Finally The Perfect Heater for Truck Camping Kovea Cupid Butane Heater 

Not to insult you. I've been living in a van full time for over 4 years. There's two kind of heating, dry or humid. The Chinese diesel heater is dry heat, like a wood stove to is dry heat. What you have is humid heat. Anything that releases a gas is humid heat. Humid heat creates a lot of condensation and mold also.

Thank you from Australia. Very informative and no music or gimmicks for which I am grateful. Feels peaceful in the video.

I have done a lot of winter camping in Alaska for over 30 years. Big tents, little tents, cabins, truck beds, boats, ice fishing shelters and RVs. These little heaters are nice to have as backup, but the condensation, cost and safety are a no go for me. Look at the UCO 1 and 3 candle fixtures. The 3 candle (dripless wax) chandelier puts out 5,000 BTUs and will burn all night. No condensation. You can heat beverages on it also. When it's really cold, like -15F or more, I have used 2 or more of the chandeliers or a combination of the 3 and 1 candle fixtures. Can't beat the combination of warmth, safety and ambience.

I have one of these and have used it many times over the last 2 1/2 years. I love it and it works great in my 6x10 cargo trailer/camper conversion. It starts on the first try everytime. I get about 3 1/2 hours or so on low out of a cannister. I bought mine on eBay from S Korea and it arrived in about 10 days.

I got one and use it in my truck cap too. Also have used the Lil Buddy for years. I never sleep with either on, but great for knocking out the cold in a few minutes.

I am using mine right now!! I bought it after watching your video. Using in my minivan camper!! Works great!!

I just stumbled across your site. OI really appreciate the demonstration without the DRAMA that so many people put into their evaluations

That should be just right for my self-made teardrop camper trailer. I made a wood burning stove from a 5 lb propane tank, but this would be more convenient. Thanks for showing.

Thanks for the product info! Please let us have another review when you’ve had a chance to use it for awhile. Thanks!

I find that boiling a liter of water and pouring it into a Nalgene bottle which I then throw into my bed/sleeping bag works wonders. The small amount of stove use heats up my camper, the hot water bottle keeps me warm all night. It’s a good system. Also, I always run my vent fan during the day to evacuate any moisture to avoid mold build up.

Such a great way to enjoy life after retirement! Have fun out there sir

Thanks for posting this, we're looking for just this kind of a heater. Happy camping!

Looks like a sharp little product there. Thanks for sharing 👍

I have one of these that I use to heat up equipment that I need to work on outside in freezing temps. For example, the auger froze up on my snowblower and I just pointed this at the auger metal for 15 min to get it to unfreeze. Also nice to take the chill out of the air in my well-ventilated shed in the winter. Probably nice to use in a hunting blind or ice fishing tent, provided you have good ventilation. Not sure I would trust leaving it on in a small sleeping area while I'm sleeping, even with a carbon monoxide detector, but they're handy little things and very affordable. Both to purchase and to operate - you can find the heater in some places for under $80 and I buy CRV or RVR butane cans in bulk at around $2.50/can.

I was getting real worried for you until 7:00 and I am glad you made sure to go through your precautions!

Thats a nice little heater! Wow. I have my truck with cap and thinking of truck-camping... this would be something I'd probably use.

It's small size is appealing, and being able to use it to knock the chill off when necessary. when the temperature calls for it makes it perfect for my application. I already have a butane stove and am pretty happy with it. and being as the little Buddy heaters are fueled by propane. it would eliminate having to have two fuel sorces. I'm definitely going to look into ordering one.

I love this video! Thank you for making it so peaceful with no music and a gentle pace. This is one compact heater I want to get. Cost is about $75 online. Butane refills are much cheaper at Asian supermarkets like 99Ranch Market, Mitsuwa, Marukai, Lion, etc. I used to pay $4 for 4 cans!!! Now it has gone up a bit but not $3 per can. Don't buy this anywhere else but in Asian markets. Looks like a very effective heater and I have tons of butane cans sitting around for my butane stove. Wonderful small heater. By the way, Costco was selling tiny carbon monoxide detectors with a powerful sound! Easy to mount, small size.

