The Best RV Pellet Stoves
Looking for an RV Pellet Stove? They have gained huge popularity among camping enthusiasts in recent years, as they bring that homely feel, and save you on your energy bills.
A camper pellet stove is a great option for heating small spaces such as cabins, motorhomes, trailers, and they're also ideal for warming your house.
Rather than burning logs of wood, an RV pellet stove produces heat by burning pellets of recycled materials, which is typically a combination of softwoods, charcoal and other fillers. The result is that it burns more efficiently and produces fewer particles than wood, meaning they're much kinder to the environment
They can be freestanding models or inserts. You can get large and of course small pellet stoves so it depends on the space you have to determine the type of pellet stove you should get for your RV
To help you in your search, we've drawn up a list of the best RV pellet stoves on the market. It's a big investment, so you should take time and effort to read up on the model you want.
After the review, we've included a buyer's guide on all things camper pellet stoves. You'll learn exactly what one is and how it works. We also explain the main features of large and small pellet stoves that are ideal for RV living, and the features that makes the best ones stand out.
We've also included a comparison overview of RV pellet stoves against gas, propane, and electric heaters. There's a guide and video on how to install a pellet stove in your RV and how to keep it clean and well maintained. There's an FAQ section to end the buyer's guide, so by the end you should be a well-seasoned pro on all things camper pellet stoves.
If you prefer, you can scroll straight to the RV Pellet Stove Buyer's Guide by clicking the link...
Review of the Best RV Pellet Stoves
Having a warm and cozy RV is something everyone desires. Take a look at our review of the best RV pellet stoves, so you can ensure the winter months are as cozy on the road as what they are at home.
Best Overall RV Pellet Stove:
ComfortBilt HP22 - 55,000BTU Pellet Stove
Pros
Cons
This cozy, RV pellet heater is a great choice for people who want a powerful yet economical pellet heater. ComfortBilt brings an amazing option that has a quality design and quite user-friendly features. It has a 47 lbs. hopper and a heat output 55,000 BTU per hour.
Moreover, it has a built-in thermostat that has a temperature range of 61 to 82 degree F. It is also extremely easy to clean with a removable ash pan that needs to be emptied every 3 weeks due to low ask production.
While being fuel-efficient with its powerful exhaust fan and heat exchange blower, its durable charcoal exterior looks great with any kind of home décor.
The main issue with this one is that there's no remote. That said, there's 4 different pellet feed settings, so you can adjust it to suit, and you'll likely only need it on the low setting once you're heated up.
Bottom Line
CustomBilt do some great camper pellet stoves, and this one is another well constructed unit, and will last you a long time. Heat output is great, and it's nice and light. It will save you plenty on your energy bills and best of all keep the interior nice and warm.
Best Small Pellet Stove:
US Stove 5040 Pellet Stove
Pros
Cons
If you're looking for the best small pellet stove for your RV, then this model from US Stove Company is up there. With dimensions of 24.5 x 21.5 x 28.5 inches, this is an ideal stove for anyone tight on space.
There's Digital control board with 4 heat settings so you can easily change the settings. It boats a 75% efficiency rating, and a full load it burns for up to 40 hours, so you can be sure you'll get your camper all nice and cozy.
It's made of heavy steel construction and designed for moderately sized areas. And this small pellet stove has a nice large viewing window with air wash glass, which adds to the coziness and serenity of your room.
It boasts a fully automatic operation with auto ignition, so you have complete control. And with an auto circulation blower, this small pellet stove will quickly heat up your room.
Bottom Line
This RV pellet stove is not only pleasing to the eye but it warms up even a large, luxury 5th wheel in no time. It will save you on energy bills, and it's also pleasing on the eye. If you're wanting a small pellet stove, you can do much worse than this one from US Stove Company.
Best Camper Pellet Stove for the Money:
Castle 12327 Serenity Wood Pellet Stove with Smart Controller
Pros
Cons
Castle pellet stoves are affordable, stylish, and efficient, and this one is no different. This camper pellet stove has a heating output of almost 32,000 BTU. It also has a programmable smart controller. It allows you to choose different settings between manual or automatic thermostat with 5 burn levels.
