I have the Mr. Buddy heater (as seen on the link in the beginning of this thread). It works a treat as it's HIGH setting is quite quick to warm up the inside of the van, then you can keep it on low for the rest of the night. It lasts 3 hrs on HIGH setting and 6 hours on LOW.
Unlike dangerous heaters, this one is good quality and has several important safety features. If it tilts, it will shut off. If the flame goes off, it will shut off. If the oxygen supply is low, it will shut off.
Of course, I tested it to make sure all those safety features worked. As for the low oxygen test, I placed it in my car with the windows shut. Sure enough within one minute, it turned itself off.
You are meant to have a window open when running these heaters. Just Campers has front window grill vents that provide security and allow the windows to be open on T3s.
The Mr. Buddy model I have does not have a fan (nor do I need one in my opinion) but they do make a upscale model that has one (runs off batteries).
Another good thing is that it has a wall mount (the back of the unit is always cold) so I placed two screws that hold it in the position as seen below (so in theory you can drive with it on). Another good plus. (But make sure you remove the vehicle's battery before you drill the holes and sand down any of the screw's sharp bits - Ask me how I know!)
Think of it as a Poor Man's Propex.
In my opinion, even if you do camp at campsites with mains, you should have a heater that operates without any electricity, should you decide to camp far from home and unexpectantly have to camp or stop the van for an extended time (eg storm) or have an electrical fault.
Having a heater like this, gives you piece of mind that you can camp anywhere. I also have an mains electrical heater which is what I always use for the main cabin.
More info on how we keep warm: The top bunk (where my kids sleep) has an electric blanket. Me, the Missus and the kids all have sleeping bags of good quality as well.
Notice the "Hassock" chemical toilet. In the upper left, it actually has a picture of a T3 with a family camping. Basically a pi$$ pot
