13 Best Wood Stoves for Camper Van

Living full-time in a camper van or an RV can make for an amazing life choice. In fact, there are so many magical things to experience that aren’t possible while living full-time in a traditional home. After all, there’s nothing cozier on a snowy or chilly evening than curling up in front of a crackling fire in the comfort of your moving home. And with the best wood stove for a camper van, including miniature wood burning ones, you can do just that. What’s more, it doesn’t matter whether you have a van, an RV, or even a skoolie; it’s wood-burning stoves to the rescue. They won’t cause condensation buildup and will create dry heat, basically making for a free heat source after the initial investment. Plus, they can easily heat the largest RVs even in the coldest climates.

So, if you’re considering taking your campervan into colder climates, then wood-burning stoves are essential. Besides that, they’re cozy and sustainable and provide an ambiance that’s difficult to replicate. You might want to start off by reading about the best camping wood stoves. To that end, here are the 13 best wood burning stove options for a camper van, including miniature ones.

Dickinson Marine 00-NEWSF Newport Solid Fuel Heater

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The Dickinson Newport Solid Fuel Heater is the best small wood-burning stove for the camper van. This miniature small wood stove for camper is the most lightweight one on this list, weighing just 15 lbs. This stove dissipates dry heat and yet has a small, efficient, and sleek look. What’s more, the installation is very straightforward and simple. While it does require cutting a hole in the van’s roof, you can find wood for the stove just about anywhere. If that wasn’t enough, the stove can take coal and pellets. Furthermore, the wood heater can be used in tandem with a heat-powered fan. So, it helps disperse the heat throughout the space instead of it all rising to the ceiling.

Dickinson Newport Propane Direct Vent Heater

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The Dickinson Newport Propane Direct Vent Heater isn’t exactly a wood-burning stove but rather a popular heater for RVers, campers, and van lifers. If you want the look and feel of a fire without all the wood smoke and crackling, this is the stove for you. It creates soft blue flames with a heat output of 5,500-7,500 BTUs, which is pretty incredible. What’s excellent about this fireplace is that it weighs just 26 lbs and is less than 6 inches deep. So, for such a small unit, the heat output is incredible. All in all, this small propane stove is designed for marine living and is unaffected by winds, motion, or weather conditions.

England Stove Works Survivor

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The England Stove Works Survivor is an excellent wood-burning stove for the camper van. This miniature camper wood stove has an amazing cooking area of 168 sq. in. So, it makes it the best amongst almost all models in its size due to its excellent cookability. It’s perfect for couples and families who’re planning to do a fair amount of cooking. Thanks to the heavy-duty American steel, it brings the weight of the stove down to a very manageable 45 lbs. Finally, the exclusion of a window allows the fire to heat slightly more efficiently, even though it does the job without the dancing flames in the window.

Drolet Austral III

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The Drolet Austral III is another amazing wood stove for camper vans. This wood stove from the Quebec-based Drolet is designed to heat areas that measure anywhere between 250 and 1,000 square feet. That means that it can easily heat up mid-to-large sized campers as well. Hence, it’s one of the larger stoves on this list, but it’s well-suited for large RVs, especially if you plan to travel to very cold or snowy locations. And a larger size means that it can accommodate logs that measure up to 17 inches long, which means that your search for wood just became easier. Finally, the classic design, combined with silver accents, means that it’ll fit in any space beautifully.

US Stove US1269E Log Wood Cast Iron Stove

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The US Stove US1269E Log Wood Cast Iron Stove is an excellent wood-burning stove for camper vans. This wood stove has an amazing heat output of 54,000 BTUs that heats up RVs, campers, and vans with surface areas of up to 900 sq. feet! What’s more, the stove has a two-piece safety handle that remains cool even when it’s burning. Meanwhile, the heavy-duty cast iron build offers a classic style with modern technology. Moreover, the stove is large enough to accept logs measuring up to 19 inches in length. Finally, it has a 6.25-inch integrated cooking surface on top.

TMS Portable Military Camping Wood Stove

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The TMS Portable Military Camping Wood Stove is yet another great miniature wood stove for camper. This stove has a ton of components and meets all safety certifications. This includes the spark arrestor for additional safety. What’s more, it also has two removable side cooking tubes that can be used for foil meals, baking potatoes, ad more. There are even front and rear air flow regulators and an easy-access bottom for hassle-free ash clean-out. Meanwhile, the top grate is hinged and also doubles as a carrying handle when the stove isn’t in use. Finally, the grate folds offer a flat heating surface atop the stove and can be folded out for easy storage.

Ashley Hearth AW1120E-P EPA-Certified Pedestal Wood Burning Stove

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The Ashley Hearth AW1120E-P EPA-Certified Pedestal Wood Burning Stove is an excellent and stylish wood-burning stove for camper van. Do you have a huge RV that the entire family uses to travel by road in the cold winters? Then you need this wood stove, which has a stupendous heat output of 68,000 BTUs and heats up areas as large as 1,200 sq. feet! What’s more, the stove is lined with firebrick for combustion efficiency and long life. If that wasn’t enough, the large ash pan with a brushed nickel handle also makes cleanup a hassle-free and easy process. Finally, it accepts logs up to 18 inches in length and has a pedestal base and a brushed-nickel spring door handle.

