Staying warm in your campervan

It’s winter. We’re in Canada.

But … we love travelling and road tripping – especially when we’re chasing the powder or experiencing our amazing Canadian snow-capped Rockies. So staying warm is essential. If you are interested in renting a campervan or own your own and looking to stay extra warm this winter, we have some simple tips to help keep the cold at bay.

How to keep warm

Insulation

Number one tip is to fully insulate your campervan with a high quality insulation and vapour barrier. We used a ducting-cover style insulate with one side barrier, and stuffed it in along the walls and ceiling to keep the cold out. You can also try foam insulation or insulation board, but if you ever want to repair something after the build, foam is a pain to work with and insulation board was simply too difficult to get into all the nooks and crannies.

Air circulation

A big factor when camping in the cold is condensation build up, which you really want to prevent. One way to do that is to create a bit of circulation in the campervan, especially while you’re sleeping or cooking. Crack that roof vent (or side window if you don’t have a roof vent) and your camper will stay dryer and warmer. Promise.

A good heater

Campervan heaters come in many shapes, sizes and types – from gas to diesel van heaters, to wood stoves and radiating in-floor campervan heaters. We highly recommend spending some money in this area as this will be your primary source of heat. At Karma, we’ve installed Eberspacher B4 and B4L heaters in all of our campervans. They work very well and are simple to operate. Crank the heat up early in the morning or just before bed, then turn down the temps overnight or during the day. We recommend 18ºC or even less throughout the evening and 8ºC-10ºC during the day while you’re out adventuring.

Thermo insulated window coverings and curtains

When it’s really cold you’ll want to keep any cold surfaces covered and avoid any drafts in your campervan. Thermo insulated barriers can be used as campervan window coverings and you can pick these up at any hardware store. Curtains work great for dividing the cab from the living area, maintaining privacy, and for keeping warm air in your living space.

Hot water bottle, to-go mugs and warm food and beverages

It’s a proven solution… a hot water bottle can warm up your campervan bed and prevent that chill when climbing into cold sheets. Warm food and drinks in general are a good way to keep the body warm such as oatmeal, soups, coffee and tea. Never go on a campervan trip without a good to-go mug such as a Yeti, S’well or Stanley. Just don’t.

Heavy Duvet

A good nights rest during a winter camping trip is always important. We suggest making sure you have a warm, heavy duvet to replace your lighter summer comforter. And for safety sake, you might want to consider bringing a second duvet in case you need it. We got ours on Amazon and anyone who takes our campervan rentals for a trip in the winter loves them.

Do a workout!

Last but not least, if you’re looking to stay extra warm in your campervan this winter and also just looking for something to do, you can always do a quick workout. Plus, you’ll feel better about yourself afterwards.

Keeping your campervan warm in the winter is hugely important and a great way to enjoy your vanlife adventures. We’d love to hear your thoughts so hit us up via our social feeds on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. See ya sooooon!