Reddit mentions: The best rv water heaters

My first plan of action if I were you would be insulation, while it's still warm out. Being in an aluminum can will sap any heat you pour into it without decent insulation. And don't forget the floor.

That said, when it comes time to put a furnace in my 67 Avion (also an aluminum can) I'll be looking for a propane catalytic heater, something like this one

I was considering one of the diesel heaters you can find on eBay in various BTU capacities, like this one, until I watched this video where a guy tests one for heat output, carbon monoxide, etc. It passed the CO test just fine, but I don't think I could deal with that noise. I must admit though that the price is certainly attractive.

Olympian wave 3 heater. It's propane powered, safe and it's relatively cheap. It has great ratings on Amazon too! I'm think of getting it for my van.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BUV1RK/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_.iUKDbK8Y2ME6

I have this one in my Toyota Dolphin, super sippy on propane and doesn't emit fumes like a Mr. Buddy. I also have a carbon monoxide detector/fire alarm mounted and test it weekly. Yes I do vent through the roof vent and yes I do turn it off at night. From what I've heard I may be able to get a month's worth of use from a 5 gallon tank before I need to re-fuel, so much better than using the small tanks on the Mr. Buddy that run out after six hours of use on low heat.

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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BUV1RK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The other popular ones seem to be the Olympic waves. They're a good bit more expensive though.

Probably not, the only way to control humidity and condensation is going to be with really good ventilation. You would need to run fans to keep air circulating enough. It does start to negate the heat your creating by needing to ventilate so much. My Mr. Buddy does alright with my vent fan running but it's not a perfect setup. If your set on using propane with a heater that isn't vented to the outside consider the Wave heaters as they are catalytic and shouldn't produce moisture as much I believe. I'm sure someone can chime in about them relating to moisture.

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-57331-Olympian-Wave-3-Catalytic/dp/B000BUV1RK

Sure thing!

Grey Water: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Waste-Water-Tank-Kit-For-Ducato-Boxer-Relay-XLWB-X250-290-Campervan/282623292350

Water Heater: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019BWN8E2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We are going to be full-time so we are definitely doing some more luxury features than if we were building a weekender rig.

Convert LP Gas Water Heater to 120V Electric to Conserve Propane:

https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Hot-Water-Hybrid-Heat/dp/B0024ECCJW

Best upgrade I ever did to my old TT.

For mattress ventilation go here:. https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?id=1818021

It's a mesh pad that separates your mattress from the platform.
Trade name Hypervent. MUCH cheaper than I had thought. Wish I'd read that better, would have ordered sooner. I'm flat broke now.

Falcon holding tank heater pads here. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MT9EUG9/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_2?smid=A16G53YHOQFM2H&psc=1

Yeah I was looking at this one

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019BWN8E2/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1W9T1VHESHHDF&coliid=I3PZ7KHTTQMH7E

It gets mediocre reviews though. Has a gas valve that needs a whack quite often it seems.

Check out the picture of an Olympian heater - just the lower portion glowing.

I don't have an authoritative answer but I could imagine the fuel flowing in from the bottom and being catalyzed as it goes upward. At some point it would all be used up and stop generating as much heat. You wouldn't want unburned fuel making it all the way out the top.

Was it on the highest setting in the picture?

Also - make sure both your CO and LP detectors are in working order!

No way running the furnace will keep your tanks from freezing in those extreme conditions. You’ll need 3 things.
Tank heaters.
A heated water supply hose.
RV antifreeze.

Facon 12" x 18" Holding Tank Heater Pad for RV Camper Trailer with Automatic Thermostat Control (Pack of 2) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MT9EUG9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_BpkwCbPVC0C2K

Camco 25 25ft TASTEPure Heated Drinking Water Hose with Energy Saving Thermostat-Lead and BPA Free (22911) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ABONB0A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_NrkwCb85DA2HR

The heaters and a little anti freeze in the tanks as you flush and wash will keep them from freezing.

outside
https://www.amazon.com/Facon-Holding-Trailer-Automatic-Thermostat/dp/B01MT9EUG9

> 6 gallon Atwood water heater with electric, gas, and a heat exchanger

https://www.amazon.com/Atwood-GEH9-EXT-Electric-Exchanger-Gallon/dp/B00CLSUIU6

I would caution against mounting outside of the cabin unless you provide a under/over temperature circuit. LiPO cells really don't like to be charged or discharged under 0'C or over 40'C.

The common solutions to this are using a self regulating "Holding Tank heater" (Like this: https://www.amazon.com/Upgrade-Version-Facon-Automatic-Thermostat/dp/B077VLB1KK/ ) to keep temp above 45'F.

The other side I was planning on was using a PC Watercooling setup triggered to start at 40C (105'F) and circulate glycol through the built in cooling channels and then through the PC Cooler's radiator.

So I believe the Wave heater aswell as the Mr.Buddy are Propane with no external intake/exhaust. I believe this means it is a wet heat and will not necessarily 'dry' things.


I have heard of people running their Fan-Tastic fans with their heaters to help push out the moisture. The Propex propane heaters have external intake/exhaust vents so there is no moisture build up.

I am perplexed as I was hoping the Mr.Buddy was going to answer all of my problems. I may have to invest in the propex to get the heat/dryness I need for the Winters in the Pacific North West.

Depending on how new/fancy your RV is, and what features it might have that make winterizing easier, it may be no big deal.

For example I just keep several gallons of RV antifreeze concentrate on hand, and use the built in winterizing switch in my wet bay to bypass the water heater to re-winterize at the end of each trip. It's literally just opening the valve on the water heater to drain it, flip the winterizing switch, then sticking the tube into the antifreeze and turning on the water pump. Run all the faucets and toilets till they are pink, remembering the outside shower counts too. Takes about 15 min.

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In our previous RV it wasn't QUITE as easy, because it didn't have a switch in a wet bay. I still did it though. I'd swap the valves on the water heater to bypass it, then drain it. I used a Pump Converter contraption that attaches to the water pump that allows you to easily stick a short piece of hose into the antifreeze jug and repeat the process I talked about above.

I live in Texas, and we rarely have 24 hours below 32*, but I winterize between every trip anyway. It's just not worth it to me to have to deal with damage and repairs.

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What I use(d):

RV Antifreeze concentrate(you add water to fill up the gallon jug before using, so in storage it's not a full gallon of liquid adding weight)

Pump Converter if you don't have a wetbay with a switch.

4000 really isn't much heat, it would warm hands held over the flames, but not really contribute to the heating of the room.

I would go for a proper heater, then have one of the little, for effect only, fake fireplace ones for the visuals if wanted.

Not sure what your budget is, but the ultimate combination of these would be a Dickinson propane model. They are pricy, but built to last forever, are quite efficient, very esthetically pleasing, and direct vented (so none of that pesky dying in your sleep due to low O2 or CO poisoning!).

A strong thing to think about when choosing a heat source is fire danger. In a tiny home, a small fire can quickly become lethal, so ones like an infrared heater have very directed heat which require a lot of safe space in front. Also, even with the small ethanol fireplaces like you've linked, make sure you crack a window or something, especially if burning for a longer period, as they really do eat up a lot of your O2 and replace it with CO.

Lastly, regardless of what you go with, make sure you get a GOOD CO detector, just a smoke alarm is not enough! As an EMT I have seen way too many dead pets, kids, adults due to poor ventilation of a combustible heat source in a small space.