[ROOKIE QUESTION] How cold does it get in winter?

[alittlerock]

Hi guys, any owners got any feedback on how cold it might get in a van at night - on a really cold night, what'sit like?

Do you feel cold?
What wouldhappen if the heating stopped working during a cold spell etc - would a decent sleeping bag be enough or would you need to get things fixed asap??

Thx, totally ignorant, as usual

al

 

[The Wino]

If its really cold we use a thin quilt underneath and thicker on top its never cold then. Don't like sleeping bags.

 

[TheBig1]

in the early years, motorhomes had no central heating or electric hookup. You wore layers and used blankets to keep warm. However many was the time you woke to ice inside the van and doors iced shut

 

[Otter Spotter]

I just sleep with a HOT woman... Thats me sorted..

ps DONT tell Mrs Tonka..

I thought that was Mrambulancekidd’s line

 

[autorouter]

Check your van plumbing, especially your water tanks, make sure they are protected from the cold otherwise you may find leaks and even damage to your water heater Due to freezing water expanding and pushing your pipes etc. apart.

And there's more. It can split water taps apart, and crack the toilet flush solenoid valve. It needs a really long spell below zero to crack the water heater, but it happens. Don't ask how I know

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[ceejayt]

When not on EHU I leave the Alde heating on but turn the temperature down low - to maybe 10 or 12 - that does mean the boiler will still be working keeping the hot water hot thus avoiding any problem in that area plus it helps warm the double floor..

The Alde timer works well if you want to use it.

Our grey and fresh water tanks are in the double floor - they also have an electric heater inside which kicks in automatically if it really gets cold but not sure they ever have.

Our black tank is not in the double floor but I guess with all the 'variety' of contents ir is unlikely to freeze - never has for us even up in the alps.

 

[mitzimad]

insulation only slows the rate your van loses heat if it 0 outside it will be 0 inside eventually

 

[Snoopy]

We also have used an oil filled radiator on EHU..not used the gas heating overnight..but have used it to warm the van in the mornings..nice carpet of rugs..make you feel more toasty

 

[DavidG58]

We upgraded our Alde to the touch controller, now have a night time setting, which is defined by time and temp, clever stuff , I am not leaving my centrally heated house to sleep in an heated tin shed

I am staggered by the number of people who wake up cold and turn on the heating, even before the controller upgrade we left heating on all night on a reduced 18C temp just in case , but very rarely cuts in

 

[KiwiKampers]

On our first overnight after picking up one of our previous camper vans we wild camped next to a mountain lake. The temperature went down to -11° outside and there was ice on the inside of the windows. The heater was diesel-fired. I can't remember how it worked, but it worked really well and we soon warmed-up.
I remember camping in a tent in Sweden in the late '90s and it was so cold the gas cylinders wouldn't work. We were told that the Camping Gaz mix of propane and butane was not suitable for colder climates, so we cuddled the cylinder to warm it up so we could make a hot drink!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Lorryman100]

Am I missing something here??? If it gets too cold turn up the heating....simples!

 

[Wildweasle]

Depends if the ice fuhrer is with me!!

 

[BossyBus]

Well I woke up in a cruise America van in Grand Canyon and the water outside had frozen! We hadn’t worked out how the heating worked but once we did we were warm as toast inside minus 10 outside but ooooh it wakes you up for sure.

 

[Phill D]

depending on the water system you have most have a dump valve which drops the water from the boiler and most but not all of the rest of the system when the valve gets to a around 4'c.

 

[alittlerock]

Mostly the heating will cope we use sites with EHU in the winter

Hello, thx please what is an ehu site

Thx

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[phillipsheila]

electric hook up camp sites

 

[MarcelJGB]

Rookie question - would modern motorhomes have insulated tanks/pipes and/or heated tanks to prevent freezing?

If not, what should I be looking for in the specifications? Any specific jargon or abbreviations?

Thanks in advance.

 

[kevenh]

Rookie question - would modern motorhomes have insulated tanks/pipes and/or heated tanks to prevent freezing?

If not, what should I be looking for in the specifications? Any specific jargon or abbreviations?

Thanks in advance.

It’s a good question. Not particularly a rookie one.
Modern vans aren’t necessarily going to be better insulated, imo.
There’s a grading system discussed here.

Maybe that’s quite new as I’ve not seem my 14yo MH have a rating mentioned in its docs.

 

[autorouter]

Insulation only delays the flow of heat, it doesn't stop it completely. A MH parked unused for several days in a temperature of minus 5 degrees will eventually drop in temperature until all parts are at minus 5 degrees, no matter how good the insulation is.

Properly winterised MHs have everything vulnerable to frost brought within a 'thermal envelope'. For example, fresh and waste tanks and all pipes within a double floor, and small ducts from the heating system to feed in heat to keep the temperature above freezing. The heating is kept on, maybe turned down when you go out skiing for the day.

Alternatives are external insulated tanks with electrical heating pads, and trace heating cable along the pipes inside the insulation. These usually need electric hookup, because solar yield in winter is generally too low for this.

MHs in storage have the water system emptied, and preferably blown through with compressed air to remove all water, if there's any danger of freezing.

 

[MarcelJGB]

Thanks.

