Sleeping in the car in the winter?

[wildstyle]

i think the only way to be warm in winter is to either have a vanagon with an air heater plumbed into the fuel system or to have one of these systems retro fitted to your car ....... you can even get them with a digi timer so it will heat up the car before you get back from a day on the mountain ....

http://motorhome.webasto.co.uk/heati...ters-work.html

i have one in my vanagon and it rocks ....

also, get the reflective insulating material for the windows ... makes a massive difference .....

[refried]

Webasto heaters work great, I have one in the workboat and haven't had any trouble with it. I'd like to put one in the van, but i'm too cheap, My Mr. Buddy heater was a lot cheaper and works well as long as there's enough ventalation to get rid of the condensation.

[vinnychase]

Hey everyone, I'm new here. This is my winter set up, bought my summit pass a few weeks ago and I'm heading up there on monday. I'm planning on hooking up a propane stove and a coleman blackcat to a 20lb bulk source using a coleman propane tee. I used a couple windshield sun reflectors with the shiny side in for insulation on the windows. The platform is relatively simple and cost less than $30 to build. I made the sleeping platform lower so i could have a little more head room but still have some storage on the other side. If i get lucky it's going to have to be at her place, not much room lol. That thing hanging from the roof is an O2 alarm just in case i forget to turn something off. I tried it last night and everything seemed to work well but it only got down to about 25. Can't wait to get up there! Just hope my new mythic riders come soon!

[SkateBanana]

I assume your friends got 4 little dog skis...

[haydukelives]

"I'm planning on hooking up a propane stove and a coleman blackcat to a 20lb bulk source using a coleman propane tee. "

i believe that the coleman blackcat has a specific warning about not hooking up to any bulk propane.......it cannot handle the pressure and may explode/cause fire

[Poop~Ghost]

Reposted from the tech-talk thread...

So this is the new digs. I've since replaced the dual thema rests with this:
[ame="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000YY53GS/ref=ox_ya_oh_product"]Twin 4 Inch Foam Mattress Pad[/ame]
Twin sized 4" thick mattress pad for $45 shipped from amazon. I might actually keep the thermarest's under the mattress for extra cushy sleeps.









Spray painted reflectix looks very much like an empty car with tinted windows.



I drilled a few big holes in the plywood and ran lockers to the anchor points inside the back via climbing webbing to keep it from flying off and killing me in an accident.

You can drive w/ the large piece in and have the front chairs pushed back all the way - but without use of the back seat. With a little engineering I'm almost certain I could cut the larger plywood and hinge it to fit in the 36" deep back area. I just didn't want to deal with the hassle of making sure it was rigid.

I have about 5 more ideas for making it really swanky - but for now, this will have to do.

[orlowskij]

^^^ Nice. How do you have it supported in the front? And just the containers for support in the back?

Keep the van/SUV setups coming. My project for the next week and half is to convert my trailblazer to the bum-mobile (the name isn't finalized yet).

[Poop~Ghost]

^^^ Nice. How do you have it supported in the front? And just the containers for support in the back?

Keep the van/SUV setups coming. My project for the next week and half is to convert my trailblazer to the bum-mobile (the name isn't finalized yet).

copied from the other thread...

Basically I fold the back seats down, insert a 65" x 48" plywood panel into the back. 2 large plastic bins support the back - the folded down seats support the front.

Separately I have a 13"x48" panel that has two 22" 2x4 legs that fit in right behind the front seats when they are fully forward.

A little tongue and groove custom work was done and some hook & eye connections and BAMN. I've got a flat 6 1/2 foot by 4 foot platform... I picked up a 6" thick memory foam twin bed, Some reflectix to fill in the windows (spray painted black to be way less conspicuous). 2 big down blankets and I've got a crv-sleeper.

[mmmthmtskier]

Salon.com just ran a piece about a Duke grad student who lived in his van to afford school. Definitely an entertaining read. http://www.salon.com/life/pinched/20...iving_in_a_van

More:
http://blogs.newsobserver.com/campus...-live-in-a-van

http://spartanstudent.blogspot.com/

[mmmthmtskier]

http://www.rockclimbergirl.com/2009/...-platform.html

[LightRanger]

More:
http://blogs.newsobserver.com/campus...-live-in-a-van

http://spartanstudent.blogspot.com/

Kid is impressive.

I wish I didn't have student loan debt. Good on him.

[vinnychase]

"I'm planning on hooking up a propane stove and a coleman blackcat to a 20lb bulk source using a coleman propane tee. "

i believe that the coleman blackcat has a specific warning about not hooking up to any bulk propane.......it cannot handle the pressure and may explode/cause fire

Yeah i keep getting conflicting info on this, this thread has some good info.

