Tip, get a hot water bottle, when leaving work, fill it up with hot water. Put inside your bed as you drive to your spot to sleep for the Night. Works every time. Solo female part-time car camper 🇬🇧
Make sure you get a “real” rubber hot water bottle, like, from Lehman’s. It’s only like, 20.00, but it is thick, heavy-duty, leakproof and will last a lifetime, vs the cheaper new style ones .
A 12 volt blanket for winter days is a game changer. If you're well layered, then it should only take 4-5 minutes to get you warm enough to comfortably sleep. Then you can unplug it and your layers should keep all that heat trapped in.
Don't underestimate the really cheap plastic aluminized emergency "blankets". They will reflect your heat back at you and create a dead air space. Also, a $90 dehumidifier uses 60w and will dry out a car like yours really fast. Dry air feels less cold. Also, other car campers have recommended vaseline for your lips on nights this cold.
Another youtuber named Campervan Kevin said that he sleeps between two wool blankets and he stays really warm. He lays one under him and the other over him as a blanket. He said his were old Army wool blankets. Maybe try to do that inside your sleeping bag.
Summer is definitely way more difficult than winter. I had screens for the window so I could leave them open which helps a lot. I also live in a temperate climate so it rarely gets that hot here.
It's OK to discharge a lithium battery in the cold, but do NOT try to recharge it when it has dropped below freezing. The battery has to warm up to above that before you try to recharge it or the cell electrodes will get plated instead of the battery getting charged, and the battery will become junk just like that. You MUST wait to charge them until they are above freezing internally.
I had to sleep in a car with no heat for a few days and I made a little space heater from a coffee can, some tea candles, and one of those smaller baking trays to use as a base that I could set the coffee can on. Would burn a couple candles at a time and by the time it went out I was warm enough for the night
I have a 600 watt power bank and plug in my 500 watt heater as needed. I also have remote start so if I wake up cold in the night I have my heat set to blow on me in the back and it runs for 15 minutes and by then I'm toasty warm. I also have a 12volt blanket if needed, and use a wool blanket to stop the cold coming in through the slider on the side where my bed is.
If you do ever use a propane heater expect a huge amount of condensation on the inside of all the windows, (I've had a full quarter inch of ice on mine in the morning.) Also, a carbon-monoxide detector becomes mandatory if you want to wake up again.
Yeah, those propane heaters don’t seem to be well suited for this application. I know people use them but running the engine for heat seems like a better idea to me.
Pick up one of those $3 emergency blankets at any sporting goods store, they look like garbage but they really do work amazingly well. I have used them at 8,200 FT in a tent in oct. tucked around my mommy bag because I was so cold I couldn't sleep after using that blanket I had to unzip my sleeping bag I got too warm. They do create some condensation between the blanket and your mommy bag but you don't get wet.
I work full time and I lost my car (to a scam) got a new job in a cold place and I tried to rent an apartment across the street and walk to work but I'm too far from anywhere to get groceries etc. I am now forced to get a "car" and live in it starting in November - it's cold here and I really don't know what I'll do. I made it for 18 months in Reno, where it's also cold. I do not want to live in my car, but I am money constrained. What I want is a 1kWh battery bank to plug in a normal electric blanket, but I can't really afford it...still looking for a car. Thanks.
Our government prioritizes subsidizing illegals’ every need , citizens only have to work and pay taxes…. No benefits. Hopefully we get a change of establishment with this next election 😢 gotta love the land of the free🇺🇸
Here's another van life comfort tip: Take advantage of the the properties of LONGWAVE RADIATION. This is the transfer of heat energy from an object to its environment that is NOT conduction or convection. In fact, as much as 95% of the heat loss from your parked vehicle is taking place through your roof. This is the same energy that "night vision" video can pick up, in real time, from any distance. That heat escaping from the roof of your van is being transferred into the atmosphere above it, and if there is no object---tree branches, overhanging roof, cloud---above you, the potential for heat loss is proportional to the heat difference involved. So, if you're parked near sea level at 20C, under a clear sky, where the temperature at the top of the stratosphere (say, 10000m) is 100C degrees lower (e.g. -80C), you're losing a whole lot of heat to the atmosphere. Now, if the circumstances are the same, except there's cloud cover at 2000m, the temperature there is only 20C degrees lower, and you'd be losing only 20% as much energy as if you were under a clear sky. If you're parked under a tree, the temperature difference might be less than 5C degrees. Do the math. You can apply this principle to stay cooler in the summertime instead. If you park under a tree in the summertime, you're effectively trapping all the heat in your vehicle. Instead, park in the shade (yes, to avoid direct heating by the sun), but NOT under the thing making the shade. The temperature in your van at sea level might be 20C, but when you put your hand up on the metal of the roof, it feels COLD! This is because it is releasing longwave radiation (heat) into the atmosphere, and under a clear sky, the thermal gradient is extremely high. After a few moments parked under a tree in the same conditions, the roof will feel the same temperature as the air under the tree, because the thermal gradient is practically nothing.
