What 280 Airstream owners said, in their own words, about fire bans, storage space and the pits they actually carry.
Quick answer: I analyzed 327 comments from 280 Airstream owners. Fire rules (41 of 163 owners) and storage space (32) decided their fire pit more than smoke, heat or firewood cost. Outland Living was the most-named portable propane fire pit, Solo Stove the most-named wood pit, and 9 of 12 wood-fire lovers carry propane too.
Full disclosure: I own a Solo Stove, but no brand paid for this research. I’m a 2x Airstream owner and independent researcher with an insatiable curiosity. For this field report, I pulled real-world insights from hundreds of Airstream owners to help you pick the right setup for your rig and tow vehicle.
In June 2024, we headed north for the Smokies in our 27-foot Airstream Globetrotter. We had just upsized from a Bambi to the larger rig and a heavy-duty truck. This meant my Solo Stove finally had somewhere to ride: the truck bed. So it tagged along to a campground just west of Asheville, North Carolina.
With no fire ban in place and a $5 bundle of local black cherry from the camp store, I built a fire and savored the sweet, fruity smoke. Pure camping bliss.
That evening’s campfire worked because two critical conditions were met, neither of which had anything to do with the fire pit itself:
- We had room in the truck bed to haul the fire pit
- Local rules allowed us to burn wood
Was that just a lucky night, or do other Airstreamers navigate the exact same conditions? To find out, I analyzed 327 comments from 280 trailer owners across 27 online conversations. Turns out they do: fire rules and storage space came up more than any other factor, well ahead of smoke, heat or the cost of firewood.
Out West especially, plenty of campers rarely get to enjoy the smell of burning mesquite, juniper or pinyon pine. An agency puts fire restrictions in place, the wood pit stays stowed, and your fuel choice is made for you.
01 · What decides it
Is a wood or propane fire pit better? Rules decide first, space second
What the data suggests: The same two conditions from that Asheville campfire decide the fire pit before anything else. Do local rules allow it, and does it fit in the rig? Here’s how often each came up across 163 owners, alongside the other reasons they gave most.
Note: 163 distinct owners in 19 general conversations on Facebook, AirForums and Reddit (2019–2026). An owner could give more than one reason. The 8 conversations built around Solo Stove (124 owners) are left out here so one brand can’t tilt the results. The “open” figure on each bar counts owners from open questions, where someone asked for recommendations without naming a brand or fuel.
Fire pits for RV camping: what 163 Airstream owners say
41
owners: fire rules were the top deciding factor
32
owners: size and storage came second
9 of 12
wood-fire lovers carry propane too
37
owners named Outland Living, the most-named portable propane fire pit
63
owners named Solo Stove, the most-named fire pit overall (it burns wood)
Your decision in one minute
| If you… | What owners do | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Camp where fire bans hit, especially out West | Plan on propane for ban days, and check whether the local order exempts only a “stove or grill.” | Fire bans |
| Are tight on storage | Choose the pit that fits where it rides. If you’ll carry two, size them together. Owners called Howl and Ignik compact. | Sizes |
| Love a real wood fire | Pack a propane pit for ban nights, as 9 of 12 wood lovers do, and expect “smokeless” to need a full, hot fire. | Why owners switch |
| Want to run it off the trailer’s propane | None of the brands I checked endorses DIY. Have an RV or propane technician set it up. | Trailer propane |
Take it with you
Get the field guide as a PDF
What 280 Airstream owners said about fire bans, storage space and the pits they carry, in a 13-page PDF. Everything in it is on this page; this puts it in your inbox.
The details, section by section
02 · The first gate: fire rules
Fire bans and campfire restrictions: can you use a propane fire pit?
Bottom line: usually, but not always. Rules came up more than any other reason for deciding on a fire pit. But they change from forest to park to county, and propane doesn’t always get a pass.
Fire bans drove most rule-based choices: 26 of 41
Rules change by place and season, and many orders expire. I spot-checked about 15 orders (October 5–7, 2026). Check where you camp.
What the orders say
Most bans I checked allow propane you can turn off. New Mexico’s 2026 order allows devices that “use kerosene, white gas, or propane as a fuel in an improved camping area.”
Not every ban allows it:
- Some exempt only a “stove or grill”
- Some cover propane too (Coconino County Parks, Stage 3)
- Six California forests require a campfire permit, even for a camp stove
- Some require a UL or FM safety listing
NM EMNRD Forestry Division · Coconino County Parks · California national forest orders
Check before you go
- Find the order for where you’re heading
- Note the stage (1, 2 or 3) and its dates
- Does it exempt any “device,” or only a “stove or grill”?
