This post may contain affiliate links or mention our own products, please check out our disclosure policy.

These Portable Wave Heaters Will Keep You Warm This Winter

This post was updated on March 15th, 2024

If you’re camping somewhere cold this winter, you’re going to want more than one heat source to stay warm. Camco makes a gas catalytic heater ideal for RVs and campers that you can use even if you don’t have power available.

heater
Camco’s Olympian Wave Heaters. Photo via Amazon

The Olympian Wave-8 heaters are both silent and efficient. They put off enough heat to warm 290 square feet of space, and if it gets too hot, the heaters can be turned down from 8000 to 4200 BTU an hour. The heaters are also offered as the Wave-6 (which heat up to 3200-6000 BTU) and Wave-3 (1600-3000 BTU). The Wave-3 warms up to 130 square feet of space, and the Wave-6 is best for spaces up to 230 square feet.

You can mount them on your wall or use them as portable space heaters. Like wood burning stoves, these gas catalytic heaters don’t need an electrical connection and won’t drain your battery. They operate on low-pressure HD-5 propane and have a safety shut-off valve to prevent accidental fuel discharge.

Sign up for the newsletter today!

Please enter a valid email address.

An error occurred. Please try again later.

× logo

Thank you for subscribing to the Do It Yourself RV newsletter, keep your eye on your inbox for updates.

The heaters are built with an automatic Piezo electric sparker that lasts about 20,000 starts.  According to the company:

“Olympian heaters produce mostly radiant heat as a result of a flameless catalytic combustion process. Its efficiency is high because combustion takes place at relatively low temperatures.

Like the sun, Olympian heaters radiate heat directly to people, floors, walls and other objects without heating the air first, so warmth is felt immediately. Radiant heat is absorbed by objects and then emitted into the air to heat the surrounding area. Therefore, your Olympian heater should be oriented to direct its heat rays toward the space to be heated, much like a floodlight is positioned to illuminate the desired area. “

The heaters use very little propane even when they’re on for a long period of time. On their max setting, the Wave heaters take about 1/8 lb of propane an hour. This means a 20 lb tank would last about 160 hours. On its low setting, the heater uses about 1/15 lb per hour, so it could run around 300 hours.

heaters
Photo: Camco on Youtube

Because the heaters use propane, keep in mind there are safety precautions you’ll want to take. Cross ventilation is vital to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. All you’ll need to do is crack open a window and a top vent and you’ll be able to warm up safely. Make sure to also have a carbon monoxide alarm installed and in proper working condition.

The Olympian Wave-8, the Wave-6, and Wave-3 heaters are all available on Amazon. You may also want to check out these Camco RV Vent Insulators to stay warm this winter.





6 thoughts on “These Portable Wave Heaters Will Keep You Warm This Winter”

  1. Since I now take the spouse along and have always taken the dog along that will be all the warmth I need any season of the year!

  2. Love our Wave 3. Keeps the Queen toasty and doesn’t blow me out of the trailer. Had ours for about a year now and very please. When we run it all day, it will last about a month on a 5 gal tank. Perfect for our 30′ trailer.

  3. BTW every rig should have a propane and Co monitor along with the usual fire detection system. Unfortunately there are no easy consumer oriented Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide level monitors.

  4. Do be careful with non vented combustion heaters (flame or so called catalyst) types because the byproducts are steam, carbon dioxide and when not efficient carbon monoxide. The last one is a very dangerous gas, the first one will cause condensation in the short term with damage to structure of the interior, along with promoting the growth of mold and mildew. So vented is the way to go or electric if unvented, but do remember that our breathing also creates a lot of humidity so you need a sort of dehumidification process inside a small rig. Oh and remember we need oxygen so some fresh air is a good thing. Be safe and logical.

Leave a Comment

Welcome! Please follow these guidelines:

  • Be kind and respectful.
  • Keep comments relevant to the article.
  • Avoid insults, threats, profanity, and offensive remarks.
  • Refrain from discussing gun rights, politics, or religion.
  • Do not post misleading information, personal details, or spam.

We may hide or remove comments at our discretion.