This is a review for the Outland 863 Cypress portable outdoor firebowl. I bought this for RV camping, to give up on the mess and hassle of firewood. There is so much more to gain than just the tradeoff in weight and bulk of bringing (taboo) firewood. The social gathering and meal around the evening fire is just such a tradition and pinnacle important aspect of camping. Burning gas seemed at first like such sacrilege! I will admit I was stubborn at first, with a heavy bias for the tradition of burning wood fires for so long. But with age comes wisdom. I am now a believer. PRO’s: This model is a very low profile design. It looks great and plenty of heat. There is no smoke. Way more convenient than wood fires. Takes up less space than with wood. Portability- not a “fixed” fire pit. No axe, shovel, paper, kindling, or fire-starters needed. Less mess- nothing to sweep, clean up, or ashes to empty. Instant gratification- Light it, and the fire is ready Enjoy a fire even when it rains -underneath the side awning of the RV, or a pop-up or whatever. Safer. Less risk of starting a forest fire. (Smokey is dancing the jig!) Turn it off and go to bed- no more worries about leaving a fire burning overnight, or when you leave campsite. More environmentally friendly than burning wood (less carbon). …and if you still want to burn a wood fire also, Hey! There’s nothing stopping you from still doing that too! The Cypress 21 Firebowl won’t get jealous! Cons: (Not really cons- but rather my additional comments) • Propane costs money. I have a nearly unlimited supply of firewood available to me. (Not the firebowls fault.) • I wish the hose was little longer. I use an extension hose with quick couplers. (Optional- see below) • As-built, the firebowl hose with regulator is only designed to connect to an independent propane tank. For my use, I put together another hose kit with quick couplers for the option to run off my RV propane supply line (for a bbq) as well. (optional- See below) • It’s not a fire that is meant/rated to cook over -although nothing is stopping you from roasting marshmallows or whatever. It would seem this could be rated, designed and meet the additional criteria as a cooking appliance as well with minimal agency approval (CSA/AM Z21.58). I think the manufacture has opportunities for additional accessories: cooking grates, griddles, roasting skewers, rotisseries, etc. (recommendation) I am the one that asked the question (in the question section above) what the PSI of the regulator is. I wanted to run off the gas line on my RV. I received the answer directly from customer service FMI Brands Inc.: The hose inlet connection is the standard QCC-POL type connection for 20#LP cylinders and the LP gas regulator is low-pressure 2.74kPA (11"WC). Our LP gas hose has a 5/8-18UNF threaded female outlet coupling (connection to Firebowl gas valve). The Outland Living Firebowls are CSA Approved to be used with the hose and regulator provided with our units as we have tested and certified this product using the low-pressure regulator. The regulator cannot be disconnected from the hose as it is one piece, however, the hose with the regulator can be removed from the Firebowl unit. To do so, remove the black shrink surrounding the coupling of the Firebowl gas valve connected to the hose and then proceed to untighten this connection. We do not have a quick-connect option at this time, however, if you are interested in this modification, we highly recommend reaching out to a professional gas fitter or propane technician to ensure the safety standards are met for this modification. For any RV’er that would like to add the ability to put their firebowl on their PRE-REGULATED gas supply line on their RV you will need the following parts to switch freely between a propane tank or your quick connect for your BBQ: 1 Brass Coupling, 1/4" x 1/4" Female Pipe https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001PNIL48/ 1 Brass Half-union 3/8” Flare X ¼ Male Pipe https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003RW4IWE/ 1 Brass Propane/Natural Gass ¼” quick connect kit- Shutoff Valve & Full Flow Plug https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y3HTK8W/ 1 Brass 3/8” Female Flare X ¼” Male Pipe https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E5CUEM/ 1 12 feet Low Pressure Propane Quick-Connect Hose- ¼ Safety Shutoff Valve & Male Full Flow plug for RV’s https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XK43NL3/ Pipe thread sealant or tape(used only on NPT connections) https://www.amazon.com/44094-Slic-Tite-Thread-Premium-Length/dp/B01FXXV048/ Remove the hose from the Outland Firebowl at the gas valve (covered in black shrink tubing). The first 2 parts in this list will be used to attach the male part of the quick coupler on the firebowl itself. Use the 3/8” Female Flare X ¼” Male Pipe fitting to attach the female part of the quick coupler to the supplied Outland Firebowl hose. Use the thread sealant or tape only on the pipe threads- not on the flare fittings! Tighten and check for leaks. You will likely need to use the 12’ extension hose between the firebowl and an RV depending on the how long your RV gas hose is. It will even come in handy if running off a propane cylinder as well. I hope this review helps others. Not only with additional information, but confidence this is the right fire bowl for you.
