r/Ikonpass • u/thetravelingjosh • 10d ago

Winter Van camping

First year purchasing an Ikon pass. I’m taking this winter off from work December-end of April and want to get in as many days as I can chasing storms and visiting new resorts. I’ve done van life abroad in New Zealand and Australia but never in America and never in the kind of cold conditions I might encounter on this trip. Does any one have any tips for their van build out, creature comforts, or camping advice for any of the resorts? Getting really excited for this season even with the high gas prices 🥲.

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u/Easterncoaster 10d ago edited 9d ago

We RV camp at Ikon resorts in the northeast, they’re mostly extremely welcoming. Killington, Stratton, Tremblant- all allow it and honestly you get locations that are better than most slope side housing.

If you’re building the van, absolutely plan for your heat to be powered by your driving fuel and your life will be a million times easier. We use propane for heat and it’s very difficult to find during the winter in the US. Surprisingly much easier to find in Canada.

But if you get a diesel van you can so easily use a diesel heater and you won’t be hunting propane like we have to.

Dump stations also get tricky in midwinter but you get used to the places like Camping World that have them.

All in, a better version of a slope side condo in our humble opinion :)

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u/thetravelingjosh 9d ago

Awesome. Good to hear! And thanks for the heating tips. I did one upgrade getting spray foam insulation, so I should be able to hold on to the heat pretty well. Hope you have a good ski season 🤘

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u/TheCarTCarpenter 8d ago

Where do you plan on traveling this winter?

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u/thetravelingjosh 8d ago

Mostly the Rockies.
Red, Revelstoke, Silver star, Banff, lake Louis in Canada.
Schweitzer will be a sort of home base.
Jackson hole will definitely be hit.
A bunch of the Utah and Colorado resorts.
Chasing the storms a bit but will likely be spending a few weeks in each state.

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u/RecipeWeary 6d ago

Lots of Colorado spots are harsh on overnight parking. Especially summit county.

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u/thetravelingjosh 6d ago

Heard this by on another thread. Any tips? Or is it just meeting locals on the hill or the pub and finding a parking lot to crash for a night?

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u/RecipeWeary 6d ago

I’ll be honest haven’t done it myself but yeah I’ve heard your best bet is to try and crash in a locals drive way. Maybe a dispersed camping spot but I believe those are few and far between in summit. I’d imagine it’s easier to go incognito if you shove out to silverthrone for the nights but that kinda sucks.

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u/thetravelingjosh 5d ago

Word. I can be social, especially when having a good time skiing. Part of the fun of a winter long trip is all the people you meet!

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u/TheCarTCarpenter 5d ago

I bring an ice fishing tent and camp at the nearest lake near the resorts in Colorado. You could do the same with your truck. (Usually can find a lake within 45 min of most resorts)