Camco Fire Pit Review 2021: Great Real Wood Campfire Experience

Last Updated on August 30, 2021

The Camco Fire Pit gives the enjoyment of a real wood campfire without all the effort of building, poking, or stoking.

No smoke, no ash, no mess to clean up afterward. Perfect for campsites and areas with no burn restrictions.

This deluxe outdoor fire pit offers a 90% real fire experience.

You and your family can enjoy the convenience of instant heat on a cold evening or a chilly morning.

Check out availability and today’s price on Amazon

 If you’re in a hurry our table of contents will give you a quick overview. otherwise, keep reading for the full review:

Place the Camco Portable Propane Fire Pit anywhere you want outdoors.

When you’re looking for a reliable campfire you can pick up and take with you, you may want to consider the Camco fire pit.

With its heat-resistant bottom, it’s great for cookouts, and smaller patios too.

You can place this little baby on your porch too, for even more enjoyment with your family.

When you haven’t got a lot of room to allocate to a fireplace, but you’d love to be able to enjoy the beauty and ambiance it brings on-demand, you want quality and an above-ground compact portable fire pit.

It’s a small size (about 18 inches in diameter) and weighs (approximately 49 pounds).

There is a larger 29-inch portable deluxe outdoor model should this one be too small for your needs.

A Reliable and Trustworthy Company

Camco has been around for 40 years and prides itself on customer satisfaction.

It began operations in 1966 and now has more than 350 employees and 3000 different products, with manufacturing facilities across the United States and around the world.

What this company is best known for are their good quality products and competitive pricing. This has been a huge factor in their growth over the years.

What’s In The Camco Fire Pit Box?

Included is everything you need to get up and running quickly all you have to do is add propane.

Whether you’re taking this Camco campfire with you, or setting up at home, it’s simple and easy.

Along with the fire basin itself, you also get a 10foot long propane hose.

An adjustable regulator for use with standard ACME connection and regulator.

Protective storage cover, and 12lbs. of lava rocks.

With this Camco 51210 Deluxe Portable Propane fire pit, you get lots of lava rocks.

You won’t need to use all of them to achieve that beautiful amber glow that’s so desirable and heart-warming, save some to replace discolored or stained stones down the line.

Getting Started With Your Camco Fire Pit.      

Just open up the bag of rocks outside on the grass and dust off by banging them together.

This will help prevent dust from getting inside the pit and clogging the propane feeds.

What Makes This Camco Campfire A Popular Choice?

Camco’s portable propane campfire is an elevated fire pit that’s good and strong.

Its heat-resistant stable base is ideal for porches, patios, and backyards too.

It’s also perfect to take on those camping and fishing trips or to enjoy a fire on the beach.

Tailgating fans love its compact size and its real wood campfire experience.

You can comfortably seat four to six adults around the Camco fire pit without any problem at all.

For your peace of mind, Camco also offers a one-year warranty.

How Hot Is It Really?

This thing really heats up. For such a small fire pit it can generate up to 65,000 BTUs per hour.

The adjustable regulator means it’s easy for you to control.

You can set the flow of propane from low to high and anywhere in between.

Interestingly, the fire tray inside is large, considering the size of the fire pit itself. It measures 16 1/2 inches diameter and it sits inside a roughly 18-inch diameter fire pit.

Therefore, you can count on flames across a larger percentage of the fireplace when compared to other fire pits.

It also means that the gas is evenly distributed around the perimeter, creating a beautiful fire that can be enjoyed from all directions.

Stow and Go

With the supplied storage cover, it’s quite convenient to pack up all your fire-related gear and take it with you in your RV, trailer, van, or even a car.

It packs away to a compact size too, when you want to store it away.

Then be able to retrieve it when fire pit season rolls around again.

The compact size is a real advantage and makes it the ideal portable propane fire pit that you can take anywhere, including many campgrounds.

With a wood fire, you would easily need to pack a lot more firewood than you could fit in the same space and that’s only if the park allowed you to bring your own.

Since it’s so compact, sets up fast, and is easily controlled, it’s great for tailgating and picnicking.

Or simply taking along to a friend’s house to create that perfect ambiance.

After use, be sure to allow adequate time before packing up your fireplace. 20 to 25 minutes is usually more than enough.

You’ll want to test the temperature before putting it in the storage bag and back in your car.

You Are In Control – And It’s Easy

The adjustable flame allows you to take full control of the Camco fire pit.

That means that at a moment’s notice, you can turn up the juice, reduce it, or completely extinguish the fire.

Let it cool down and you’re on your way.

Camco’s fire pit is finished in an attractive copper and brown color that gives it a nice stylish look.

Simple And Easy Setup: Here’s How:

Setting up is simple, just decide on your location, add the (lava) fire pit rocks one at a time into the basin of the campfire.

Attach one end of the propane hose to the base of the fire pit next to the Red Piezo igniter.

The other end to your liquid propane cylinder via the standard ACME female end with the regulator and you’re ready to fire it up.

Ready, Set, Start

First of all, make sure the Camco fire pit control valve regulator is in the OFF position.

