Best Heater for Car Camping in 2022

The Best Heater for Car Camping is quite practical as they do not have to be as powerful as vans and RVs. Camping is a tradition just like any other, but that does not mean you have to give up all of your comforts or put up with the weather just to participate.

This exhaustive list of the best car-camping heaters covers every point for a guided purchase, ensuring that you will remain warm, secure, and comfortable with the heater that you select from this collection.

Now, What’s A Car Heater?

Car heaters can either be the kind that functions on their own once they are plugged into an external power supply or the kind that work in conjunction with the vehicle’s primary heater to boost the flow of warm air throughout the cabin.

Car heaters can get their power from either the cigarette lighter in the vehicle or the main battery in the vehicle itself. In cars, the cigarette lighters have a potential of 12 volts, and the circuit breakers of the car fuse at 10-15 amps.

Therefore, the most power that the heaters are capable of drawing is equal to 180 watts (voltage times amperage equals wattage). A short circuit or even an electrical fire could be avoided if you familiarise yourself with these specifications before purchasing and using a car heater.

From the above lines of knowledge, one thing is certain the power output of car heaters isn’t that much and is generally for personal/spot heating, and won’t satisfy much if you expect it to warm an entire cabin. In addition to this, it is helpful to be aware of the initial power surge that your heater produces.

Electrical equipment runs at a constant V (potential) but when they are started/switched on, they might take up a little more V. Knowing this initial power surge would help to know whether or not you are under safe limits.

Some heaters require AC power but cars only produce DC voltage. For this, you might need a car power inverter.

Buyer’s Guide – Best Car Camping Heaters

Heater Type:

Modern electric heaters are an option as well as those powered by more traditional fuels. Considering that we’re discussing heaters for camping, this tutorial will centre on electric heaters.

The warmers are designed exclusively for use in automobiles, and they connect to the vehicle’s primary battery via a plug-in connector.

Convection, radiation, and fan-powered electric heaters are all available. Radiation and fan-powered heaters are used for spot heating, whereas convection heaters are used to heat the entire space. A heating element is placed in front of an internal fan that blows air across the heating element.

Heating Capacity:

The amount of heat produced by combustion heaters is measured in British Thermal Units (BTU), while the amount of heat produced by electric heaters is measured in watts.

It is beneficial to have an understanding of the wattage of the circuit breaker or fuse box. You will need 10 watts of heat energy to adequately heat each square foot of space that you have. Therefore, a personal heater with 300 watts might heat an area that is 30 square feet.

It goes without saying that this should not be used as the primary source of heat; rather, it should be used to supplement the primary heater in the vehicle.

Size & Weight:

All car camping heaters discussed here aren’t that big in size to call problematic but it still helps to maintain size and weight a mind when picking a car camping heater because large heaters usually put out more heat and thus also consume too much electricity.

When you are camping, you might want to conserve every bit of energy, especially your car’s battery.

Durability:

Even if you are only going to be camping for a day or two, you should still think about making an investment in long-lasting heaters, particularly ones that have a ceramic interior, exterior, or both, as well as a sturdy stand and handle.

The inexpensive ones are appealing, but they could let you down on your highly awaited camping excursion.

Noise Level:

Electric heaters have a reputation for being somewhat noisy. When dust builds up on the interior or on the fan, it is possible for the volume to increase even further. If the firm asks you to check the decibel level before you buy something from them, you should do so.

5 Best Car Camping Heaters

• Caframo Limited True North Space heater
• Zerostart Interior Car Warmer
• RoadPro 12V Direct Hook-Up Ceramic Heater
• Back Seat Heat Plus
• ROYADVE 12V Portable Car Heater

So let’s start to learn about more it in detail…

Caframo Limited True North Space heater

In terms of power, the Caframo Limited True North Space heater is a portable car camping heater that delivers 1500 watts. As a result of its robust steel construction and simplistic design, we found the body to be extremely durable.

In order to prevent the heater from overheating, the dual heat protection system uses either dissipation or absorption. The fan pushes the air outside, allowing the heat to spread more quickly, more evenly, and farther.