Before I got my bus, I slept in vehicles as well (Subaru Outback, Ford Escape, and a few others) and as far as running the engine for heat, you should be fine as long as you use sensible precautions. Really, the only thing is to get yourself a carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide detector. You know, mostly as a "better safe than sorry" kind of thing. Those Subaru vehicles in particular are great at sipping fuel when idling and not using a lot. Depending on how new you bought the one you're in, one tip is to (when it is cool, not still boiling hot) check the coolant level. Brand new vehicles may not actually be properly filled, and that lack of fluid may not cause the engine to overheat, but it will cause the heater to not perform as well as it could as it won't have enough fluid to really fill the heater core. This is the same with any new or newer vehicle you purchase. Basically, if you fill an engine after replacing a thermostat or something like that, it's only going to fill the area in front of the thermostat and a large air bubble will form on the other side. This is why you have to crank and run the vehicle when changing the coolant and wait until you hear that click and the thermostat actually kicks in and starts to circulate that coolant. The air bubble will burp itself out, the coolant level you see at the fill cap will drop, and you will be able to fully fill the coolant properly. So, if you start your car cold and take off the radiator cap, wait for it to start flowing when the thermostat kicks open and you notice the fluid levels drop drastically, you would just need to top it off and your heat will tend to work a lot better. Other than that, man, be safe out there. I've been watching the crazy weather you all are having and I hope you (and all the nomads out that way) are staying warm.
Great tips! Yeah, it’s a fairly new vehicle still but everything seems to work perfectly. I’m not sure how much fuel it uses at idle but it definitely isn’t much. I’ve idled for a couple hours a day for a week and not seen the fuel gauge drop.
There are comfortable ways to sleep in a car long term. 1st , remove the passanger seat. #2 build a bed from the back seat to under the dash. #3 find 12" 3x6 piece of foam. The best sleep you can get in your car is most important if going to live in your car
Definitely good advice for smaller vehicles. I can fit a regular twin sized mattress in the back of my Crosstrek with the rear seats folded so that’s what I did.
Get car battery and a invertor and then a space heater and u can change battery at work with plug in charger or hook it to ur car while u warm car up after work
Tnx for,the video! Good of you to warn for LiIon battery use when those are frozen! One thing though: when you talk about degrees, Celcius or F?! Keeps on being confusing..l
Yep, lithium is great, but It can struggle in sub-zero. I installed a secondary gel battery with a 300w inverter. The inverter creates good heat so it runs like a beast even at -39 °Celsius/ -39 Farenhight
There's heating blankets that you can charge in your car. There's also a device at Walmart that you can plug into the cigarette lighter and use it as an outlet to heat up water.
I got of blankets donated to me by family. It's been good. I turn off van after warm but waking up cold middle sucks sometimes. Some nights, in 32 tonight, I get hot and turn off car. I use Coleman in morning make coffee n gives off heat. Just depends on that wind 😵. Where's your favorite spot to sleep? I been alternating between spaces.
I believe that a bill should be introduced to assist those living in RVs and cars......they are giving billions to illegals why not US!!! Some sort of credit tax wise or something!
Get a 2000 watt harbor freight generator it will run 9 hrs with a 700 watt heater kicking on and off with the thermostat or you could run a heat blanket with it’s well
Throwing your car in nuetral with the heat on blowing is no problem at all so long as your gas is full and your emergency brake on done. I have done it 1000's of times in winter in CHICAGO
For a European it seems strange for a person to have a job but no proper accomodation and instead using your car as a home. Apparently this is common in the U.S
Works if you can find one that won’t kick you out. Around here underground garages are always associated with high rise buildings and they have tight security.
Getting stuck in a Wyoming blizzard in my car was rough. I bet that sleeping bag makes a big difference. I hope you're not sleeping in an uncomforable sitting position. Those seats can be set up sort of like a bed.
I actually had the seats folded down and was sleeping on a twin size mattress. That sleeping bag is great! Getting stuck in a Wyoming blizzard would be crazy. It gets way colder there than it does here in Washington.