Turn on the propane supply at the cylinder then slowly turn the regulator while pressing the red igniter button several times in succession. 

To turn off the fire, simply turn the regulator all the way to the off position to stop the flow of propane. That’s it.

You Can Create An Alternate Look 

Some buyers prefer the look of fire glass beads over the lava rocks provided.

While most manufacturers discourage the use of anything other than what is delivered with the product.

Camco takes a different approach, they suggest that you could freely use crystal glass in place of the lava rocks.

Just to be sure, let the fire burn for a full 30 minutes on high heat before adding any glass to prevent any crackling and popping that can occur.

With Adequate Clearance – You’re Good To Go

Since this is a low-profile fire pit, there’s no reason why you couldn’t use your Camco fire pit on a patio with an awning overhead, as long as there is sufficient space.

Let common sense be your guide and maintain a “safety first” perspective.

What About Cooking On The Camco Fire Pit?

Not recommended, the problem would be grease dripping down onto the lava rocks and creating a horrible mess that would be difficult to clean and probably ruin the lava rocks.

It’s meant for heat and ambiance.

Although some buyers have roasted marshmallows s’ mores and cooked hot-dogs without any problems.

This Camco fire Pit is Durable and Portable

One thing that seems to set this fire pit apart from several marketplace competitors is its durability.

If you take care of it, there’s no reason why you can’t easily get three to five years’ worth of reliable service from your Camco Fire Pit.

Check its availability & today’s price on Amazon

Once you’re done and it’s time to move on, your fire pit is ready to transport, quick and convenient, with no hassle.

If you carefully place the fire pit inside the carrying case and keep it level, most of the lava rocks should stay in place.

Realistically, if you’re traveling any significant distance. you should probably bag the rocks and arrange them again when you set up at your new location. This only takes a few minutes

The Camco Fire Pit is Designed for Small Outdoor Spaces

You can use this fire pit on any outside patio, porch, driveway, or parking lot as long as there’s plenty of clearance.

It’s ideal for camping too and in most cases, you’ll be able to use it even in parks with burn bans in effect but check with the authorities first.

If you’re going to be using it on a patio table, make sure it’s a solid and secure table and the top is covered with ceramic or cement, something of that nature.

Quiet But Not Silent?

The Camco Fire Pit functions well and puts out a huge amount of heat. It’s not silent, but it’s not noisy either.

It produces a hissing sound that you’ll barely notice when there are other sounds going on around you. There’s no need to worry as this is due to the flow of propane coming through.

This can also be remedied by turning the regulator down a bit.  

All propane-fueled appliances emit a similar hissing sound, it’s nothing to concern yourself with and it’s certainly not any louder than other campfires.

Are you ready to check out the availability & price on Amazon?

Will It fit Standard Propane Tanks?

The Camco Fire Pit Deluxe is designed to fit any standard 20-pound propane tank. But it will fit any tank as long as the fitting is the same.

It’s made to fit the same size of tank commonly used on outdoor grills. So you can swap the tank from your BBQ until you get a separate tank for the fireplace.

Information about Propane tanks is available on our accessories page.

You can get an adapter and use this fire pit with those small 1 pound propane cylinders.

But you won’t get much of a fire, maybe an hour’s worth at most, though it can be done.

It ships with a 10-foot long propane hose.

One of the things Camco manufacturers do that some other competitors don’t do is locate the regulator on the hose next to the propane tank, rather than the fire pit.

What Buyers Like Most

• Looks good. It’s decorative. Simulates a real fire and you get that warm ambiance.
• The lava rocks really enhance the look of the fire and the flame it produces.
• Mighty for its size. Fully functional with plenty of radiant heat.
• Compact. Small enough to easily transport anywhere.
• Reliable. Buyers report having left it out in freezing temperatures and then having it fire up the first time they used it again.
• Longer hose. Really helpful in keeping the tank away from the fire and making it less obvious.
• Not limited to lava. You can add fire glass to this and create a different look.
• Lasts longer. Quality build seems to stand the test of time.

What Some Buyers Didn’t Like

• No lid. A protective cover that locks into place would make it a little bit easier to transport the fire pit, without messing with the lava rocks.
• Ships with lava rocks only. Some buyers would prefer the look of fake logs, but this fire pit only comes with lava rocks, you can add your own if you wish.
• Too small. It’s not really large enough to warm a crowd.

Conclusion

This is a powerful little Camco fire pit. Once you allow 10 to 15 minutes for it to sufficiently heat up the lava rocks.

You’ll enjoy its warmth and gorgeous amber flame.

While this or any other propane fire pit cannot entirely replace the experience of a wood-burning fire, this one does offer 90% of real fire experience.

With about 10% of the effort required to start and maintain a traditional fire.

This portable 18-inch deluxe Camco fire pit is an ideal low-cost option where a real wood campfire is not practical or possible, such as during a burn ban.

It’s also perfect for those of us who just can’t be bothered with building, maintaining, and cleaning up after a traditional bonfire,

Check out availability & today’s price on Amazon