The 5 Best 12-Volt Heaters For RV Use: Making Your RV Warm And Toasty

A Detailed Review on the 5 Best 12 Volt Heater for RV Use

Lasko 755320 Ceramic Space Heater

Product Highlights

This compact ceramic heater comes with a powerful 1500 watts energy that produces comforting heat for any rig. The Lasko CD09250 also comes with adjustable thermostat and three heating settings and a fan mode. You can comfortably adjust your preferred heat setup with eleven temperature settings. Place this product in your countertop, desktop to warm up tables, objects, and walls to give you a comfortable and cozy feeling.

The Good

The Lasko Ceramic Heater also comes with two switch knobs, allowing you to adjust thermostat and heat a room evenly. It is equipped with safety features such as overheating protection and cooling housing. What's more, this heater only requires 110-volt power output.

The Bad

What we don’t like about this product is its flimsy casing. This compact ceramic heater breaks easily after a low drop. So, make sure to handle this one with proper care. Also, it does not come with automatic shut off which can be a fire hazard if left switched on.

Ontel Handy Heater

Product Highlight

The Ontel Handy Heater is an electric-powered heater that only consumes 350 watts of power so that it won't eat up a lot of electricity on your rig. You can program it for up to 12 hours, and the heater has both low and high settings.

The Good

One of the best things about the Ontel Handy Heater is that it's portable! You can bring the heater anywhere in your RV to heat the space quickly. What's more, the casing of the heater is made from metal, making it strong and durable.

The Bad

Although the heater is rated by the company for 250 square feet, it is more suited for smaller spaces of 100 square feet or less. What's more, the heater does not store heating settings, which means that you need to manually program the settings every time you want to use this model.

Lasko Ceramic Adjustable Thermostat

Product Highlight

The Lasko Ceramic Adjustable Thermostat has two knobs. The first knob allows you to adjust the heat mode of the heater: fan, low heat, or high heat. The second knob allows you to tweak the temperature to your exact preferred heat.

The Good

The XPS RIB features a strong and durable steel casing. The steel casing increases the lifespan of the tire and prevents the tire from wearing down quickly over dirt, mud, or rocks.

The Bad

Since the unit has a ceramic element, this means that you cannot use it in environments with high humidity. You won’t be able to use this heater in the bathroom or your kitchen unless these rooms have exhaust fans.

BOVADO USA Portable 166648 Ceramic Space Heater

Product Highlight

Just like the Lasko Ceramic Adjustable Thermostat, the BOVADO 166648 has the classic two-knob configuration to adjust the settings of the machine. The first knob is to adjust the heat settings among fan, low heat, and high heat. The second knob is for the thermostat. This is another model for those who love the old-school way of using heaters!

The Good

One of the best qualities of this heater is the durability of the materials used; you won't need to worry about the heater overheating or melting down even if you leave it running a little too long. What's more, the unit also has an automatic shut-off feature that protects it from overheating. Finally, it also has an automatic shut-off when the unit gets tipped over.

The Bad

If there’s one drawback with the BOVADO 1666648 Portable Space Heater, it’s the noise produced when the unit is turned on. You might not want to use this unit overnight because the noise of the fan is loud and can prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep.

Honeywell HHF360V 360-Degree Fan Forced Surround Heater

Product Highlight

The Honeywell HHF360V is also adjusted using two knobs: one knob is to change the heat settings, and the other is for adjusting the thermostat. The unit has overheat protection and a tip-over switch that turns off the unit when the unit falls over to the side.

The Good

If you love bringing your heater around, the Honeywell 360-Degree Heater is going to be your best friend! The model is small, lightweight, and portable, so you can bring it anywhere in your rig or even off your rig! What's more, the unit also has a cool-touch handle so that you can easily bring it around even when it's on full heat.

The Bad

This unit is only rated for small to medium-sized RVs. For spaces above 100 square feet, the Honeywell HHF360V will have a hard time heating the large space, especially during cold weather.

Benefits of Having an RV Heater

The main benefit of having a heater in your RV is keeping your family warm and comfortable. This is important if you regularly travel to locations that have harsh and cold weather. You can keep safe and cozy inside your rig even if the temperatures outside your rig is dropping dangerously low.

Another benefit of having an RV heater is to protect your gadgets and appliances! When the temperature is cold, the moisture and condensation can break your gadgets.

Finally, having a heater means that you won’t need to limit your travels to areas with warm climates. You can still be warm and comfortable even if you visit locations that have cold or snowy climates.

A Buyer’s Guide to Choosing the Best 12 Volt Heater for RV

If you're looking for the best 12-volt heater for RV use, here are some factors to consider:

1. Maintenance – how much time do you want to spend maintaining your heater? Entry-level heaters can be cleaned and maintained easily, but they don't have a lot of different settings and features. Higher-end heaters might need a bit more expertise when it comes to troubleshooting. 
2. Efficiency – in terms of efficiency, you need to understand the British Thermal Unit (BTU). Basically, the higher the BTUs of a heater, the more heat it produces. Larger rigs need more powerful heaters with higher BTUs. 5,000 BTUs, for example, will warm up around 150 square feet of space.
3. Speed – you should also consider how quickly a heater can heat a space. If you're heading to locations with extremely cold weather, you don't want to sit around waiting for your heater to work!
4. Durability – you should always consider the strength and durability of your model. Keep in mind that your RV is constantly moving, which means that your heating unit is going to be jostled around frequently. If you don't move the unit around, you should mount it on the wall of your RV to prevent the unit from moving around or falling over.
5. Safety Features – the more safety features that your heater has, the better! Safety features such as automatic overheat protection or tipping over shut off is important, especially if you tend to leave your heater unattended for long periods.
6. Power Consumption – just like your heater at home, you don't want to get hit with a huge bill when it comes to heating your RV! Check the power consumption rating of your heater and go for units that have a high-efficiency rating.

Conclusion

There's the bottom line: there's no reason not to have a heater in your RV. Having a heater means that you will have a reliable source of heat and comfort anytime you need it. However, you should always make sure that you choose the best 12 volt heater for your RV in terms of the space inside your rig and your needs. If you have a large RV or you travel to extremely cold destinations, you need to invest in a powerful heater. If you are planning for a Van Conversion, you should also invest in a heater that has as many safety features as possible to ensure your peace of mind. Know more about RV heaters.

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