While most mobile homes are located in mobile home parks, or ‘communities’ as they are now more widely known, some folks opt to locate theirs in more remote areas, either as a permanent life style choice or as an interim measure while they build a regular house on their land. A friend of mine followed this latter path a few years ago. He bought a used mobile home, and at significant expense, had it delivered to his remote property and set it up.
He arranged to have a heating oil tank installed to serve the oil mobile home furnace that came with his old mobile home. To his dismay, the technician who was sent out to hook up the system discovered that the mobile home furnace was safety deficient, and refused to make the hook-ups.
After investigating the cost of repairs or replacement with another oil unit or an electric mobile home furnace, he found that either course would ruin the budget for building his house. After due investigation, he made the bold decision to replace his furnace with a wood burning stove.
He reasoned that there were dozens or maybe hundreds of cords of wood already on the ground from clearing the sites for the mobile home and the main house. The cost of fuel would be measured not in dollars, but in work, and he was quite willing to do that.
His first step was to consult the local fire marshal, who looked over his mobile home and told him that it could be modified safely to accommodate a wood burner. He also provided references to information detailing how to do the job safely and efficiently.
Being extremely handy (he was building the house himself), he located a quality unit at a good price and set to work, and it was a lot of work. The wood burning stove had to be totally isolated from flammable components, which required some serious renovating. He also had to install a chimney through the roof, again, providing for isolation from flammable components. Still, in just a few days, he was able to light up his new stove, and used it through the two winters that passed until he finished his house.
For someone on a tight budget, a wood burning stove can be a viable alternative to a mobile home furnace.