LadyBugout who does van camping dors an interesting thing ...she uses something to get the heat from the front to the back quickly. It was in a video about 10months ago
A couple of heaters maybe? I remember seeing a video a while back about people that do car and van life in the really cold parts of Canada. Wish I could remember what it was. I’m very fortunate to live in a temperate climate.
HAHAHA I was seriously thinking the same - I can honestly say I’ve always had a roof over my head. Always worked full time and always had food on the table.
at the moment i live at work parking lot because shit happened.... in my converted small car. Dont have any extra batteries except upgraded 100ah start battery under the hood and a 50w solar....enugh for my laptop and phone. Anyways i have free access to a 230v outlet here that i use for a electric heater and a small compressor dehumidifier...i dont know how you do it without...i would be so miserable!
That's why I don't lose list of your batteries. They may last longer, but they're more weaker as far as whether regular batteries are the strongest and best. That's why I use for my camp event. I'll never buy Lician batteries
Yall spoiled with your working car heaters... in my truck with no heat I do this: cup of coffee or broth before bed to get the insides warmed up. A $30 usb powered heated blanket from amazon and a plain ass blanket. Crack your windows open a bit, that will let the moisutre out and fresh air in. Please dont use any kind of gas powered heater in your car, being dead does not count as being warm. Get a wool beanie and some wool socks, you lose the most body heat thru the top of your head and tops of your feet. Stay safe out there car campers and fellow homeless losers.😂
Electric blankets are resistive heating and so they only get as warm as the power they draw. I can't even feel those USB or cigarette lighter blankets. I finally started reading the power draw and I found an electric throw with 200W, which was amazing - but broke a couple of months later. Currently have a 150W one - very warm, but I don't have a battery large enough to use it in my car :D - I admit I'm worried, especially because I am now fasting 3 days a week to save $$
My strategy is to focus on keeping myself warm; it's unnecessary and expensive to keep the whole vehicle space warm. That said, I'll try to drive for 10-15 minutes before parking for the overnight, running the heater on its highest settings to warm the cabin. I also have an electric heating pad I can use to prewarm my bedding; it's plugged into a Jackery power station at my bedside, so I can turned it off without getting out of a warm bed. I sleep on a 5-inch, high density foam mattress, under three goose-down quilts; when overnight temps dip into double digits below zero, I have 30 pounds of wool blankets to throw over my quilts. Unrelated but important point: Always have surplus capacity piss bottles, because you can't dump frozen piss (NB: urine freezes at -12C to -15C depending on the concentration of solutes).
@ I just had a mom moment.... Totally something my kid would say:) I like to be warm:) heat at your feet and put that bag on the floor. Bet that gets real toasty..... I'm such a cold person.
The takeaway for vehicle dwellers, is that you lose heat though your roof, and especially quickly if you're parked under a clear sky. Better by far is to park under something---anything---that blocks your roof's exposure to the sky.
Boil up a kettle of water then fill up the hot water bag/bottle.. Let her Warm up the sleeping bag. Suprise suprize she's still warm in the morning. She's almost as good as a real girl. I stay toasty warm all night.
Why spend all Summer up north instead of spending that time heading south before winter comes? Doesn't seem like it's because of a job that doesn't allow you to live in a house or apartment.
Bro is brave.. ppl take life for advantage and don’t ever consider what it’s like for ppl with bad eyes .. even with glasses at night you are screwed bc your glasses reflect any light/ blocking you from seeing..= this guy knows he potentially could loose his glasses in the mf woods and be stuck walking around looking like Velma from Scooby do .. looking for his glasses.
Well, propane, he does are the best Isaac in my camper.Man but if you want to stay cold that's up to youWell, propane, he does are the best Isaac in my camper. Man, but if you want to stay cold, that's up to you.
OMG.... if carbon monoxide seeps into your car while you are in it..... you are dead. Do not let your car idle to run the heater for any length of time.... wow.
All these " tips" and nothing about not breathing in cold air all night and messing with your throat etc etc and always having these symptoms of being sick or being sick and back at it the next night . ??
Good point! I actually never had that problem living in my car but that was what every winter felt like when I lived in Maine. Not sure why the car never caused me problems though.
They are tiny, they will fit under any seat or even under the car itself. They really only use high power on startup for the glow plug, then it's just the fans and that's minimal power.
Do you urinate in a bottle or ziplock bag ? Shower at a 24 hour local gym ? Has the business establishment given you permission to loiter in their parking lot ? Do the police knock on your windows during welfare checks ? Your video is unrealistic since it doesn't address these and other issues .