The heater’s noise level was significantly lower than that of most other forced-air heaters we’ve used. It’s portable and easy to use because to its small size and simple operation. Because of the system’s adjustability and adaptability, circuit breakers aren’t required as often.

The 5-year warranty card that comes with this product shows the company’s faith and confidence in the goods it makes, and this is precisely what we observe.

Inevitably, it consumes more electricity than it should. We were able to avoid this problem by shutting down other high-energy appliances when we were using this heater. It’s no secret that the Caframo Limited True North Space heater is the best-rated product on Amazon because of this.

Zerostart Interior Car Warmer

Winter car camping can be done with the Zerostart Interior Car Warmer, a 900 Watt car heater. The system’s mounting bracket allowed it to be installed either on the dashboard or elsewhere, making it convenient to use.

 The truth is, not everybody has the kind of money that would allow them to buy a flashlight that costs a substantial amount. Sometimes, we just need a good option under $50 

After a 15-minute cooling down time, the device will reboot. A permanent high-temperature cut-off sensor turns the gadget down permanently when the temperature hits 286° F (141° C). After then, the heater will be out of commission. We were able to utilize the heater with complete confidence because of this.

Heater efficiency is enhanced by its 900-watt power and ability to warm the room effectively. The Zerostart Interior Car Warmer, the safest car camping warmer, lacks a thermostat, but this can be overlooked to get your hands on the heater.

RoadPro 12V Direct Hook-Up Ceramic Heater

You may use the RoadPro 12V Direct Hookup Ceramic Heater to heat up your campervan with a power of 300 watts, which is a lot of power for its size. Because of the ceramic construction, the body was both strong and light. The dress’s portability is aided by its small size and low weight.

With a simple flick of a button, it could be converted from a hot to a chilly setting. You may adjust fan speed, rotating stand and extend cable length with these features. The extensive cords allow the heater to be positioned virtually anywhere in the cabin.

Easy to set up and use were also noted. A direct connection to the vehicle’s main battery would be possible. To heat a large area, this heater’s 300 watts and 12V DC operation make it less than ideal, but it excels in smaller settings.

However, given the amount of power it consumes, it doesn’t appear to be a limitation. The RoadPro 12V Direct Hook-Up Ceramic Heater is the most adaptable heater for car camping. It is available from the company.

Back Seat Heat Plus

300-watt Back Seat Heat Plus campervan heater on a 12V power supply is included. The ceramic construction of the outer housing made it durable while also keeping it cool to the touch. We could adjust the temperature and the fan speed using the thermostat.

As a replacement for the vehicle’s stock heater, this unit is not intended to run on its own. It must be connected to the vehicle’s main battery via a 12-volt connector. Temperature sensors built into the device automatically turn the device off when it reaches a certain threshold, and then turn it back on when it cools down.

We found the system to be simple to set up because it could be mounted anywhere and only relies on existing equipment.  A hairdryer consumes a lot more electricity, but this device uses a lot less, and it produces a lot less heat. Get the Back Seat Heat Plus, the most energy-efficient car camping heater on this list.

ROYADVE 12V Portable Car Heater

Portable car camping heaters, such as the ROYADVE 12V Portable Car Heater, typically use 150 watts of power. Compared to other heaters on this list, we found the system to be the quietest. Due to the heater’s small size and low power consumption, it was extremely energy-efficient.

The system was easy to transport and carry along with you. The device’s heat and cool settings, which could be altered with the flip of a switch, allowed us to use it all year round. Faster healing and cooling might be achieved because of the three-outlet arrangement.

 Prior to starting the engine, we used the system to defrost the windows and warm up the engine to avoid hypothermia-related engine abrasion, The cigarette lighter socket could be used to power this device. 

The low air volume production in comparison to the other heaters on this list was one drawback. This limitation might be overlooked because of the heating system’s low energy usage and rapidity. Take advantage of the most energy-efficient car camping heater, the ROYADVE 12V Portable Car Heater.