Really nice and inspiring channel you have. For the condensation issue, we use a "room dehumidifier" (it's basically a sac of small pellets that absorb the whater vapour), and an open window...
Thank you for your kind words 😊 we have bought something similar that we keep in the cupboard and a window vac that so many people recommended which was a game changer! It can vac over 100ml of water on a cold morning!
Having lived on a boat for many years and now hiking / camping - drying myself and mopping up the condensation - leave the towel alone. Try using a ‘Sph20nge’ cloth. They are simply incredible. I have one (they are about twice the size of a face cloth/flannel) that I dry myself with and another is used to mop the inside of the tent. Yet another lives in the car and I have others at home. Try them and you’ll love them. I use one when wild swimming including in winter and it’s dries me so quickly as it sucks up the water faster than a dehydrated elephant. Utterly brilliant and they can be wrung nearly dry after use. No damp towels.
Thanks for the tip. Rich has had a look at them online as we do find our little cottage can have quite a bit of condensation in the mornings (we have no central heating) x
I bought a good quality thermal pop top cover from Rainbow Screens and you can use the pop top in winter. Well worth the investment. Thanks for a great video!
Our screen is from rainbow screens, sadly I think we have left it too late for this winters ski trip and I need to get saving 😬 agree with the quality as the screen made a big difference 🚐⛷️
Those Damp traps are ok but won’t be much use whilst cooking. Leave one in the bottom of your cupboards to help get rid of any dampness Ventilation is the Best way to reduce condensation. Damp/wet gear - we use dry sacks to store wet gear until we can dry it. Brilliant and they pack down to nothing, stored our duvet in one when we had the T4
Great ideas with the dry sacks Richard has a couple with his rucksack. Yes ventilation is the answer which we must be more mindful of! But we will leave a couple out in cupboards and maybe in front cabin as the van won’t move much when skiing ⛷️
An answer to mud in the van is don't go in the van with your outside shoes on. We have walking boots but when we get back to the camp site we always have slip on type shoes. When we go in the van we slip them off and put them in a plastic box placed outside as we go into the van, or in better weather, under the van. Inside the van, we put slippers on.
Oh if only I was that organised 🤣🤣🤣 we do take spare shoes but I am pretty rubbish at remembering to change them. We too have a plastic box for our muddy boots (and it has been really muddy in the UK this summer) the duckboard and Mat are pretty good at keeping the van clear 😊
I read on another blog that using shower caps to cover your boots when you first come into the van from a muddy walk helps. We keep a shower cap for each boot near the door. We slip on a shower cap on each muddy boot when we frist get into the van. Works a treat even if it does look daft 😁
Enjoyed your video which was in the youtube recommendations list. Will go back to your first now and see your journey. One tip I can offer is if you combine a decent wiper blade with your cloth getting that condensation off can be really quick 👍
Thank you 😊 it’s been quite a journey since our first video! I think we are going to try the karacher window vac as we are skiing for 4/5 weeks in the new year ⛷️🚐❄️
Excellent - My tips is to carry a large Stanley or similar e.g. Thermos flask - These will keep water hot enough for tea/ coffee in overnight for the morning without any of the faff. Also using Mash instant rather than boiling potatatoes.
i am winter campervaning and working at the same time so i can hopefully join you guys i early retirement in the next few years...great vid...great info...cheers...take care👍
Completely agree that winter camping can be great fun, in fact we are heading up to your neck of the woods in the van in a couple of weeks time. We have a thermal wrap for the pop top and have been comfortable in the roof down to -10. I find wind more of a challenge for the pop top than the cold.
Nice where are you staying? Where did you get your thermal wrap from, I am assuming they have to be custom made as pop tops are different sizes? Good to know you think they work as it is a big expense but would be worth it
@@earlyretirementwanderlust hi, I have the Darren Pucer screen. They are pretty simple with no windows, printed eyes or other such frills but they work really well, easy to fit and cheaper than most of the others at around £175 (still not cheap!). He has an extensive range for most popular pop tops and I think can do custom if necessary. I like that it’s not fabric so that when it gets wet (as it inevitably will in winter!) it doesn’t retain any moisture and is just wipe dry. I can also lay it flat at store in the roof so it doesn’t take up any space in the van. No fixed plans for the Dales, possibly wild camping but any campsite recommendations gratefully recieved! I did the Coast to Coast a while back and went over the high route in Swaledale (stunning) and we quite fancy doing the low route to compare. Love your channel, we are inspired to work out how we can retire soon!
Another great vid, love your straight forward honest approach to everything. As for condensation grab a Karcher WV1 window vac, they are about £50 but absolute game changer, I used to wipe down with cloths but ended up dripping everywhere and then you've got another damp cloth to dry. The vac just sucks it all up and empty out the bottle, just brilliant, all the best.
We were looking at these yesterday so glad you mentioned it as I think we will definitely invest in one before we go skiing. Richard also says it will be useful in our little cottage in the depths of winter!