In addition, there's also a weekly operational mode to set a schedule for your house heating. The product has an attractive design that makes it look good in any room. It is also highly efficient and provides greater heat output with less fuel with its air-cooled engines.
The best part of this unit is that it is easy to clean. All you need to do is dump out the fire pot and ash pan and sweep exhaust pipes without worrying about any hidden chambers that may hamper the overall performance.
Bottom Line
This is an efficient yet stylish RV pellet stove by Castle that is a strong, heating unit. It also has an adjustable smart controller that makes it extremely user-friendly.
Best RV Pellet Stove from Pleasant Hearth:
Pleasant Hearth 35,000 BTU
Pros
Cons
This RV pellet stove is an effective indoor heating system that has 35,000 BTU. With such a powerful heating output, this pellet stove can easily warm up an area of 1750 sq. feet with a burn time ranging from 12-24 hours. It also has a 40-pound hopper allowing maximum space for fuel pellets and minimizing the need of filling it often.
Along with an auto light ignition, this camper pellet stove has many other features that make it user-friendly. Examples include 5 heating settings, a Comfort Control system, and options to run continuously on either maximum or minimum.
For safety, the product carries an outside air kit and convection blower. It is also easy to install. Not only is it a treat for the eyes, but its cast iron body and large ceramic window also make for a classic addition to your home décor.
If you run into problems with this pellet stove, there's an exclusive Integrated Diagnostics, which makes troubleshooting so easy to deal with, and should speed up any problems you may have. For full peace of mind, there's a 5 year warranty with this stove, too.
Bottom Line
This is one of the best pellet stoves for RV living that serve well to its function. It is powerful, safe, and easy to use. It has an automatic, quiet blower so it will heat your room in no time, and best of all there's a5 year warranty. What's not to like about this RV pellet stove?
Best RV Pellet Stove with WiFi:
Cleveland Iron Works PS60W-CIW Medium Pellet Stove
Pros
Cons
If you're looking for a medium to small pellet this Cleveland Iron Works PS60W will absolutely heat your room. And for an extra convenience you can run it from your smartphone with a WiFi connection.
It's an EPA approved high-efficiency pellet stove, designed and engineered with solid steel and cast iron construction. The stove boasts a 60lb hopper and allows you to quickly and economically heat up to 1200 sq ft. Not bad for a compact stove. It has an extremely quiet built in blower that quickens up the heating.
The built-in Wi-Fi technology, allows you to adjust the thermostat with ease from anywhere so you can heat the RV or your house so it's nice and warm for your arrival. This can be used with iOS and Android, and is such a nice feature to have.
You'll get about 20 hours of heat with a full stove. If you run into any problems, this small pellet stove has an easy access service areas to make maintenance a quick and simple job.
Bottom Line
This pellet stove will make you feel comfortable in the winter months very quickly. It can warm areas up to 1200 sq ft. so no matter what size RV you have it's a good option. And of course, the main stand out feature with this RV pellet stove is its WiFi connectivity. So convenient!
Excellent Small Pellet Stove for RV:
US Stove Company GW1949
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
This small pellet stove heats the place up pretty nicely. With no electricity bill and low fuel consumption, you save a lot of money. It is perfect for a small place and heats the room quickly, and you don’t have to spend extra money on expensive heaters.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This stove boasts an impressive 40,000 BTUs and heats up to 2,000 sq. Ft, so you can install it in your RV or your cabin. It does not have the conventional design but rather a zigzag patterned vent. This design facilitates even heat flow throughout the operation.
You also don’t have to keep it at full strength and lower the heat capacity for smaller areas. It also has a completely noise-free operation and is certified by the Environmental Protection Department.
Bottom Line
In all, this is the only non-electric pellet stove that is certified by EPA and listed by UL. This tells us about the efficiency and quality of the design and construction. It is freestanding, easy to install, and uses the natural gravity feeding system rather than electricity.
