The 4 Best Truck Bed Camper Heaters – Reviews 2023

truck bed camper heater

Photo by Alan Levine / CC BY

A good heater could be a great addition to truck bed camping. The right heater is the one that’ll keep your camper nice and warm without the risk of burning, scalding, or scorching it (especially with you in it!). With all these criteria in mind, the right heater might be hard to find. After all, it’s not easy to pick out a heater that’ll keep you cozy at night without making you wake up in a pool of your own sweat the next day.

So what do you do when you want a truck bed camper heater, but you don’t know where to start? Well, we’re in the business of finding you the right product.

Here are our recommendations for the 4 best truck bed camper heaters on the market:

Truck Bed Camper Heater 1: Texsport Portable Outdoor Propane Heater

The Texsport portable outdoor propane heater is the affordable, convenient, and powerful way to keep your truck bed camper hot at night. This little heater packs a powerful punch with up to 2890 BTUs of output. It’s designed to sit right on top of your propane tank, and it even comes with a stand for smaller sized cylinders (like 14 oz.).

This heater’s burner is made of stainless steel for outstanding durability, and the aluminum reflector grid practically shoots heat into your camper. The whole unit is hardwired with copper for structural strength, and a safety shut-off valve keeps you safe in case the flame goes out — like if the unit were to tip over during the night!.

With a built-in safety grid and a micro-sized price tag, this is the truck bed camper heater for you if you’re on a budget.

Truck Bed Camper Heater 2: OPOLAR 1500W Ceramic Space Heater

This 1500 watt ceramic space heater is the affordable electric counterpart to the first item on our list. This ceramic heater is perfect for your bed camper if you bring a generator with you when you go camping.

Thanks to this heater’s ceramic elements, this unit boots up and powers on ultra-fast. You adjust its heat output with simple knobs at the top, and you can further adjust the heat output with different fan speeds. The on-board thermostat will also keep your truck bed camper at the ideal temperature so you don’t have to worry about waking up too hot or too cold.

At a max volume of 50 decibels, this heater is so quiet that it’s almost undetectable when used in conjunction with a generator. A simple red power indicator lets you know when the unit is on and ready to activate.

Naturally, this heater comes with all of the safety features you need to feel secure while you sleep. The tipover switch prevents the unit from continuing operation if it falls off-kilter, and you can always unplug it if you need to kill heat immediately.

If you’re planning on taking a generator with you the next time you go camping in your pickup, grab this 1500W ceramic space heater to take along. Hands down, it’s among the best truck bed camper heaters for the money.

Mr. Heater Big Buddy Propane Heater

Truck Bed Camper Heater 3: Mr. Heater Big Buddy

The Mr. Heater Big Buddy indoor-safe propane heater was initially designed for camping equipment like RVs, but it works just as well in smaller truck bed campers.

This heater features an 18,000 BTU maximum output with simple adjustable settings that let you control the overall warmth of your camper. The Mr. Heater brand is also synonymous with quality and safety, which is why this unit comes with an automatic shut-off in case the unit tips, the pilot light goes out, or there’s a sudden drop in oxygen in the air.

The whole unit comes packaged with a built-in carrying handle that makes it super-simple to carry, and you can use it all the way up to 7,000 feet above sea level! As a result, this is the ideal truck bed camper heater for anyone who likes to take to the mountains in their pickup (if you plan to drive your F-150 to the top of Everest, however, you’re out of luck).

With knob controls and a safety cage around the burners, you won’t find a safer or more convenient truck bed camper heater with such a reasonable price tag!

Plumbing a Mr. Heater Big Buddy Heater into your RV propane system

Truck Bed Camper Heater 4: Mr. Heater Little Buddy

The Mr. Heater Little Buddy indoor-safe propane heater is the brand’s finest attempt at a small, powerful, and reasonably priced heater. This unit is capable of heating up to 95 sq. ft. to a consistent temperature, which is more than enough for most truck beds. It comes with Mr. Heater’s signature easy-to-use controls, and the built-in safety features protect you from tipovers, pilot light outages, and low oxygen.

With a 5.6 hour runtime when hooked up to an average propane cylinder, the Mr. Heater Little Buddy is a no-brainer for anyone who has to keep their truck bed camper warm at night. It’s even built with the burner far back inside the radiator dish, ensuring it can’t warm sleeping bags, canvas, or clothing in case of tipovers.

If you’re looking for the smallest, the best, and the most reasonable heater for your truck bed camper, here it is!

Mr Heater Little Buddy

Which Is the Best Truck Bed Camper Heater for You?

When you’re on the market for a truck bed camper heater, you’re looking for something so specific that it’s a challenge to even find a starting point.

If you’re most conscious about budget, choose the Texsport heater from our list. It’s lightweight, easy to use, and dirt cheap compared to the other items!

If you’re interested in an affordable electric unit, go with the ceramic heater! This unit is ideal for anyone who has a generator with them when they go camping.

If you like big brands and convenient portability, use the Mr. Heater Big Buddy (see full specs)! This is one of the most reliable camping heaters on the market, and it’ll keep your truck bed camper nice and warm as long as you need.

Finally, if you’re looking for a reasonably-sized, compact heater, pick the Mr. Heater Little Buddy (see full specs)! You really can’t beat the size, output, and safety features that this heater packs into one small unit.

Are you ready to pick the best truck bed camper heater for your needs? Choose from our list now! Good luck!

  • Founder of Mechanical Caveman, Beau is an unrepentant tool enthusiast and, sporting deadlift-callused hands and an incongruous beer belly, all-around macho guy. When he doesn’t know re tools, he consults with his handyman and car-repairman buds to give you well-reasoned and cutting-edge info.

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