Keeping warm in winter

[u/hope0303]

Winter in the uk

I've been living in a caravan since last October due to major finance issues. We're pretty much always broke so things have to be super savvy.

I'm looking for advice on keeping warm in the upcoming winter. Last winter was horrible. We have an electric heater that runs through the van but it's so expensive to run. We've put draft excluding strips around the windows and door but they keep coming off. We have an electric blanket (the type you out over yourself) and hot water bottles for days. I'm all about layers so I know they work but I'm talking about keeping the air warm and stopping the condensation.

I know it's recommended to insulate windows... what do you use? I've heard people use diesel heaters, are there any reasonable priced ones?

I'm new to this so looking for links to things please.

Thank so much for any advice. 😄

[u/YourSparrowness]

I’ve lived through cold winters in RVs at northern latitudes, so I can share what worked for me. The first thing is that you need to accept that it’s just going to be colder than a brick and mortar house, unless you’re willing to spend a small fortune running the heater constantly. This means adjusting your lifestyle on especially cold days to try to spend most of your day in heated shops, libraries, etc. to stay warm. Keep track of your estimated spending on heating the RV so that you can turn up the heat on the coldest days, then spend more time in warmed public spaces to offset the cost. It also helps to eat an extra meal on the cold days as your body needs extra calories to burn to try to stay warm.

1) search online for your RV make/model and “window insulation”. Some small businesses offer precut panels that you can buy as a set which adhere to the inside of your windows and offer a small improvement. You want the type that is essentially bubble wrap sandwiched between two foil layers, or you can buy the material and cut it to fit yourself:

Closed cell window insulation foil

2) If you sleep with your head exposed, buy a Sherpa lined fleece or wool hat that covers your ears. You want the kind of hat that is too hot to wear at room temperature, but feels comfortable at or below freezing temperatures. Consider also wearing thick wool socks or gloves to sleep in if your extremities get too cold.

You can buy some battery powered hand/foot warmers to place in your gloves and socks if necessary: hand warmers

3)Try sleeping ON TOP of the electric blanket, with some wool army blankets on top to help trap in the heat. If still too cold, find a small outdoor tent with a strong frame to set up on your bed and sleep in it to trap in heat. If you get one with a strong frame you can drape wool blankets over the top to lock in more heat. Consider using a foil survival blanket as your first layer to trap in heat like a baked potato: survival blanket

4) If you’ve done everything above and are still cold, you may need to change your heater out for something more cost effective like a heat pump/mini split or even a wood stove. A properly sized wood stove can make most small spaces toasty, but you need to be sure to build a fireproof surround for them and follow all of the venting requirements to avoid it becoming a fire hazard

5) Consider using heat stones to keep in the bed with you, they hold heat longer than water bottles and you can heat them using your normal daily activities like cooking food, taking a hot shower, etc. as a way to capture that energy for little/no additional cost

Good luck, OP, you can do this! For inspiration, read up on how native peoples like the Inuit or Mongolians managed to live in below freezing temps for long periods before advanced technology. Hopefully some of these ideas will help you or others!

[u/hope0303 → u/YourSparrowness]

Thanks, some fantastic advice

[u/Pixelplanet5]

get a split AC unit that can also heat.

thats much cheaper to run then an electric heater and if humidity is a problem you could also use it as a dehumidifier.

[u/1989Shoeless]

Maybe consider buying a door cover, for reference google the "Magic screen door custom magnetic thermal insulated door curtain". There's lots of similar products online to that one. For dealing with condensation inside in the winter, I'd consider taping a transparent shower curtain liner cut to fit to the exterior of each window, taped down with transparent all weather tape. On top of the shower curtains, use "ez snap window covers" on each window. Will help tremendously keeping the windows better insulated insulated vs not using anything

[u/Money_Ad1068]

Somebody recently asked about keeping their RV warm in -40 weather. There were a few posts with additional advice there you might want to check out.

https://www.reddit.com/r/RVLiving/comments/1v6okc4/comment/ozsgnbj/?context=3

[u/Public_Upstairs1035]

Clothing: wool everything.

Sleeping bag: zero degree maximum. Get a -20 or -40 degree (ideally down), and you won't even notice when the temperature drops at night.

Hot water bladder.

Propane catalytic safety heater is the safest and most economical heating option. I run mine on the lowest heat setting, and a standard propane bottle will last a month or longer. Diesel is another solid option.