Well, it’s getting to be that time of year again… you know, the cold time. But just because it is cold, doesn’t mean you have to suffer. There are many ways to heat up your campervan or RV and one of the most popular options are these chinese diesel heaters everyone keeps talking about.
What is the deal with these diesel heaters and are they a good fit for your camper van?
It’s no suprise that having a heat source of some kind is essential for van life if you plan on being anywhere that has even a semblence of a winter. There are typically propane, diesel, and electric heat source options.
We recently updated this article for the 2021-2022 winter and we’ll focus on diesel heaters, but touch on other heater options as well. In this most recent update, we’ve added the following to this article:
- Updated the 6 best chinese diesel heaters to make sure they truly reflect what we believe to be the best available.
- Included the two most popular chinese diesel heaters according to what people like you are purchasing.
- Added our thoughts on the Propex HeatSource2000 after two cold winters using it.
We hope you find this article beneficial.
Let’s start with simply explaining what Chinese diesel heaters are and why they started to become so dang popular. Winter is coming, after all…
A Brief History of Diesel Heaters
Diesel heaters have been around for quite a while and are a popular choice of a heat source in marine, RV, camper van, and workshop communities. Traditionally, these heaters were only produced by a handful of European companies (mostly German) and sold at only select dealers, at a fairly high premium.
These diesel heaters were (and still are) a popular choice in van life, but it was common for these heaters to sell for over $1,000. Regardless of their price, they still remained very prevelant… mainly because they were the only diesel heater options.
Chinese Diesel Heaters, Where Did They Come From?
In recent years, however, Chinese companies began to produce their own, significantly cheaper, versions of these diesel heaters. At first, these heaters were known to have significant issues in regards to breaking, missing and mislabeled parts. They also took a long time to ship and arrive in the Western world.
Although they still might not be perfect, these Chinese diesel heaters have come a long way and gained a massive amount of support in the camper van communities. They often prove to be comparable on nearly every level as their European counterparts, and for a fraction of the cost. These suckers go for about $125-$175, have far faster shipping times through Amazon, and, even though the customer support might be lacking, they have a bustling grassroots community of people prepared to assist you with any repairs or maintenance.
Did you know?
You don’t have to have a diesel vehicle to run a diesel heater? They often come with their own mini gas-tank.
Now, these Chinese diesel heaters might not be for everyone. In fact, I didn’t even go with one for my van build (more on what I did go with, and why I wish I hadn’t, at the end). If you think these heaters might be for you, we picked 5 reliable choices for our best Chinese diesel heaters.
The Best Chinese Diesel Heaters
3KW Happybuy Diesel Heater
Heater power: 3KW
Fuel consumption: 0.1-0.35(1/H)
Motor weight: 4.5kg/9.9LBS
Happybuy is a popular branding for these Chinese diesel heaters. This heater comes in at 3,000 watts instead of the typical 5,000 or 8,000 watts for roughly the same price. The benefit of this is obviously the lower electrical power draw and fuel consumption. 3KW should be perfectly suited to a small place like a camper van.
8KW Wayska Diesel Heater
Heater power: 8KW
Fuel consumption: 0.2-0.5
Motor weight: 7.8kg/17.4LBS
If you’re looking for a very powerful diesel heater, this Wayska is a 8,000 watt model. Obviously, this will consume more power but it will also (in theory) heat faster than the other models and are great for bigger RV’s and workshops. This particular diesel heater has very good ratings AND is part of Amazon Prime for quick delivery. This one also has a 15L tank, where the others on our list have 10L.
*** There has been reports that some of the 8KW heaters are simply 5KW models that have been adjusted to pump out a bit more heat.
5KW 12v Diesel Heater WITH SILENCER
Heater power: 5KW
Fuel consumption: 0.64
Motor weight: 8.1kg/18LBS
It’s no secret that diesel heaters (or many heaters for that matter) can be extremely noisy. There are a lot of aftermarket “silencers” available to help quiet them down, so why not get a model that already comes with one like this 5kw option.
