Autoterm vs Cheap Diesel Heaters: The Honest Comparison
If you have been shopping for a diesel heater for your caravan, you have probably noticed the huge difference in price between a premium brand like Autoterm and the cheap alternatives flooding the market from overseas.
A budget diesel heater might set you back $200 to $800. An Autoterm Diesel Heater starts at around $1300 to $1,600. So the obvious question is: is the difference actually worth it?
We install diesel heaters in our workshop every single week. We see what works, what fails, and what ends up costing caravan owners far more in the long run. Here is our honest take.
What Are Cheap Diesel Heaters?
The budget diesel heater market is dominated by Chinese made units sold under various brand names online. Many of them look almost identical and are built on the same basic design. They are widely available on Amazon, eBay and through generic online retailers, and at first glance they seem like a bargain.
Some of them even work well. For a while.
But as our workshop team sees regularly, the problems tend to show up at the worst possible time: in the middle of winter, hundreds of kilometres from the nearest town, when you need your heater most.
Where Cheap Heaters Fall Short:
1. Build Quality and Components
Cheap heaters use lower grade components throughout, including the glow plugs, fuel pumps, circuit boards and exhaust systems. These components are more likely to fail early, especially under the stress of regular use in varying temperatures and conditions.
2. Inconsistent Heat Output
Many budget heaters struggle to deliver consistent heat. They may work fine on mild nights but underperform when temperatures really drop. For anyone travelling in alpine areas, Tasmania, or heading into a cold winter out west, this is a serious problem.
3. Carbon Monoxide Risk
This is the one that concerns our technicians most. A poorly manufactured heater with a substandard exhaust system or faulty combustion chamber can produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide inside your van. This is not a risk worth taking. Carbon monoxide is odourless, colourless and can be fatal.
4. No Local Support
When a cheap heater fails, and many do, you are on your own. There is no Australian distributor, no technical support, no warranty you can actually claim, and often no spare parts available locally. You either order parts from overseas and wait weeks, or you buy a new heater entirely.
5. Poor Installation Documentation
Cheap heaters often come with vague or poorly translated installation instructions. This leads to incorrect installs, which can void any warranty, create safety hazards and cause the heater to underperform from day one.
Why We Install Autoterm
At Everything Caravans, we have chosen Autoterm as our diesel heater of choice and we stand behind that decision completely. Here is why.
1. European Built Quality
Autoterm heaters are manufactured in Europe to strict quality standards. Every component is built to last, from the combustion chamber and heat exchanger through to the controller and wiring harness. These are heaters designed to run reliably for years, not just months.
2. Consistent, Reliable Heat
Autoterm heaters deliver consistent heat output across a wide range of temperatures and conditions. Whether you are parked up in the Victorian Alps in July or camped on a cool night in the outback, your Autoterm will perform exactly as expected.
3. Safety You Can Trust
Autoterm heaters are designed and tested to meet European safety standards. The combustion system is engineered to minimise emissions and the exhaust system is built to direct gases safely away from the living area. For us, this is non-negotiable.
4. Real Warranty and Local Support
As an authorised Autoterm installer, Everything Caravans provides full warranty support and genuine spare parts for every heater we install. If something goes wrong, which is rare, we can fix it quickly, with the right parts, by technicians who know the product inside out.
5. Professional Installation Documentation
Every Autoterm install we complete is done to the manufacturer's specifications. Correct fuel line routing, proper exhaust placement, safe wiring, and thorough testing before the van leaves our workshop. This is how it should be done.
The Real Cost Comparison
A cheap heater might cost $600. An Autoterm might cost $1300. On paper the budget option looks like a saving of $700.
But consider this:
- A cheap heater that fails after one season needs to be replaced. That is another $600 plus the cost of a second install.
- A faulty exhaust on a cheap heater that causes a carbon monoxide incident could cost you everything.
- A poorly installed cheap heater that damages your van's wiring could cost thousands to repair.
- An Autoterm installed correctly by our team will last years and come with full warranty and local support.
The upfront saving on a cheap heater is real. The hidden costs often are not obvious until it is too late.
Our Honest Verdict
If you are a casual caravanner who takes the van out a few times a year in mild conditions, a budget heater might seem like the logical choice. But here is something most people do not realise: diesel heaters actually perform best when used regularly. Infrequent use causes fuel and components to degrade, and cheap heaters are far more prone to random failures when they sit dormant for months at a time. So the very caravanner who thinks they do not need a premium heater is often the one most at risk of being let down by a cheap one.
If you travel regularly, head into cold conditions, or simply want peace of mind knowing your heater is safe, reliable and backed by real support, Autoterm is the only choice we recommend.
We have seen enough failed cheap heaters come through our workshop to know the difference.
Our technicians install Autoterm because they genuinely believe it is the best product available at any price point. Not because it is the most expensive option, but because it is the smartest long-term investment.
Book Your Autoterm Install
Ready to upgrade to a diesel heater you can actually trust? Our workshop team in Dandenong South installs Autoterm heaters every week. We handle everything from the consultation and quote through to the full installation and testing.
Call us on (03) 9574 1900, email us at mike@everythingcaravans.com.au or visit us at 22 Greens Rd, Dandenong South VIC 3175.
You can also book online at:
https://www.everythingcaravans.com.au/pages/diesel-heater-installation
Everything Caravans. Premium caravan gear, expertly installed.