I'm getting a new van in March, it's just being converted and until I get somewhere to live it's going to be my ho.e o wheels. I'm Interested In going to France and Norway but I do t speak a word of French or anything else Do speak a language other than English or do you find you manage and are they friendly. Heard so many tales it did put me off but I've spent every penny I have on this van and I want to see and enjoy life while I still have a big time. I'm 64 in March and will only have my small dog Buddy with me,I'm excited and scared all In the same breath. So any motivation other than you've just provided will be great. I've subscribed as I was impressed by your Spirit of Adventure. Happy Xmas Adrian and Buddy
It’s very exciting getting a new van and the world it opens you upto is just incredible 🚐 Nelson was our home on wheels for 14 weeks when we relocated. We don’t really speak another language, we get by with french as we have spent a lot of time in France and have never felt awkward really. To our embarrassment most people will speak to you in English. It was very strange in Slovenia and Croatia where the language structure is so different and no words were recognisable but we still got by!! Just go for it and enjoy your travels with your dog. You will find there are so many English people on the road in Europe that there is always someone to talk to and many of the European travellers will chat away in English to you. We have met so many interesting people, particularly the Scandinavians, German and Dutch travellers who seemingly all speak very good English so you will never be lonely.
@earlyretirementwanderlust Thank you for the Quick response, It is very scary but also Exciting and I only onc went to France many years ago and it wasn't a pleasant experience simply because I spoke no French. Maybe I need to try learning a little basics. I just felt that if I didn't do it now at my time of life I never would and Buddy my little dog is such an affectionate and stabilising influence that I sometimes forget he isn't human. Maybe one day we will bump into each other. Thanks again and best of luck on your travels. Adrian 😇
Another great vlog . We have just spent this weekend near Grassington in our van. I can absolutely see why you both love The Dales. I bought the little Dales walking book that I had seen on your vlog. Thanks for the content you share .
Thank you ☺️ the dales are where our heart is and are beautiful whatever the weather! (Good job as we have had a lot of rain this year!) we are going to grassington in a couple of weeks for the Victorian Christmas 🎄 the little walking books are great we have collected a few on our travels particularly Scottish island ones
Agree with all the comments.. Thanks for all the useful info. Re solar, I’m surprised you said you wouldn’t get any solar power as it looked fairly bright…? Mine charges even in very low light condition, maybe a better panel is needed..? I was in a motorway services the other evening and parked under a floodlight, and the solar panel charging controller was showing 1.38a..
Generally it’s pretty good at charging to be fair, I think in winter it has less charging time and heavier usage with lights on in the long dark nights!! I also think the batteries are getting old at nearly 4 years so not holding the charge aswell as they used to. Always something to tweak and upgrade with a van! 🚐 thanks for watching and happy travels x
Good video. We also travel extensively in winter in our T3 Syncro, camping at -17°C in Poland last winter. We have taken all the same measures as you (insulation, silver screen etc), but added an extractor fan in our pop top over the kitchen zone, a thermal wrap for the pop top (allows you to keep using that space) and swear by a Karcher Window Vac with the small blade head. You’ll be shocked how much moisture it collects - no more wet microfibre cloths.
Richard is so happy that so many people have recommended the karcher window vac as the condensation has been his nemesis all these years! I think we will get saving for a pop top wrap aswell 🚐 by the way you have Richards dream van!
Great video. We get our van on Friday 2nd February 2024....64 sleeps! I'm trying not to count.... we will be defiantly using our van from day 1. I've heard a karcher window vac is a good investment. Just something else to carry and charge! keep the videos coming. cheers
That is so exciting. We got our van conversion finished in feb 2018 and had a fab week in the Dales, Yorkshire moors and Robinhoods Bay. I still remember how excited we were! So many people have mentioned the window vac that Richard is going to order one 🚐 we have been in the northern dales the last 2 nights and at -3 it got pretty condensed in the mornings!!
Really great video. We live on a boat and feel your pain re the condensation! We are lucky though because we have the space for a de-humidifier, which works great. Love the channel and have subscribed as we are just starting the process of looking for a VW Camper!
Just found your channel, enjoyed this video very much, looking forward to a winter camp!! October was our last camp, and so far, February is the next planned trip, maybe we will be adventurous and head out again.😀 We too have a VW campervan which we love.
We just used to keep an eye on the weather at weekends when we were working and make a decision on a Thursday whether to get away or not 🚐 even if it was just to a pub stopover or a park up we found on Park for the night App
Nice video. I'm booked to spend 2 weeks on my own in my van next winter at 2300m in the Alps for a solo ski trip before my wife and kids arrive for our annual ski holiday. Currently devouring any information I can on how to stay warm in my T4 when average lows will be - 10c. I have a diesel heater but looking for good backup solutions at the moment just in case.
