Warm Up Your RV with One of These Efficient Electric Heaters

In my search for the best electric heaters for RVs, I looked for compact devices that could warm up either area within a camper or the entire interior space, without sacrificing too much space or sucking up significant electric power. These portable heaters all run on electricity, but I considered details like power consumption, wattage, and efficiency in comparing them to one another. Additionally, I looked for heaters that worked quickly, offered multiple temperature control options and settings, and included important safety functions like tip-over protection, timers, and automatic shutoff. And I dove into users’ reviews to get a sense of which RV electric heaters performed best while out on the road and at campgrounds.

Built for portability and yet powerful enough to actually heat up your RV’s interior, the Black+Decker Personal Ceramic 1500W Heater is one of the best devices you can buy. It gets to work fast, and it’s ideal for countertop or RV bedroom use when temperatures drop. The Selanto Portable Electric Space Heater is also a solid choice, with great value for its price and speedy heating.

What makes a great electric heater for your RV? Keep these key details in mind as you shop, search for, and compare different options. They’re aspects that’ll help you find a heater that’s safe, easy to use, and energy-efficient for your camper’s needs. 

One of the most common kinds of RV heaters you’ll find is fan-forced electric heaters. This kind delivers heat by pushing air through an electric heating element, then using a fan to circulate that warmed-up air throughout your space. They work slowly, but their heat gradually builds and fills up your space. This kind of heater is great for longer-term heating or maintaining a warm temperature. However, they can take a while to heat larger, more open spaces. 

An infrared heater delivers heat quickly and pretty powerfully. These electric RV heaters emit infrared rays, radiating heat outwards into a space to add warmth. Instead of warming up the air within a room, they heat objects. You can feel the heat from one of these electric devices as soon as it’s powered up. However, because they heat objects and work so quickly, they need a bit more supervision and monitoring than fan-forced or convection heaters. 

Convection heaters are somewhat similar to fan-forced electric heaters. They work slowly to heat up rooms and spaces, gradually adding heat by warming the air. However, instead of using a fan to push and pull air, convection RV heaters use convection currents to get warmth flowing. This kind of heater is great for small spaces, like the bedroom of your RV, as they can fill compact rooms more quickly with warm air.

Automatic shutoff is a convenient and super handy feature in an RV heater. There are two kinds of automatic shutoff that are beneficial: auto shutoff when the heater heats your space to the desired temperature, and auto shutoff on a timer. Both are great for ensuring your camper doesn’t get too warm, but they’re also helpful at ensuring your heater doesn’t overheat dangerously. Having auto shutoff ensures you can easily keep the heat at just the right level, without worrying about the heat generated posing a problem.

Tip-over protection is a must-have for any small, RV-ready electric heater. Whether you’re running your heater while you’re asleep, enjoying the outdoors, or even hanging out in your camper, you never know what might happen. And if a heater gets tipped over, it poses a big risk, both in overheating, electrical and structural damage, and potential fire. So, with tip-over protection, your electric heater will shut off if it falls over or gets knocked down. That can be a preventative feature that provides crucial safety and peace of mind.

While pretty much every small electric heater features different levels of heat – often as simple as high and low setting choices – it’s possible to get even more customized heat. For the smartest and most convenient heater, you’ll want to opt for one that offers multiple temperature control settings so you can adjust as needed. Look for a heater that gives you low, medium, and high choices; if you want even more control over your warmth, you can find products that’ll actually let you set an exact temperature.

An electric heater for your RV is pretty reasonable in price. You can find budget-friendly picks for $50 or less, though these electric heaters will be very small and may not offer as many features (like customizable temperature settings or automatic shutoff with timer). Spend between $50 and $100, and you’ll find larger electric heaters that suit RVs as well as models with all of the latest, smartest features.

You’ve got questions. The Drive has answers.