This was at an Amazon parking lot. They had bathrooms in the parking lot for drivers like myself and a shower in the main building. My boss offered to let me stay there which is how I ended up parking there instead of public land miles away. Security knew about myself and the other drivers that lived in the parking lot. We were left alone and asked to keep an eye out for the catalytic converter thieves. Never had a problem with police or law enforcement in general.
@@ColinAdventures Let me rephrase that. In Basic Training they would not let us sleep with clothes on. After you go out to your unit, how you sleep is your problem. The thing about the clothes, was that too many clothes take away from the body heat that is supposed to build up in the bag. It's like wearing a coat in the house. When you go outside in the cold, the coat is basically useless.
Tip, get a hot water bottle, when leaving work, fill it up with hot water. Put inside your bed as you drive to your spot to sleep for the Night. Works every time. Solo female part-time car camper 🇬🇧
People keep telling me about this. Haven’t tried it yet!
@@ColinAdventures It is the cheapest and easiest way to stay warm.
Make sure you get a “real” rubber hot water bottle, like, from Lehman’s. It’s only like, 20.00, but it is thick, heavy-duty, leakproof and will last a lifetime, vs the cheaper new style ones .
how fast it goes cold makes this not good advice. not for a whole night to stay warm
The bottle will actually draw heat from your body after s few hours, by morning it is you heating the bottle!
A 12 volt blanket for winter days is a game changer. If you're well layered, then it should only take 4-5 minutes to get you warm enough to comfortably sleep. Then you can unplug it and your layers should keep all that heat trapped in.
People keep telling me about those! Haven’t had a chance to try one yet though.
In theory. That won’t work for -30 F winters in Chicago. Only my buddy heater works.
Don't underestimate the really cheap plastic aluminized emergency "blankets". They will reflect your heat back at you and create a dead air space.
Also, a $90 dehumidifier uses 60w and will dry out a car like yours really fast. Dry air feels less cold.
Also, other car campers have recommended vaseline for your lips on nights this cold.
@@macmcleod1188 The dehumidifier sounds like it might work, but I haven’t found one under 500 watts (because of the compressor)
Interesting, interesting.
Another youtuber named Campervan Kevin said that he sleeps between two wool blankets and he stays really warm. He lays one under him and the other over him as a blanket. He said his were old Army wool blankets. Maybe try to do that inside your sleeping bag.
Placing even the lightest blanket I side the sleeping bag is a huge difference in how warm you stay.
My mother always said that one thick woolen blanket underneath one is worth two on top! And, she was always right.
…I wouldn’t mind being inside that sleeping bag, lemme tell ya’ …. He’s a sexy beast ….
What about Summer? I can deal with cold but heat I can’t stand.
Summer is definitely way more difficult than winter. I had screens for the window so I could leave them open which helps a lot. I also live in a temperate climate so it rarely gets that hot here.
It's OK to discharge a lithium battery in the cold, but do NOT try to recharge it when it has dropped below freezing. The battery has to warm up to above that before you try to recharge it or the cell electrodes will get plated instead of the battery getting charged, and the battery will become junk just like that. You MUST wait to charge them until they are above freezing internally.
Yes! That’s definitely correct. I noticed the capacity of the batteries really drop below freezing.
I had to sleep in a car with no heat for a few days and I made a little space heater from a coffee can, some tea candles, and one of those smaller baking trays to use as a base that I could set the coffee can on. Would burn a couple candles at a time and by the time it went out I was warm enough for the night
I have a 600 watt power bank and plug in my 500 watt heater as needed. I also have remote start so if I wake up cold in the night I have my heat set to blow on me in the back and it runs for 15 minutes and by then I'm toasty warm. I also have a 12volt blanket if needed, and use a wool blanket to stop the cold coming in through the slider on the side where my bed is.
If you do ever use a propane heater expect a huge amount of condensation on the inside of all the windows, (I've had a full quarter inch of ice on mine in the morning.) Also, a carbon-monoxide detector becomes mandatory if you want to wake up again.
Yeah, those propane heaters don’t seem to be well suited for this application. I know people use them but running the engine for heat seems like a better idea to me.
Bro you are already shivering 🥶
Thats what I was thinking too...
Pick up one of those $3 emergency blankets at any sporting goods store, they look like garbage but they really do work amazingly well. I have used them at 8,200 FT in a tent in oct. tucked around my mommy bag because I was so cold I couldn't sleep after using that blanket I had to unzip my sleeping bag I got too warm. They do create some condensation between the blanket and your mommy bag but you don't get wet.
