Camp Oven

**BobL** · 31st December 2009, 08:17 PM

We're going camping at a caravan park on the south coast of WA that (very unusual for Australia) allows fires in an open drum even in the middle of summer . We call it camping but we go with 2 vehicles (large hired camper van complete with bathroom, plus our stationwagon) and all the mod cons we can carry.

For several years we used a SS drum from a clothes drier as a fire place and it has been great. That part is the lower half of the contraption below. Plonk a steel plate on the top of the drum for BBQ - take top off steel plae for evening campfire ambience.

To aid ventilation on the original drum when using BBQ plate I drilled more holes in the bottom and cut and added a small doorway on the side to allow wood to be added Those steel hinges and small doorway finally rusted solid over winter so they needed to be replaced. I have two spare drums and was thinking about replacing the old drum. instead I decided to use a drum as a second story camp oven. And here is the final product.

I'm not that happy with the chimney adapter but it will do for now until I form a nice sheet metal cone.

The brushed SS strap and most of the other steel was salvaged from an old x-ray machine that was put into the dumpster at work last year. I had the lower half of flue left over from another project and all I had to buy was the chimney, and the SS hinges and rivets.

Extra wide doorway for easy getting stuff in and out
Inside it has a 1mm thick flame deflector plate and a SS grate 30 mm above that for resting cookware on.
We're thinking baked fish, pizza and bread seeing as SWMBO has the appliance from heaven that you throw stuff into and out comes dough ready to go..

I have no idea if it will work, It has very little thermal mass so the wood will have to be kept up to it - I will report back soon.

Oh yeah - and it comes apart for easy transport.

**masoth** · 31st December 2009, 08:29 PM

That set-up would certainly cause some comment on my camping trips which are very basic, by comparison. Of course, if you have the facilities I guess using them is the way to go, and there is no real need to rough-it all the time.
A good set-up and looks well made. What contraption do you have for heating water? On long camps we used to use one 44gal and one 18gal set over the never out fire.

soth

**BobL** · 31st December 2009, 09:24 PM

Originally Posted by masoth

That set-up would certainly cause some comment on my camping trips which are very basic, by comparison. Of course, if you have the facilities I guess using them is the way to go, and there is no real need to rough-it all the time.
A good set-up and looks well made. What contraption do you have for heating water? On long camps we used to use one 44gal and one 18gal set over the never out fire.

soth

Oh yeah there's always plenty of comment available for free. Last year I sharpened my chain saw with the 60" bar out front of the camper van. Funny how we had no problems from the usual rowdy crow after I pulled that sucker out. Water heating - the camper van has a small electric hotwater system - it even has a shower! like said - all the mod cons.

**.RC.** · 1st January 2010, 08:22 PM

That is a really nice cooker..

**whitworthsocket** · 4th January 2010, 01:00 AM

Bob,
Please email me the top an bottom diameters plus the length of your chimney adapter cone frustrum.
I can develop a template that you can use to make the cone.
Regards Whitworthsocket

**BobL** · 4th January 2010, 09:43 AM

Originally Posted by whitworthsocket

Bob,
Please email me the top an bottom diameters plus the length of your chimney adapter cone frustrum.
I can develop a template that you can use to make the cone.
Regards Whitworthsocket

Thanks wws - that would be great. We're camping right now and do you think I can find a ruler? I'll ask around the camp later today.

Meanwhile here are pics of 2 of last nights products.

No ruler but I did bring a thermocouple with me so I could monitor the oven temperature, 3 pieces of ~300 x 50 x 75 mm can reach generate ~350ºC and makes those pizzas above in 5 - 7 mins.

**whitworthsocket** · 5th January 2010, 12:02 PM

Bob those Pizza's look very good. Just be careful you dont break out with a health rash.
The best wood fires have dampers and convolute flame path.
The inlet air damper and exit (flue)damper are to controll the flame/heat. The convolute flame path is to get the heat to radiating out of the heater body before it goes up the chimney.
Good seals are essential.
Speaking of seals
Did you hear about the Walrus that went to the Tupperware party.
He was looking for a "nice tight seal".
Regards Whitworthsocket

Thread: Camp Oven

Thread Tools

Search Thread

Camp Oven

Cone Development

Health Rash

Similar Threads

Help please - suitable finish for ply Camp Box

Camp Kitchen

Munruben Nudist Camp

Al's feral outback camp oven cooking

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions