LF Bros Diesel Heater Review Portable Heat For Camping, Garage, Home, And Cabin
- Chris Barrera
- Dec 5, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: Dec 12, 2025
LF Bros Diesel Heater Review: Portable Heat For Camping, Garage, Home, And Cabin
I have spent the last two winters camping in severe cold, and this compact orange heater from LF Bros has become one of my favorite pieces of gear. It is a five-kilowatt diesel air heater with an integrated five-liter tank, a clean all-in-one housing, an electric control panel with a screen, and a remote. It can run on household power at 110 volts or on 12- or 24-volt power, so it fits easily into a camping or backup power setup.
I pair it with an EcoFlow River 2 Pro portable power station. That combination gives me a completely portable heating system that I can move between the camper, the garage, our home, and our cabin. I usually set the heater outside, run the warm air duct where I need it, and power it from the EcoFlow. Because the heater is self-contained, it is just as valuable for the garage or in an emergency at home as it is out in the woods.
Where to Purchase
Why I chose this heater
My winter trips started with only the camper's built-in propane heat. It kept us warm, but the moisture was constant. Everything felt damp, and the windows dripped in the morning. I wanted a heater that would give me dry heat, burn a small amount of fuel, and draw very little electricity so that I could run it from a portable power station instead of a generator all night.
The LF Bros heater checked those boxes. The unit has a solid, enclosed body with a built-in tank, air intake, exhaust, and warm air outlet. The remote and front screen make it easy to see the current setting and adjust the temperature and fan speed from inside the camper without going back outside in the cold.
Real-world camping setup
For camping, I treat this heater like a small portable furnace. I keep the main body outside where the exhaust is in the open air. I have plumbed a vent connection so that warm air feeds directly into the camper.
When I arrive at camp, I do the same simple routine.
Set the heater on level ground outside the camper.
Connect the warm air duct to the camper vent.
Connect power from the EcoFlow River 2 Pro.
Make sure the exhaust is pointed in a safe direction away from people and gear.
Startup takes a short time while the glow plug heats and the unit begins feeding fuel. After that, the fan ramps up, and a steady flow of warm, dry air comes through the duct into the camper. Once you have your hoses and vent figured out, the whole process only takes a few minutes.
Portability and flexible use
Even though I have a vent set up for the camper, the heater is still completely portable. When we get home, I bring it into the garage and aim the warm air where I am working. On icy mornings, it takes the edge off a two-car garage much faster than a regular electric space heater, and it does so without tripping breakers.
For home and cabin use, it is part of our backup heat plan. If the central heat is out, I can run the heater from the EcoFlow River 2 Pro, keep it outside or in a well-ventilated area, and pipe warm air into a small living space. The heater burns diesel from its own tank while the EcoFlow only has to supply the small electrical draw for the fan and controls, which stretches the battery nicely.
Price, quality, and why I did not go cheaper
There are cheaper diesel heaters on the market. When you start searching online, you will see many low-priced units that all look similar. The LF Bros heater usually costs more than the cheapest options, and at first, that can be a hesitation.
In my experience, the old saying that you get what you pay for is partly true here. The cheaper heaters often use lower-cost parts. People who buy them sometimes plan to upgrade pumps, fuel lines, filters, and other components right away. If you are handy, enjoy tinkering, and do not mind pulling things apart and rebuilding them, that route can make sense and save some money.
I am not that person. I am not very mechanically inclined, and I did not want to spend my time replacing pumps and fuel hoses or chasing leaks and error codes right after buying a heater. I also did not want the extra cost and hassle of sourcing better parts and doing upgrades just to make the unit reliable.
The reason I chose LF Bros is that I wanted a heater that felt solid from day one and would just work. I wanted quality parts, a clean all-in-one design, and fewer surprises once I put it into real use on cold winter trips. For me, this heater has been a quality, low-hassle item. I carry spare fuel, keep up with basic maintenance, and it simply does its job. If you have strong mechanical skills and enjoy modifying gear, there might be cheaper heater options worth exploring. For my needs, paying a little more up front for something that feels well-built and dependable has been worth it.
Heat output and comfort
In real use, the five-kilowatt rating is more than enough for a small camper. On very cold nights with temperatures in the low teens, I usually run the heater at a medium setting. Inside the camper, we stay comfortable in regular clothing and a light blanket. The air feels dry, which makes the cold easier to manage and keeps condensation on the windows to a minimum.
There is some noise from the fan and the fuel pump, but since the heater sits outside the camper, the sound inside is more like a steady white noise. It has never kept us awake.
Fuel and power use
Fuel use depends on how hard you run the heater, but in my experience, it is very reasonable. A full five-liter tank has covered a solid winter weekend of camping at moderate settings. On lower settings, the heater sips fuel.
Electricity use is also low once the heater is running. There is a brief burst of higher draw during startup while the glow plug does its job, then the draw settles down. The EcoFlow River 2 Pro handles that easily, and on normal winter nights, I still have plenty of battery left in the morning.
Use in the garage and at home
In the garage, the heater has turned into a regular tool. When I want to work on a project in cold weather, I set the heater in a safe spot, aim the outlet toward the work area, and let it run. It warms the space faster than an electric heater of similar size and does not overload the household circuit.
For home and cabin emergencies, it gives me peace of mind. I store some extra diesel, keep the EcoFlow charged, and know that even if the main heat is off, we can heat a small space and stay comfortable.
Safety and maintenance
As with any diesel heater, safety comes first. I always run the exhaust outside in an open area and I use carbon monoxide detectors inside the camper and in any enclosed space where warm air is being vented in. The heater needs basic care such as checking fuel lines, keeping the air intake clear, and occasionally running it on a higher setting to burn off any buildup in the system.
Final thoughts
After two winters of real use, I consider the LF Bros diesel heater one of the best investments in my cold-weather setup. It keeps our camper warm and dry, makes the garage usable in the middle of winter, and acts as a practical backup heat source for home and cabin. Paired with an EcoFlow River 2 Pro, it becomes a portable heating system that fits right into camping, home preparedness, and everyday projects.
Suppose you want an economical heater that can move between camping duty, shop work, and emergency backup, and you prefer quality parts over tinkering with upgrades. In that case, this model deserves a serious look.
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