Heating your van during the winter months can be somewhat challenging. First and foremost of course is safety. Most vans that are purchased for converting to camper vans do not come with a heating unit for the living area of the van.
This post is not about the professionally converted van or Class B which will come with a heater. This post is directed to the average person that purchases a cargo van and converts it for their personal use.
It’s always best to adequately insulate your van to hold the heat in. A lot of people that I meet on the road use a Mr. Buddy Heater or some other similar type propane heater.
I’ve used one myself in the past but stopped using it. The primary reasons I stopped using a propane heater is due to the fact it causes condensation and it can be dangerous to use in a van for a number of reasons.
It uses propane, so it puts off carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide can kill you. Always read the manufacturer’s owner’s manual before using any heater. Using a propane heater in your van requires ample ventilation and clearance. Keep in mind, a van is a small space and when using a heater or stove with an open flame, you have to have a certain amount of clearance from any combustible materials and adequate ventilation.
These type propane heaters have an open flame. Open flames can be very dangerous anyplace and especially so in a small area like the inside of a van.
The Mr. Buddy Heater heated my van in no time. With the insulation I have in my van, I could turn on my Mr. Buddy and within 4-5 minutes, I had to turn it off. It just got too hot and trying to regulate it was a hassle.
I’m not a cold weather person, so I’m rarely in places where it’s that cold. However, there are some mornings I wake up and it can be quite cold during the winter, like the desert in Arizona for instance. In those situations, I turn on my portable cook stove and heat water for my coffee.
By the time the water is hot, the heat from my stove has my van toasty warm as well. Yes, my portable cook stove uses propane, but I make sure my front windows are lowered about ½ inch and my MaxxAir fan is turned on exhaust.
Hot beverages are another way to warm yourself up. A good hot cup of coffee in the morning is my beverage of choice, but for those that prefer something else, there’s tea, hot chocolate or soup or whatever you might desire.
I hope this post was helpful and that you got something from it.
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Until next time…
