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Reading Time: 9 minutesLast Updated on January 15, 2026 by Paul Clayton
Table of Contents
How To Heat An RV Without Propane?
Key Takeaways
Active Heating Methods
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- Portable Space Heaters: The most popular and affordable option ($20–$40). They are efficient but require 3-foot clearance from flammable surfaces and are limited to heat-limited areas.
- Radiant Heaters: Direct heat in one direction, making them ideal for small spots. They are safer than space heaters but generally more expensive.
- Oil Radiators: Provide steady, long-lasting heat and pose a low fire risk, though they take longer to warm up and occupy more floor space.
- Radiant Flooring: A safe, space-saving solution installed under the floor. It is effective above 32°F but requires professional installation.
- Heat Pumps: Use the RV’s AC system to efficiently heat the entire unit. However, they lose effectiveness when the ambient temperature drops below 35°F.
- Hydronic heating uses a mixture of water and antifreeze circulated through pipes. Highly efficient and warms the entire RV, but it is expensive and difficult to install.
- Solar Heating: Uses specialized thermal panels to heat air. It is the most eco-friendly and cost-effective long-term solution, though initial setup costs are high.
Heat Retention Strategies
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- Wall and Window Insulation: Use curtains, shrink wrap, foam boards, or reflective insulation to prevent heat loss through thin walls and glass.
- Door Protection: Drape insulated blankets over doors and use draft stoppers at the bottom to seal out cold air.
- Vent and Pipe Care: Block vents with foam blocks and use heat tape on exterior water pipes to prevent freezing.
- Foam Flooring: Laying foam mats helps absorb heat and creates a thermal barrier on the floor.
- RV Skirting: Installing a skirt around the vehicle’s base prevents cold wind from dissipating heat from the undercarriage.
Heating an RV without propane is a feasible and efficient option that many recreational vehicle owners are considering. The question of “How To Heat An RV Without Propane?” often arises due to safety concerns, cost considerations, or availability issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is electricity or propane cheaper for heating an RV?
It depends on the climate and local rates. Generally, propane is more cost-effective in very cold climates because it delivers more heat per unit of energy, while electricity is often more economical and provides more stable pricing in milder temperatures.
Can I use a heat pump if it is freezing outside?
Not effectively. Most RV heat pumps are designed to draw heat from the outside air and typically operate inefficiently below 35°F. In freezing weather, you will need a backup heating method, such as a space heater or a wood stove.
What is the safest portable heater to use in a small RV?
Oil radiators are considered among the safest options because they don’t have exposed heating elements and maintain a steady temperature. While they take longer to warm up, they pose a significantly lower fire hazard compared to traditional ceramic space heaters.
How can I stop my RV from losing heat through the floor?
The article suggests two main methods: active and passive. You can install radiant flooring for active warmth, or use foam floor mats and RV skirting to create a barrier that prevents cold air from reaching the interior floor.
Is solar heating the same as running an electric heater off solar panels?
No. While you can power electric heaters with solar energy, true solar heating systems use specialized thermal panels to capture solar heat directly. A fan then pushes that warmed air into the RV, making it one of the most efficient long-term solutions.
There are several alternatives available, including electric heaters, wood stoves, diesel or gasoline heaters, and solar heating systems. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages; 
the choice largely depends on individual needs and circumstances.
This guide provides a comprehensive overview of how to heat an RV without propane, considering factors such as ease of installation, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and safety.
While propane is widely used to power RV furnaces, it isn’t the most efficient fuel. If your budget isn’t the biggest, then you at some point will probably start thinking of replacing propane heating with some other heating methods.
Today, we are going to share a couple of ideas for heating an RV without propane.
How To Heat An RV Without Propane with Active Heating
Active heating uses tools specifically designed to heat the air in the RV. This contrasts with improving RV insulation, which helps keep heat in without directly heating the air.