A very exciting problem to have! We took a small fan heater as we knew we were on EHU for the duration of our stay which was great as a quick 10 minute blast soon warmed the van up. We didn't need heat in the night as we had thick duvets and blankets and the memory foam mattress retained our body heat and kept us warm. Lots of the other campers had electric oil filled radiators that they left on low constantly but we decided it was just another thing taking up space in the van! We have a gas heater as our main source especially when we are off grid which is great - similar to your diesel heater I would imagine. Have a great trip! There were also a few people who said they had electric blankets but I personally have never liked the idea of them after my mums set on fire in the 1980's!
Re condensation. As a previous comment, wind deflectors are a must. Crack the window down a tad with no rain issues. The other essential for us is a Karcher window vac. We use it on the windows for any condensation and on the awning to remove dew when packing away.
I’d love to know the details of any campsites you have used in winter that are near a pub, have hook up and showers etc in the UK. We haven’t used our van much in the winter so far but I think being near a pub and nice walks could be the answer! Loving your videos btw.
We mainly stay in the north as it is so easy for us - in the lakes there are 3 national trust campsites Langdales, Wasdale head and Eskdale that are all excellent with pubs in walking distance. Keswick camping and caravan is great too. In the Dales orcaber farm is great and about a mile to a lovely pub
Thanks for the vid 👍 This winter I plan to go snowboarding to the Pyrenees a lot and I actually bought an exterior windshield insulation cover this year because I saw an older video you posted. The plan is to put both the inside and the outside windshield covers ❄️
Have fun snow boarding. Which resort are you targeting? We have never been to the Pyrenees but it is somewhere we would love to go. Hope the cover helps keep you warm.
Thanks! I go mostly to the french resorts part of the NPY group. I would prefer the Alps but it is way more costly for me to go there. Right now the Alps have a lot of snow 😱
I don't wash my clothes. I donate them to charity shops, then return to the shop and buy them back again once they've been washed and ironed. It gets the job done and supports charities! I'm kidding of course, but hey - you could try it!
i agree about a heater but i would always prefer a diesel heater. Diesel is more convenient to obtain and if the gas used is autogas, the outlets at fuel forecourts are falling like flies, gas sales not being profitable any more and also taking large amounts of valuable forecourt space, for storage tanks instead of using the space to make more profitable EV chargers or shops on forecourts. The freezing problem, is exactly why we did not ask for underslung water or waste tanks. Instead we have 2 x 20 litre water tanks inside our lwb campervan and a drain from the sink to a portable container. The other problem with an underslung tank, is that you have to move the van, just to fill the water tank. It is like taking the mountain to Muhammed, after you have spent time, pitching and levelling etc. All we have to do is go and fill a bottle and it won't ever freeze, inside a warm van.
Funnily enough we didn’t ask for underslung water tank but the converter put it on much to our horror at the time as he put a hole in the side of the van 🤣 but for most parts it has been great to have the extra space in the van. We agree that the gas in the future will become more of a problem. We have seen that in the 6 years we have had the van. A definite consideration when we swap vans in a few years.
Regarding condensation, I would recommend having the front windows cracked open around 15-20mm providing you have wind deflectors fitted. In our VW California we have never had any condensation when doing this. We also have the external screen cover. So get some wind deflectors fitted to your van and give it a go!
With a diesel heater on ventilation, set the fan speed to the required level to provide a positive pressure damp air displacement system, with the front Windows cracked, under the wind deflectors. Same as an environvent system in a house. Drives damp air out of the van. Condensation forms where there is moisture and where there is s sharp thermal gradient, below the dew point temperature. Also exterior insulated window blinds transfer that thermal gradient, to outside the van windows, between the blinds and the ambient air and hence reducing condensation inside the van. A VW california is better than a normal van conversion, in the respect of, some of the windows are double glazed on newer models, making the temp gradient between the inside and outside again much smaller, because of the double glazing and hence reducing condensation inside the van. A lower thermal gradient can be induced on a normal single pane window, by laying bubble wrap sheets on them to provide a sort of but not so good double glazing type effect, as experimented with by the 'little red camper' folk.
We really like the idea of bubble wrap when we are skiing as the blind will probably stay on for the duration unless we need more LPG - thanks for the tip 🚐
We love winter camping too and you make a brilliant point about making sure that the campsite is set up for winter. The NT are absolutely fabulous! Do you have any more recommendations for good winter campsites - we’re trying to branch out from Great Langdale and the other NT ones!!
Orcaber farm is great as a base on the edge of the Dales. It is more tricky finding places that are open and certainly with a drying room. In Scotland we have stayed at the campsite in Glenmore on the lake - abit dated but handy. And in fort William at the Glen Nevis campsite.