Wow, here in New Zealand we pay about $7 NZ dollars for a 3 pack of those cans. I have 2 of those heaters and they last just under 4 hours on high. They were so useful when our heat pump remote died till the replacement arrived. Glad you have the window open and the CO sensor using those in such a small space.. they give out awesome heat but also gobble up your oxygen.

Another awesome video man! I just bought a little buddy heater but I wish I would have saw this video before hand! Keep up the awesome content man!

Thank You for this. It is exactly what I have been looking for. You done perfect.

Great. That will be useful for me for emergencies and to provide some heat for my daughter

I wouldn’t throw around “perfect” until you’ve made a portable Chinese Diesel Heater system. Combustion outside the rig. Clean, warm and DRY air. That’s perfect

Great review interested to see how it goes after a bit of use .

Thanks for video.. That little heater looks amazing.

This is exactly what I've been looking for! Thank you :)

I use a forced air 110v space heater with a Jackery power bank to avoid using any gas while I sleep. But these are nice too.

i use a mini dehumidifier with my little buddy running, holds about 12oz. water and helps clean the air.

Hey, this just rolled across my recommendations. Great video. I want one.

Thank you for the review. Putting it on my wishlist immediately. Also looking at the similar butane stove. Appreciate the heads up!

They do sell a Mr. Buddy Jr., with a thermostat that regulates the heat. Also what I like about the Mr. Buddies is that it detects when oxygen levels are seriously depleted and shuts itself off! Also Mr. Buddies have a "off" automatic tilt switch in case your pet, or you moving, knocks it on to an area that could ignite.

Trail Medic, I found this one...KOVEA CUBIC Portable Butane Gas Heater with Pouch KGH-2010 Apparently it can be turned down low enough to last 12 hours, it's also very small at around 6.9"x 6.3"x 6.4" and all stainless steel. I've ordered one anyway as I do leave my other one (same as your previous one from China) on throughout the night in my van, on low it only lasts for 4 hours so I waken up cold to replace the gas canister. Of course I have a window and vent cracked open and two alarms, (carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide) Plus two fire extinguishers at hand. I really like my eberspacher diesel heater but it's hard on my batteries and driving or running the engine to charge is counter productive, using fuel for heater and engine as well as extra unnecessary wear on my van. I purchase those butane canisters by the 100's so less than £1.20 each ($1.35). In my area at the moment, a large 7kg bottle works out more expensive per kg, strange as that sounds it's true.

NICE...! Many thanks for letting me/us know of such a heater & link where to buy! ...and yes you got me subscribed, take care & stay safe. PS, I noticed that same Butane fits your stove too, yay!

I’d look into a technique I used in the early 70’s….. Called pressurizing the cap….. I believe I drilled a hole thru the cap in upper corner. Placed a abs T : can’t remember how I secured ( thought it was threaded inside) … so the air passes thru the outside along the truck cap, sucking air from inside cap…. This blocking dust from getting in.. always stick a rag inside the tube when u don’t want to use….. Worked great for going down dusty roads heading fishing….. easier to draw? B Deacon Manitoba Canada 🇨🇦

Nice review, love what you are doing. God speed and enjoy your journeys.

My only complaint with Butane heaters is that they don't like to function if started in below freezing. As temperature goes down so does the pressure inside the canister and they require a minimum pressure to operate. Propane is similar but is more forgiving at low temperatures. Above freezing or if used once temps are up they work great.

From my experience camping with butane stoves, butane doesn't like to burn at temperatures below about 45°. Part of the problem is the pressure in the cans get's too low to change the liquid butane into a gas. So a butane heater probably won't do its job very well when it is needed.

That was a great product review THANK YOU.

I bought Kovea heater from Sierras Trading post on sale. Heating area looks almost same size maybe larger and much larger to store butan canister. It is very hot heater but fuel consumption is high also. I like Colman propane heater with 1 lb canister for personal use outdoor due to longer lasting and also refillable from m 20lbs tank. My Kovea heater lasts 5 hrs Vs 8 hrs on Colman.

I am glad you mentioned that ventilation is a must when using gas heating in cinfined spaces, people have died from asphyxiation using these,. Don't sleep with them on,

Nice looking hearer. It's a shame you can not use a bigger propane tank to get longer run times.

Thank you Sir for the product information I will get couple's of this for emergency use. 🙏👍❤️

Thanks for the video. Might be something we could use for our van.

