# Full timing in England and Wales, I am going to get cold.



## Rowena32 (Oct 6, 2016)

Hi,

I have been full-timing for about six weeks in England and Wales for the last 6 weeks in a 1998 (cheap) converted ambulance called Geoffrey.

Have used Wildcamping POIs every night predominately CR rural car parks.

Favourites so far include Mumbles, Ferryside, and Clent Hills.

I have no heating in the van and have draughts through the gaps in the windows, large rear doors and large side door, so will be looking for ways of improving the van for the winter.

R.


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## Deleted member 9849 (Oct 6, 2016)

I wouldn't like to full time in this country over the winter with no heating,have you considered getting down into southern Europe?


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## campervanannie (Oct 6, 2016)

Get a calor gas heater the ones on wheels probably get slated but I never use when going to sleep or having a drink of alcohol but great for taking the chill of of an evening and on a frosty morning look for the ones with a oxygen depletion switch and use a CM detector and stay safe .


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## Private (Oct 6, 2016)

*Carbon monoxide detector.*

Please, please, make sure you have a carbon monoxide detector in your van, and smoke alarm, but definitely the monoxide detector. 
You may wonder why I advise this when you don't have heating; it is because if you get really cold you will likely end up trying anything to get warm. Maybe bringing a few glowing embers in from an outside fire or leaving a portable stove on for some heat? When we are cold and tired our minds don't work the same as when we are comfortable so you should take the precaution now. 

I'm sure lots of suggestions will follow on how to heat your van and they will all be safer with the above fitted too.


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## Sharon the Cat (Oct 6, 2016)

Thermal full length undies & a really good sleeping bag. You have to strip down to the undies before getting in the bag for it to work properly.
Lots of others will come on & offer more technical solutions I'm sure.

A dog works well too!


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## campervanannie (Oct 6, 2016)

Hot water bottles re use the same water for them.


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## phillybarbour (Oct 6, 2016)

Hi and welcome along, hope u sort something for the heating issue soon.


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## delicagirl (Oct 6, 2016)

what sort of van do you have then others with similar may have specific advice....   a photo of it would  help.

make double skinned/insulated curtains for all windows and doors - if you have no curtain rails then velcro them to the wall as a temporary measure

put down carpet/lots of mats if you have wooden floors

glue carpet to the walls


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## Nesting Zombie (Oct 6, 2016)

Goodmorning & Welcome .
Choosing where & how you park up for the night would be your first line of defense against the Coldest winds, Making use of Walls, Fences, Buildings ect, As weird as it sounds try altering your sleep & Rest patterns So you are Getting into bed Later with a Hot Drink & a Hot Water Bottle &Then Getting up Earlier & Actually moving your vehicle to another site into what Sun is available while letting your engine heating do it's job. Then Knock on my door & I will put the Kettle on ! Lol lol.
Don't forget, When wrapped up All snug and warm, Log on here for an hour to see who's about.


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## Ed on Toast (Oct 6, 2016)

as I am about to embark on this mystical journey of self discovery, I am keen to read more.

I favour an extra quilt, hot water bottle and woolie cap (if it ever gets that cold)

4/5 of heat is drawn down, so what are you laying on? 

your major heat loss areas are Head Hands and Feet

as your head sticks out from under the quilt, there is one place to add a little etra and loose wool socks if you poke your feet out of the other


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## andyjanet (Oct 6, 2016)

I Once wore a balaclava in bed whilst in wales following the rally of wales,i turned over in the night but the balaclava didnt, woke up thought i was blind 
Welcome Along, Andy


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## Rowena32 (Oct 6, 2016)

*A photo*



delicagirl said:


> what sort of van do you have then others with similar may have specific advice....   a photo of it would  help.





Thanks for all your ideas, I have quite a shopping list now.

R


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## Rowena32 (Oct 6, 2016)

*Any idea where |I can get one of these propane heaters with floor flue...*



hairydog said:


> You will.need a form of heating. Don't even think about one that doesn't have an external flue. The portable ones cause far too much damp. If you can, fit one of the gas heaters that vent through the floor, run off your propane cylinder and require no 12v power. The do t seem to be made now, but are available secondhand and last forever.



Any idea where |I can get one of these propane heaters with floor flue...  Or any other cheap propane heater.

Thanks

R


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## Nesting Zombie (Oct 6, 2016)

Nice van !, Well working through that lot will keep you warm enough I should think.
What areas are you intending to travel over the next few months ?.
Doing something like Heading South (The further the better) might help !, 

Although I'm actually heading North,,I never was smart !.


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## n brown (Oct 6, 2016)

you have about 10 mins to grab this if you're near CARVER CALOR GAS CARAVAN / MOTOR HOME HEATER...MODEL SB-1800 | eBay


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## Rowena32 (Oct 6, 2016)

*Too far*



n brown said:


> you have about 10 mins to grab this if you're near CARVER CALOR GAS CARAVAN / MOTOR HOME HEATER...MODEL SB-1800 | eBay



Thanks for that; unfortunately, I am in the midlands at the moment, and they wouldn't post.

At least I now know what to look for.