Best Large Pellet Stove:
Ashley Hearth Products AP130 Pellet Stove
Pros
Cons
If you're looking for a large pellet stove, this one is impressive. OK, so, it's a bit too big for your RV, but if you enjoy camping and have a cabin, or even want a pellet stove for home, this should be a consideration.
It is a fully automated pellet stove with auto ignition and easy to use electronic controls. It's a durable and sleek design, and with 48,000BTU it can quickly heat a room of up to 2,200 sq ft.
It comes with an exhaust blower for negative draft that pulls flue products through and out to eliminate smoke spillage while an automatic circulation blower spreads heat evenly. This ensures you can heat your room very efficiently.
The way it works is the exhaust and heat pass through one side of air chambers, while on the other side the variable speed room blower gathers and distributes the heat throughout the room. This results in a very clean burning, and highly efficient pellet stove that will heat your room and keep you feeling comfy during the winter.
If you're looking for something that's eco-friendly, and why wouldn't you be, this stove burns a carbon-neutral, green fuel, that's considered environmentally friendly. So, you can be sure while you're heating your cabin this large pellet stove is helping you do your bit for the environment
Bottom Line
This is an excellent pellet stove that is ideal for heating up large areas. It's economical, efficient, and it;'s also built to last. If you go for this model for your holiday cabin or even your home, we're sure, you'll have a comfortable winter, while saving money on your energy bills.
Pelpro Pellet Stove PP60
Pros
Cons
The Pelpro Pellet stove guarantees complete comfort, convenience, and energy efficiency. This RV pellet stove has a big 60 lbs. hopper that allows 40 hours of continuous heat on a single load of fuel. It also has an automatic ignition that turns on automatically whenever heating is required.
It also has a built-in thermostat and a single dial that allows easy controlling of temperatures according to your preference. It is also extremely efficient as it makes use of less fuel while giving out a high heat output. The pellet stove has reliable technology that ensures superior dependability of users upon it as their source of warmth.
Bottom Line
This pellet heater is a good product except for a few flaws. But with the large 60 lbs. capacity on it, these flaws can easily be overlooked and even fixed.
Buyer’s Guide
Now for the Camper Pellet Stove Buyer's Guide. Here you'll learn all there is to know about them, including what features to look for, what makes the best ones stand out, whether you should get a large or small pellet stove, and of course installation and cleaning guides. Happy reading!
What is a Pellet Stove and How Does it Work?
Many may think that pellet stoves are similar to wood-burning ovens, but this is not the case. Pellet stoves are used for heating up homes, cabins and RVs. Although wood-burning stoves have more or less the same function, the way the two operate is vastly different.
A pellet stove makes use of wood pellets or biomass fuel. These wooden pellets are densely compressed in order to remove all the moisture from the wood. Such dry pieces of wood burn cleaner and also release fewer pollutants into the air, unlike traditional wood-burning stoves. In addition, pellet stoves also require less refilling – as little as once per day.
Once you’ve filled the fuel storage, also known as the ‘hopper,’ and adjusted your desired temperature, the electric auger is then responsible for consistently releasing the pellets into the burn pot. The pellets burn and the heat produced moves through a heat exchanger and eventually, into the room.
The gases produced are released through the roof of your home while the ash is collected in an ash pot that you may have to clean now and then.
How to Choose a Pellet Stove For Your RV
If you're looking for an RV pellet stove there are some serious considerations to ponder...
Total Heating Area
You need to keep in mind the maximum heating area that you want to warm up when choosing an RV pellet stove. This means the larger the heating space, the bigger the pellet stove to make sure it effectively transmits heat to every corner of the room and maintains the temperature. That said, a small pellet stove should heat up most mobile rooms, so you don't need to go too big.
Capacity and Number of Hoppers
The hopper is the fuel storage of the pellet stove. The bigger this hopper is, the less frequently you will have to fill it up. On average, a hopper can hold up to 40 lbs. of fuel.