If you go to your local Asian Grocery store you will find 4 packs of those butane canisters at a lower price. A few months ago I was paying $7.49 for a 4 pack. NOW they are $8.99 for a 4 pack Would have really liked for you to come back and let us know for sure how many hours it performed and also the starting temp in the truck and what it was after say 30 min of use.

It would be interesting to create a heat retaining tile or stone to sit above the heater. Would that then reflect back some heat a little longer, after you turn the heater off?

Thanks for showing us this heater. It's just what I'm going to need in my van but you should tell people that when they let the butane get below 40°F it doesn't work very well and stops working at freezing temps

Thanks for sharing your videos and keep them coming please.

Thanks for sharing this video. Did you come up with condensation issues with this butane heater? Since it puts out a lot of heat I suppose you do not have to use it for too long for 3 season use, maybe 15 to 20 minutes would work. In that period of time, would there be condensation buildup you think?

It would have been nice if you told us what the temperature was running the heater compared to the outside temperature and just exactly how long it worked on that one canister. We have no idea of how efficient it was.

First time viewer , instant subscriber liked the review and sure I'm going to find other videos I'm going to enjoy

I really enjoyed your video. Thanks and God bless you.

The problem with this vs a propane heater, is when you really need heat, it will be too cool for the butane to work

I think this is a really cool item. However, I would be concerned about ventilation and inhalation of fumes, and quite frankly I would be afraid to sleep with it burning in such a small space. And even though we might think we wouldn't leave it burning all night, the reality is it would be very easy to accidently fall asleep with the item on simply because you're so warm and comfortable. Another thing is for the cost of all the butane and the amount of time that you get from one tank, by the time you buy all those canisters, you might be better off with a small solar generator power station setup with the ability to generate your own power and then you could use one of the 12 volt or USB electric blankets or electric mattress pads. Just a thought.

Love mine! Gave my Buddy Jr to my daughter because this makes it obsolete. Wish the burn time was longer per canister but I only use it to heat up my Tough Stuff Alpha in the morning or when going to bed so 2 days per canister.

The neat thing about heaters that use the green propane tanks, is that you can refill them w/ a BBQ tank.

Using butane or propane. Always crack a window. ALWAYS! YOU NEED OXYGEN WAYYY MORE THAN YOU NEED HEAT.

Opening on camera makes for a good affect......I'm sitting on the edge of my seat! :)

In cold weather I use a 12 volt electric lap blanket (Amazon) and plug it into a deep cycle marine boat battery. I rigged up a 12 volt cigarette lighter type port for the connection. I put the electric blanket under the air mattress, so it keeps the mattress warm. In really cold weather I use 2 electric blankets under there.

Been looking for this. I'm likein' it. Thanks.

I like my wave3 catalytic heater. I use a refillable propane tank and it’s very cheap to use and is dry and very comfortable.

Thanks for sharing, always nice to know what are options are.

I've been searching for so long for a compact heater and only found the same and again the same Chinese crap. It was like there was only one type in the entire market. Your video was the salvation, haha. After at least one week of searching I didn't feel like buying anything.... One hour after watching your video I had ordered it. Kovea should pay you for making excellent advertising for their heater :)

I’ve had one of these for a few years. The can is kept nice and warm by the heater itself. The case it came in is kinda junk though. But the heater is durable enough.

I really love the size but living full time in a van the butane would be far too expensive. But this looks really close to the Wave heaters. Thanks for great video. Stay warm!

Great info, I'll look into one of these. Thx!

Now that is pretty good right there now good idea 💯💯💯

I use those butane cans for my stove in the semi. I get about 12 cooks out of ‘em. I have found that Walmart and academy often don’t have em but the truck stops do but at a higher price.

Great review. Thank you so much!

Probably fit my RTT better than my Big Buddy Heater. Compact, I like that.

Very good space heater with important features

Thanks for the video review!

Great video and thank you for sharing.

Nice video im going to look foe this tiny heater, i shared video.

I have the Big Buddy heater for various situations. Supposedly these new ceramic heaters are so efficient that carbon monoxide poisoning is not a threat. Not sure I believe that, but they also say that they are capable of removing all of the oxygen from the air and that is a danger. I suspect that danger increases in a small, confined area. So ventilation is still important. Happy camping.

