Campervan Heating: Real-World Options, Costs, and How To Fit Them

Winter in the UK: Why Heat Matters

Picture a Saturday in January. You’ve hiked up a muddy trail in the Peaks, the light’s fading by four, and the wind has that damp bite it always seems to carry here. You swing the van doors shut, kick off wet boots, and the chill creeps in fast. Heat changes everything. It turns a cold metal box into a snug little den where you can dry socks, warm your hands, and actually enjoy being parked up while the rain drums on the roof.

This article will take a deep dive into your options for heating for campervan, but if you want a more holistic look at how to design the plumbing, gas, and heating systems for your campervan, read our other blog:

Designing Plumbing, Gas, and Heating Systems for Your Campervan

Your Heater Choices at a Glance

You’ve got a handful of solid routes. Diesel air heaters are the vanlife staple. Gas heaters are tidy, quiet, and pair well with LPG cooking. Wood burners look amazing and feel cosy, though they need space and careful installs. There’s also mains electric if you’ll use hook-ups, plus a few niche options like hydronic systems that heat water and air together.

Below we’ll walk through each type, what it costs to buy and run, how tricky it is to install, and when to plan it into your build.

Diesel air heaters

What they are:

Compact units that sip diesel and blow warm air through a duct. Well-known models include Webasto Air Top 2000 STC, Eberspächer/Espar Airtronic D2L, and Autoterm (Planar) 2D. Typical output around 2 kW suits most vans. 

Pros:

• Efficient, reliable heat with small fuel use
  
• Diesel often already on board via the vehicle tank
  
• Good altitude performance on newer units and options with high-altitude sensors

Cons:

• Upfront cost can bite
  
• Needs a safe exhaust route and careful fuel pick-up
  
• Occasional carbon build-up if run on low all the time

Running costs:

Fuel use is modest: roughly 0.1–0.28 L per hour depending on output and model. Electrical draw is low once running.

Where to buy in the UK:

• Webasto Air Top 2000 STC (2 kW)
  
• Eberspächer Airtronic D2L / AS3 D2L
  
• Autoterm 2D (Planar) 2 kW kits are widely sold with UK support

Install: step by step:

1. Plan early. Decide location, duct path, and where the exhaust and intake will exit. Mark holes before flooring goes down.
   
2. Mount the base plate through the floor, fit intake and exhaust with correct clearances, clamps, and heat shielding.
   
3. Fuel line from tank or standpipe, routed away from heat and moving parts.
   
4. Wiring to battery with proper fusing; mount the controller within easy reach.
   
5. Test run at high power to burn off residues.
   Do this during the “services rough-in” stage, around the time you run cables and before finishing floors and furniture.

Gas blown-air heaters

What they are:

LPG heaters like the Propex Heatsource HS2000 or HS2800 that burn propane/butane and push warm air through ducts. Quiet, compact, and purpose-built for campers. The HS2000 is ~1.9 kW output at 12 V.

Pros:

• Very quiet in day-to-day use
  
• Simple servicing, no diesel fuel tap needed
  
• Pairs neatly with an LPG cooking system

Cons:

• You need a compliant gas locker, fixed copper pipework, and proper ventilation
  
• Bottle refills mean planning around LPG availability

Running costs:

Comparable heat to diesel, but you’ll burn through LPG faster in deep winter if heating daily. Electrical draw is low when running. Specs show ~1.4 A running for HS2000.

What to buy in the UK:

• Propex HS2000 or HS2800 from UK retailers and Propex directly.

Standards and notes:

UK camper gas installs follow BS EN 1949 principles: rigid pipework for fixed appliances, vented locker with a drop-out vent sized correctly. If in doubt, get it checked by a competent person. 

