Claire and Jake built their vintage Class A to fit their chase for powder and new ski resorts to explore. Their home has all kinds of ingenious features for cold weather camping, and the Dwarf 5kw is one of them.
You can follow their adventures on Instagram
Who are you? Tell us something about your tiny living journey!
We are Claire, Jake and, of course, Maya–our beloved fur child. We are a little Australian travel family who love exploring new places from our tiny-home-on-wheels. After a few years of full time travel, we have realised the importance of having a space with us to make cosy and call home.
Where did you install your stove?
We installed our 5kw Dwarf into our 1990’s 30 foot RV, a Fleetwood Southwind Storm. After a few years of travelling around Australia enjoying the Aussie beach life, we decided that it was about time to dust off the skis for a winter trip. So we built this rig as a winter cabin on wheels, and so far, we have completed one North American winter and look forward to more to come!
How did your tiny living journey begin and what were your reasons? How long have you been living tiny?
Jake got his first van in Canada in 2017, just a tiny little Chevy Astro that, after we met, we used for weekend/week long trips that sparked our love for exploring our world with our home with us. Then, we self-built a VW Crafter as our first proper tiny home at the end of 2019, and used it to travel Australia for almost three years straight. We soon realised that we didn't really need anything other than what could fit in our rig with us, yet we were still determined to explore further so we decided to move back over to North America and build a winter rig.
How did you decide on a Dwarf stove?
After doing countless hours of research, we settled on the Dwarf as it was the best size to be able to heat the whole rig. We also loved the design, the accessories and the fact that we could get everything (stove, flue, etc) all in the one place and know that it would fit together perfectly.
How difficult was the installation process? Did you need any assistance of any kind?
Being our second tiny home build, we were pretty confident in the whole renovation process of the RV, but the wood stove seemed daunting as it wasn't something we wanted to get wrong. In the end, the hardest part of the installation process was drilling holes through our tiled hearth and lining up the holes for the legs to be bolted down! The Tiny Wood team helped us with any of our questions about clearances and after countless days of planning, we drilled a hole in the roof, fitted everything together, and then had a fireplace in our RV…it was honestly that easy!
How has your experience been using the Dwarf? Have you been enjoying having a tiny wood stove in your space?
If you were to ask all three of us separately what our favourite part of the RV (Bear) is we would all answer the wood stove. The heat that it supplies, seriously, is everything you need to keep warm in winter when there hasn't been sun for days and even dries our ski gear when needed. What's more, we have been known to use it to roast marshmallows and is by far the warmest and cosiest place at home to curl up in while everyone else is out skiing. Even collecting wood has become a chore we love as it gets us outside into the forest. The mission to find a log to drag back to camp and dice up, is actually a really fun workout!
Would you recommend a tiny wood stove to others?
Absolutely! There is no other heating source like it. If you want to feel cozy in winter, and are happy to let firewood heat you two separate times before being burned (first when you collect the tree, then again when you chop the wood). We have used other heating fuels, and none compare to a wood stove.
Would you like to add anything?
There are few things I have dreamed of for as long as I have dreamed of having a wood burning stove in my house. As someone who travels full time, this felt like a far fetched idea until we came across Tiny Wood. While the heating is one thing and genuinely excellent. Having a wood stove that helps transform a space into a home – well how does it get better than that?
Interested in a small stove for your tiny space? Contact us on the form below and we can help you sort through all the details in getting the perfect stove and installation configuration for your unique space!