Looks great!!

I bought one of these because of this video. You should be getting some royalties.

Mine works great in my little off road teardrop. I run it for about 15 minutes at night on a shelf and maybe 5-10 in the morning if needed. Before using it in really cold weather, I tuck a canister of Butane under my coat for a while to get it warm.

Wow! This look like a buyer to me and will be looking for one. I will still check the carbon monoxide that may be extremely dangerous while sleeping. Need to buy a monoxide detector. Thank you for this video. 👍

Very nice and clean for city or camping 🏕 👌👍👍

Thank you so much!!

Thank you for posting the video. It would be nice if they came out with a smaller propane cylinder, and a filling adapter for a 20 lb cylinder. It looks like those swivel legs, or stanchions, or whatever they're called could both be facing downwards, and a coffee pot could be set on top of the grill. Even if you made the coffee at home ahead of time you would have a great way to heat up the coffee if it would work like that. I know you'd have to watch out for drips.

I'm impressed I'm getting one

Find an asian store. I recently bought a 4 pack of those canisters for $8 at a small asian store. Asians like to cook on those small stoves fired by those canisters so chances are you can get them cheaper in an asian store. That said, this heater has the same problems a buddy heater has: it produces a lot of moisture. Not so much a problem in the bed of a pickup, but very much a problem in any other small setting from teardrop trailer to a van. I'd always invest the money for a ducted heater. Of course they are expensive so it's a matter of budget. I put a propex heater in my little offroad camper and you can run that thing for a few months on a 20lb tank. Best thing is: no burner in the cabin, no extra moisture in the cabin. Sips electricity and gas. Ran it in Yellowstone for 3 weeks last year (we had snow) and it took 3/4 of a gallon of propane for the entire 3 weeks at 65 degrees during the night and a bit higher before sleeping. Costs a bit over $1k though - so it's a budget issue. BTW: that carbon monoxide alarm is not going to prevent you from a carbon dioxide death. Chances are you wake up before you suffocate from CO2, but all these heaters put out CO2 and you need good ventilation. So everyone who was afraid that masks would increase your CO2 levels - never, ever buy one of those butane/propane heaters and use it in an enclosed area, because those heaters will definitely increase CO2 levels a lot more than a 10 pack of masks on your face.

Thanks For Sharing...I Ordered One...Never Came...Did Get My Refund...After Watching Believe I'll Try Again...A Heat Activated Fan Would Be Great To Try.. A Paint Roller Screen And Some Snip Snip And Do Believe You Could Cook From It ...Great Video...Thanks For Sharing.

That's a pretty cool and handy piece. I was always too poor for nice gadgets when I wanted them so I would settle with hobo stoves and candles. However now that I can afford stuff like this, I'm happier burning fuels I can forage. God bless.

There is another reason to keep a window slightly open apart from the obvious CO danger. Gas burners also produce water vapour during the combustion process which could lead to condensation issues.

Good one, thank you sir! Subbed.

Very good review. Thanks.

Thanks Brother ! Liked/Subscribed !

well done. thx!

Great information. Thanks.

Merry Christmas! Came across your video while searching for tent heaters. I have the old style Coleman from the 60's and the Mr. Buddy and a newer version of a Coleman for use with the Backpacking Canister. First time I have seen this one. So I hope you will do a more in depth test of this Unit. Say In a Tent or in a small Truck. I have a 2003 Tacoma TRD which only has a 6.8 ft. Bed,., Also in my mid 70's but still looking for new items since I still am camping and backpacking....

Yeah we had something like it back in the 1970s until our cow dog lifted his leg too many times on it; we went back to the fireplace after that. A burning fire smelled much better.

Great job.

I have the same type of toyota truck, and even with the big buddy heater, i've froze a few nights where temperatures got down to zero. my next heater is going to be a diesel heater mounted to the exterior of the truck with a tire step, and have it ducted through the window. along with a solar panel set up, and i'll be good to go. as these trucks with toppers don't have much space.

I have been using a small Coleman catalytic heater for years, uses the green bottles, doesn’t create useless humidity, it’s a shame it has been discontinued

THANK YOU!

Great video and nice info, gives me something to look into that's not the buddy heater.

Thanks for sharing 👍

Great video