5 Ways to Heat your Van Without a Diesel Heater
5 Ways to Heat your Van Without a Diesel Heater
I see a lot of people insist that you need to have a diesel heater in your van. While diesel heaters are great, there are other ways to heat the van that are much easier and less involved. In this video I show you 5 ways I heat my 2018 NV 200 Camper Van.
Amazon Affiliate Links for some of the products covered in this video:
12V Heated Blanket: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006A1PGDE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=scottpdx-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B006A1PGDE&linkId=aa6ab08064af6a7ce02e3efc68fd6391
Camping Mini Heater (Stove Top):
Iwatani Butane Stove
CO Detector
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004Y6V6K4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=scottpdx-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B004Y6V6K4&linkId=2e7e8c48508a80fd45cb39f9ba3f0bbe
That little heater would make a great toaster.
How many watts does the blanket draw?
What about friction heaters? I think you can get one of those from the dumpster or Tinder for cheap.
Please be very careful when burning a Carbon-based fuel in a confined space. You do not get perfect combustion from the heater! You get H2O Vapour ,
NEXT, and CO ( Carbon Monoxide ) . Carbon Monoxide is slightly lighter than air, and as it coming from a heat source it will rise. It like this gentleman’s
CO Detector is located properly. For general information – Propane is heavier than air so it sinks , Natural Gas is lighter than air so it rises.
Please play safe !
I’ve seen that can heater on Amazon and Walmart and, was thinking about getting one to use. I like it because it works with any stove. You can also buy a clay flowerpot and, turn it upside down and use it as a heater. I like the little Cadet heater because it doesn’t take up that much space. Getting a electric blanket is a great idea too.
Great tips on keeping warm. Can’t find anything about that Broan heater though. Don’t see it on their website. 🙁
I love your video, very helpful! I am looking what’s kind of heat I may have in my Nissan Murano. Your video really help me! Thanks
My parents were both from the depression era: put on another sweater.
Intéressant
Where did you buy Broan electric heater? I could not find one!
All the butane heaters will produce CO, CO2, H2O in your van and it drains your O2, feels unsafe with using them. heating blanket is great.
Just run the engine and route the exhaust into the car. Boom, free heat!
I’m kidding. *Please don’t do that.*
Advantage with Butane over propane… Butane is lighter than air and will dissipate, propane is denser than air and will collect on the low areas and can be a fire danger in enclosed spaces.
I can’t find this japan modle anywhere. Well, not the exact model
We use candles along with a Carbon Monoxide sensor. The heat from candles is dry, and has never set off the CO sensor. The main drawbacks are candle light and some soot residue on the glass inside the van. We have slept at 17 degrees F, with the glass covered with reflectix and been able to stay adequately warm with just a few wicks burning. Chevy express passenger van, glass windows all around.
Very interesting 👍. I have spent two winters in Alberta and three in Vancouver living full time in a Dodge Caravan. I’ve never modified anything and only used warm clothes, sleeping bags, foam pad and the heat from the engine. I just stay in the sleeping bag and use auto start to warm up the engine. I’m usually driving to work so I have to warm up the engine to de ice the windows anyway. In the depths of the Albertan winter I tended to surf the internet in malls and coffee shops for a heated place to hang out. So thanks, I’m always looking for new tips.
I find the humidity makes a big difference the prairies are so dry and PNW is so damp. The dampness makes cold winters just as uncomfortable as much colder drier places. In PNW my tip for staying warm is investing in good quality moisture wicking underlayers such as merino. I simply find it is so much easier to insulate myself than heat the van.
But I do like your idea for the small butane heater I think it could be used to dry out the van as damp does become a problem. Butane does give off moisture but heat convection should take it out of cracked windows.
Thanks for your tips keep it up👍
I run a 5kw diesel heater in my caravan, bought of E-bay and is basically the same as the webasto but cheaper. If you have a non-vented flame as a heater you need proper ventilation, so many people die in vans without proper safe heating.
Auto start with 15 auto shut off for heat and cool.
Is there any issue with rising heat with the little butane heater? I hadnt see those before and for weekend trips etc I’m now thinking that might be an easier option, but is there a minimum height above it that has to be clear to avoid burning the roof? Thanks
propane produces more heat than butane does. Also, refillable propane is way way cheaper than butane.
They make gasoline heaters that pull fuel directly from your gas tank to run they work the same as the diesel heaters, but they use gasoline and if you use a gasoline, diesel heater or buddy propane one you really should have a window cracked or your vent open to keep fresh air coming in
please link for little propane heater🙏🙏
What a great video Scott. I love the compact size of these gadgets. I just bought an Astrovan which is small enough to really benefit from these ideas. How did you know I’m in the Northeast?
Diesel heaters are easy to fit and cheap if using Chinese. Diesel heater is my preferred choice. I fitted my heater in an NV200 under my passenger seat.