- Look for shut-off valve, permit or UL/FM rules
- Check firewood rules for every state you’ll cross
Pellets aren’t ban-proof. Eight owners, six of them Solo owners, burn pellets as a workaround. But Utah’s state parks ban “pellet grills” under Stage 2 rules, and two Washington national forests (Gifford Pinchot and Olympic) banned “pellet fire” in 2025. I found no federal order that allows pellets during a ban.
More rules: hauling firewood, and a Death Valley myth
Hauling firewood is its own rule
- Michigan: no untreated firewood into the state from Jan 1, 2027
- New York: untreated wood can’t move more than 50 miles
- Minnesota DNR land: approved wood only
NYS DEC · Michigan Invasive Species Program · MN DNR
Myth check: “Death Valley only allows propane”
One owner said so. The park says wood and charcoal fires are allowed in its metal fire pits. Seasonal bans cover only three campgrounds.
NPS · Death Valley camping page, updated Sept 18, 2025
03 · The second gate: space
Will a fire pit fit in your Airstream? Size, storage and packing
Bottom line: space came second only to rules: 32 of 163 owners raised size, weight or packability. Owners judge a pit by where it rides. One says theirs “fits well in the external storage”; another “packs very well in its original box.”
Space gets tighter if you love a wood fire: 9 owners carry both a wood and a propane pit, so two pits share one storage bay or truck bed. Four went small with a tabletop or mini pit. Owners called Howl (three) and Ignik (two) compact; Solo Stove drew the most bulky flags (5).
How big are the fire pits owners named?
These are the sizes and weights each maker lists on its own site, smallest first. Owners didn’t measure them.
| Model owners named | Fuel | Size the maker lists, as packed | Weight the maker lists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howl R1 | Propane | 13.3 × 8.4 × 6.1 in, legs folded | 10 lb |
| Ignik FireCan | Propane | 12 × 6 × 7.5 in | 11.2 lb |
| Outland Firecube 805 | Propane | 14 × 14 × 9 in | 19 lb with lava rocks |
| Solo Stove Ranger | Wood | 15 in across, 13.5 in tall | 15.4 lb without stand |
| Outland 19-inch Firebowl | Propane | 19 in across | 22 to 25 lb, by model |
| Solo Stove Bonfire | Wood | 19.5 in across, 14.3 in tall | 23.3 lb |
Before you buy: Measure your bay, and save room for a propane tank if you go that way.
04 · The pits owners named
Best fire pits for RV camping: the brands Airstream owners named most
Short answer: It depends on your storage bay. Outland Living is the portable propane fire pit owners named most (37 owners, 33 of whom own one). Solo Stove led overall, but it burns wood. Compare sizes.
How I ranked them: this chart counts only open questions, 7 conversations where an owner asked for campfire recommendations without naming a brand or fuel. Conversations built around one product (like Solo Stove or LavaBox) are left out, so every brand starts even. Affiliate and creator accounts are left out.
Head to head: what owners said about the pit they own, across all 19 conversations not built around Solo.
Base: Solo Stove 49 owners, Outland Living 33, Howl 7. The author owns a Solo Stove · 6 of 7 Howl mentions came from one author post · Product images: Solo Stove, Outland Living, Howl Campfires.
What search says vs. what owners say
When people search Google for “smokeless fire pit,” one brand dominates: all five top related searches name Solo Stove. Owners in this study agree; Solo was by far the most-named fire pit among the Airstream owners I read. But the fastest-rising searches point somewhere else. Mass-market brands like Ninja and even Solo’s own Infinity Flame, its first propane fire pit (a 76-pound, 42-inch backyard table launched in October 2025), never came up once among the 280 owners. Trending online isn’t the same as earning a spot in the trailer.
Google Trends, US, past 5 years, pulled Oct 11, 2026
Get the 2027 edition
I update this report every spring, before propane season. I’ll send it when it’s out, along with new field reports.