The number of hoppers refers to whether the pellet stove consists of top and bottom hoppers or only a traditional top hopper. Although fairly less common, bottom hoppers are considered more efficient because they ensure tightly packed wood pellets before pushing them into the fire chamber. Such compressed masses of wood burn more fully and hence, are more efficient.
Thermostat
Almost all RV pellet stoves are equipped with thermostats. Some may have built-in thermostats that are adjustable and give a temperature reading while some may be directly connected to the wall-thermostat of your RV. This, however, entirely depends on user preference.
Ignition
This is another factor that relies fully on user preference. Pellet stoves may either have an auto-ignition or a manual one. Auto-ignition uses electricity to start while manual ignition would require you to light it up with a match or lighter each time.
Safety Features
It is vital to be aware of all the safety features of your pellet stove. These may include factors such as safe burning of wood, appropriate carbon monoxide emission, children and pet safety, automatic disconnection upon overheating, and other similar factors.
Pros and Cons of Pellet Stoves in an RV
Buying a pellet stove has numerous benefits, but there are a few drawbacks that you may want to consider when making your choice..
Pros
- They are extremely efficient.
- They burn clean and hence, are environment-friendly.
- Pellet stoves are also fairly easy to maintain.
- These stoves also simply require a vent instead of a chimney and therefore, have simple installation requirements.
- Pellet stoves do not attract pests, unlike wood-burning stoves.
Cons
- Pellet stoves use electricity that may increase your utility bill.
- Buying pellets is more expensive than buying wood.
- In terms of aesthetics, the fire in pellet stoves is also not too bright and consistent.
Comparison Overview
Pellet stoves are popular with those that have smaller living areas or live in RVs. You don’t always need large, expensive heaters. The size and capacity should be according to the area that needs heating to ensure comfort.
Pellet stoves are one of the most cost-effective alternatives that you can buy. But let’s look at the alternatives and what choice would suit you better. The main difference between these is how they heat. Where a pellet stove burns pellets and provides heat to the surrounding area like a wood stove (but cleaner), these heaters will have different heating modes.
Pellet Stove vs. Electric Heat
Pellet stoves are about 3.4 times cheaper than electric heaters when it comes to fuel price. Electric heaters don’t require complicated installation and are often portable. However, pellet stoves also come in portable designs that you can use outside. The other main difference is electric heaters don’t need any maintenance as there are no ash leftovers. But the downside is the electricity bill.
Pellet Stove vs. Propane
Propane heaters are very similar to gas heaters, but they are more efficient, and their fuel cost is also lower. Instead of having a gas connection in your home or buying pellets, you use propane cylinders. Propane heaters are a more popular choice for outdoor use.
Pellet Stove vs. Gas
Gas heaters are probably the most popular and known among all the choices. But they like the propane heaters need to be installed with care and have a fire hazard. But natural gas heaters have one of the most expensive fuel costs of all, whereas pellet stoves require cheap fuel. Also, for gas heaters, you will need to have an existing connection in your home.
Pellet Stove Maintenance and Cleaning Tips, Tricks, and Hacks for Success
Having a clean pellet heater is important not only for the health of the heater but also for the family's health. You should not be inhaling soot and ash. Here are some things to keep in mind when using these stoves.
How Often to Clean
How often you clean the pellet stove depends on how often you use it. As a general thumb of rule, you should do a basic cleaning twice every week and a more thorough cleaning after every ton of pellets used.
Filters
You can install filters in the stove that keep dust and ash from entering your living space. This can reduce how often you have to clean and give you cleaner air.
Which Pellets to Use
Pellets are of different kinds and quality. Where wood pellets are the most common, corn pellets are also used. Corn pellets create more ash, but they are more environmentally friendly. So it depends on what you are willing to compromise.
How to Install a Pellet Stove in an RV
Installing a pellet stove is not the most difficult task, but you still need to be careful as a wrong installation can harm you and your family. You can follow these simple steps for correct and safe installation.
