Winterising a Bessacar 695

[Allen / Debbie]

We are travelling to France to go skiing at the start of next year (les 2 alps) staying at about 650 metres. Has anyone had experience of an extended stay in the cold? In particular modifying a bessacar motorhome. We will be on a campsite with ehu. Our plans at the moment are snow chains; tank heaters and insulated pipes; extended gas pipe for our gaslow system to fit a "French "bottle; blankets to seal footwell gaps; door vents to be sealed; fridge vent covers; we are considering extra window covers (internal). Any suggestions/ recommendations/ advice would be welcome.
Debbie and Allen.

 

[Lenny HB]

If your tanks are external you will need to insulate them. Best way would be to build a ply enclosure insulated with Styrofoam leaving an air gap around the tanks and take a feed from the blow air heating into it.
Also take a feed from the blow air to the cassette enclosure if the van hasn't already got one.
Much better than tank heaters and you don't need to be on EHU.

 

[CazPaul]

If your tanks are external you will need to insulate them. Best way would be to build a ply enclosure insulated with Styrofoam leaving an air gap around the tanks and take a feed from the blow air heating into it.
Also take a feed from the blow air to the cassette enclosure if the van hasn't already got one.
Much better than tank heaters and you don't need to be on EHU.

Yes that's the way to do it, you need to get some heat around the tanks, 12v useless unless on EHU as use too much power for any length of time.
Have you got exposed water pipes underneath the van, if so insulate them although if its really freezing they will still freeze up.

If you are making this a regular thing then you probably need to buy a winterised van which was built and designed for very cold weather.

 

[jonandshell]

@haganap did a great job on his old van.
Search his posts on how to make Brit van survive a ski resort.