See all 21 fire pit brands Airstream owners mentioned
Across the 19 conversations not built around Solo Stove, Airstream owners named 21 distinct fire pit brands. Not a ranking: conversations built around one brand inflate some counts.
| Brand | Fuel | Named it | Own one |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo Stove | Wood / pellets | 63 | 49 |
| Outland Living | Propane | 37 | 33 |
| Howl Campfires | Propane | 12 | 7 |
| Ignik Outdoors | Propane | 7 | 4 |
| Breeo | Wood | 7 | 4 |
| LavaBox | Propane | 4 | 3 |
| Trail Fire | Propane | 3 | 3 |
| Camco (Little/Big Red) | Propane | 2 | 2 |
| Campfire in a Can | Propane | 2 | 1 |
| Fireside Outdoor | Wood | 2 | 2 |
| Slinky | Multi-fuel | 2 | 0 |
| TactiCool | Propane | 2 | 2 |
| ALPS Mountaineering | Wood | 1 | 1 |
| Burly | Wood | 1 | 0 |
| Convert-A-Ball (Fire Dancer) | Propane | 1 | 1 |
| Flame Genie | Pellet | 1 | 1 |
| Flame King | Propane | 1 | 1 |
| Kirkland | Propane | 1 | 1 |
| Radiate | Portable wax/paper | 1 | 1 |
| Tripod Torch | Propane | 1 | 1 |
| Voyager | Propane | 1 | 1 |
Airstream’s own store sells fire pits from Solo Stove, LavaBox, Barebones and Snow Peak. The propane pits owners named most, Outland Living and Howl, aren’t among them (checked Oct 18, 2026).
05 · The trailer propane port
Can you run a fire pit off your Airstream’s propane? What owners do and what makers say
Plenty of owners already run a fire pit off their Airstream’s propane. The makers are more cautious: none explains how to adapt a pit to the port, and only LavaBox publishes setup steps, for its own hose.
Owners want a full flame on trailer propane
No brand I checked offers one yet. What owners do, and what the brands say on their own pages (checked Oct 5–12, 2026).
25
owners run, or plan to run, a pit off their trailer’s propane
12
of them also modified their gear
13
conversations on 2 platforms
What owners do
- Skip the separate tank: 25 run a pit off the trailer’s own propane, or plan to
- Change their gear: 12 of the 25 modified it. How isn’t described here: makers advise against it
- Reach for Outland Living: 12 of the 25 name it, more than any other brand
What the makers say
- Outland Living: “We do not recommend making any modifications.” Refers owners to a technician.
- Howl and Ignik: Their pits need about 5 psi; both say most RV lines run about 0.5. Howl calls using a different regulator “unsafe.”
- LavaBox: Sells an RV adapter hose; expect about a one-foot flame at RV line pressure.
- Trail Fire: Sells an RV quick-disconnect hose. Its 4-in-1 propane cooker doubles as a fire pit.
THE BOTTOM LINE: none of the brands I checked endorses DIY. Have an RV or propane technician set it up.
Camco not checked (no maker page found) · Solo-focused conversations excluded
06 · The trade-offs
Downsides of a propane fire pit: rules, space, heat and fuel
Owners who chose propane mostly like it. The trade-offs that came up line up with the two things that decide every fire pit: the rules and the room. For run times, see the FAQ.
Propane doesn’t always get a pass
Rules decided more fire pits than anything else: 41 of 163 owners said rules shaped their fire or fuel choice. Most fire bans I checked allow a gas device you can shut off, but some cover propane too. Even the makers hedge: Outland lists its Firecube as safe to use during “most” fire bans, and Howl says to use the R1 where gas appliances are allowed and to check local regulations.
The tank needs a spot too
A propane pit means carrying a propane tank, and both need room in the truck or storage bay. One owner kept a Solo Bonfire because it takes less room than a propane pit plus an extra tank.
Do propane fire pits give off enough heat?
Usually, yes. Eleven owners described good heat, and Outland Living drew the most of those comments (5). Three owners said a propane pit doesn’t give the heat of a wood fire. On the other side, five said a wood pit gave too little heat.
Some people just want wood
Twelve owners said they prefer a real wood fire. Most of them solved it by carrying both: 9 of 12 pack a propane pit too.
07 · Owners like you
Why some Airstream owners switch from a wood fire pit to propane
Former owners of a Solo Stove, the most-named wood pit, from all 27 conversations. Each reason is one owner’s story, so read them as stories, not shares.
5 of 7
former Solo owners now use propane
2
moved to another wood pit: a Fireside pop-up and an ALPS Spark
Why they left
- Fire bans: Carried it in the truck bed a whole summer and never lit it: bans from the NW to Texas
- Space and bans: “No room and too many bans.” Towing with an SUV, it never came along
- Heat (two owners): It gave too little heat
- Smoke: “Smokeless” only as a full roaring fire; no quick fire on departure morning
- Firewood: Tired of cutting logs to fit the Ranger
- Smoke, the other way: “My husband loves smoke.” So it went back
Why others stay
- Keeps the Solo Bonfire: “less room than my propane fire pit and extra propane tank”
- Long-time owners: one about five years, another three
- 3 moved down a size within Solo for travel
The “smokeless” catch: owners say a wood pit stays low-smoke only once the fire is burning well. Five said “smokeless” holds only in the right conditions, and three said it needs a full, hot fire, so a quick fire on departure morning tends to smoke. Five said a wood pit gave too little heat.