- Choose a corner of the room to place your stove
- Create openings for the exhaust and intake pipe
- Make sure you don’t have any bolts where you make the hole
- You can do that by drilling a small hole
- Use a wall thimble to protect the wall from heat
- Check the radius of the wall thimble and pipe for accurate measurements
- Start cutting with an electric saw from both inside and outside the house
- After putting in the pipe add some extra insulation for safety
- Place the wall thimble on both ends and drill nuts in to secure it
- Do the same for inlet pipes at least 12 inches below the exhaust pipe
- Seal the joints with high heat silicone
If you are still confused, watch the video below for detailed instructions.
How to Clean a Pellet Stove
As we mentioned, cleaning and properly maintaining your pellet stoves are very important. Here are the simple steps you should follow for this purpose.
- Open the doors of the stove and use a brush to make the ash fall
- Open the trap doors, so the ash goes in them and is easily removed
- Close the trap doors
- Now, open the bottom door that has they catch tray with the release button
- Use a fireplace glass heater to wipe away the soot from the glass and close everything back up again
For more tips and tricks, watch the video given below.
People Also Ask
Since pellet stoves are a great investment, people are bound to have questions before they are sure that they want to invest in one. Here, we have answered some of the common questions people usually have.
How to Start a Pellet Stove
- Pour pellets on the stove hopper until it is 3/4ths full
- If it is automatic, then just press the ON button
- Take out the ashtray, clean it, and add pellets to it
- Pour ignition gel on the pellets and stir
- Use a match or a lighter to burn them and close the door once they pick up the heat
How Much Electricity Does a Pellet Stove Use?
Electric pellet stoves take about $ 0.08 per KW or 2.24 cents per hour.
What Does a Vacuum Switch Do On a Pellet Stove?
The vacuum switch ensures that the gases are going in the right direction. If there is a problem, the switch stops fuel from getting to the stove, which then shuts down.
How Many Watts Does a Pellet Stove Use?
It takes anywhere from 400 to 800 watts of power to run.
How Much Does it Cost to Install a Pellet Stove?
Depending on your pellet stove, it can cost around $1500 to $4000 to install, including labor, chimney installation, and fireproof pad.
What Size Pellet Stove Do I Need?
It depends on the size of the room you want to heat. For a 2000 sq ft area, use a stove with 60,000 BTU output, and for a 1300 sq ft area, use a 42000 BTU stove.
Is it Safe to Have a Pellet Stove in an RV?
Yes, pellet stoves are perfectly safe to use in an RV if used correctly and responsibly.
How to Vent a Pellet Stove
Pellet stoves are vented horizontally directly through the wall to the outside or are connected vertically to an already existing chimney. However, it's recommended to hire a professional for a safe setup.
How to Clean Pellet Stove Glass
Use a damp towel paper or newspaper dipped in ashes to rub off the residue. Then use a glass cleaner for a final swipe.
How to Test an Auger Motor in a Pellet Stove
To test an auger motor, connect 2 pieces of wire to the auger motor along with a 120V wall outlet. The shaft begins to move as you grip it with pliers. If it continues to move, despite you holding it, then it is perfectly good for use.
RV Pellet Stoves - Keep Warm, Comfortable and Save on Your Energy Bills
A pellet stove can be a great heating addition to your RV if you are able to find a model that perfectly fits your needs and budget. Not only are these heat sources efficient and cleaner, but they also look great and are cheap to run.
We recommend all of the above pellet stoves, but for most RVs, you should only need a small pellet stove, or a medium sized one at most. Whichever one you go for, we're sure you're doing the right thing as the winter months approach.
Happy and comfortable camping!
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Hello, fellow wanderers! I’m Alyssia. Since 2008, my husband and I have called an RV our home, journeying through life one mile at a time. Our nomadic lifestyle has led us to over 70 countries, each with their unique tales that have shaped our own.
I share our stories and insights right here, hoping to inspire and guide you in your own adventures. Expect tips on RV living, our favorite camping spots, breathtaking hiking trails, and the joys and challenges of an ever-changing view from our window. Alongside, you’ll also find practical advice on outdoorsy stuff, designed to equip you for any journey. Join us as we continue to explore the vast, beautiful world on wheels!