We actually had one last winter in the house while it was being renovated but didn’t use it in the van as the vw’s are so small and you would need hook up. However I know a lot of motorhome travellers swear by them as they are so adaptable
We have finally decided to put all season tyres on for this winter as we are going to the french alps (in the valley at bourg st Maurice) these have the 3peak mountain snowflake symbol on. Happy vanlife 🚐
Excellent info! I am a Fall-Winter-Spring RVr ... I can't really call it camping ... but I love the "off season". I have a question if you have time ... at 13:01 approx there is a view of other campers and it looks like what we call (U.S.) Class B, Class B+, small Class C campers. Do you see more of that size now? I guess I had the impression that European campers tended to be more van size. I am looking at a Canada built small Class C to downsize from my 33 foot Class A 2 slide ... too big for me RV! Just curious as I often see various European models of vans, etc. that look wonderful compared to choices here in U.S.
In the uk a lot of the motor homes are probably a small c class size most of them between 6-7.5 metres. In Europe there are a few of the bigger size but I have only ever seen a couple that have any slide outs! We found that really interesting when we were in the US as our cruise America rv rental felt enormous at 7.5m but was the smallest van on all the campgrounds! Our VW is tiny at only 5m long and just 2m wide 🤣
@@earlyretirementwanderlust Thanks! Ha ... US RV sizes . My 33 foot Class A is a smallish Class A per US :) . I've owned it for 18 years and it was great when I was doing long trips and staying in 1 spot for a month combining work/travel, i.e. very live/workable for me, my med-lg dog and my cat. The small C I'm looking at is 19 feet long (5.8 meters) and the "C" box is not as wide as the Cruise America C's but wider/taller than a van. I happened to see this model parked in a normal spot in my small town. A family owned company in BC makes them and they are a Canada "rental", then refurbished for resale after being in the rental market.
Hi we got our outside cover from rainbow screens on Facebook book I think they have a website now. They are usually at all the shows and great quality. I know we had a 6 week wait for ours as we caught them not long after one of the big shows 🚐
Newbie subscriber here and loving your channel, you’ve probably been asked a hundred times already but which brand is your thermal windscreen cover from? We’re new vanners hoping for lots of winter trips 👍🙏
Interesting question- On a transporter size van probably not as we are not restricted where we park the van under height barriers and the pop top is easy and handy - that said, when we eventually get a new van in 18 months we will go for a fiat ducato 5.4m van that is taller than Nelson so we can stand up and it has on board facilities for when we are older and in Europe travelling 🚐
We really like getting out in all seasons and I agree it can be more cosy. We really enjoyed being in the Alps and the snow in the winter this year - but I am also glad we can have a few months of light nights and being able to sit and cook outside for a while.
Is that a reimo roof? Do you find want gets under the seal at the nose cap. When I drive off water seems to gush down the door windows when I come to a stop
It’s not a Reimo roof (not actually sure what roof it is!) we haven’t noticed any water on the windows but we do get a bit of a waterfall when it rains and I open the passenger door 🤣
Not a stupid question and the answer is no which at times does limit us to where we can go. Generally we use public toilets or campsites and the occasional wee behind the van in the middle of the night if we are in the countryside.
![PASULOL รามเกียรติ์ ตอนที่ 4 นนทกพบรัก [Ramakien Ep.4: Nonthok in love]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/tMUQgmZzf_A/mqdefault.jpg)
A FIRST CLASS VIDEO! Eclectic! Informative! Comprehensive! AND all in a highly friendly manner. Thanks. 😅
Thank you ☺️
I like your presentation skills and use of English.
Must be the teachers in us!
Really nice and inspiring channel you have.
For the condensation issue, we use a "room dehumidifier" (it's basically a sac of small pellets that absorb the whater vapour), and an open window...
Thank you for your kind words 😊 we have bought something similar that we keep in the cupboard and a window vac that so many people recommended which was a game changer! It can vac over 100ml of water on a cold morning!
Having lived on a boat for many years and now hiking / camping - drying myself and mopping up the condensation - leave the towel alone. Try using a ‘Sph20nge’ cloth. They are simply incredible. I have one (they are about twice the size of a face cloth/flannel) that I dry myself with and another is used to mop the inside of the tent. Yet another lives in the car and I have others at home. Try them and you’ll love them. I use one when wild swimming including in winter and it’s dries me so quickly as it sucks up the water faster than a dehydrated elephant. Utterly brilliant and they can be wrung nearly dry after use. No damp towels.
Thanks for the tip. Rich has had a look at them online as we do find our little cottage can have quite a bit of condensation in the mornings (we have no central heating) x
I bought a good quality thermal pop top cover from Rainbow Screens and you can use the pop top in winter. Well worth the investment. Thanks for a great video!
Our screen is from rainbow screens, sadly I think we have left it too late for this winters ski trip and I need to get saving 😬 agree with the quality as the screen made a big difference 🚐⛷️
Hello from Australia love the channel very informative and cool.
