By Cheri Sicard
In the video below, Drew from Playing with Sticks [333K subscribers; 68M views] talks about the best electric heaters for teardrop trailers, as that’s what this YouTube channel specializes in. However, these small electric heaters would also work well in any tiny space, such as a van, truck camper, or small trailer.
One of Drew’s goals with this video was to bust through the misconception that you can’t run heaters when off the grid. The heaters he recommends prove that’s just not so, as they require less energy than running three 60-watt lightbulbs.
Needless to say, the smaller your space, the better the heaters will work. But Drew and family regularly RV in Alaska, so he tested the heaters out in chilly conditions.
The heaters featured in the video require only between 350 watts to 750 watts of power. That’s amazing, as you can use many different portable power stations to power them.
Drew covers tips for using your portable power station for small electric heaters, and he ends the video with his portable power station recommendations. Here’s an article I wrote about them.
Rather than list all the features of what each electric heater does and offers, I recommend watching the video as Drew compares and contrasts. This gives a better picture of what to expect so that you can make heater choices that are best for you and your circumstances.
He also covers how to add a thermostat to lower your power usage even more, as well as extra safety features to add.
When it comes to comparing the so-called best electric heaters, the subtle differences might make one choice better for you than another.
Here is the small Lasko heater Drew uses. And here is the small heater with a thermostat he recommends, too.
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RVT1243
If we have shore power, we rarely use the propane furnace in our single axle TT. We have a 600w space heater with an auxiliary RF controlled remote thermostat. And a second 200w outlet mount heater in the bathroom. We are good down to the mid-20s (Fahrenheit) if not too windy.