You should build a cozy for your electronics made of reflectix. Wrap up your electronics at night and keep them insulated.
I'm in the UK I cant believe a lot of Americans treat this as normal!!!, he has a full time job and has to live in his car FFS!!
Yep. We do have a lot of public land out here that makes this lifestyle possible but no one should be forced to live like this if they don’t want to.
I work full time and I lost my car (to a scam) got a new job in a cold place and I tried to rent an apartment across the street and walk to work but I'm too far from anywhere to get groceries etc. I am now forced to get a "car" and live in it starting in November - it's cold here and I really don't know what I'll do. I made it for 18 months in Reno, where it's also cold. I do not want to live in my car, but I am money constrained. What I want is a 1kWh battery bank to plug in a normal electric blanket, but I can't really afford it...still looking for a car. Thanks.
I live in the UK. And this will be pretty normal for us too for sure in the next few years believe me
Our government prioritizes subsidizing illegals’ every need , citizens only have to work and pay taxes…. No benefits.
Hopefully we get a change of establishment with this next election 😢 gotta love the land of the free🇺🇸
@@Pleebixx Our government is subsidizing industries and companies like Tesla-not migrants.
Hand/body warmers are great. I'll put 2 or 3 positioned under my fleece sheet and last for 12 hours.
LiFePo Batteries would be a good choice, with a 1280 kW battery you could get 8 hours on a small 200 Watt heater. You could charge it at work.
Here's another van life comfort tip: Take advantage of the the properties of LONGWAVE RADIATION. This is the transfer of heat energy from an object to its environment that is NOT conduction or convection. In fact, as much as 95% of the heat loss from your parked vehicle is taking place through your roof. This is the same energy that "night vision" video can pick up, in real time, from any distance. That heat escaping from the roof of your van is being transferred into the atmosphere above it, and if there is no object---tree branches, overhanging roof, cloud---above you, the potential for heat loss is proportional to the heat difference involved. So, if you're parked near sea level at 20C, under a clear sky, where the temperature at the top of the stratosphere (say, 10000m) is 100C degrees lower (e.g. -80C), you're losing a whole lot of heat to the atmosphere. Now, if the circumstances are the same, except there's cloud cover at 2000m, the temperature there is only 20C degrees lower, and you'd be losing only 20% as much energy as if you were under a clear sky. If you're parked under a tree, the temperature difference might be less than 5C degrees. Do the math.
You can apply this principle to stay cooler in the summertime instead. If you park under a tree in the summertime, you're effectively trapping all the heat in your vehicle. Instead, park in the shade (yes, to avoid direct heating by the sun), but NOT under the thing making the shade. The temperature in your van at sea level might be 20C, but when you put your hand up on the metal of the roof, it feels COLD! This is because it is releasing longwave radiation (heat) into the atmosphere, and under a clear sky, the thermal gradient is extremely high. After a few moments parked under a tree in the same conditions, the roof will feel the same temperature as the air under the tree, because the thermal gradient is practically nothing.
Before I got my bus, I slept in vehicles as well (Subaru Outback, Ford Escape, and a few others) and as far as running the engine for heat, you should be fine as long as you use sensible precautions. Really, the only thing is to get yourself a carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide detector. You know, mostly as a "better safe than sorry" kind of thing. Those Subaru vehicles in particular are great at sipping fuel when idling and not using a lot. Depending on how new you bought the one you're in, one tip is to (when it is cool, not still boiling hot) check the coolant level. Brand new vehicles may not actually be properly filled, and that lack of fluid may not cause the engine to overheat, but it will cause the heater to not perform as well as it could as it won't have enough fluid to really fill the heater core. This is the same with any new or newer vehicle you purchase. Basically, if you fill an engine after replacing a thermostat or something like that, it's only going to fill the area in front of the thermostat and a large air bubble will form on the other side. This is why you have to crank and run the vehicle when changing the coolant and wait until you hear that click and the thermostat actually kicks in and starts to circulate that coolant. The air bubble will burp itself out, the coolant level you see at the fill cap will drop, and you will be able to fully fill the coolant properly. So, if you start your car cold and take off the radiator cap, wait for it to start flowing when the thermostat kicks open and you notice the fluid levels drop drastically, you would just need to top it off and your heat will tend to work a lot better. Other than that, man, be safe out there. I've been watching the crazy weather you all are having and I hope you (and all the nomads out that way) are staying warm.
