In short, there are two three common options when it comes to providing heat for a camper van. Diesel, Gas & Electric. All 3 have their pros and cons, and here we explore them to help you understand what might be best for you.
Diesel Heaters
These are also heavily used in lorries with overnight accommodation. There are two real options with these, cheaper options that feed off the main fuel tank and dearer ones with a built in fuel tank.
Personally, I’m not a fan of the cheaper ones (typically less than £80). These rely off a feed from the main fuel tank, in long wheel base vans, this means a long run of thin plastic piping, which in my experience is not especially reliable.
The big challenge with the long pipe run is the fuel pump they are supplied with. This has a tendency to not be the strongest, and can therefore prove to be a problem. Challenges with the fuel pump and pipe run lead to extended priming times, and potentially a lot of smoke on start up. Also, if you are parked on an downhill gradient the pump can really struggle trying to push enough fuel up hill.
Given the challenges of the cheaper option, my preferred solution, and what is fitted in my own van, is a diesel heater with an integrated fuel tank. Obviously as there is more to this, the unit costs more to buy (typically around £120). This solution eliminates the issues of the lengthy pipe run and the operational challenges that brings. Also, install is much quicker and typically can be done in under an hour. This includes feeding the exhaust through the floor of the van to the outside.
A diesel heater will normally consume 1-2 litres of diesel per night depending how cold it is. This means they have relatively low running costs.
The big drawback to diesel heaters with their own built in tank is the need to keep them filled up from a fuel can. Typically I’ll get three days use from mine as it has a 5 litre tank.
Gas Heaters
I’ll be honest now, I don’t have masses of experience with these personally. Normally this is what you will find installed in a coachbuilt motorhome.
These would be seen as safer typically than a disel heater in terms of emissions getting into the cabin while sleeping. However, they do present a greater fire risk due to the combustable nature of the fuel source. But then for the sake of balance we should note that there are safety risks associated with all three options.
In terms of cost of ownership, these are great for the long term view. A gas heater has a lower cost of running per night. Though, this is offset by an increased up front cost for purchase and installation.
Electric Heaters
Electric heaters are the go to for anyone who stay pretty much exclusively on sites with electric hook up (EHU)
By far the cheapest solution to run per night, these also have a relatively low up front cost too. Fan heaters starting from around £15 and oil filled radiators starting from around £35.
The problem with these, is when you go camping ‘off grid’. Whilst electricity is cheap in comparison to other heat sources, if you have to rely on a leisure battery then this is not the solution for you.
Everything you read about battery life not being as good when cold is true. I have vivid memories of a cold night parked up in Great Yarmouth. Within two hours I had drained half of the battery on board, and the fan quite frankly was still cold. Given Bertha has a 2000wh battery that gives you a clue just how hard and fast the electric heater drank electricity.
If you are the sort of camper however, who likes a serviced site with EHU, then electric is the solution to go for. It’s cheap to acquire & install, takes up less space than a gas set set up. And also, cheap to run.
Anything else?
Whilst these are the three main routes to heat used in motorhomes, I’m sure there are others. If you have a niche solution that I’ve not mentioned and considered, drop us a message. We’d love to hear from you.