How to Stay Warm Living in a Van in the Winter | Solo Female Nomad
How to Stay Warm Living in a Van in the Winter | Solo Female Nomad
As a solo female nomad and I’ve learned a thing or two about staying warm in a van during the winter. In this video, I’ll be sharing my tips and tricks for insulating your van, maximizing heating efficiency, and keeping cozy on the road. I’ll take you through my own journey of finding the right heating source and the importance of preplanning. Whether you’re a seasoned van-lifer or just starting out, this guide will help you stay warm and enjoy the freedom of life on the road. So, grab a hot drink and join me as I share my experiences and help you make your van winter-ready.
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that screen you put for the front windshield, is super expensive
All of this is so confusing to me.
You might want to try warm window fabric and the magnet kit for the windows. Joann fabrics may still sell it. It hasabout 3 layers of batting with 2 layers of foil like in between.
What kind of air conditioning unit are you running in your van? Thanks.
I’m curious as to how you insulated your water line in freezing weather. ( I heat my bed with an $8 old fashioned hot water bottle down by my feet)
Hey there! Love watching your stuff! I picked up a lot of useful things watching your vids. So what I am going to suggest is something that I just got and I’m currently living in my 4Runner. I saw your video where you tried out one of the smaller Mr. Heaters. I have the mr. Heater Portable Buddy which is the size down from the big buddy, and I use it with a 20 lb propane tank. This heater really works great! And the built-in safeties really help ensure its safety to use inside. The only thing really require to use this inside is a small bit of ventilation, such as slightly cracking one of your windows, as the Portable Buddy will automatically shut off if the oxygen becomes too low. I slightly crack one of my back windows when I use it and it works great! I also had a Big Buddy heater years ago that I used in a large camper and heated it quite nicely. I have no doubt that either the big buddy or the portable buddy heater would heat your entire van no problem.
Omg 4% off? That’s not alot savings just saying smh.
Weather is expensive, you can make your own.
Are you saying "amp-hour"? That’s a new word for me.
Oh man. And after this we hve had the warmest winter ever.
Another dingbat that mentions winter and climate change in the same sentence 🤣 yup climate changes once every 3 months its called winter spring summer fall
The way you made the bed was absolutely funny. Thanks for showing us the truth about van life during the winter months. Love it. ❤
Hello. Where did you get that large grey pillow?
🥰
Wood burning stove!!
Try finding a man with a house. You might even just limit yourself to those kind of men. Gotta grow up and face reality someday….of course it might be hard to get him to introduce his family to his girlfriend that lives in a van down by the river….
Get some sheet plastic. Will come in handy for the condensation issue. Just throw a strip of it inbetween your mattress and the fabric window cover you made.
Our 23 yo granddaughter loves to sleep in our camper….no heater at all, just multiple sleeping bags and quilts. Yes, she has a bed and bedroom in the house….she just loves the cold & feels she sleeps better in the cold.
I totally didn’t laugh as you struggled to put that sheet on 😆 (sorry!) Anyway, just found your channel as I prepare for my first year of SUV adventures!
Get a down comforter heavy weight and you will be super warm. Also there is a cap that heats up
Where did you get that triangular looking wedge pillow? It looks so good and fluffy. I tried googling it and searching amazon and cannot find anything at all like it. Please tell me, please.
You would feel warmer if you sleep inside the sleeping bag. It defeat its purpose the way you placed it.
i would just start driving south. it might be cold but not the cold your showing in this video.
Pro ski instructor in NorCal… Layer up when going to bed. If it’s not as cold as you thought, peel off a layer and set it by the bed. If it gets colder, during the night, it’s right next to you.
Looks like you could use a bed sheet tucker tool or a bed sheet fastener band. Happy Travels! 😊
The battery w/self heating feature sounds like a must have for van life. To make $, you could make those window coverings for vans. You do ‘special orders’. The customer sends you the window dimensions and that way if they get the dimensions wrong, it’s on them. Who can’t use a tape measure? The customer could also choose the fabric. Stick with solid colors to start. Add designs as you grow.