There are many tools that perform active heating, each with its own upsides and downsides, which we will review below. However, one common thing between active heating means is that they require an energy source – whether gasoline or electricity – so before choosing a heating tool, make sure that you will be able to power it.
Portable RV heaters
Placing a portable heater in your RV is by far the easiest way to improve heating. Portable heaters aren’t the cheapest out there, but they are very convenient – you only need to place a heater in the desired spot and turn it on.
On the other hand, unlike some other heating options, portable heaters heat up the air in a limited area. They aren’t suitable for improving heating in your entire RV, so if that’s your goal, portable heaters alone won’t help. You may use multiple heaters, but this can be problematic if power consumption and limited space are major concerns.
There are several types of portable heaters that you could use. Let’s overview them along with their pros and cons.
Space heaters
Usually priced quite cheaply, around $20-40, portable space heaters appear to be the most widely used tool for RV heating. Space heaters are also pretty efficient – a heater needs to only provide around 10 watts of heating power for every 1 square foot of floor space in your RV.
On the other hand, space heaters must be kept at least 3 feet from walls, objects, and flammable surfaces. For smaller RVs, this may or may not be a problem.
Radiant heaters
Unlike space heaters that circulate air for heating, radiant heaters direct heat in
a single direction. Radiant heaters are thus better suited for heating small areas and for temporary heating needs. Additionally, radiant heaters pose a lower fire hazard than space heaters, but they should still be kept at a safe distance from other objects.
Radiant heaters should provide the same amount of heating power as space heaters – 10 watts per 1 square foot of floor space. However, they tend to cost more than space heaters.
Oil radiators
Oil radiators, as their name suggests, use oil for heating. The advantage of oil is that it stays warm at a steady temperature. Aside from that, oil doesn’t cool down immediately – it takes about half an hour for it. On the other hand, it likewise takes around half an hour to heat up.
Oil radiators cost around as much as space heaters, but they are much less of a fire hazard. On the other hand, oil radiators tend to occupy more floor space than space heaters.
An oil radiator should deliver approximately 50 watts of heat per 50 square feet of floor area.
Radiant flooring
Radiant flooring is difficult to install, but it is safer than portable heaters and doesn’t add as much weight to the RV. You may need to hire a professional to install radiant flooring in your RV, as it involves running low-voltage electrical circuits beneath the existing flooring.
Radiant flooring should provide sufficient heat in any RV when temperatures exceed 32°F. In colder weather, you may need to improve the RV’s insulation to prevent heat loss and make radiant flooring more effective.
Pump heating
Heat pumps make use of the RV’s air conditioning system to draw heat into the RV from outside. Pump heating tends to be more efficient than portable heaters, but its upfront installation costs are higher. However, when up and running, heat pumps can heat up the entire RV. In larger RVs, multiple pumps may be required to provide sufficient heating.
The drawback of pump heating is that it can’t operate below about 35°F. In cold weather, other heating methods will perform better.
Hydronic heating
Hydronic heating systems work like home heating systems. They rely on a mixture of water and anti-freeze running through a series of pipes and radiators placed throughout the RV. The fluid is heated by the 
RV engine while driving and by a boiler system when parked. The latter can be powered by electricity, diesel, or propane fuel.
While hydronic heating is highly efficient and warms the entire RV, installing such a system is costly and time-intensive. Plus, you probably won’t be able to install it yourself, so you will have to spend additional money on hiring a professional.
Solar heating
Solar heating is an environmentally friendly and cost-effective heating option over the long term. Unlike what you may be thinking, solar heating isn’t about hooking your electrical heaters to a solar panel – there are actually solar systems out there that are specifically designed for heating.
Solar heating systems usually consist of a heat panel that absorbs heat from the sun, a photovoltaic panel that produces electricity, and a fan that sucks in air. Air is drawn toward the heat panel, heated, and exhausted into the RV. Solar heating can work even in winter when the sun is weak, though it may not be as effective as in warmer seasons.
Solar heating can be expensive to install, but once up and running, it is the most efficient heating solution among the ones reviewed.