5KW maXpeedingrods 12v Diesel Air Heater
Heater power: 5KW
Fuel consumption: unknown
Motor weight: 7.53kg/16.6LBS
This one, as far as we can find, is the highest rated diesel heater on Amazon. 4.5 stars with over 1200 ratings. That alone earns it a place on our list, but really… who is coming up with these branding names? maXpeedingrods. What does that even mean?
The following two heaters are by and far the most popular models according to the analytics of what people are buying through our affiliate links.
5KW Happybuy Diesel Heater
Heater power: 5KW
Fuel consumption: 0.11-0.51(1/H)
Motor weight: 4.5kg/9.9LBS
Happybuy is a popular branding of these diesel heaters and comes with very good reviews overall. The set-up should be simple enough (video below on installation) and the shipping is estimated around 1 week. At around $150, this is an affordable option. 5kw might be a bit on the more powerful side when it comes to heating a van, however.
2KW Superfastracing Diesel Heater
Heater power: 2KW
Fuel consumption: N/A
Motor weight: 7kg/15.6lbs
Want something with even LESS power draw and fuel consumption? This 2KW model is for you. A bonus is that it is available through Amazon Prime so that shipping will be much quicker. If you want or need something quick this chinese diesel heater is for you. Bonus points for the name of the brand. Superfastracing…
Troubleshooting and Common Problems With Chinese Diesel Heaters
Now, there are some issues with these chinese diesel heaters. Will touch on each of these problems below.
- Broken or mislabled parts
- Noise
- Tuning and adjusting for high altitude
Broken or mislabled parts on Chinese diesel heaters
One of the most common complaints is broken or mislabled parts. Also, sometimes the directions that come with the heaters are poorly written and hard to follow. Add to that the fact that if you do have any broken or faulty parts it is not likely that you can just find easy replacements or send it in for a quick repair. You might think “why would I get a Chinese diesel heater in the first place?”
Well, luckily these heaters are still a very good option as a heat source for your van, RV, or work-shop. The particular issues and problems with broken or mislabled parts are becoming less common as these heaters become MORE common. Plus, since you can buy like 8 of these for the price of just one of the expensive European models, it almost becomes a no-brainer.
Now, I won’t claim to be an expert at fixing or repairing these Chinese diesel heaters, but as the folks over at RVdaily.com stated,
“there is a huge online community of owners who have posted lots of supporting material on the internet, including a vast number of YouTube videos detailing the installation process as well as troubleshooting problems”
“The Chinese Diesel Air Heater – Troubleshooting and Parts Sales Facebook group is by far the most popular with over 25,000 (now 45k) members across the world. They have developed an extensive array of documents in their files section that anyone installing one of these heaters will find extremely useful when researching what heaters to buy and how to get them working successfully.”
This online Facebook group that they mentioned is AMAZING. These people are dedicated to fixing, repairing, and troubleshooting the massive variety of Chinese diesel heaters.
Noise With Diesel Heaters
It’s no secret that diesel heaters can be noisy. In fact, propane heaters can be noisy too.
If you end up getting one of the “name-brand” European models of heaters located later in this post, you can often find a specifically made muffler or silencer for them. However, if you go the Chinese diesel heater route that might not be the case.
Luckily, there are aftermarket mufflers found easily enough. Or you can always get one that already comes with a muffler/silencer.
Tuning and Adjusting for High Altitude
If you plan on spending any time up in the mountains or, say, Colorado… you will need to adjust your Chinese diesel heater for high altitude.
There are a ton of videos and online resources that show you how to do this. Check out the video located in the next section about installing a Chinese diesel heater because it also goes into detail about how to tune them.
There are a lot more of them out there, but we feel like the one’s we listed are the best Chinese diesel heaters available and are pretty confident that if you go with one of the 5 listed above, you shouldn’t have any issues with missing or mislabeled parts.
Installing Your Chinese Diesel Heater
***Check to make sure your diesel heaters can be tuned for high altitude or are compatible with high altitude kits.
Installation for a chinese diesel heater might be slightly different depending on model, but should all follow a pretty similar plan.
They all should have a plastic fuel container, an exhaust tube, and intake and output vents. Also, they should come with all the parts that you need to wire them and some have electronic digital displays. Some might need a high-altitude adaptor if you are going to be in, well… high-altitude, so check the specs on that.