Thank you ☺️ we are really enjoying making the vlogs and embracing our early retirement 🚐 happy new year 🥳
THANKS FOR THE VIDEO PAUL 😎👍
Those Damp traps are ok but won’t be much use whilst cooking. Leave one in the bottom of your cupboards to help get rid of any dampness
Ventilation is the Best way to reduce condensation.
Damp/wet gear - we use dry sacks to store wet gear until we can dry it. Brilliant and they pack down to nothing, stored our duvet in one when we had the T4
Great ideas with the dry sacks Richard has a couple with his rucksack. Yes ventilation is the answer which we must be more mindful of! But we will leave a couple out in cupboards and maybe in front cabin as the van won’t move much when skiing ⛷️
Great video.
Thank you 😊
An answer to mud in the van is don't go in the van with your outside shoes on. We have walking boots but when we get back to the camp site we always have slip on type shoes. When we go in the van we slip them off and put them in a plastic box placed outside as we go into the van, or in better weather, under the van. Inside the van, we put slippers on.
Oh if only I was that organised 🤣🤣🤣 we do take spare shoes but I am pretty rubbish at remembering to change them. We too have a plastic box for our muddy boots (and it has been really muddy in the UK this summer) the duckboard and Mat are pretty good at keeping the van clear 😊
Good luck with to work on your lovely little boat 😊
I read on another blog that using shower caps to cover your boots when you first come into the van from a muddy walk helps. We keep a shower cap for each boot near the door. We slip on a shower cap on each muddy boot when we frist get into the van. Works a treat even if it does look daft 😁
Love it! 🥾🚐
Enjoyed your video which was in the youtube recommendations list. Will go back to your first now and see your journey. One tip I can offer is if you combine a decent wiper blade with your cloth getting that condensation off can be really quick 👍
Thank you 😊 it’s been quite a journey since our first video! I think we are going to try the karacher window vac as we are skiing for 4/5 weeks in the new year ⛷️🚐❄️
Great video 👍
Thank you ☺️
Excellent - My tips is to carry a large Stanley or similar e.g. Thermos flask - These will keep water hot enough for tea/ coffee in overnight for the morning without any of the faff. Also using Mash instant rather than boiling potatatoes.
Great tips thank you 🚐
i am winter campervaning and working at the same time so i can hopefully join you guys i early retirement in the next few years...great vid...great info...cheers...take care👍
Enjoy the winter campervan life 🚐 it’s been a cold week to be out there!
It surely has....it was -7°c in Chapel en le Frith last week🤧
🥶
Completely agree that winter camping can be great fun, in fact we are heading up to your neck of the woods in the van in a couple of weeks time. We have a thermal wrap for the pop top and have been comfortable in the roof down to -10. I find wind more of a challenge for the pop top than the cold.
Nice where are you staying? Where did you get your thermal wrap from, I am assuming they have to be custom made as pop tops are different sizes? Good to know you think they work as it is a big expense but would be worth it
@@earlyretirementwanderlust hi, I have the Darren Pucer screen. They are pretty simple with no windows, printed eyes or other such frills but they work really well, easy to fit and cheaper than most of the others at around £175 (still not cheap!). He has an extensive range for most popular pop tops and I think can do custom if necessary. I like that it’s not fabric so that when it gets wet (as it inevitably will in winter!) it doesn’t retain any moisture and is just wipe dry. I can also lay it flat at store in the roof so it doesn’t take up any space in the van.
No fixed plans for the Dales, possibly wild camping but any campsite recommendations gratefully recieved! I did the Coast to Coast a while back and went over the high route in Swaledale (stunning) and we quite fancy doing the low route to compare.
Love your channel, we are inspired to work out how we can retire soon!
Thank you ☺️ we will take a look at the wraps as it would make so much difference to the space in the van 🚐 in winter
Another great vid, love your straight forward honest approach to everything. As for condensation grab a Karcher WV1 window vac, they are about £50 but absolute game changer, I used to wipe down with cloths but ended up dripping everywhere and then you've got another damp cloth to dry. The vac just sucks it all up and empty out the bottle, just brilliant, all the best.
We were looking at these yesterday so glad you mentioned it as I think we will definitely invest in one before we go skiing. Richard also says it will be useful in our little cottage in the depths of winter!
WV1 is £32 on Amazon
The Karcher is one of the best things you'll buy for your van. We love ours.
I'm getting a new van in March, it's just being converted and until I get somewhere to live it's going to be my ho.e o wheels.
I'm Interested In going to France and Norway but I do t speak a word of French or anything else
Do speak a language other than English or do you find you manage and are they friendly. Heard so many tales it did put me off but I've spent every penny I have on this van and I want to see and enjoy life while I still have a big time.
I'm 64 in March and will only have my small dog Buddy with me,I'm excited and scared all In the same breath. So any motivation other than you've just provided will be great. I've subscribed as I was impressed by your Spirit of Adventure.
