Installing a wood-burning stove in a static caravan or mobile home

GBS Marner woodburner for caravan

Static caravans and mobile homes make for great holiday hideaways but, given that they are usually made of fairly thin metal, in cooler weather they are not always the cosiest of places in which to relax.

Increasingly, people are installing woodburners in their caravan to ensure that the British climate doesn’t reduce the amount of time they can spend there, and to create a snug and homely atmosphere for their family.

But many people are still unsure about the feasibility of such a project. A large number of caravan owners still contact us to ask: “Is it possible to install a wood-burning stove in a caravan?”

This answer is always a resounding ‘yes’, as long as it is a well-planned and safely carried out.

Inevitably, there are a lot of considerations along the way. Here are some of the main ones…

Fireproof materials

Your installation is likely to include changing materials in the vicinity of your new stove. It’s a legal requirement that you don’t have flammable materials next to your stove. That means wood and hardboard must be kept well away.

Get more information from the Building Regulations.

Building a hearth

Remember that among those fireproof materials surrounding your stove, it will need to rest on a hearth. This is a requirement for the aforementioned Building Regulations.

The hole in the roof

Obviously you’ll need to run a flue pipe through the roof of your caravan. And, equally obviously, it’s something you’ll want to get right first time. Do your research before even thinking about making a start on the hole. In fact, you might consider…

Using a professional installer

We know that many caravan owners enjoy the challenge of installing their woodburner as a DIY project. But we would recommend you consider bringing in a HETAS-qualified engineer who is well versed in all the legal and safety requirements of your installation.

Find out more about HETAS installers.

Flue walls

There is likely to be wood in the roof structure of your caravan, which poses a fire risk when positioned next to a standard single wall flue pipe.

So for the section directly before and through the roof, you’re likely to need a twin wall flue. A HETAS engineer would be able to advise on the most suitable way of achieving this in your caravan.

Generating hot water

Some caravan owners use the stove installation process to address their hot water supply. Installing a boiler stove will allow you to cut your reliance on gas by using heat generated from the woodburner to provide hot water and warm radiators.

Installing a boiler stove is likely to be a more expensive and complicated job, but you might consider it’s worthwhile for the extra convenience and the savings on gas.

Appropriate stove size

Keep in mind that your caravan is not likely to need a heat output of a regular living room.

It will probably hold the heat well given the snug space. You can use our stove size calculator as an approximate guide.

The chances are you will want one of our recommended small wood-burning stoves.

35 thoughts on “Installing a wood-burning stove in a static caravan or mobile home

  1. I want to fit a multi fuel stove in my Willerby aspen static caravan 37 feet x12feet it an apex pantile roof double glazing and central heating powered by a combi boiler I would probably want to connect a back boiler to the central heating system who would you recommend to do the installation

  2. Hi there we live on a residential mobile home site is it possible to have installed a multichannel wokdburners or would we have to get permission from the owners of the site we have bought our home outright
    Thanks lin

    • Hi Lin, There’s no good reason why you can’t assuming there’s nothing in a contract or terms and conditions you’ve signed that says you can’t. Thanks.

  3. Please can you tell me a price for a wood stove for a atlas Moonstone static. Together with the hearth and double lined flue and back heat resistant board. Thanks

  4. hi wonder if you can help?
    I have had a stovax multi fuel wood burner fitted into my pemberton static caravan and i am getting water down the outside of the chimney but inside the caravan. the installers have re-visited on numerous occasions. They have replaced the flashing twice and resealed edges, they have also double flashed it . They have also replaced the top half of the chimney which had water in as it is a double skinned i cannot see this being the problem. can you help?

    thanks Mr p scott

  5. I’m just worried about the regs that state you need to have a minimum 4.5 metre distance of flue….how am I supposed to support this length of flue?! Are there different rules we can follow to use a shorter flue?

    • Hi Daniel

      The 4.5m figure is a recommendation rather than a regulation. It would be down to the person signing off the installation to decide what was appropriate.

      Thanks,

      Gr8Fires

    • Hi Peter

      It will need to comply with building regulations, which includes restrictions on proximity to neighbouring properties, but other than that the only permission you would need is if your site places any sort of restrictions on use of woodburners.

      Thanks,

      Gr8Fires

  6. Hi
    I would like to install a wood burning stove in my static caravan, but every insurance company I contact refuses to offer cover. Do you know of any companies that would?
    Thanks.

    • Hi Dave,

      Sorry, we’re not knowledgeable enough on the caravan insurance industry to make recommendations on that. Have you tried asking on some of the caravan forums?

      Thanks,

      Gr8Fires

  7. We are thinking about installing a log burner in our 35ft static park stone bluebird caravan could you tells us of any local installers for me12 in kent

  8. I’ve been looking at all the parts on your site but don’t want to order and miss something out. Are you able to advise what bits I need to install a log burner into a static? The flue outlet pipe is 4″. Thank you

  9. There is some great information here, after much searching this is the best result.

    One thing I’m not sure I’ve got to the bottom of yet though….

    Are there any specific or exclusive regulations for installing a solid fuel heater in a motorhome or campervan?
    If we put aside the aspects of vehicle insurance as a separate issue, is the requirement basically the same as in a building or mobile home, or different as the vehicle is not classed as a ‘permanent dwelling’ by definition.
    I’m struggling yo find anything spefically relation yo installation in vehicles other than hearsay.

  10. I own a 2016 Delta Cambridge and would like to iget a qualified tradesman to install a multi fuel stove. My current insurers will not insure for this does anyone have details of an insurance company who do. Any help much appreciated.

  11. Hi I’m looking at getting some extra information on connecting a wood burning stove to a back boiler system, where should I start looking first?? Also how easy is it to install into a caravan??

    Thanks

  12. Hi there,
    I looked on YouTube & There some tiny compact log burners that can be installed in camper vans & touring caravan,They are certainly a great way to warm up during the Winter & are so cheap,the older caravans already had coal fires,but they had a proper made to measure installation when the caravan was made…
    Then we can spend so much more time in our holiday home not have the fear of being really cold?

  13. Please advise who I contact re installation and purchase of Wood Burner for my Static Home. My home is situated in Seaton Estate in Arbroath. I want top quality.

  14. We have a wood burner I’m our static but we are needing an insurance company that will insure the static to include the burner. Does anybody know of any please

  15. I’m wondering about the weight that a static caravan can support for a stove. I wouldn’t want it to fall through the floor! I’ve a 12*32 dakota and was eyeing up stoves that seem to weigh over 100kg. Can people share what stoves they’ve installed in a static please?

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