The Best Truck Camping Heaters
Whether you’re ski bumming, snow wheeling, or just looking to do some cold weather camping in your truck camper, there are lots of ways to stay warm while truck camping in the winter or at higher elevation. But having a way to heat your truck camper is probably one of the best ways to keep your space warm and toasty.
Over the years we’ve tried a variety of camping heaters and, unfortunately, most have at least a few caveats; the reality is there’s really no perfect camping heater solution. So in this guide we will walk through the pros and cons of diesel, petrol, and propane truck camping heater options, as well as the 9 best camping heater models currently on the market.
**Disclaimer: You must review any heater manufacturer's safety requirements prior to use to ensure proper ventilation, adequate clearances, and safe operation. Any permanent heater installation should be performed by a trained professional. And you should always use, maintain, and check that carbon monoxide detectors are installed in your camper and working properly before using any heater.**
Diesel Heaters for Truck Camping
Diesel heaters are a great way to heat your truck camper while cold weather camping, and they produce a nice dry heat.
Pros
Dry Heat - because the combustion and exhaust happens on, or is plumbed to, the exterior of your truck camper, diesel heaters don’t suffer from the condensation build-up issues that other heaters can have
Diesel fuel is generally safer to handle than other camping heater fuel types, and less combustible
Cons
More Maintenance - because of the combustion process, especially in the cheaper varieties, there is a more frequent need for cleaning and adjusting/tuning diesel heaters
Diesel fuel stinks if spilled during refueling, and doesn’t evaporate quickly like gasoline
Must Carry Multiple Fuels - unless your truck is a diesel and you have your heater plumbed to its fuel tank, you’ll have to carry a second (or third if you’re carrying propane for your camping stove or portable fire pit) type of spare fuel. Diesel Heaters generally consume 0.029-0.135 Gallons of diesel per hour, so figure on using about 1 gallon per 8hr night.
Power Consumption - diesel heaters draw an average of 1-2 amps/hr (12-24watts), so you’ll need a sufficient 12v camping power supply to operate your heater at length
*(This post contains affiliate links. This means we may receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. See our full disclosure.)
Best Diesel Heaters for Truck Camping
There are two main categories of diesel heaters for truck camping, portable and permanent install. For the average camping trip and short term travel, a portable heater is going to be more practical for most truck campers. However, if you’re looking to build a long term travel setup, overland vehicle, or live in a predominantly cold climate - a permanent install model may be a better solution.
Portable Diesel Heaters
While the Canadian made Planar Portable Diesel Heaters are the gold-standard for portable diesel heaters, the price difference is so disparate that you could buy 4 or 5 cheaper varieties and still come out ahead. So we recommend going with one of these more budget-friendly options:
Vevor Portable Diesel Heater
This inexpensive Vevor portable diesel heater has a 5kw (17000BTU) output that is plenty for heating a small truck camper, and comes in a couple configurations (tall or wide) to fit your storage space. It has a built-in LCD monitor, key-fob control, and phone app.
HCALORY Portable Diesel Heater
The HCALORY is another inexpensive portable diesel heater with a 5kw (17000btu) output, built-in LCD monitor, and bluetooth app control/monitor. The fuel tank is exterior mounted and it shares the briefcase design of many other diy portable diesel heaters (which frankly aren’t worth the investment of time/money).
Permanent-Install Diesel Heaters for Truck Camping
While there are cheaper Chinese diesel heaters* that you can use for permanent installation in your truck camper, if you’re going through the work of a permanent install, we recommend using one of these higher-end models that will have a longer service life and better customer support. We recommend going with a model from either Webasto or Eberspacher - both are German-based automotive heater manufacturers with decades of experience and solid reputations.
Webasto Air Top 2000 STC 2kW Diesel Heater
The Webasto Air Top 2000 STC Diesel Heater has an adjustable 3100-7000BTU output and comes with everything needed for installation in your small truck camper.
Eberspacher Airtronic D2 2.2kW Diesel Heater
The Eberspacher Airtonic D2 has a 7500 BTU output, with automatic altitude adjustment and a 7 day programmable timer. It includes an exhaust silencer and everything that’s needed for a professional installation in your truck camper.
Petrol | Gasoline Heaters for Truck Camping
Gasoline (or Petrol) camping heaters operate very similarly to diesel heaters, and can be a great solution for heating a truck camper if your vehicle’s fueled by gasoline, especially for long term overland travel. However, due to the more combustive nature of gasoline there are no portable units available and any permanent installation should be done by a professional.
Pros
Dry Heat - like diesel heaters, the combustion and exhaust happens on, or is plumbed to, the exterior of your truck camper, so condensation build-up is not an issue
Fuel Availability - gasoline is one of the most readily available fuels in the world, and a gasoline/petrol heater can even be professionally plumbed into your truck’s fuel tank so you don’t have to carry any additional fuel tanks. Gasoline heaters are relatively fuel efficient, consuming approximately 0.5 gallons of fuel per 8hrs of runtime.