Great tips! Yeah, it’s a fairly new vehicle still but everything seems to work perfectly. I’m not sure how much fuel it uses at idle but it definitely isn’t much. I’ve idled for a couple hours a day for a week and not seen the fuel gauge drop.
It has been almost two years since you made this video. I hope you are well and happy and going to vote!
Well I’m in a different situation now at least. My ballot is already turned in!
Throw couple of hand warmers in the sleeping bag stays warm up to 10 hours no need for 12v or batteries only 90 cents each
I tried it but unfortunately won't work good as if they were inside your pant pockets or clothes.
What about fresh air/oxygen
I've seen a video, where a flattened piece of cardboard box, was put against the door to keep drafts out.
I could see that working if you a problem with drafts. Haven’t had any issues with that myself though.
Best of luck my friend ☺
look up flower pot heater. it can help.
There are comfortable ways to sleep in a car long term. 1st , remove the passanger seat. #2 build a bed from the back seat to under the dash. #3 find 12" 3x6 piece of foam. The best sleep you can get in your car is most important if going to live in your car
Definitely good advice for smaller vehicles. I can fit a regular twin sized mattress in the back of my Crosstrek with the rear seats folded so that’s what I did.
I spent eight winters 🥶 in my van in California it was rough
Get car battery and a invertor and then a space heater and u can change battery at work with plug in charger or hook it to ur car while u warm car up after work
Tnx for,the video!
Good of you to warn for LiIon battery use when those are frozen!
One thing though: when you talk about degrees, Celcius or F?!
Keeps on being confusing..l
Probably F. I think I forgot to put the conversions on this video. Sorry about that!
Yep, lithium is great, but It can struggle in sub-zero. I installed a secondary gel battery with a 300w inverter. The inverter creates good heat so it runs like a beast even at -39 °Celsius/ -39 Farenhight
There's heating blankets that you can charge in your car.
There's also a device at Walmart that you can plug into the cigarette lighter and use it as an outlet to heat up water.
I just used lots of blankets.
That’s how I started out too.
I got of blankets donated to me by family. It's been good. I turn off van after warm but waking up cold middle sucks sometimes. Some nights, in 32 tonight, I get hot and turn off car. I use Coleman in morning make coffee n gives off heat. Just depends on that wind 😵. Where's your favorite spot to sleep? I been alternating between spaces.
You might also try getting a rechargeable electric blanket or a rechargeable heated sleeping bag.
Military sleeping bags or weighted blankets work.
I believe that a bill should be introduced to assist those living in RVs and cars......they are giving billions to illegals why not US!!! Some sort of credit tax wise or something!
you can use lithum battery frozen you just cant charge them
Correct!
Get a 2000 watt harbor freight generator it will run 9 hrs with a 700 watt heater kicking on and off with the thermostat or you could run a heat blanket with it’s well
Throwing your car in nuetral with the heat on blowing is no problem at all so long as your gas is full and your emergency brake on done. I have done it 1000's of times in winter in CHICAGO
Exactly! I maintain my ebrake so it’s no big deal.
For a European it seems strange for a person to have a job but no proper accomodation and instead using your car as a home. Apparently this is common in the U.S
Yep! On the plus side. Lots of public land out west!
If one is available, why not park in an underground garage on the really cold nights? They will retain a certain amount of heat.
Works if you can find one that won’t kick you out. Around here underground garages are always associated with high rise buildings and they have tight security.
@ the city hall underground where I live has a $2 max from 6 pm to 6 am. A couple other municipal lots have $5 and $8 max for overnights.
TIP DIESEL HEATER OR A VENTED OIL BURNING HEATSTOVE
Currently living in a mini van 22 degrees with nothing but a mac book air 13 and a dream
Nice! You got this!
what kind of van?
Getting stuck in a Wyoming blizzard in my car was rough. I bet that sleeping bag makes a big difference. I hope you're not sleeping in an uncomforable sitting position. Those seats can be set up sort of like a bed.
I actually had the seats folded down and was sleeping on a twin size mattress. That sleeping bag is great! Getting stuck in a Wyoming blizzard would be crazy. It gets way colder there than it does here in Washington.
i live in my house in the winter without heat.
gets down to 25 F around here as a low. lower?
Great video
LadyBugout who does van camping dors an interesting thing ...she uses something to get the heat from the front to the back quickly. It was in a video about 10months ago
Use a power bank and a DC throw in your sleeping bag. Put your bank and batteries in a styrofoam cooler, feed the cord out.