Need to keep all this in mind before a purchase.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Otter Spotter]

Hi,
Autorouter has come up with a great answer, think about what how you want to heat the vehicle, options are Gas, calor or LPG, diesel heater, electric fan etc.
Gas tends to take up a cupboard or it is underslung Gas can cause damp as water is a byproduct. Diesel can be a heater( Webasto or such make or a Hob/ Heater (Wallas). And usually feeds straight from your motors fuel tank.
regarding keeping warm at night, it’s not safe to run gas all night unless it is flued outside, but with Diesel and electric you can keep them on safely all night as they will be thermostatically controlled. The point is with the right amount of insulation to hold in the heat you generate and the most comfortable heating you can keep warm and there are many Funsters who will show you photos of them pitched in snow etc.
are you thinking of building your own or buying a ready built van?

 

[MarcelJGB]

Hi,
Autorouter has come up with a great answer, think about what how you want to heat the vehicle, options are Gas, calor or LPG, diesel heater, electric fan etc.
Gas tends to take up a cupboard or it is underslung Gas can cause damp as water is a byproduct. Diesel can be a heater( Webasto or such make or a Hob/ Heater (Wallas). And usually feeds straight from your motors fuel tank.
regarding keeping warm at night, it’s not safe to run gas all night unless it is flued outside, but with Diesel and electric you can keep them on safely all night as they will be thermostatically controlled. The point is with the right amount of insulation to hold in the heat you generate and the most comfortable heating you can keep warm and there are many Funsters who will show you photos of them pitched in snow etc.
are you thinking of building your own or buying a ready built van?

Hi. Can't speak for the OP, but I will definitely buy ready-built.

 

[tonyidle]

What would happen if the heating stopped working during a cold spell etc - would a decent sleeping bag be enough or would you need to get things fixed asap??

It really depends on how many dogs travel with you.

 

[tonyidle]

Gas can cause damp as water is a byproduct

Gas causes no more or less condensation than any other form of heating. There shouldn't be any heating appliances in use that don't have a balanced flue. It is only when using an appliance without a flue that moisture is given off. (along with CO, CO2, and other products of combustion you don't want to breathe).

 

[SpeedyDux]

SWMBO would prefer to sleep in a fridge. I hate that. Our compromise is to leave the diesel heater on at night on a low thermostat setting while we sleep under a summer TOG duvet.

Our Rapido PVC is quite throughly insulated as tin boxes go. I have yet to find any significant condensation or cold bridges. We also use an external silver screen to help insulate the cab. That works well.

The fresh water tank is inboard under the bed. The grey water tank is external so potentially that might freeze but it hasn't happened yet.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Otter Spotter]

Gas causes no more or less condensation than any other form of heating. There shouldn't be any heating appliances in use that don't have a balanced flue. It is only when using an appliance without a flue that moisture is given off. (along with CO, CO2, and other products of combustion you don't want to breathe).

The science says otherwise, please see link

Why Burning Propane Makes Water

Propane is a gas that many people are familiar with but few people understand. If an individual wants to know more about propane, combustion and why water is formed, it's important to understand the way atoms interact during combustion. The formation of water is produced by a combination of...

sciencing.com

 

[kevenh]

The science says otherwise, please see link

Why Burning Propane Makes Water

Propane is a gas that many people are familiar with but few people understand. If an individual wants to know more about propane, combustion and why water is formed, it's important to understand the way atoms interact during combustion. The formation of water is produced by a combination of...

sciencing.com

What tonyidle wrote and what science say aren't mutually exclusive.
Tony said

Gas causes no more or less condensation than any other form of heating. There shouldn't be any heating appliances in use that don't have a balanced flue. It is only when using an appliance without a flue that moisture is given off

Science from your link says

The water produced by propane mixing with too little oxygen is unusable for most applications, such as drinking water. In fact, the water vapor is so minimal that usually the water burns up right along with the propane

So the conclusion that heaters that aren't faulty don't create dampness seems a fair conclusion from both, to me.

 

[tonyidle]

The science says otherwise, please see link

Why Burning Propane Makes Water

Propane is a gas that many people are familiar with but few people understand. If an individual wants to know more about propane, combustion and why water is formed, it's important to understand the way atoms interact during combustion. The formation of water is produced by a combination of...

sciencing.com

If course it does, as does any hydrocarbon fuel to a greater or lesser extent, but my point is that combustion is not exposed to the inside of the vehicle, and the products of combustion are led outside by the flue. So there is no difference whether LPG or any other fuel is burned as far as the atmosphere inside the van is concerned.

 

[Otter Spotter]

If course it does, as does any hydrocarbon fuel to a greater or lesser extent, but my point is that combustion is not exposed to the inside of the vehicle, and the products of combustion are led outside by the flue. So there is no difference whether LPG or any other fuel is burned as far as the atmosphere inside the van is concerned.

Ok understand you and you are right in respect if heaters, but most people with Gas tend to cook with it as well so open hob flame will create water. Forgive me I realise that this thread was more about cold in habitation area.

 

[tonyidle]

Ok understand you and you are right in respect if heaters, but most people with Gas tend to cook with it as well so open hob flame will create water. Forgive me I realise that this thread was more about cold in habitation area.

Anything other then electric cooking will create moisture although TBH the food will create more than anything else.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Clivefog]

How cold does it get was the question. Just turn the heater on buy good bedding and forget about how cold, worry about it getting too hot! I used to have a Conway Cardinal, a solid roofed trailer tent, camped in snow and had to turn the heater down several times over night. The floor was cold but otherwise temperature was fine. Had to crack a thick layer of frozen snow off the canvas parts on several mornings. Get out there and enjoy!