5 BEST Mini Wood Stoves For RVs, Campers, Vans, And Skoolies

What is the best camper or RV wood stove?

There are two stand-out brands: Cubic Mini Wood Stoves and Dwaft Tiny Wood Burning Stoves. Both companies manufacture mini camper stoves ideal for RVs and other small living spaces. 

Both have a range of different-sized tiny wood stoves for RVs, depending on the square footage, and they’re all affordable. Let’s take a look at them to see if any are suitable for your ride.

Camper and RV wood burning stoves

	Cubic Mini Wood Stove	Grizzly and CUB models Grizzly Output: 8,000-18,000 BTU; Area: up to 400 sq. ft.; Dimensions: 13” W x 15” H x 12” D Company based in Idaho, stoves made in China to TWS's specs	GRIZZLY Wood StoveCUB Wood Stove
	Dwarf Mini Wood Stove	5kw, 4kw, and 3kw versions of the same tiny stove Output: 75,00 - 20,000 BTU (across all sizes); Area: for heating less than 300 sq. ft. - 500 sq. ft. Made in Quebec, Canada	5kw Dwarf StoveAll Dwarf Stoves
	Flame Innovation Wood Stoves	Two wood-burning stove models, plus another that burns compressed logs, and another for pellets Caboose gets 4 - 6 hour burn times, Steelhead gets up to 8 Hand-welded in Idaho with most parts sourced in the USA	Caboose Wood StoveSteelhead Wood Stove

Are wood stoves OK for campers and RVs?

The truth is that they’re not ideal for ALL campers and RVs, especially those that move around a lot.

If your ‘home on wheels’ is in a permanent or semi-permanent location, then a mini wood stove could be the ideal solution for heating and cooking. However, it’s probably a bad idea if you are on the road every other day.

Reasons wood stoves aren’t so great for those on the move:

• You can’t move while the stove is burning
• The chimney pipe needs to be plugged before traveling
• Stoves take a while to cool down completely

So, if you travel a lot in your RV or camper, something like the Superfastracing Diesel Heater or the Mr Heater Propane Radiant Heater will be the better option.

However, if you park your home in the same place for weeks, months, or years, you won’t find better and more comforting heat than that from a wood stove.

Here is more important information about the Cubic Mini and Dwarf Wood Stoves. For more information on that model, read our complete review of the US-made Caboose.

1. Cubic Mini Wood Stoves For RVs

CUBIC MINI STOVES →

The Cubic Mini Wood Stoves, especially the CUB wood stove, are the smallest camper stoves for heating and cooking.

When using good heat shields, these tiny burners don’t need much clearance and take up a tiny amount of space. They’re easy to install (though use a professional if you have any doubts) and don’t take much to maintain once they’re in.

Here are the differences between the CUB and Grizzy stoves.

The CUB is ideal for small RVs, vans, and travel trailers, while the Grizzly suits larger RVs, Skoolies, and campers.

The downside of most tiny wood burners for campers is that you must keep adding wood to the fire at least every hour if you want it to stay going. This means they don’t last through the night unless you get up every few hours.

They are suitable for cooking with small pots and pans, but you’ll probably need or want a second camper stove when you have multiple things cooking.

The Dwarf stoves are better for cooking because you can vent them from the back, giving you the entire top for cooking. The Cubic mini stoves are vented through the top, and you must remove the rail to cook.

Check out our Cubic Mini Wood Stove Reviews for everything you need to know.

Pros:

• High quality
• Great performance 
• Reduces humidity effectively
• Easy to install
• Energy-efficient
• Often discounted/on sale

Cons:

• Very small cooktop
• It needs tiny pieces of wood
• Have to put wood on the fire frequently
• Requires frequent emptying of ashes

2. Dwarf Tiny Wood Stoves For Campers

VIEW DWARF STOVES →

Dwarf Tiny Wood Stove details:

• Designed for small spaces, including tiny homes, school bus conversions, and travel trailers
• They give you freedom from propane
• Wood fires provide dry heat and ambiance
• Tri-burn technology
• Ceramic fire bricks for more radiant heat
• Glass cleaning feature
• Outside air inlet
• Can be used with heat shields or soapstone
• Stove tool and ash pan
• Vent the top or the back for a larger cook space

For such a small stove, it does have many valuable features. It’s easy to start and keep running, provided your wood is seasoned and dry.

Here are some of the Dwarf stove specs.

They also have a ‘lite’ version of the 3kw wood stove that is even cheaper than the standard 3kw.

It’s the same but missing a few of the bells and whistles.

In this chart, you can see the BTU range of each of the stoves.

Customization options are available for the Dwarf stoves as well.

Adding heat shields or soapstone slabs to the side reduces the required clearance space. The enamel doors are available in different colors.

Other options include a wood storage stand, cast iron legs, and a top baking stand (only for the 5kW model). The Dwarf Wood Cookstove Combo is an excellent choice for heating and cooking in your RV.

We have an article comparing the Dwarf and Cubic Mini Stoves in which we concluded that, ultimately, the Dwarf Stoves are better, though they do cost more.

Pros:

• High-quality stove (steel body with cast iron door)
• Easy ash cleanout
• Great air control
• High output
• Good support
• larger cook top

Cons:

• Can be delays in delivery
• Not good for frequent RV traveling

RV wood stove FAQs

What is the smallest wood-burning stove available?

If not the smallest, the CUB Cubic Mini Wood Stove is one of the smallest wood-burning stoves available.

It measures 11” W x 12” H x 10.5” D and is exceptionally tiny.

Can you put a small wood stove in a camper?

Yes, most campers and RVs can accommodate a tiny wood stove, but consult a professional if you’re in doubt.

There are some instances where it is not a good idea.

Can you put a pellet stove in a camper?

There are not many tiny pellet stoves available on the market.

The Mini Me Pellet Stove from Flame Innovation is one good US-made model. It has a heating capacity of 200-600 sq ft.

The Comfortbilt HP22-N Pellet Stove is another option, but it will be too large for most campers.

With 50,000 BTU heat output, it will also be too hot.

Do you need heat shields for an RV wood-burning stove?

Yes, it’s best to use heat shields around a wood stove in an RV or camper.

Without them, you need a large clearance of at least 20 inches, which will take up too much space.

Heat shields bring clearances down to around 2 inches, saving a ton of space.

Can a camper wood stove be vented out a window?

In theory, it could be. However, this is far from ideal. You will lose a lot of heat through the gaps around the vent (unless it’s properly sealed), and bad weather could come in.

Is it a good idea to gift a wood stove?

A wood stove can be a good gift for an RV owner, but it’s best to have a clear indication that they want one first.

Because they require some space and installation is a process, you don’t want to rush them!

Best wood stove for RV campers

The best wood stove for RVs is the Cubic Mini or Dwarf Stove.

The best one for you depends on your budget, square footage, preferred feature set, and whether or not you’ll be moving around a lot (or not)!

The Cubic Mini Stoves are smaller (in particular, the CUB), so if you have a small van, this is probably your best bet.

The Tiny Wood Stove Dwarf has a more oversized cooktop, and there are more options for choosing the ideal size/kW output for your RV or camper.

And if you’re often on the move, a diesel or propane heater might be better.

Alternatively, check out these other small wood burning stoves for sale!