How do I do this in Canadian winters that peak around -58F?
A couple of heaters maybe? I remember seeing a video a while back about people that do car and van life in the really cold parts of Canada. Wish I could remember what it was. I’m very fortunate to live in a temperate climate.
In my country we have the house.
Can I buy one?
HAHAHA I was seriously thinking the same - I can honestly say I’ve always had a roof over my head. Always worked full time and always had food on the table.
at the moment i live at work parking lot because shit happened.... in my converted small car. Dont have any extra batteries except upgraded 100ah start battery under the hood and a 50w solar....enugh for my laptop and phone. Anyways i have free access to a 230v outlet here that i use for a electric heater and a small compressor dehumidifier...i dont know how you do it without...i would be so miserable!
Is it 15F or 15c? Presumably the latter.
I think he mentioned he runs the heater at 75 so F
That's why I don't lose list of your batteries. They may last longer, but they're more weaker as far as whether regular batteries are the strongest and best. That's why I use for my camp event. I'll never buy Lician batteries
I just bought a Snugglesafe, heat for 8 minutes in microwave and it stays warm for about 8 hours.
Bruh doesn’t have a microwave - you provided no help.
You should get a diesel heater
Had one when I lived in my skoolie. I would need something really small and less power hungry for my car.
Yall spoiled with your working car heaters... in my truck with no heat I do this: cup of coffee or broth before bed to get the insides warmed up. A $30 usb powered heated blanket from amazon and a plain ass blanket. Crack your windows open a bit, that will let the moisutre out and fresh air in. Please dont use any kind of gas powered heater in your car, being dead does not count as being warm. Get a wool beanie and some wool socks, you lose the most body heat thru the top of your head and tops of your feet.
Stay safe out there car campers and fellow homeless losers.😂
Electric blankets are resistive heating and so they only get as warm as the power they draw. I can't even feel those USB or cigarette lighter blankets. I finally started reading the power draw and I found an electric throw with 200W, which was amazing - but broke a couple of months later. Currently have a 150W one - very warm, but I don't have a battery large enough to use it in my car :D - I admit I'm worried, especially because I am now fasting 3 days a week to save $$
My strategy is to focus on keeping myself warm; it's unnecessary and expensive to keep the whole vehicle space warm.
That said, I'll try to drive for 10-15 minutes before parking for the overnight, running the heater on its highest settings to warm the cabin. I also have an electric heating pad I can use to prewarm my bedding; it's plugged into a Jackery power station at my bedside, so I can turned it off without getting out of a warm bed. I sleep on a 5-inch, high density foam mattress, under three goose-down quilts; when overnight temps dip into double digits below zero, I have 30 pounds of wool blankets to throw over my quilts. Unrelated but important point: Always have surplus capacity piss bottles, because you can't dump frozen piss (NB: urine freezes at -12C to -15C depending on the concentration of solutes).
That’s some great advice there. I like the heating pad idea. Shivering for several minutes while the bedding warms up is no fun.
Mr buddy crack window..propane better than freezing,done it for years.
Heating blanket
You should bring your sleeping bag up front. Preheat it
But I’m so lazy…
@ I just had a mom moment.... Totally something my kid would say:) I like to be warm:) heat at your feet and put that bag on the floor. Bet that gets real toasty..... I'm such a cold person.
You need a hat! You lose heat throughout your head. Stay warm!
Hats really do help! I have some really warm hats I wear.
Not a hat - a special forces beanie
The takeaway for vehicle dwellers, is that you lose heat though your roof, and especially quickly if you're parked under a clear sky. Better by far is to park under something---anything---that blocks your roof's exposure to the sky.
@@user-ep3ck5re4o Ideally...
always put manuals in first gear and ebrake when you park,,,never park in neutral my friend
Kinda hard to run the engine for heat in that case...
May Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior bless you today and always. Praying for you 🙏 ❤️
Delusional.
Diesel heater is only way to go.
20 degrees, that’s warm. Here in winter it can get -9
Yeah, I’m glad it doesn’t get that cold around here.
Gotta get a warmer sleeping bag and down booties
I like the down booties idea.
What do u do for a living? Are u a nurse too?
Former piano teacher/pianist. I’ve been driving since 2020 though.
when your home has wheels under it, why not just do what the birds do? Move with them, avoiding both heat and cold.
That would have been ideal. I wasn’t able to make it work financially though.
Sport camping product
Clothes merino wool
I’m a big fan of merino wool!
Lucky you... I get up 3-4 times a night to urinate...