Back to that campfire
That Asheville night by the campfire was the easy case: no ban, room in the truck, and wood for sale at the camp store. The owners in this dataset plan for the worst case. A ban arrives, the truck is full, or there’s no wood to buy. That’s why 9 of 12 wood lovers carry propane too. Often, where you camp answers the fuel question, and the fire pit comes second. Your decision in one minute sums it up.
I’m Tim, the GenX Glamping Guy.
I read 327 owner comments by hand so you don’t have to. Subscribe for future field reports, or watch the how-to videos.
Also see my field report on camp chairs for Airstream owners.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can you use a portable propane fire pit during a fire ban?
Usually, but not always. Rules came up more than any other reason: 41 of 163 owners said rules shaped their fire or fuel choice, and fire bans or restrictions shaped 26 of the 41 rule-based choices. Most orders I checked exempt a gas device you can shut off, like New Mexico’s 2026 order. But Coconino County Parks covers propane at Stage 3, six California national forests require a campfire permit even for a camp stove, and some orders exempt only a “stove or grill” or require a UL or FM safety listing. Check the order for where you’re camping.
Is a wood or propane fire pit better for an Airstream?
It depends on where you camp and how much room you have. Rules came first: 41 of 163 owners said rules shaped their fire or fuel choice, and 28 of those 41 own a propane pit now. Size came second, for 32 owners. Owners who love a wood fire usually carry both: 9 of 12 also pack propane.
Will a portable fire pit fit in my Airstream?
Most will, but measure your bay first. Size came up for 32 of 163 owners, second only to fire rules. Howl lists the R1 at 13.3 × 8.4 × 6.1 inches with its legs folded, and Ignik lists the FireCan at 12 × 6 × 7.5 inches. A few owners called those two compact, and Solo Stove drew the most bulky flags (5). Leave room for a propane tank too.
What is the best fire pit for RV camping?
It depends on your storage and the rules where you camp. Among Airstream owners, Outland Living was the most-named propane fire pit (37 owners; 33 own one) and Solo Stove the most-named overall (63), but Solo burns wood. No brand paid for this research. The author owns a Solo Stove.
What are some good small portable propane fire pits?
Measure your bay first, then look at the pits owners called compact. A few owners named Howl (3) and Ignik (2). Howl lists the R1 at 10 lb, and Ignik lists the FireCan at 11 lb 3.2 oz.
How long will a 20 lb propane tank last with a fire pit?
It depends on the pit and the flame setting. These are the makers’ own figures, not owner data. Howl lists the R1 at 8 hours at full blast on a 20 lb tank. Ignik says a full 5 lb tank runs the FireCan for about 2.5 to 3 hours on max, and it doesn’t list a 20 lb figure. Outland’s Firecube page and fire pit comparison table don’t list a run time. One Howl owner in this study said the run time came in shorter than claimed.
What are the downsides of a propane fire pit?
Rules, space, heat and fuel. Some fire bans cover propane too, and the tank needs its own storage spot. Three owners said a propane pit doesn’t give the heat of a wood fire. And propane doesn’t suit everyone: 12 owners prefer a real wood fire, and 9 of them carry propane as a backup.
Is a Solo Stove really smokeless?
Mostly, once it’s burning well. In the 8 Solo-focused conversations (124 owners), 10 said it’s low smoke once burning well, 14 said “smokeless” only holds in the right conditions, and 7 said it needs a full or hot fire first. I started 2 of the conversations in this study, both asking about “smokeless” pits. The author owns a Solo Stove; Solo doesn’t sponsor this research.
Can you run a fire pit off your Airstream’s propane?
Plenty of owners already run a fire pit off their Airstream’s propane. The makers are more cautious: none explains how to adapt a pit to the port, and only LavaBox publishes setup steps, for its own hose. LavaBox, which sells an RV hose for its fire pit, tells buyers to expect a flame about 1 foot tall at RV pressure and says results vary from RV to RV. None of the brands I checked endorses DIY. Have an RV or propane technician set it up.
Can you bring firewood across state lines?
