With winter rapidly approaching, it can be tempting to park up your van and leave it standing until the next season.
However, even as temperatures drop, you can still enjoy adventures by making sure your van is as warm and cosy as possible with these handy tips!
1. Insulate, insulate and insulate some more
The most effective and environmentally friendly way to retain heat inside your van is with good-quality insulation. In a van conversion, you need to consider this when building the van, but properly insulating the walls, floor, roof and any cavities you might find will make a huge difference.
Use insulation boarding on the walls, floor and roof and for any hard-to-reach places, Reflectix, wool, fibreglass or spray insulation will ensure you can retain as much warmth as possible.
If you have already built your dream van conversion and don’t fancy taking it to bits, you can still better insulate your van with simple additions such as a thick rug, and heat-retaining thermal curtains over the windows.
2. Use an effective heater
Heating your campervan is essential for winter excursions. Nearly every modern heater will have a thermostat built in, which you will want to utilise to prevent your van from getting too hot and wasting your fuel, or dropping too cold throughout the night.
Popular heating options are gas, diesel or electric heaters. With any heating option, you need to make sure it is installed correctly and perfectly safe.
To decide which type of van heating is best for you, check out our heating comparison guide.
3. Keep those windows covered
On any van, windows let out a huge amount of heat. During winter, you should cover these as soon as it starts dropping cooler in the evenings to try and keep as much heat that has built up throughout the day inside the van.
On side windows and your windscreen, silver screens are a compact and effective way to reflect heat, but you can take it one step further by adding a pair of thermal curtains in front. This will add 2 layers of insulation to your otherwise naked windows, ideal for cutting down on how much fuel your heater will use.
Chances are, your van will have a roof vent for air circulation and light, these typically have an insulation cover built in, so make sure you pull this across as part of your bedtime routine!
Cutting out any draughts from your windows, roof vents or doors will also make a big difference as it prevents any cold air from blowing inside.
4. Warm lighting = warm mind
Never underestimate how much difference some warm-coloured lighting will have. Especially during evenings and early mornings, your van will be filled with blueish natural light, which will make it look colder than it actually is.
If you have LED lighting in your van, then consider changing the hue to a slightly warmer tone to give your van that cosy and inviting atmosphere, you’ll be surprised by just how much difference it has.
5. Choosing the right camping spot
When pulling up to the campsite after a long drive it can be tempting to just pull into the first spot and think nothing of it.
Well, during winter if you take an extra five minutes to consider where your pitch can make a huge difference in keeping your van warm.
Some considerations are:
- Avoid spaces that are covered with a lot of shade. Big trees or buildings will block a lot of the natural light and heat that comes from the sun.
- Using nearby hedges or windbreakers will help you cut down any nasty breezes during the night.
- Pitching in a spot that will benefit from direct sunlight for the sunrise will help warm your van up naturally in the morning.
6. Bring cosy clothing & bedding
This one is a no-brainer for winter camping, bringing the right clothes!
As travellers, it’s built into our DNA to pack light, but during winter you’ll have to make some exceptions. Bring plenty of warm layers you can take on and off as the temperature changes throughout the day.
Making sure you have a thick duvet and plenty of blankets is a must to ensure your bed is as warm and comfortable as possible.
Wearing thermal layers beneath your clothes will also allow you to keep in a lot more body heat and sleep more comfortably. Long sleeve thermal tops, trousers and socks make a big difference especially when you are sitting around a campfire during those cooler evenings.
7. Have emergency spares
Always bring backups with you to prevent any sticky situations! A spare sleeping bag should always be on your packing list for those extra chilly nights.
You should make sure you have more than enough fuel for your heater, because you never know when you might have to crank up the temperature on an especially cold or stormy night. Also, if you have enough space to store it, a spare heater is also a good idea just in case the worst happens!
So, just because the nights are drawing in a bit sooner and it’s less than idyllic temperatures, don’t let it stop you from getting out there and enjoying your van in the great outdoors. Use our handy tips to keep warm and go explore, also make sure you tag us in any Instagram pics!