Me too it's awful. Some times I'll use my remote starter to warm the car up before I get out of the covers
Boil up a kettle of water then fill up the hot water bag/bottle.. Let her Warm up the sleeping bag. Suprise suprize she's still warm in the morning. She's almost as good as a real girl. I stay toasty warm all night.
Why spend all Summer up north instead of spending that time heading south before winter comes? Doesn't seem like it's because of a job that doesn't allow you to live in a house or apartment.
In my case it was because of pay. I was making substantially more staying up north than if I had gone south.
You should come to the UK. Cross the channel in a dingy, you’ll get put up in a hotel. 3 meals a day and an allowance,!
Bro is brave.. ppl take life for advantage and don’t ever consider what it’s like for ppl with bad eyes .. even with glasses at night you are screwed bc your glasses reflect any light/ blocking you from seeing..= this guy knows he potentially could loose his glasses in the mf woods and be stuck walking around looking like Velma from Scooby do .. looking for his glasses.
Haha. Yep, been that way my entire life though. I’m used to it. I’m more worried about getting worse vision problems like both my parents have.
What has the world come to. People living in cars like it ain't no thing!😢
It’s really not bad. No one should be forced to lived like this though.
Well, propane, he does are the best Isaac in my camper.Man but if you want to stay cold that's up to youWell, propane, he does are the best Isaac in my camper. Man, but if you want to stay cold, that's up to you.
OMG.... if carbon monoxide seeps into your car while you are in it..... you are dead. Do not let your car idle to run the heater for any length of time.... wow.
Or he could get a carbon monoxide detector.
Omg. If a semi crashes into you on your drive to work you are gone. Don't ever drive your car on a public road.
All these " tips" and nothing about not breathing in cold air all night and messing with your throat etc etc and always having these symptoms of being sick or being sick and back at it the next night . ??
Good point! I actually never had that problem living in my car but that was what every winter felt like when I lived in Maine. Not sure why the car never caused me problems though.
You must have heat
its all so easy, lite a candle
I don’t like having open flames in any enclosed space without significant ventilation.
Doesn't put out enough heat
Delta Ecoflow 2024 Kw + electric blanket.Don't fck around.Is dangerous.
That is exactly what I want, 2kW would be perfect - but I really can't afford it and having it delivered to a random parking lot is another issue :D
Try a electric blanket 😄
How do you power the blanket?
Drains battery , and blows car fuses
Put a hat on.
Get a teardrop camper. You can tow it with a small car.
That was actually the plan. Ended having to move in to an apartment due to my CDL.
Which bank should we rob to get the money ?
DIESEL HEATER for goodness sake...
Haven’t found a small enough one yet for this setup. They also consume quite a bit of power and I only have a small battery.
They are tiny, they will fit under any seat or even under the car itself. They really only use high power on startup for the glow plug, then it's just the fans and that's minimal power.
Damp rid
That can help for sure.
🙂✌
😎
Dude , you are talking to fast , slow down , relax
Do you urinate in a bottle or ziplock bag ? Shower at a 24 hour local gym ? Has the business establishment given you permission to loiter in their parking lot ? Do the police knock on your windows during welfare checks ? Your video is unrealistic since it doesn't address these and other issues .
This was at an Amazon parking lot. They had bathrooms in the parking lot for drivers like myself and a shower in the main building. My boss offered to let me stay there which is how I ended up parking there instead of public land miles away. Security knew about myself and the other drivers that lived in the parking lot. We were left alone and asked to keep an eye out for the catalytic converter thieves. Never had a problem with police or law enforcement in general.
@ColinAdventures That's great to hear . Glad that Amazon has shown some care for their drivers .
When I was in the Army, they would not let us sleep in the sleeping bag with clothes on.
Interesting! Any particular reason for that?
@@ColinAdventures Let me rephrase that. In Basic Training they would not let us sleep with clothes on. After you go out to your unit, how you sleep is your problem. The thing about the clothes, was that too many clothes take away from the body heat that is supposed to build up in the bag. It's like wearing a coat in the house. When you go outside in the cold, the coat is basically useless.
I did it for over 14 years while on active duty
Why don’t you just get a Prius for climate control
If I was somehow reduced to living in a car or vehicle, id move to somewhere like Arizona. Dumb to suffer by choice.
He is not suffering, and his choices have created freedom and opportunities to better his life. Yep real dumb.
Too much talking & not showing what you are doing to keep warm .
Nah, I know exactly what he is talking about because I have been through a winter in the same situation.