DANCHEL Outdoor Titanium Camping Wood Stove

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The DANCHEL Outdoor Titanium Camping Wood Stove is perfect for RVers, campers, and van lifers. This wood stove has a lot to love, such as its wider left-side door glass. It allows you to check the wood situation without opening the stove door; what’s more, the 100% titanium wood stove has excellent high-temperature resistance and reduces leakage. Besides the above, it’s also portable and ultra-lightweight at 6 lbs, including all its parts, which also come with a carrying bag. Moreover, the bigger throttle door holes allow faster circulation of airflow. Finally, the intensity of the flame is easy to control, and the stove is easy to set up too.

Lixada Wood Burning Camping Stove

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The Lixada Wood Burning Camping Stove is the best wood-burning stove for camper van. This lightweight, foldable stove is one of the most compact and carryable stoves on this list. What’s more, it even packs in a tote bag for easy storage. What’s more, it can use everything from wood, twigs, and leaves as fuel, which means that this stove has unlimited free fuel, no matter where you park your RV. So, it doesn’t have a carbon footprint or chemical emissions, and you don’t have to spend money on gas tanks. Finally, the stove, which is made of four walls, is easy to assemble.

CASSS Rocket Wood Burning Stove

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The CASSS Rocket Wood Burning Stove is made from 0.5 cold rolled sheet, making it anti-rust and durable for long time use. What’s more, the combustion chamber and top door insulation are lined with refractory metal for ultimate durability. Aside from the double-door design, the stove can regulate airflow well. Moreover, the camping wood stove uses solid biomass fuel, charcoal, leaves, branches, and wood. This increases fuel efficiency tremendously and lessens harmful emissions at the same time. If that wasn’t enough, the stove is also portable and convenient to carry, thanks to the durable oxford storage bag.

JulShareE Portable Military Camping Wood Stove

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The JulShareE Portable Military Camping Wood Stove is an excellent wood-burning stove for camper van. This stove has a lot to love, such as the heavy-duty steel construction with a spark arrestor for safety and four interlocking pipes. What’s more, it has not just removable legs but also removable dual-side cooking tubes, which can be used for foil meals, baking potatoes, etc. Moreover, front and rear airflow regulators allow easy access for cleaning out the ash that accumulates at the bottom. Not only can you use charcoal, but also wood and compressed logs. The best bit? All removable parts fit inside the stove for easy carry.

QUICKSURVIVE Portable Mini Wood Burning Survival Stove

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The QUICKSURVIVE Portable Mini Wood Burning Survival Stove is a fabulous miniature camper wood stove. This portable and lightweight stove just weighs 5 oz. What’s more, the stove folds flat, slimming down to just a smartphone, and just about as tall too. Moreover, it’s made from high-quality stainless steel and even comes with a nylon velcro carry case. The unusual design has an in-built pan and port stand, making it universal to fit even small pots and pans. If that wasn’t enough, the in-built vents greatly improve the heat efficiency. Finally, you can use everything from pinecones, dry grass, leaves, twigs, and more as original fuel from nature.

Febtech Lightweight Wood Burning Stove 

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The Febtech Lightweight Wood Burning Stove is the absolute best wood-burning stove for camper van. This wood stove has a lot to love, as it heats more efficiently and emits fewer toxic pollutants. What’s more, it’s less bulky than standard fireplaces, making it easy to carry it along in your RV, van, or camper van anywhere. Moreover, this Indoor wood stove can do many things, such as keep your tent warm. But that’s not all. There’s even a plate atop the stove for cooking. It even has foldable racks that can be used to place dinner plates, making it an entire heating and cooking experience. Finally, the stove doesn’t have a spark arrestor and has a dual air vent system that regulates fresh air delivered to the fire.

How To Choose The Best Wood Stoves for RVs?

Space and setting

First and foremost, you need to carefully measure the area where you plan to install the wood stove in the camper. There needs to be enough space surrounding the wood stove for safety, including ample overhead clearance. While some require more clearance than others, others might require specialty equipment to minimize the need for a lot of open space. Additionally, you need to keep flammable objects and soft goods away from the stove and plan storage space for firewood and kindling. And depending on your rig, it might mean a lot of designing and rearranging for you. 

Check out the best alcohol stoves for backpacking.

Size

Wood stoves come in all sizes and shapes, including large and small wood stove for camper options too. And size is one of the most important factors when it comes to shopping for a wood stove. No matter whether you’re shopping in-store or online, ensure that you measure and check carefully the measurements of the unit you’re buying. That’s because it needs to fit in the space you measured in your camper. Additionally, it might be hard to gauge the size of a small wood stove for camper from the photos. So, it is necessary to check it out in person, even after shopping online.

You might also want to read up on the best backpacking stoves.

Upkeep and maintenance

Finally, you need to consider the maintenance and upkeep of an RV wood-burning stove before you buy it. Are you ready to chop wood, haul it, store it, dry it, light and keep it on fire, and then clean all the ash and soot it produces? Even if the answer to all the questions above is yes, it’s challenging, but it can be incredibly rewarding and fun too. Just ensure that you’re ready to take it on.

Where do you place a wood-burning stove in a campervan?

The best place is to place a wood-burning stove in the corner somewhere. That way, you can clad the corner with reflective paneling and push heat into the van. Plus, it also keeps the stove out of the way and prevents people from bumping into it.

Are wood stoves safe in an RV?

As long as they’re properly vented, installed, and maintained, yes, they’re absolutely safe.

What is the smallest wood stove?

The smallest wood stove is the Dwarf 3kw Lite from Tiny Wood Stove.