Amazing safe travels
Thank you for showing what a nightmare it is to make a bed—even here in a house, it’s a serious task ESPECIALLY with 4” Memory foam toppers. Be careful that you don’t become stuck between wall of your van and mattress when making your bed. This happened to me here at the house. While propping up mattress with my upper body, thinking to simply ‘reach’ across to far corner to pull sheet tighter, lost my footing and I became sandwiched. Total flip out time. I think my muffled screams scared the cats enough that the kids came to see why they were so spooked. Yeah, we laughed—AFTER I recovered from what I SWEAR was a near death experience! The crazy dangerous accidents we never think of. I’d figure out a way NOT to put your body between the mattress and the wall of your van when tucking/adjusting.
How is this not a small step up from being homeless
You look like you got it made.
Do you ever worry about making your van TOO air tight?
Climate change lofl. Everyone has Google. This shit isn’t new. Cold snaps? Texas, Florida, California and so on have experienced super cold snaps over the last 200 years.
LoL Loved the bloopers. And loved the rest of the video, as well. 😊💖👍🚐
If I ever thought I wanted Van Life…this video convinced me otherwise
electronic mattress pad all u need is a twin, the electronic blankets are not what they use to be ive used new and both and the matress pad is awesome. if u cant afford the proper size a twin will work even with the proper size mattress pad over that 1 and a normal sheet
Love your suggestions for keeping your van warm. I like to carry extra supplies in my car in case of an emergency, stuck on hwy due to accident or weather, etc so I’m definitely going to invest in the weather tech window shades:) Thank you! And stay safe
My only question is, why didn’t you just get a big portable power source and be done with batteries, inverters, etc.?
Thank for the content but warm is a very relative term. I would like to know how warm it is inside your van. Thanks!
Better follow russian campers, they are living even in -34 c in vans
Hi, I’m new here and I really like your video.Can I ask why you live in your van? 🥰
I live in a minivan, this is my fifth winter in an area with cold winters. I do not have a heater. I do have a car electric blanket which uses about 50 Watts or less per hour, it kind of goes on and off like a refrigerator would. This is the first year I’ve had that which works very well. Other things that work are putting one sleeping bag inside of another, putting hand warmers in socks with one in your pocket of a sweatshirt or pullover that’s on the abdomen to keep your hands and core warm and then putting the other one down by your feet, works very well. I have layers of fleece, one is a pullover with a hoodie and one is a jacket with a double fleece hoodie which I use when I’m sitting up.
Best thing I did was add radiant barrier insulation under my mattress. I had no problem shutting off the heat in the 30 degree range but get into the 20’s and teens I found the cold was coming from underneath. You can get a roll at Lowes cheap enough. I use a 0 degree Slumberjack rectangle bag on top and under I have a Walmart fleece with 6" of memory foam and then the radiant barrier. If its in the very low teens I just idle all night and run the heat
You lost me at "CLIMATE CHANGE". It’s called WEATHER.
When your face is cold, consider a face mask
When you have a bare window or windshield and you put your palm on it and it feels cold, that means is it transmitting cold THROUGH itself, not just around it and you are losing heat. If you cover that same window with a cloth type cover (the thicker the better) like you’ve done, you can test it with that same bare hand test. If the surface feels cold to your bare hand….it is not insulating you as effectively it could. If does not feel cold, you cover is working at least some…
Tip get some thick curtain at the back of van for warmth
Loved the Bloopers! Great video.
Your hermetically sealed van is great. Thanks for sharing.
Can you please comment on one of your shows about the most common car, problems, engine problems, or whatever that you might have when you own a van and live in it for time. Love your show.
A large capacity jump/carry (most have cig outlets..) and @ least 2 travel 12v heated blankets (one for a spare, wiring inside does eventually break…).
Tuck in cover bedding. Woolen intermediate (like an afghan?). Tight weave close/electric/filler/tight weave outer.
It’s like layering clothing.
– I’ve endured (more comfortably than people around me with widespread outage) 6+ days in minus 25 average. Prep for coldest possible, everything can be scaled back from maximum… 👍😁
Fun note, I’ve had to bring my drinks in with me, better body temp drinks than no/frozen.. as well as snacks/energy snacks- -warm food is 👍
Don’t be afraid to dry camp (drained) in extended cold conditions. Membership cards & truck stops (discounts)…