Often not, if it’s untreated. Firewood rules were the main reason for 7 and came up for 12. Michigan bars untreated firewood from entering the state starting Jan 1, 2027. New York limits untreated firewood to 50 miles from its source. Minnesota DNR land allows approved firewood only. Check each state you’ll cross.
Are wood pellets allowed during a fire ban?
Not reliably. Utah’s state parks ban pellet grills under Stage 2 rules, and two Washington national forests (Gifford Pinchot and Olympic) banned pellet fires in 2025. I found no federal order that allows pellets during a ban.
That’s the guide. Everything after this is how I did it, for anyone who wants to check my work.
About this data: how I researched Airstream owners’ fire pit choices
I read all 365 comments from 29 conversations by hand and coded each owner’s setup, reasons and brands into a workbook that traces every count to a comment, line by line. Counts are distinct people, not posts, and brand rankings use open questions only. Read it as self-selected forum voices, not a random sample.
How this field study was built
Owner conversations from April 2019 to October 2026, read and coded one comment at a time.
| Measure | Count |
|---|---|
| Airstream owners | 280 |
| Comments | 327 |
| Conversations | 27 |
| Platforms | 3 |
| Main counts (19 conversations not built around Solo) | 163 owners |
| Solo Stove section (8 Solo-focused conversations) | 124 owners |
- Where: Six private Airstream Facebook groups, plus public AirForums and r/Airstream threads. Most AirForums posts date from 2019–2023, so I used them for rules and habits, not prices.
- The author’s part: I posted 4 conversations; 2 asked about “smokeless” pits. My own comments aren’t counted. I own a Solo Stove.
- Left out of praise: One affiliate and two creator accounts: counted in totals, never in praise.
- Rules and brands: Spot-checked against agency orders and makers’ own sites, October 5–12, 2026.
Note: 365 comments were collected and 327 are counted. The rest came from two conversations held back because they predate 2019 (33 comments), the author’s own comment (1) and 4 from people with a non-Airstream trailer or describing a friend’s pit.
Cross-check
The author’s October 2026 post in a private Airstream Facebook group named no brand or fuel (“When you travel with your Airstream, what do you use for a campfire, and why?”). Of the 31 owners who answered, 9 named Solo Stove, 6 Howl and 5 Outland Living. Solo still led, but by less than across all 7 open questions (39 Solo to 11 Outland).
See the data behind the charts
| Reason | Owners |
|---|---|
| Rules shaped the choice | 41 |
| Size, weight or packability | 32 |
| Propane: no smoke or smell | 13 |
| Wood pit was low-smoke | 12 |
| Firewood cost or hassle | 12 |
| Prefer real wood | 12 |
| Described good heat | 11 |
| Main rule | Owners |
|---|---|
| Fire bans or restrictions | 26 |
| Firewood rules | 7 |
| Campground or park rules | 5 |
| Brand | Named it | Own one |
|---|---|---|
| Solo Stove | 39 | 35 |
| Outland Living | 11 | 10 |
| Howl | 7 | 5 |
| What they said | Owners |
|---|---|
| Size or packability came up (good and bad) | 32 |
| Firewood is a cost or hassle | 15 |
| “Smokeless” only under the right conditions | 14 |
| Gave good heat | 12 |
| Low smoke once it’s burning well | 10 |
| Gave too little heat | 8 |
| Needs a full or hot fire before the smoke stops | 7 |
| Pit | Run time the maker lists | Tank size it assumes |
|---|---|---|
| Howl R1 | 8 hours at full blast | 20 lb |
| Ignik FireCan | About 2.5 to 3 hours on max (no 20 lb figure listed) | 5 lb |
| Outland Firecube and 19-inch Firebowls | Not listed on the Firecube page or comparison table | Not stated |
Sources
Checked October 5–12, 2026, and maker figures on October 18, 2026. Fire orders change often, and many listed here have expired.
- Fire orders: NM EMNRD · Santa Fe NF · Coconino NF · Dixie NF · Coconino County Parks · Angeles NF · NPS Death Valley · Sedona Fire District (UL-listed requirement)
- California campfire permits: Sequoia NF · San Bernardino NF · Six Rivers NF · Angeles NF · Eldorado NF · Inyo NF · CAL FIRE
- Firewood: Michigan · NY DEC · MN DNR
- Pellets: Utah State Parks · Red Fleet SP · Gifford Pinchot NF · Olympic NF
- Makers: Outland · Howl · Ignik · LavaBox · Trail Fire · Solo Stove
- Retail: Airstream Supply Company fire pits page
- Search data: Google Trends, US, past 5 years, pulled Oct 11, 2026 · Solo Stove Infinity Flame product page