Best Portable Propane Heaters for 2020

Yes, once the pad is lit, there is no longer a flame.

That makes it a 'flameless' and therefore very safe small propane heater for use in cramped areas such as RVs.

Very nifty for a little radiant propane heater!

The catalytic heating process creates a surface temperature of no more than 720º F, which is well below the surface temperature of a propane heater with an exposed flame (upwards of 2,100º F).

The Piezo ignition switch (good for around 20,000 'sparks') makes for a quick and  easy start.  

There is no need to have additional heating devices to start it such as matches or grill lighters.

That's another reason it's the best indoor propane heater!

Propane catalytic heaters will work at high elevations, unlike other types of portable propane heaters.

The very popular Buddy Heater line of heaters only work reliably up to about 7,000 feet.

This makes the Olympian Wave best for high elevations over other types of portable  propane heaters for RVs.

Because it is so efficient, it barely uses any oxygen and thus there is no need for an oxygen depletion sensor on these heaters.

For this reason, they work much better at elevation where the oxygen levels are naturally lower.

(THOUGH, you still need to head the manufacturer's warning and provide adequate ventilation.)

The Olympian catalytic heater comes in three sizes, each with a different BTU (heat) output.

Each one is designed to heat a specific sized space.

Choose the Olympian heater that's right for you according to the square footage of your RV interior space.

Here are the three sizes of Camco's Olympian Wave Heater:

• Wave 3 Heater (1,600 to 3,000 BTU - up to 130 square feet)
• Wave 6 Heater (3,200 to 6,000 BTU - up to 230 square feet)
• Wave 8 Heater (4,200 to 8,000 BTU - up to 290 square feet)

Can This Olympian Heater Be Deadly?

Listen up, this catalytic heater, like many RV space heaters, DOES run on propane.

Propane burning always consumes some oxygen.

So yes, it can become deadly IF, and ONLY IF the all of the directions on your appliance are not followed!

Followed correctly, using this propane heater is COMPLETELY SAFE.

Propane catalytic heaters are known for their almost 100% combustion rates.

What this means is that they are very efficient at burning propane.

Why do we care?

Because the more efficient an appliance is at burning propane, the less byproduct (carbon monoxide) it puts out. (Not to mention getting more bang for your buck.)

If damaged or not working properly, this device may emit some carbon monoxide.

Working properly, it creates virtually no carbon monoxide, making it very safe to use indoors, but you STILL NEED TO VENTILATE.

Why Do I Need To Ventilate?

You need to ventilate because all propane heaters burn oxygen and produce a small quantity of deadly gas (carbon monoxide). 

Therefore, if you are in an enclosed space and don't ventilate the area, you could run out of oxygen and DIE.

This heater doesn't use much oxygen at all, but you STILL must ventilate.

Olympian Catalytic Heater Manufacturer Video

Why Olympian Heater and Not Mr. Heater Buddy?

Buddy Heaters are an extremely popular propane camping heater and the choice of many RVers.

So why would you choose an Olympian Wave Heater vs. a Buddy Heater?

Wave Heaters don't have a visible flame, unlike the Buddy Heaters, and they have a lower operating temperature at their surface.

Wave Heaters are slightly more efficient (burn less propane for a given heat output), but not enough that you'd actually notice a difference.

Also, an Olympian Heater will be more reliable at higher elevations since it doesn't have a low oxygen shut-off switch.

This is good for those who love camping in the mountains.

The Buddy Heaters are only good to about 7,000 feet elevation before they will potentially run into low oxygen issues, rendering them unusable.

If you never plan on camping in the mountains, sure, it's totally fine to get yourself a Buddy Heater.

Kelly loves her Mister Heater propane heater, but she has had issues with her Big Buddy after having it for almost 4 years.

It was a good run, but it is having incomplete combustion (PDF) problems on low now and is not safe to run on that setting anymore.

 (Full disclosure- this is my (Kelly's) own fault for not knowing about and getting the fuel filter to use with my Buddy Heater unit when it was attached to an outside propane tank. Needed Camp Addict, LOL!)

Buddy Heaters are just not as reliable as the Wave heaters in the long term.

We know a few nomads who have had to buy a new Buddy (or something else) due to failure of their unit.

We have also known people who have had a Buddy for YEARS without issue. So this is almost not a very arguable point.

The Olympian Wave is more expensive than any Buddy Heater, but cared for properly, it will potentially cost less than having to buy multiple Buddy Heaters (if they fail during normal use after a few years).

Below is an excellent video by Bob Wells, a very well known and respected long-time nomad.

Here he talks about, and supports, the Olympian Wave Heaters.

We love his conversation about the Buddy Heaters not being as reliable as the Olympian Wave Heaters.  

Still, Kelly and Marshall do love their Buddy Heaters as they still work.

Bob Wells Discusses Wave Heaters

The Olympian Wave heaters have variable heat settings, but unfortunately it doesn't have a thermostatic control that lets you set a certain temperature you wish to maintain.

Instead, this is an on or off appliance.

Caring For Your Olympian Wave Heater

Yes, these small propane heaters are very durable.

However, they have one downfall if not properly cared for.

The platinum-infused pad which is the main heating element is VERY sensitive to damage from dust and other foreign matter.

It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that you cover it. You can use something you make at home, or just get the cover built for the Camco Olympian heaters, as shown above and further discussed below.

If not kept free from dust and other contaminants when not in use, the pad will become damaged and will discontinue working properly.

We highly recommend getting the fitted cover for your Olympian heater.

