Best Heaters for Van Life

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Camper van in the snow in winter — Our camper van in the snow

We consider a heater a must have for winter van life. Not only will it keep you warm, but it will keep your pipes from bursting and your batteries warm enough to charge.

There are a few different options on the market to heat your camper van, and most come down to preference and price. The best options for a camper van heater are diesel heaters, gas heaters, propane heaters (installed or portable), hydronic heaters, electric heaters, or even a wooden stove. Heaters will be associated with different BTUs or watts, which is essentially a measurement of heat output or power. For a camper van 2kw or 6800 watts will get the job done.

** Safety Tip, always have a carbon monoxide and smoke detector inside your vehicle**

Diesel and Gas Heaters

Espar (Eberspacher) diesel heater — Espar diesel heater

Diesel and gas heaters use the same process, it just depends on what kind of fuel your vehicle runs on. Webasto and Eberspacher (Espar) are the two main companies for this type of heater. Webasto makes a diesel and gasoline version of their heater and Espar also makes a diesel and gasoline version of their heater. Diesel/gas heaters are a great choice because they don’t use a lot of electricity or fuel to run and have a high heat output. We have an Espar diesel heater in our Sprinter van, and after running our heater all night we maybe lose one bar on our fuel gauge and the electricity used is barely noticeable on our batteries.

Diesel heaters are great for Sprinter vans because the Sprinter fuel tank has an auxiliary port that you can easily tap into for your heater fuel supply. Another great thing about these heaters is the combustion process takes place inside a sealed area and all the gases are exhausted through an exhaust pipe to the outside of your vehicle. This means there is a lower chance of carbon monoxide issues inside your camper van. Additionally, since the hot air being blown out does not come in direct contact with the combustion process, it creates a dry heat. This keeps moisture out of your van and is essential for longevity and mold issues.

One item to look at on diesel/gas heaters is the altitude they are rated for. The higher up you go, the less dense the air is. A heater needs to compensate for this less dense air or the combustion process will not be complete, and cause soot or black smoke. This can damage the heater or cause fires. There are pressure sensors on some that automatically help compensate for the altitudes. Again be sure to check the altitude rating before you buy.

Propane Heaters

Propane heaters are another great option for your camper van if you have a propane setup. Propane heaters like the Propex Propane Heater are known to burn cleaner than gas or diesel, and you are less likely to have carbon buildup on these heaters. You can take these heaters to altitudes up to 10,000 feet and they will function properly.

The downside is they can eat up your propane supply pretty quickly, and people report going through a 20 lb propane tank in 3-5 days in cold climates. According to Propex, the average consumption is about 5 ounces of propane every hour. Most camper vans aren’t going to have massive propane tanks. If you have propane appliances make sure to factor that into the equation also. Overall, propane heaters are a good low-maintenance option, you just have to take into consideration the additional propane consumption.

A cheap option is a portable propane heater such as a Mr. Heater. These heaters are not going to be the best option for van life, but if you need something and can’t afford anything else you can make these work. The thing to remember is unlike the other heaters, the combustion process takes place inside the van and there is no option to exhaust byproducts such as CO to the outside. Make sure you leave a window open or have some sort of a vent. You will also want to keep an eye on these heaters. Don’t leave it on when you aren’t in the van. These portable heaters have their place, but they aren't the best option for van life.

Hydronic Heaters

Hydronic heaters are pretty cool, but they are the most expensive option and also the hardest to install. They have become more common over the past few years, so most van builders know how to install them nowadays. The system works by heating coolant or glycol and circulating it to different heat exchangers. These can run off your gas or diesel tank as a fuel source, and they use a small amount of electricity.

Hydronic heaters work by taking the heated liquid and transferring it to air in a unit with a fan that draws that air in and then blows hot air out into the van. The Rixen Hydronic Diesel Heater and the Rixen Hydronic Gasoline Heater are popular options. If you can afford it, a hydronic heater is a great option to heat your van since they can also be used to heat water and even a heated floor.

Wood Burning Stove

Some houses are heated with wood burning stoves and van builders have taken this concept and applied it to camper vans. The Cubic Mini Wood Stove is one of the most popular wood stoves for camper vans because of the compact size. As far as aesthetics, these look the best out of all the heaters and are probably the easiest to install. The not-so-good thing is wood burning stoves will take up more room than the other heaters and require a safe distance from combustible products.

With wood being the fuel, you have to replenish it yourself. If you’re in a cold environment, you will probably have to wake up in the middle of the night and feed the fire. Wood will also take up space in your van. Another thing to consider is in certain areas you aren’t allowed to transfer wood across borders so you will need to plan for this.

You also have to deal with ash. Just like your chimney at home, you will need to clean the flu out every so often. The good news is these are easier to clean than the other heaters. We think this kind of heater would be a more viable option if you are staying in a certain location for an extended amount of time in the winter.

Electric Heaters

Electric heaters are a great option if you plan on spending most cold nights at a campsite. You don’t have to worry about a flame or fuel issue. Installation can be as simple as plugging them in and they are very safe. The issue is electric heaters use a lot of electricity and a lot of camper van owners don’t want to stay in campgrounds every night.

A single 100 amp lithium battery would be depleted in about 1.6 hours with a 750-watt heating appliance. A 500-watt appliance will deplete the same battery in just under 2.5 hours of run time. These numbers include nothing else that is using electricity in your van. These are not bad heaters, but you need shore power or a large battery bank to run them.

Other electric options to help you stay warm are heated blankets. The draw on these is much lower and you can find 12v ones that only need 50 watts to run. These obviously will not heat the rest of the van, but if you need something cheap this is a great option to keep you warm.

Our Favorite Camper Van Heater

As we mentioned earlier, we chose a Espar/Eberspacher Airtronic diesel heater and are very happy with our decision. It has kept us warm, hardly uses any fuel or electricity, and is easy to control. We typically don’t stay in one place for an extended period of time and for our situation, it just makes the most sense.

If you have the time and money you should consider a hydronic system since you can also use it to heat water and more. Ultimately it comes down to which heater fits your camper van lifestyle and budget the best. Let us know what works for you!

Want more info about van life? Check out our post on the best toilets for van life.