Is electric heating better than propane?

There are pros & cons. Propane fired forced air heaters produce high BTU's. Heat transfers quickly to the cylinders via the cooling fins, so if all you want is to warm your cylinders quickly this is the way to go. Warm cylinders are all you need if your only goal is to get the engine started. However, if your goal is to both get the engine started AND to avoid damage and wear to the engine from cold starting, then the entire engine and the oil needs to be uniformly heated. To do this you need to preheat long enough to allow the heat to conduct throughout the entire engine. You may do this with a propane heater, but the typical 15-20 minute blast of hot air will not do it. Some propane heaters are portable and can be powered from a battery, so you can take it with you when you travel and it can be used in remote locations. However, they weigh 15 lbs or more (plus the LP tank) and take up baggage space. Some flights are not allowed to carry propane. An electric system like ours is ...  more