Happy Xmas
Adrian and Buddy
It’s very exciting getting a new van and the world it opens you upto is just incredible 🚐 Nelson was our home on wheels for 14 weeks when we relocated. We don’t really speak another language, we get by with french as we have spent a lot of time in France and have never felt awkward really. To our embarrassment most people will speak to you in English. It was very strange in Slovenia and Croatia where the language structure is so different and no words were recognisable but we still got by!! Just go for it and enjoy your travels with your dog. You will find there are so many English people on the road in Europe that there is always someone to talk to and many of the European travellers will chat away in English to you. We have met so many interesting people, particularly the Scandinavians, German and Dutch travellers who seemingly all speak very good English so you will never be lonely.
@earlyretirementwanderlust
Thank you for the Quick response, It is very scary but also Exciting and I only onc went to France many years ago and it wasn't a pleasant experience simply because I spoke no French.
Maybe I need to try learning a little basics.
I just felt that if I didn't do it now at my time of life I never would and Buddy my little dog is such an affectionate and stabilising influence that I sometimes forget he isn't human.
Maybe one day we will bump into each other.
Thanks again and best of luck on your travels.
Adrian 😇
Another great vlog . We have just spent this weekend near Grassington in our van. I can absolutely see why you both love The Dales. I bought the little Dales walking book that I had seen on your vlog. Thanks for the content you share .
Thank you ☺️ the dales are where our heart is and are beautiful whatever the weather! (Good job as we have had a lot of rain this year!) we are going to grassington in a couple of weeks for the Victorian Christmas 🎄 the little walking books are great we have collected a few on our travels particularly Scottish island ones
Agree with all the comments.. Thanks for all the useful info. Re solar, I’m surprised you said you wouldn’t get any solar power as it looked fairly bright…? Mine charges even in very low light condition, maybe a better panel is needed..? I was in a motorway services the other evening and parked under a floodlight, and the solar panel charging controller was showing 1.38a..
Generally it’s pretty good at charging to be fair, I think in winter it has less charging time and heavier usage with lights on in the long dark nights!! I also think the batteries are getting old at nearly 4 years so not holding the charge aswell as they used to. Always something to tweak and upgrade with a van! 🚐 thanks for watching and happy travels x
Good video. We also travel extensively in winter in our T3 Syncro, camping at -17°C in Poland last winter. We have taken all the same measures as you (insulation, silver screen etc), but added an extractor fan in our pop top over the kitchen zone, a thermal wrap for the pop top (allows you to keep using that space) and swear by a Karcher Window Vac with the small blade head. You’ll be shocked how much moisture it collects - no more wet microfibre cloths.
Richard is so happy that so many people have recommended the karcher window vac as the condensation has been his nemesis all these years! I think we will get saving for a pop top wrap aswell 🚐 by the way you have Richards dream van!
@@earlyretirementwanderlust we love it. We have spent a lot of money getting it how we want it and we sold a T4 to get it!
Great video. We get our van on Friday 2nd February 2024....64 sleeps! I'm trying not to count.... we will be defiantly using our van from day 1. I've heard a karcher window vac is a good investment. Just something else to carry and charge! keep the videos coming. cheers
That is so exciting. We got our van conversion finished in feb 2018 and had a fab week in the Dales, Yorkshire moors and Robinhoods Bay. I still remember how excited we were! So many people have mentioned the window vac that Richard is going to order one 🚐 we have been in the northern dales the last 2 nights and at -3 it got pretty condensed in the mornings!!
Really great video. We live on a boat and feel your pain re the condensation! We are lucky though because we have the space for a de-humidifier, which works great. Love the channel and have subscribed as we are just starting the process of looking for a VW Camper!
It was the best decision we ever made having the van. Richard had the window vac for Christmas so we will see how that goes 🚐
Just found your channel, enjoyed this video very much, looking forward to a winter camp!! October was our last camp, and so far, February is the next planned trip, maybe we will be adventurous and head out again.😀 We too have a VW campervan which we love.
We just used to keep an eye on the weather at weekends when we were working and make a decision on a Thursday whether to get away or not 🚐 even if it was just to a pub stopover or a park up we found on Park for the night App
Nice video. I'm booked to spend 2 weeks on my own in my van next winter at 2300m in the Alps for a solo ski trip before my wife and kids arrive for our annual ski holiday. Currently devouring any information I can on how to stay warm in my T4 when average lows will be - 10c. I have a diesel heater but looking for good backup solutions at the moment just in case.
A very exciting problem to have! We took a small fan heater as we knew we were on EHU for the duration of our stay which was great as a quick 10 minute blast soon warmed the van up. We didn't need heat in the night as we had thick duvets and blankets and the memory foam mattress retained our body heat and kept us warm. Lots of the other campers had electric oil filled radiators that they left on low constantly but we decided it was just another thing taking up space in the van! We have a gas heater as our main source especially when we are off grid which is great - similar to your diesel heater I would imagine. Have a great trip! There were also a few people who said they had electric blankets but I personally have never liked the idea of them after my mums set on fire in the 1980's!