Mount On Wall Or Keep On Floor?

You have options as to where to put your Olympian Wave.

You can purchase the optional legs and keep it on the floor, where you can point it towards where you want heated.

You can also mount your Wave Heater on the wall.

Wall mounting options include mounting directly to the surface or recessing it into the wall (requires cutting a hole, etc).

No matter which wall mount option you choose, follow the instructions in the Wave Heater owner's manual.

One RVer wrote a blog post showing how he mounted his Olympian Catalytic Heater to the wall of his RV.

It's mounted in a way that his catalytic heater can easily be removed for storage when not in use. (Photo of his mounted Olympian Wave Heater from the blog post below.)

Note the 90º propane fitting (sold separately) for keeping kinks out of this particular hose setup.

There are optional legs one may purchase for floor use.

Follow the manufacturer's rules for mounting with regards to how far away to place it from objects.

Creative Mounting

We have also seen people mount their small propane heater (Wave) inside of a cabinet door, which they simply open while the heater is in use. 

Additionally, one person has it slide in and out of a pantry-style drawer on a track.

When slid back into the pantry, it's totally out of the way.

The Big Buddy portable heater is approved for indoor use in recreational vehicles as long as there is proper ventilation.

If you are using the 1-pound propane bottles, this camp heater is completely self-contained.

There is an option to hook it up to a remote (external to your RV) propane bottle for longer run times.

With two burner tiles, the Big Buddy portable heater has three heat settings: 4,000 BTU (per hour), 9,000 BTU (per hour), and 18,000 BTU (per hour).

This portable heater for camping uses a combination of convection heating (main source) and radiant heating to warm up a living space.

This Mister Heater portable heater has attachments for two 1-pound LP bottles, one on each side.

You can use either a single 1-lb propane bottle, or use two at once. You must use two 1-lb LP bottles if using the high (18,000 BTU) heat setting.

The small 1-pound propane cylinders won't go as far as using a larger propane tank will, but they are easier to use and require no additional purchase (no hose necessary).

To get an idea how long a Buddy Heater will run on a given supply of propane, see the how long will a Buddy Heater run feature below.

You can either use the small propane bottles, or you can purchase a hose to connect your Big Buddy heater.

You can either connect it to your LP lines in your RV (Kelly and Marshall both do this) or to connect to a supplemental LP tank OUTSIDE of your rig.

Using the hose option, you can go for days and days on one 20-pound LP tank.

Of course this depends on how cold the temperatures are at your location and if you need to run your propane RV heater day and night.

Using the small bottles will be more expensive and will require changing out of canisters much more often.

The small 1-pound bottles use the Big Buddy's built-in propane regulators (one in each propane bottle compartment).

If you opt to use one of the optional propane hoses, you may or may not be using the built-in propane regulator (more on this in the Buddy Heater Hose section below).

The Big Buddy heater can easily heat up to a 450 square foot area.

Camp Addict Kelly uses one in her 24 foot travel trailer which is about 160 square feet of interior space.

Camp Addict Marshall also uses a Big Buddy heater in his trailer that is approximately 175 square feet.

Most of the time, she leaves this LP gas heater on low, and it will keep her interior around 69-73º in temperatures ranging from just below freezing to around 40º or so.

VERY comfortable.

If it's too warm, so then she just keeps a couple of windows wide open.

Even though the Mr. Heater Buddy Heater has a low oxygen shutoff sensor, you have to vent your RV somehow to provide fresh air, usually by cracking a window.

Any burning of fuel will produce a small amount of carbon monoxide (and use available oxygen), so providing ventilation is VITAL.

Don't ventilate and you could DIE. Understand? DEATH by your propane camping heater.

The manufacturer advises to vent, SO YOU MUST VENT. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS and FOLLOW THEM. 

Also be sure you HAVE a carbon monoxide detector in your RV and be SURE it's working.

Potential Buddy Heater Issues- Incomplete Combustion

The Mr. Heater Buddy Heater should run smoothly and in total silence.

If it makes a flickering sound and a flickering 'look' when running, this could be a sign of incomplete combustion, which means that it is emitting larger levels of carbon monoxide.

Your portable Buddy Heater should have bright orange burner tiles.

It may take a few minutes after initially startup to reach this bright orange appearance, but that is the 'look' your small radiant heater should have.

If the burner tile(s) don't have this bright orange appearance, something is wrong with the combustion.

DO NOT run your Mr. Buddy Heater if the burner tile(s) are experiencing any sort of incomplete combustion!

Contact the manufacturer for further help.

Other signs to look out for that your Buddy (or any propane space heater) is not combusting properly:

In the event that any of this is happening, something is wrong and the propane gas heater should be looked at by someone who can troubleshoot the device.

Just remember, even though the Buddy propane heater has tip over protection (shutoff) and low oxygen shut-off devices, this does not mean that things cannot go wrong.

It's a heater. It gets hot and can experience operational issues.

There are opportunities to burn yourself, or your toddler could touch it in the wrong place, so be aware of your situation and where you place it and who/what can get to it.

Practice common sense and either don't get this kind of propane space heater, or keep it in a location where nothing can get to it where it can do harm.

There are also other versions of the Buddy Heater designed for smaller spaces.

If you have a smaller area you need to heat, or just want a more compact propane room heater, one of the other Buddy Heaters may do the trick for you.

Check out the other Buddy Heater sizes below.

All About The Big Buddy Heater

Big Buddy Heater Cleaning And Maintenance