Install: step by step:

1. Plan the gas locker location with a proper drop vent and bottle restraints.
   
2. Run copper pipe to the heater position with isolation valves where appropriate.
   
3. Cut the flue/air holes per the manual and mount the heater.
   
4. Wire power at 12 V with correct fuse.
   
5. Leak test and commission.
   Fit this at the same stage as other “services,” ideally before cabinetry is closed up.

Wood-burning stoves

What they are: 

Tiny cast-iron or steel stoves that look gorgeous and throw serious radiant heat for their size. Popular models for small spaces include the Salamander Hobbit and other micro stoves. Output around 4 kW is common, which is a lot for a van.

Pros:

• Off-grid heat with real flame ambience
  
• Drying effect on damp kit and condensation
  
• Fuel can be cheap if you’ve got access
  

Cons:

• Can be too hot in a small van and hard to throttle
  
• Needs generous clearances or heat shields, a proper hearth, and a safe flue path
  
• Takes up precious space and needs regular sweeping and ash handling
  Manufacturer guidance shows significant clearances to combustibles and recommends hearth and ventilation provisions; many users report tiny stoves can easily overheat compact spaces if you load them up.

What to buy in the UK:

• Salamander Stoves Hobbit or Hobbit SE, with direct-air kits and enclosure options designed for small spaces

Install: step by step:

1. Location and shielding. Plan for a non-combustible hearth and either big clearances or certified heat shields as per maker’s manual.
   
2. Flue route straight up where possible with the correct insulated sections and flashings.
   
3. Ventilation and, if offered, a direct-air kit so the stove draws from outside.
   
4. Commission and sweep. Expect to sweep regularly; small flues soot up faster.
   Plan this very early. You’ll cut a roof or wall penetration and build the hearth before flooring and finish carpentry. Follow the manufacturer instructions and small-craft guidance where relevant.

Combination Options

What they are: 

A combi boiler combines blown-air heating and hot water in a single compact unit. The Truma Combi 4E is a good example. It runs on gas or a mix of gas and mains electric, giving you both warm air through ducts and hot water for sinks or showers.

Pros:

• One appliance covers two jobs: space heating and hot water.
  
• Compact design saves space compared to separate heaters and boilers.
  
• Easy switch between power sources (gas when off-grid, electric when on hook-up).
  
• Quiet in operation and designed specifically for campervans and motorhomes.
  

Cons:

• Upfront cost is higher than a simple heater or standalone boiler.
  
• Needs proper installation with gas, water, and ducting all tied in.
  
• More complex than a single-use appliance, so servicing can be pricier.

Running costs:

Similar to other gas appliances when on LPG, with the bonus that you can save fuel costs when on mains hook-up by running in electric or mixed mode.

What to buy in the UK:

• Truma Combi 4E Boiler – popular across Europe, widely supported, and designed for medium-sized campervans.

Install: step by step:

1. Plan placement early, since the unit needs ducts for hot air and plumbing connections for water.
   
2. Connect to gas via a properly vented locker and regulator.
   
3. Wire power into your 12 V system, and hook up mains if you want the electric heating option.
   
4. Run ducting to distribute warm air evenly through the living space.
   
5. Plumb connections into your water system with fresh and hot water lines.
   Fit this unit during the same rough-in stage as other heaters and plumbing, ideally before cabinetry and flooring are finalised.

You can read more about how our combi systems provide hot air AND water here: Insert Link.

Niche Options

Mains electric heaters:

These are great on campsites with hook-up. A small oil or ceramic heater will keep a van cosy, but off-grid they’re impractical due to the wattage required.

Hydronic systems:

A combi boiler like the Truma 4E is essentially a ready-made package that gives you hot air and hot water in one box, whereas a hydronic system is more like building your own central heating. With hydronic, you’re running heated liquid through radiators or a calorifier, which takes more space, more parts, and more plumbing. The end result is similar, warmth and hot showers, but a combi is simpler to install and more compact, while a hydronic setup is flexible and better suited to larger vans where you want multiple radiators or a more “house-like” heating feel.These heat coolant or water and can feed fan matrices or a calorifier for hot water. Brilliant in larger builds, more complex to install. Specs vary by kit. Treat these as an advanced option. 