Re condensation. As a previous comment, wind deflectors are a must. Crack the window down a tad with no rain issues. The other essential for us is a Karcher window vac. We use it on the windows for any condensation and on the awning to remove dew when packing away.
Ditto the window vac, the good thing with these is you empty it outside instead of a damp cloth drying inside the van and keeping the moisture inside.
Great tips…thank you for sharing
Hope some are of use!
Great video, we only got our van in August but have loved our most recent weekends including a very cold NT Great Langdale this weekend 😊
We just missed you we were there until Thursday 🚐
@@earlyretirementwanderlust shame we missed you guys would have loved to say hi 👋 it’s a great site and location isn’t it 😊
One of our favourites as is the wasdale head site
@@earlyretirementwanderlust it’s on our list 👍🏻😊
I’d love to know the details of any campsites you have used in winter that are near a pub, have hook up and showers etc in the UK. We haven’t used our van much in the winter so far but I think being near a pub and nice walks could be the answer! Loving your videos btw.
We mainly stay in the north as it is so easy for us - in the lakes there are 3 national trust campsites Langdales, Wasdale head and Eskdale that are all excellent with pubs in walking distance. Keswick camping and caravan is great too. In the Dales orcaber farm is great and about a mile to a lovely pub
Thanks for the vid 👍
This winter I plan to go snowboarding to the Pyrenees a lot and I actually bought an exterior windshield insulation cover this year because I saw an older video you posted.
The plan is to put both the inside and the outside windshield covers ❄️
Have fun snow boarding. Which resort are you targeting? We have never been to the Pyrenees but it is somewhere we would love to go. Hope the cover helps keep you warm.
Thanks!
I go mostly to the french resorts part of the NPY group.
I would prefer the Alps but it is way more costly for me to go there.
Right now the Alps have a lot of snow 😱
I know it is so exciting!
I don't wash my clothes. I donate them to charity shops, then return to the shop and buy them back again once they've been washed and ironed. It gets the job done and supports charities!
I'm kidding of course, but hey - you could try it!
🤣 I think it might be easier using the campsite laundries!
Have you tried a karcher window vac for condensation. We use one at home but are going to try it on our van this winter.
Great content again.
Richard is going to order one as soon as many people have recommended it 🚐 😊
i agree about a heater but i would always prefer a diesel heater. Diesel is more convenient to obtain and if the gas used is autogas, the outlets at fuel forecourts are falling like flies, gas sales not being profitable any more and also taking large amounts of valuable forecourt space, for storage tanks instead of using the space to make more profitable EV chargers or shops on forecourts. The freezing problem, is exactly why we did not ask for underslung water or waste tanks. Instead we have 2 x 20 litre water tanks inside our lwb campervan and a drain from the sink to a portable container. The other problem with an underslung tank, is that you have to move the van, just to fill the water tank. It is like taking the mountain to Muhammed, after you have spent time, pitching and levelling etc. All we have to do is go and fill a bottle and it won't ever freeze, inside a warm van.
Funnily enough we didn’t ask for underslung water tank but the converter put it on much to our horror at the time as he put a hole in the side of the van 🤣 but for most parts it has been great to have the extra space in the van. We agree that the gas in the future will become more of a problem. We have seen that in the 6 years we have had the van. A definite consideration when we swap vans in a few years.
Regarding condensation, I would recommend having the front windows cracked open around 15-20mm providing you have wind deflectors fitted. In our VW California we have never had any condensation when doing this. We also have the external screen cover. So get some wind deflectors fitted to your van and give it a go!
Interesting, not something we had thought of! Thanks for this 😊
With a diesel heater on ventilation, set the fan speed to the required level to provide a positive pressure damp air displacement system, with the front Windows cracked, under the wind deflectors. Same as an environvent system in a house. Drives damp air out of the van. Condensation forms where there is moisture and where there is s sharp thermal gradient, below the dew point temperature. Also exterior insulated window blinds transfer that thermal gradient, to outside the van windows, between the blinds and the ambient air and hence reducing condensation inside the van.
A VW california is better than a normal van conversion, in the respect of, some of the windows are double glazed on newer models, making the temp gradient between the inside and outside again much smaller, because of the double glazing and hence reducing condensation inside the van.
A lower thermal gradient can be induced on a normal single pane window, by laying bubble wrap sheets on them to provide a sort of but not so good double glazing type effect, as experimented with by the 'little red camper' folk.
We really like the idea of bubble wrap when we are skiing as the blind will probably stay on for the duration unless we need more LPG - thanks for the tip 🚐
Hi guys, really enjoyed this video and the tips you gave. Just wondered if a Karcher window vac would help with the condensation.
We were looking at them yesterday! Have you used one? Are they good? It is on our Christmas list 🚐
Great video! What brand is that external insulated windscreen cover?