Thanks so much for this, Scott! I am outfitting a minivan for weekend camping, and these look like great options. (Also from PDX).
Thanks for sharing. Good review.
A tip I do on cold nights…I have a bowl of soup or ramen noodles…it heats me up and I crawl into my 20 degree bag….good luck
I boil water on my stove to heat my minivan camper. Moist air is more comfortable plus I’ll also have hot water for sponge bathing or coffee, tea, or soup which will make me even warmer when I drink them.
Hello from Germany 🤗
Very informative video, though I miss a link to the Kovea Cupid Heater 😉
I‘m using a simple gas cooker or my „Trekki“ foldable gas grill with a firebrick on top. It gives off a cosy wormth and in the morning I bake my buns / croissants on it.
Heaters are for wimps. I simply layer with more clothes, and keep all windows slightly open to maintain fresh air flow.
Olympian heater is the best, comes in different sizes too.
How did you get a swiveling front seat on an NV 200? All of the conversion companies I’ve researched claim this can’t be done.
I never want a diesel tank inside the vehicle, heated blanket & stove to start water heating for coffee for me
Condensation???????
how can i find company for heater
Good video. The cupid heater looks like a great idea. I am disappointed not to see the Uco candelier. Just bought one with some beeswax candles. Very pricey, but then butane is not cheap either. Beeswax purifies air, releases negative ions? I like the thought of heating tea water or a can of soup on top, too. Shipped within a few days on Amazon prime. Not planning to use all night, more to heat up before bed and upon arising. Anyone else use this?
The can is just a waste of money. Why you ask? Because it adds nothing to the heating value. All you are doing is heating the can with the fire which is already heating the air. The can merely stands in the way of the heat going upward. The can does not burn nor even contain enough mass to collect heat and release is slowly. The air in the van will heat and then further heat other items inside the van including the van body regardless of there being a can with holes there or not. A better investment would have been to buy $30 of extra fuel to run the stove as that would actually give you more heat.
❤ awesome information!! Thank You for sharing!!
Some good ideas here. We’re thinking about camping out of our old Town and Country and were just gonna bring along our blue Dyson air tower thing, but duh, we have electric blankets and never use them at home anymore so I missed that idea until you reminded me it’s there. Thanks!
There’s of course a couple more options not mentioned. Why use a diesel heater when you can use a gasoline heater? Webasto makes the same heater for both types of fuel – of course, a original Webasto costs at least 5 times as much as a chinese knockoff. Plus there’s propane furnaces like a propex van heater. The US distributor is in WA state. Again something in the $1k range. Still both those options get rid of the stinky extra diesel tank and give you a nice ducted heating experience with a thermostat.
My little teardrop trailer has a Propex installed. Works nicely and heats the little space to 90s in just minutes, plus it sips so little propane that a 20lb cylinder is going to last you weeks. I would never use a propane heater inside – it’s just too much moisture introduced into the small space. A ducted heater, though more expensive, is the way to go in my book. Ever since I installed the propex in my trailer it’s just "turn the button to 68, turn around and sleep". Worth every penny.
Just an FYI: I saw a video of this one lady that installed her diesel heater under the hood with her engine. She said she always got a kick out of fill up time because she would play dumb and ask a nearby onlooker if she was filling her engine right! LoL
Hi thanks for the tutorial. How long could you run the Kadet heater before you pass out ? Would the carbon monoxide alarm go off way before that ? So just run it til you hear the alarm ? Thanks
I have a promaster van. Electric heater will raise the temp 20 degrees and I have no insulation at all. I have slept as low as 22° with no heat. Two big comforters kept me warm.
Love Electric Blankets and Heating Pads.
…. Thx for the info 🙋☕🎚️🇺🇸 …. ‘been lookin’ for a fan with a windup/spring loaded power source ….. found one in a laundromat, a bathroom exhaust fan …, could be set for an hour …. ‘was thinkin’ of much longer set options….do you know of a fan like this? …. ‘twould be a mighty blessing! ✨
Careful near open flame when you’re farting around in a small space.
Small space like that a candle or two would probably do wonders. Though you’d want to make sure there’s no chance of them falling over / wax mess like putting them in a sink.
(before you all get scared of fire, remember the butane options are all fire sources too).
Anything with a flame….consumes oxygen. Remember that no YouTuber is going to come to your rescue or comfort your family if it goes wrong. Choose carefully. Due to excessive moisture, carbon Dioxide risks and not wanting to have to leave windows open on cold nights, I went with diesel heaters and dumped the rest. For me it was a great choice.
Most of those systems are going to use the oxygen you need to breath yourself and fill the van with carbon monoxide with the gas burner ones so quite a dangerous risk. The best thing is just fit a proper Truma heater or the diesel type and then you are safe. The ventilation required with burning fuel in the actual vehicle makes it impractical. sorry to go on but I’ve been there and it’s a real risk and not worth it.
Thank You.