Now is the home on a permanent below the frost line foundation? Without that the home will shift when the ground freezes & thaws. If you properly support the fireplace only, the home will at least TRY to shift around it.

I understand what you are trying to do, and it IS possible. But there is a lot of work that needs to be done before any mortar gets mixed. If you have a codes officer you may want to check with him as well and get his thoughts.

Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
DCDiva
Posts: 191
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 10:16 pm

Wow this stove looks big lol,the whole in the floor will be big--could you---build it right beside the mobile home and replace a window or just open a wall up to get the heat and beauty of the stove without taking up all the room and the structure of the mobile home? I know it might be more work but in the long run?? This way you could dig a solid foundation---not under the mh lol--if in the future you replaced the MH or if u own the land decide to do a stick built home you would already have the stove in place? We opened up our 1973 mh to replace a single wide door toa double French Door and a simple header worked great or I will send a photo of how we did our camp--we took out a wall to open up my kitchen---we took 4x6's one at top and 2 on the sides to support the ceiling.
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DCDiva
Posts: 191
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 10:16 pm

A better photo
SMCAZJ0PG2.jpg
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