Thank you. It was from rainbow screens.
Do you have any links to the items that you have? The outside cover for the front of your van looks like a good one 😊
Hi we ordered it off rainbow screens on Facebook. They have a website now and they go to most of the campervan and motorhome shows.
We love winter camping too and you make a brilliant point about making sure that the campsite is set up for winter. The NT are absolutely fabulous! Do you have any more recommendations for good winter campsites - we’re trying to branch out from Great Langdale and the other NT ones!!
Orcaber farm is great as a base on the edge of the Dales. It is more tricky finding places that are open and certainly with a drying room. In Scotland we have stayed at the campsite in Glenmore on the lake - abit dated but handy. And in fort William at the Glen Nevis campsite.
Have you thought about an Airfyer ? My friend swears by hers in the van
We actually had one last winter in the house while it was being renovated but didn’t use it in the van as the vw’s are so small and you would need hook up. However I know a lot of motorhome travellers swear by them as they are so adaptable
Hi, new to campervanning, great video. Just wanted to ask do you have winter tyres on the van?
We have finally decided to put all season tyres on for this winter as we are going to the french alps (in the valley at bourg st Maurice) these have the 3peak mountain snowflake symbol on. Happy vanlife 🚐
Excellent info! I am a Fall-Winter-Spring RVr ... I can't really call it camping ... but I love the "off season".
I have a question if you have time ... at 13:01 approx there is a view of other campers and it looks like what we call (U.S.) Class B, Class B+, small Class C campers. Do you see more of that size now? I guess I had the impression that European campers tended to be more van size. I am looking at a Canada built small Class C to downsize from my 33 foot Class A 2 slide ... too big for me RV! Just curious as I often see various European models of vans, etc. that look wonderful compared to choices here in U.S.
In the uk a lot of the motor homes are probably a small c class size most of them between 6-7.5 metres. In Europe there are a few of the bigger size but I have only ever seen a couple that have any slide outs! We found that really interesting when we were in the US as our cruise America rv rental felt enormous at 7.5m but was the smallest van on all the campgrounds! Our VW is tiny at only 5m long and just 2m wide 🤣
@@earlyretirementwanderlust Thanks! Ha ... US RV sizes . My 33 foot Class A is a smallish Class A per US :) . I've owned it for 18 years and it was great when I was doing long trips and staying in 1 spot for a month combining work/travel, i.e. very live/workable for me, my med-lg dog and my cat. The small C I'm looking at is 19 feet long (5.8 meters) and the "C" box is not as wide as the Cruise America C's but wider/taller than a van. I happened to see this model parked in a normal spot in my small town. A family owned company in BC makes them and they are a Canada "rental", then refurbished for resale after being in the rental market.
Hi both really love your vlogs, what external thermal window covers do you use, I use internal ones that do a fair job.
Hi we got our outside cover from rainbow screens on Facebook book I think they have a website now. They are usually at all the shows and great quality. I know we had a 6 week wait for ours as we caught them not long after one of the big shows 🚐
Many thanks will take a look@@earlyretirementwanderlust
Newbie subscriber here and loving your channel, you’ve probably been asked a hundred times already but which brand is your thermal windscreen cover from? We’re new vanners hoping for lots of winter trips 👍🙏
Hi we ordered it off rainbow screens on Facebook. They are a company that you see a lot at the different shows. Thanks for subscribing 😊🚐
having all your winter experiences, if you were to do things again would you consider a solid high top rather than pop top?
Interesting question- On a transporter size van probably not as we are not restricted where we park the van under height barriers and the pop top is easy and handy - that said, when we eventually get a new van in 18 months we will go for a fiat ducato 5.4m van that is taller than Nelson so we can stand up and it has on board facilities for when we are older and in Europe travelling 🚐
I prefer winter camping cosy,.
We really like getting out in all seasons and I agree it can be more cosy. We really enjoyed being in the Alps and the snow in the winter this year - but I am also glad we can have a few months of light nights and being able to sit and cook outside for a while.
@@earlyretirementwanderlust thanks for replying 👍
Keep on enjoying life 😊👍
Is that a reimo roof? Do you find want gets under the seal at the nose cap. When I drive off water seems to gush down the door windows when I come to a stop
It’s not a Reimo roof (not actually sure what roof it is!) we haven’t noticed any water on the windows but we do get a bit of a waterfall when it rains and I open the passenger door 🤣
Could I ask where you got your thermal outside windscreen cover from thanks
We ordered it from rainbow screens on Facebook, there was about a 6-8 week order time 🚐
@@earlyretirementwanderlust thanks so much will take a look
Stupid question but do you take a potable toilet?
Not a stupid question and the answer is no which at times does limit us to where we can go. Generally we use public toilets or campsites and the occasional wee behind the van in the middle of the night if we are in the countryside.
Question, are you loving life or what?!?!?!?!?
Absolutely 🚐😊🥾🏔️🤠