Truma VarioHeat: An Honest Take

 We’ve been using a diesel heater the last few years, but recently switched to the Truma VarioHeat and there’s a lot to like about it. Since installing it, we’ve spent about 7 nights with the Truma in conditions ranging from below-freezing snow storms to foggy 40° beach nights.

Here’s our honest take:

The biggest thing for us is simplicity. There’s basically no setup time. Park, pop the camper, connect your propane tank, set the thermostat, and that’s it. The integrated thermostat kicks on and off throughout the night to maintain your set temperature instead of roasting you out all night like some diesel heaters can (more on that later).

Another thing we like is not having to carry a separate diesel tank to refill the heater. We literally brought gloves just to refill ours (call me a diva, I don’t care). Anyone who’s spilled diesel on their hands knows the smell, and soap doesn’t always take care of it.

Then there’s power consumption. We used to run our diesel heater on AC because the glow plug startup would trip the 10 amp DC fuse on our power station. New power stations like Pecron and Bluetti seem to have caught on to us and added 30 amp fuses, but ours doesn’t….yet. Since the Truma doesn’t rely on glow plugs, startup draw is significantly lower. You can also run it in “night mode” to reduce both noise and power consumption overnight.

Fuel consumption has been impressive. Through those 7 nights I still haven’t seen much of a dent in my 10LB tank. 

Here’s some quick math:

10lb tank =  ~4,500 grams of propane

• Truma on  Low - 100 gr/ hr (45 hours)
• Medium - 220 gr/ hr (20 hours) 
• High - 290 gr/ hr (15 hours) 

For mild camping in the 40’s-50’s where it's running a 50% duty cycle you are looking at close to a 90 hour runtime per 4,500 grams. Camping in a subzero situation and forgetting your sleeping bag? (I’ve seen it but he brought a bottle of Glenlivet… in the box… like a gentleman) You will make it to sunrise on a long winter night.

That said, there are tradeoffs. The biggest downside to propane while remote camping is once your tank is empty, you’re out unless you bring a spare tank. Depending where you are, propane can be harder to find than diesel.

One other hot take: the Truma doesn’t dry the camper out (condensation) quite as much as the diesel heater. This could also have been the result of camping in a snow storm with the heater running fairly low and no ventilation ( temp set to 55 interior with an outside low in the mid 20s).

For the average weekend trip though, the Truma has been hard for us to beat. Quiet, automatic, clean install/setup, and honestly just easy. Exactly what we want out of any system.

A few installation rules/guidelines:

- The unit must be installed opposite of your vehicle’s fuel tank 

 - We will install the Truma near the cab on either the driver or passenger side - or-

- Installed against the cab, attached to a cab side molle panel

 -You cannot have a Tern Overland window on the same side as the heater

- On 5’–5.5’ short bed trucks, side access doors will also collide

Best case install scenarios:

- Best: passenger/driver side w/ exterior horizontal L track & interior side molle

 - Best: against the cab w/ a cab side molle panel

-  Second best: passenger/driver w/ exterior horizontal L-track only

-  If you have neither, the mounting bracket will require visible exterior bolt heads

Power recommendations:

We recommend a Pecron or Bluetti power station with 20+ amp DC output.

What's included in the installation?

Truma VarioHeat unit with install bracket, copper propane line, intake/exhaust hose & port, exterior propane quick connect, wiring to an XT60 -or- pigtail ends (so you can add your preferred connection), 10 amp fuse block, thermostat and temperature gauge plate on opposite side of the unit. 

What is NOT included, but something I must have?

Propane tank, two stage propane regulator and hose, propane & CO alarm

All in all, we are loving our Truma and haven’t looked back at our old diesel set up. Yes, it’s pricier ($2500). But the ease of use, reliability, and quality of the unit is worth it to us.