For most medium-sized campervans, a combi boiler like the Truma 4E is the smarter choice. It’s compact, tidy, and takes care of both heating and hot water without the extra pipework and complexity of a full hydronic setup. Hydronic systems still have their place, especially in larger vans or motorhomes where you want multiple radiators and a more “central heating” feel, but for the average self-build, a combi boiler is usually the simpler, more cost-effective solution.

Costs to Expect

• Appliances: Diesel and gas heaters sit in a similar ballpark for 2 kW units, with Webasto/Eberspächer typically pricier, Autoterm often better value. Gas heaters like Propex are mid-range. Micro wood stoves vary by finish and accessories.
  
• Install: Diesel involves exhaust, intake, and fuel supply. Gas needs a compliant locker, drop vent, regulator, and hard lines. Wood needs hearth, shielding, and a flue kit. Mains electric is trivial if you already have a safe 230 V system.
  
• Running: Diesel heaters sip fuel at roughly 0.1–0.28 L per hour. Gas is comparable in heat delivered but tied to LPG availability. Wood is cheap if you’ve got fuel and storage, but it’s hands-on. Electric is cheapest only when you’ve paid for a hook-up.
  
• Maintenance: Diesel needs an occasional high-power burn and periodic checks. Gas should be leak-tested and serviced if performance changes. Wood stoves want sweeping and gasket checks.

When to Fit Heaters in Your Build

Plan heater locations while you’re still mapping out insulation, cladding, and floor. Anything that needs a hole through the floor or roof goes in before you lay finished flooring or seal up furniture. Run power and, if relevant, gas lines during the same rough-in window as your other services. It’s the same logic you used for plumbing and electrics earlier.

Safety Essentials You Should Not Skip

• CO alarm and smoke alarm in working order with in-date sensors. Government guidance is clear about CO risks in enclosed spaces.
  
• Ventilation. Heaters and stoves need fresh air. Direct-air kits for some wood stoves help; diesel and gas heaters have their own intake and exhaust that must be installed exactly as specified.
  
• Gas locker. Sealed, vented downwards with an adequate drop vent, rigid pipework to fixed appliances, secure bottle straps. Follow BS EN 1949 principles and size the drop vent correctly.
  
• Clearances and hearths for wood stoves. Respect the maker’s distances to combustibles or install approved shielding and a non-combustible hearth.
  
• Commissioning. Leak test gas. Check all clamps and joints on diesel exhausts and intakes. Sweep wood flues as advised.

Products worth a look in the UK

• Webasto Air Top 2000 STC for a compact diesel unit with very low fuel use
  
• Eberspächer Airtronic D2L for altitude-friendly diesel heating
  
• Autoterm (Planar) 2D for value and simple spares
  
• Propex HS2000/HS2800 for quiet LPG blown air
  
• Salamander Hobbit if you’re set on a wood burner and can spare the space and clearances

Make it easier with our bundle

We stock individual heaters and parts, but if you’d rather avoid the “one tiny fitting short” problem, our Plumbing, Heating, and Gas Bundle pulls all the main bits into one package sized for your vehicle model. Tanks and pipework if you’re pairing hot water later, the right vents and regulators for gas installs, heater options that actually match your van’s volume, plus the fixings and grommets people always forget. The big win is confidence. Fewer shopping trips, fewer holes cut in the wrong place, and a system designed to play nicely together.

Summary

There’s no single “best” heater. There’s the heater that fits your van, your budget, and the way you travel. If you’re off-grid a lot, diesel makes sense. If you already run LPG and want quiet, gas can be lovely. If you crave the glow of a real fire and have room, a small stove is hard to beat. Mains electric is brilliant when you’re on hook-ups. Plan it early, install it safely, and winter trips in Britain suddenly feel a lot more inviting.