Cons
More Maintenance - because of the combustion process, there is a more frequent need for cleaning gasoline heaters
Not as widely used, so DIY maintenance and adjustment advice is not as readily available and will likely need to be handled by the manufacturer or installer
Power consumption - gasoline/petrol heaters draw an average of 1-2 amps/hr (12-24watts), so you’ll need a sufficient 12v camping power supply to operate your heater at length
Best Gasoline Heaters for Truck Camping
There are really only two models of gasoline heaters that we can recommend for permanent installation in your truck camper. They’re made by the same reputable German-based companies as the permanent install diesel heaters - Eberspacher and Webasto.
Eberspacher Airtronic B2L 2kW Heater Kit
The Eberspacher Airtonic B2L 2kW Heater has a 6824 BTU output and includes everything needed for professional installation.
Webasto Air Top 2000 STC 2kW Petrol Heater Kit
The Webasto Air Top 2000 STC has an adjustable output of 3100-7000 BTU and this kit includes extra exhaust pipe and a muffler silencer to ensure easy and quiet installation. This was originally the heater we had planned to have plumbed into our Tacoma’s fuel tank and installed in the Tune M1 camper.
Propane Heaters for Truck Camping
Catalytic propane heaters can be a simple and efficient way to heat your truck camper and stay toasty while cold weather camping. Plus, unlike diesel or gasoline heaters, or the propane forced air furnaces found in some RVs and larger truck campers, catalytic propane heaters don’t require 12v power to operate and are generally more fuel efficient.
Pros
Fuel Efficient - depending on the model and output, these heaters can sip propane
Fuel Availability - both refillable and disposable propane tanks are readily available at most box stores and gas stations
Most do not require a 12v power source.
Low/No Maintenance Required
Budget-friendly
Cons
Produce Condensation - when propane is burned it creates moisture which can lead to condensation build up if adequate ventilation isn’t provided
There are exceptions to this - the Propex HS2000 and Truma VarioHeat forced air heaters offer a dry heat and similar functionality to diesel or gasoline heaters by keeping the intake and exhaust sources on the outside of the camper. But they also requires a 12v power source, permanent installation, and have a slightly higher propane consumption and price tag than the catalytic propane heaters we recommend below.
Can Emit Carbon Monoxide - you must adhere to the manufacturer’s ventilation requirements and you should ALWAYS have a carbon monoxide detector installed in any space being heated with a propane heater
Must be Kept Dust Free - catalytic propane heaters must be kept covered and dust-free, because if the catalytic mat is exposed to too much dust it will stop functioning properly
**A note about Butane Heaters for truck camping: While Butane is chemically similar to Propane as a member of the LPG family, it does not perform as well or as efficiently as Propane in sub freezing temperatures. So while we like the form-factor of truck camping heaters like the Kovea Cupid Butane Gas Heater*, we feel the decreased performance and waste created using of the disposable Butane canister fuel system makes them hard to recommend over other options on the market
Best Propane Heaters for Truck Camping
There are several propane heaters on the market to choose from. We have personally used each of these budget-friendly propane heaters at various points in our family truck camping adventures. Their lack of power consumption, budget-friendly price point, and fuel efficiency make them a great choice for truck camping in cold weather.
Mr. Heater Little Buddy Heater
The Mr. Heater Little Buddy Heater is budget-friendly, compact, easily portable, and its 3800BTU heat output is adequate for the average small to mid-size truck camper. However, the Little Buddy Heater is not a true catalytic heater, and it uses disposable propane canisters and cannot easily be adapted to run off refillable tanks. The Little Buddy heater includes a tip over safety sensor and a low-oxygen shut off sensor - this can make the heater not function well at higher elevations (greater than 7000ft).
Mr. Heater Buddy Heater
The Mr. Heater Buddy Heater, with its 4000-9000BTU output, is better suited for heating larger truck campers. It can be run on either disposable 1lb propane tanks or be adapted to run off standard refillable propane tanks using their adapter hose*. The Buddy Heater is not a true catalytic heater, so be especially sure that you have adequate ventilation as per the manufacturer’s requirements. This model also includes a tip over safety sensor and a low-oxygen shut off sensor (which can make the heater not function well at higher elevations above 7000ft).
Camco Olympian Wave 3 Catalytic Propane Safety Heater
The Olympian Wave 3 Propane Heater* is our favorite propane heater for truck camping because its output is adjustable between 1600 and 3000 BTUs, which we’ve found to be the perfect output for a small to mid-size truck camper. The Wave 3 does not include low-oxygen shut off sensors so it does function at higher altitudes, but keep in mind the safety trade-off and ensure yours is properly installed. If you’re looking to heat a larger camper and have the clearance room to mount it safely, the Olympian Wave 6* - with an adjustable 3200 - 6000 BTU output, is a great option too. Unlike the Mr. Buddy options that use a ceramic element to produce radiant heat, the Olympian Wave series use a catalytic mat and are true catalytic heaters.
We hope this guide to truck camping heaters helps you find the right heater solution for your next cold weather truck camping trip!
For more helpful truck camping, overlanding, and family travel tips and guides be sure to SUBSCRIBE to our bi-monthly blog updates.