This video goes over installation and tuning your chinese diesel heater for high-altitude:
Other Diesel Heaters For Van Life
Now, all that being said, there are other diesel heater options for your van, RV, boar, or workshop. We hinted at them up above, but they are the Webasto and Eberspacher. These are the big names in the diesel heating world.
Both companies have been around for a while, both are German made, and both are considered reliable options for heating your camper van.
Just like their Chinese counterparts, they arn’t perfect. At least they are made by established companies where you will find some sembelance of customer support.
As mentioned above, these heaters are expensive to buy and expensive to repair and can usually only be found at certified licensed dealers.
Other Diesel Heaters For Your Van
Not into the chinese diesel heaters? Check out these models that started the whole craze, the European Diesel Heaters.
Webasto 2KW-4KW
Heater power: 2-4KW
Fuel consumption: 0.12 – 0.24 liters per hour
Motor weight: 2.74kg/6.04lbs
This is a very popular european 12v diesel heater. It’s a very reputable brand but can be difficult to find in the states. Only certified dealers sell them. If you’re in Europe you shouldn’t have any issue. Otherwise, check with van builders or semi truck suppliers. An extra bonus, they have a 2 year warranty. The downside; it’s expensive.
0.85KW - 2.2KW Eberspacher Esbar Airtronic 12v Diesel Heater
Heater power: 0.85-2.2KW
Fuel consumption: N/A
Motor weight: 6.7kg/14.72lbs
Wow. This one is the most expensive heater on the list but it comes with the works. It’s self regulating, comes with a remote, has a digital display. Also, it has a remarkably low power draw compared to even some of the Chinese diesel heaters. You can get the optional high-altitude kit with this one.
Best Propane Heater
Okay, so what if you don’t want a diesel heater? Maybe you want to get a propane heater like the Propex HS2000? There’s nothing wrong with that.
Propane heaters are great and propane is cheap. Their main issue is the propane tank itself, and where to store it.
We wont go into super detail about propane heaters, because we think they deserve their own post, but these two are our favorites and what we view as the best propane heaters available.
Propex HS 2000 (HeatSource 2000)
The Propex HS2000 is a propane heating unit that is fairly simple to install. Propane burns “wet” but the nice thing about the heatsource 2000 is that it vents everything outside so you won’t have the condensation issues you might otherwise have with other heater options. This is definitely the best vented propane heater for your RV or van.
The one bad thing is that it can be hard to find one. They are often sold out online but can be found at local custom van suppliers.
Mr. Buddy Propane Heater (indoor safe model only)
Mr. Buddy heaters are very popular options. They now have an indoor safe model which, technically, should be safe to use in a van. We wouldn’t recommend any other version and still suggest opening a window if you are going to run one of these.
Also, since these don’t vent anything outside the van, the condensation of the wet burning propane might be a problem.
Pro’s are that it is cheap and easy to use (no installation required).
Now, I’ve had a Propex HeatSource2000 in my van over two very cold winters. I spent one winter in Colorado and one in Missouri. Normally, the heater worked great. On the coldest nights of the year, the Propex struggled a bit. For a couple days there the temperature got to -20 Fahrenheit and the heater struggled to keep the van in the 40’s! Part of that might be insulation, or wind blowing underneath the van, sucking out the heat. Part of it just might be because the Propex Heatsource isn’t the best. Find out more in my upcoming full review of the HeatSource2000.
Final, but important, thoughts...
Whatever you decide to go with, don’t forget a good Carbon Monoxide detector. You can get a nice battery powered one and stick it up in your sleeping area.
If you’re running any sort of propane in your van, it is also important to get a proper propane detector.
I ended up going with the Propex HS2000 for my van build. I love it, it’s a great heater. It keeps me warm and toasty. All that being said, it cost a small fortune. I could have gotten several of the diesel heaters listed in this article for the price of my propex, and not have to deal with having propane in my van!
However, hindsight is 20/20 and the show must go on!
A good heater is only as good as your insulation. Make sure you check out our article about van insulation,
A Comprehensive Guide To Van Insulation
What is the best way to go about your van insulation? Well… that is going to be an ever-ongoing debate within the vanlife community and