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/...322486549.html

I'll guess try it out outside for awhile before I put it in my truck.

[Poop~Ghost]

http://www.rockclimbergirl.com/2009/...-platform.html

yeah, I used that site as a reference when coming up w/ my idea. They pulled the seats out - which isn't an option for me. the CRV is my wife's "lug the 2 kids around" vehicle - so I have to be able to get into camper shape and back into 2 car seat shape quickly.

[scott499]

I have never slept in a car during the winter, but I do alot of ice fishing... similar problems with keeping warm in a small environment, I think the hardest part would be dealing with condensation.

I would use a 0 degree bag, and add blankets for more warmth. Crack a window, and put a candle near it,
---the simplest solution to add a little warmth and create some circulation to move moisture out of the car.
http://www.rei.com/product/622044

Like Bigfly said, you body puts out alot or moisture, something you will defiantly have to deal with... Remember that a propane heater also adds moisture.

[powderripper]

Have owned van's for 30 years and this would be the ultimate, if I could afford it.
http://www.sportsmobile.com/ultimate.html


Tip- when insulating vans or toppers use pink foam, has 4 time's R value then white. I had 4 inches in walls and 1 inch on
ceiling and floor of van and using a rear heater off the engine to warm at bedtime, it would stay warm till morning, unless you opened a door.

[ACheateaux]

Spray painted reflectix looks very much like an empty car with tinted windows.

Solid. Thanks for that little nugget. The space mobile look wasn't fooling anyone for me...

[LightRanger]

VinnyChase,

1. Cool mini schnauze. Got one a month ago. Very cool little dog.

2. Your namesake would not be living in a van for the winter. He would be shacking up with hot (young) cougars in Aspen. Google Bryce Kellogg.

[skitrees]

I slept in the back of my explorer comfortably with a thermorest down blanket sleping bag and then another down blanket. I would let the car run for a few min to warm it up and then shut if off for the night. Never got to uncomforatble. It was also a big help that I never slept in my wet ski cloths. I would keep them in the blanket to dry but put on fresh cloths to sleep in.

[powXer]

Where is the heated truck bed thread

AGREED. Those were good times...

[Rossta]

the ubermench of this thread:

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2W0NKX...NTGA6x6-2.html

[Moeghoul]

the ubermench of this thread:

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2W0NKX...NTGA6x6-2.html

FAIL. The purpose of car sleeping is to save money, mobility and staying where there are no accomodations. That guy is the Uebermensch for the "Ueberrich dudes that like to rough it in a Four Seasons on Wheels" Thread.
He's touring in the desert because that monster needs an oilfield to run.

[Shaggy]

FAIL. The purpose of car sleeping is to save money, mobility and staying where there are no accomodations. That guy is the Uebermensch for the "Ueberrich dudes that like to rough it in a Four Seasons on Wheels" Thread.
He's touring in the desert because that monster needs an oilfield to run.

+1. That thing has more space and luxury items than the average dirtbag ski bum apartment.

[Rossta]

+1. That thing has more space and luxury items than the average dirtbag ski bum apartment.

you guys are right. that thing sucks. real men can make a home out of a geo metro! i definitely wouldn't want to stick a sled where he keeps his 4x4, and i definitely wouldn't want to have to adventure in style. /internet sarcasm

quit being so damn serious all the time! that thing looks like a fuckin space ship!

[_Aaron_]

buuuuump

[herr_stoiber]

OK, seems I also have to post to this thread.

Why sleep in the car? Maybe to save money. But mostly, because it is so much more flexible than booking something or searching around. And it's so much fun even in the winter.

Nothing better than meeting your friends Friday midnight near the resort.. it's snowing outside and everyone is celebrating with cold beer in a warm down jacket before moving into the coziness of a sleeping bag.

Personally, I don't think you need any heating in the car. When you fire up the stoves for coffee or food it gets quite warm. Hanging around in one car with multiple people also makes things more comfy. Blankets help, but a good sleeping bag is the best.
Last year I spent two weeks in a Dacia Logan and half of the nights were around -20 C. Not much of a problem, although I have to add it was a road trip so we could dry boot liners and gloves during the drive (you have to work hard as the passenger, but it's possible).
For cooking we use Trangias and gasoline stoves like the Primus MultiFuel.

Attached some shots of preparing food in the Dacia, and a shot from my own car: it's a Renault Kangoo with a platform fitted just above the wheelhouse. I used two pieces of wood, at 90cm each. All you need to do is flip the seat backs forward and pull the front wood panel in its position and you have 180cm of sleeping space. Gear and skis go underneath. For comfort, I have a 5cm matress (split at 90cm just like the wood panels), but in winter I tend to put an additional Thermarest clone underneath (from Alpkit.com the nicest sleeping bag manufacturers in Europe).