Improving heat retention
Improving heat retention in your RV won’t directly increase its temperature, but it will help the RV or Camper retain heat and make active heating more efficient.
RVs do feature insulated interiors, but many models have subpar heat retention that doesn’t keep heat in well. So, unless you know your RV is well insulated, you may want to improve its insulation.
Below are a couple of things that you could do to improve your RV’s heat retention. These tips are aimed at short-term improvements in heat retention and thus don’t require much time or money to implement. But keep in mind that they probably will not be as effective as improving the insulation located in the RV’s walls and floor.
Block off the walls of the RV
Walls are particularly vulnerable to heat loss, especially windows. To improve the walls’ heat retention, you don’t have to rip into them to install additional insulation – simple tools like curtains, shrink wrap, reflective insulation, or foam boards can work pretty well. Most importantly, such tools aren’t expensive and are easy to install.
Cover the doors of the RV
Doors are also weak points in your RV’s heating. Fortunately, it’s again relatively easy to block them.
One option is to drape insulated blankets or plastic shrink wrap over the entry doors from their interior side. Then, you may place a draft stopper against the bottom edge of the door to limit air circulation. Remove the door protection only when you need to exit the RV.
Cover vents and pipes
Vents and pipes can be covered with foam insulation or heat tape. You may get foam insulation from a hardware store. Alternatively, you may buy a hatch vent insulator from an RV parts supplier, which may be the better option.
Vents should be blocked with foam blocks. Alternatively, if you have access to the RV’s roof, you may block off the vents from the outside with tape, which should be more effective.
Additionally, use heat tape to insulate the water pipes running beneath the RV to prevent freezing.
Lay foam flooring in the RV
Purchase some foam mats and lay them in large rooms and near heat sources. Foam floor mats absorb heat from the surrounding environment, keeping the RV warm.
Foam flooring is also easy to install and remove, which will come in handy when you no longer need it. Aside from that, it makes for a more pleasant surface to step on.
Install a skirt on your RV
Outside elements can easily get into the RV from below through gaps and openings.
Covering interior flooring with foam mats can improve indoor insulation, but for added protection, you may also want to add exterior protection.
Skirting can reduce heat loss from beneath the RV. A skirt wraps around the lower part of the RV and serves as a barrier against outdoor elements. Since they attach to the RV in a variety of ways, from snaps to suction cups, installing and removing a skirt shouldn’t be too big a problem.
Is it cheaper to heat an RV with propane or electricity?
Determining whether it’s cheaper to heat an RV with propane or electricity depends on several factors, including local electricity and propane costs, your heating system’s efficiency, and your usage. Generally, propane is more cost-effective for heating in colder climates,s while electricity is more economical in milder climates.
However, propane prices can fluctuate with supply and demand, so it may not always be the cheapest option. On the other hand, electric heating provides a stable cost but may require more energy to produce the same amount of heat as propane. Therefore, it’s important to consider these factors when deciding the most cost-effective way to heat your RV.
What is the cheapest way to heat an RV?
The cheapest way to heat an RV largely depends on the specific circumstances, such as your location, your RV’s size, and other factors. However, one of the most cost-effective options is a portable propane heater. These heaters are efficient and affordable, and they can quickly warm a small space, such as an RV.
Another affordable option is a ceramic heater, which operates on electricity and is best suited for those with a reliable power source. It’s worth noting that while these methods provide economical heating solutions, safety must always be a priority when using such devices in confined spaces like an RV.
Final Thoughts
Heating an RV without propane is entirely achievable through a combination of active heating tools and passive insulation improvements. While electric space heaters are the easiest and cheapest entry point, long-term travelers may find greater value in efficient systems such as solar or hydronic heating.
Ultimately, the best approach is a “hybrid” strategy: choosing a heating source that fits your power availability (electric, diesel, or solar) while aggressively sealing the RV’s “weak points” like windows, doors, and vents to retain as much warmth as possible.
