Greetings & Welcome!
I’m in the USA, and the most important thing for me is safety first, followed by availability and price. LPG (Propane) severely flunks on both safety and price for me. For me, kerosene is the clear winner for safety & price, but availability can sometimes be difficult. Luckily both my heater and my cooker will also run on diesel which is available almost everywhere.
Both my heater & cooker(s) are wick based, which means no pressurized fuel needed. They are also portable, so they can be used indoors or outdoors without duplication. When campfires are banned, we can still gather around my kerosene heater in the evening.
I’d check for availability in your area. Propane is definitely the most dangerous, but it is still popular because big oil has dumped a ton of money into making it popular. Prior to big oil getting behind propane, it was banned on boats due to safety reasons. Big oil BOUGHT it’s approval. Personally, I’ve lost too many friends due to propane leaks, fires, explosions, and carbon monoxide poisoning caused by propane. Today, there are carbon monoxide detectors, before that, propane almost killed me too. Today I play it safer by avoiding propane.
I spent last winter in a cold place. My kerosene cost was about $5 per week, and my van was totally comfy. My neighbor was freezing, and paying $200+ per week for propane heat. He’d come to my place to get warmed up. Unlike the propane heaters that require power, my kerosene heater doesn’t require any power either. Relying on power in extreme conditions is a very poor choice. Fuel, you can count on, power not so much. Even a generator is mechanical, plus electrical, which means they can break down. My stuff has a wick and fuel, so not much to malfunction. I do carry spare wicks. So as long as I have fuel, I can heat, cook, and have lights. I carry 2x 7 gallon jugs of fuel, which is enough to last me for many months. This provides me with peace of mind. I try to plan for the worst possible scenario, then everything else is easier. I also carry at least a months worth of long shelf life, no refrigeration needed food with me at all times. It’s not my preferred food, but I won’t go hungry.
Cheers!
"Smiles are contagious, pass them on!" ~ Van_Dweller
I will not busing propane for heating the van that’s for sure will be cooking and hot water only , but I’m considering invest and getting a water and air heater on a diesel , but to have a stove and oven on diesel here its almost $10000 which is not in anyones van life budge I guess . but anyway I appreciate your time and tips