R


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## n brown (Oct 6, 2016)

Rowena32 said:


> Thanks for that; unfortunately, I am in the midlands at the moment, and they wouldn't post.
> 
> At least I now know what to look for.
> 
> R


 they're great heaters, but be aware that they need quite a large hole in the floor, with nothing much in the way underneath. if you can't find a place for this then your next best option is a Propex blown air heater Propex HS2000 Heat Source Blown Air Heater | eBay or a small woodburner


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## oldish hippy (Oct 6, 2016)

well if they still have it then try the wildcamping delivery service  and see if you can get it to you and recontact him or her to see if they will hold on  for a few days and then ask on here then pay for it and get it collected and delivered to you


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## runnach (Oct 6, 2016)

I rarely used heating in my MH even though it has it Best investment for night is a good quality sleeping bag 4 seasons 

Channa


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## Nesting Zombie (Oct 6, 2016)

Yep, same here Channa, maybe only have the heating on in the absolute coldest of temperatures, as stupid as it seems, A bit of both High & Low level Ventilation & (in my case cos I'm a whimp) a good Winter Duvet Mmmmm Snuggley.
I make little tweaks to my lifestyle instead, But most of my Habitat heating actually comes from well timed & frequent Cuppas ! Inbetween Pies or Pasties from the oven while snuggling down to watch a movie in the very late evening.


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## n brown (Oct 6, 2016)

often woke up with the duvet stuck to the frost flowers on the window,and once or twice had my hair stuck. character building ! as long as you're warm in bed,then the van can be as cold as the outside. fill the kettle before bed then it doesn't matter if your water's frozen,you can still have tea


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## runnach (Oct 6, 2016)

Another little trick, and a double whammy is this one is I often used a Coleman lead free petrol light. Saves the leisure battery but the heat does take the chill off the air in the evening , plonk it on the table and read etc...the sound of the things is quite therapeutic too. and you can get lead free petrol freely no reason for expensive gas cannisters or batteries

Channa


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## n brown (Oct 6, 2016)

a gas light is nice and takes the edge off without using much gas


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## FULL TIMER (Oct 6, 2016)

How about one of these http://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A7x9...-heatpal/RK=0/RS=_JQ8Bvgxzs_HHnwZzcFbs9RKqmc- looks good to me and can also be used to cook on or boil a kettle spirit burners are safe to use with only a small amount of ventilation as the only by product of burning bio ethanol as I understand it  is water ie condensation. so as long as you don't deplete your oxygen supply which is very highly unlikely in any vehicle it's completely safe to use.


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## wildman (Oct 6, 2016)

Fit secondary glazing on all of the windows using velcro, or even duck tape. A solid fuel stove is cheap to run but you need a decent one, windy smithy in Taunton make a tiny one.
Our Woodburners | Windy Smithy
a cheaper alternative is a frontier stove  about £150 not intended for vans but tents but I see no reason why not. A number of member have them not sure if anyone uses them in a van or just outside.
Memory foam mattress reflects/holds the heat well, plus a decent duvet or 4 season sleeping bag. Don't forget a night cap for your head not to drink, hee hee.


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## trevskoda (Oct 6, 2016)

If you have something to keep old fire bricks in without burning the floor then these heated up in a camp fire will hold heat for hrs inside van.


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## Ed on Toast (Oct 6, 2016)

I am surprised no one has designed a slot in tube wood burner for the outside


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## Deleted member 775 (Oct 6, 2016)

Rowena32 said:


> Hi,
> 
> I have been full-timing for about six weeks in England and Wales for the last 6 weeks in a 1998 (cheap) converted ambulance called Geoffrey.
> 
> ...



how is  mumbles now or as its known the bay of lost dreams also many liken it to the bay of napels ,we used to stay there a couple or three nights a week i adored the place and made many friends there amongst the regulars  on knab rock c/p .we found literaly hundreds of places to wild in south wales . the brecons were another favorite ,including merther on the leisure center car park .


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## Deleted member 775 (Oct 6, 2016)

campervanannie said:


> Get a calor gas heater the ones on wheels probably get slated but I never use when going to sleep or having a drink of alcohol but great for taking the chill of of an evening and on a frosty morning look for the ones with a oxygen depletion switch and use a CM detector and stay safe .
> 
> View attachment 47274



nothing wrong with a portable gas heater ,we used one for quite a long time in our bedford  when the fitted heater packed in . never a problem with the carbon monoxide we had a detector in the van one with a led readout and it never showed and it never went above a couple of ppm with the heater ,unlike when we boiled a kettle on the rings ,it used to go through the roof then . very little condensation either like many complain of . and you can get them for a few quid at boot sales , try the bridgend one on a sunday ,or the porthcawl one if its still there . ps there used to be some thursday and sundays at abergavenny ,thats another place where theres quite a few places to overnight  ,bus station  truck stop being one .


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## campervanannie (Oct 7, 2016)

mandrake said:


> nothing wrong with a portable gas heater ,we used one for quite a long time in our bedford  when the fitted heater packed in . never a problem with the carbon monoxide we had a detector in the van one with a led readout and it never showed and it never went above a couple of ppm with the heater ,unlike when we boiled a kettle on the rings ,it used to go through the roof then . very little condensation either like many complain of . and you can get them for a few quid at boot sales , try the bridgend one on a sunday ,or the porthcawl one if its still there . ps there used to be some thursday and sundays at abergavenny ,thats another place where theres quite a few places to overnight  ,bus station  truck stop being one .


I have used one for a couple of years now it lives in the garage at home and only really use it a few days a year if visiting Scotland in the autumn/winter and so it's not wasted space in my van.


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## oldish hippy (Oct 7, 2016)

managed for years without heaters just dressed sensible and used decent sleeping bags did once sleep out in minus 12 gas froze coffee froze but decent sleeping bag and of course woolly beanie hat is a must and try and tuck the van in and face it toward the rising sun ok it wont have any warmth in it but it does help with the mood


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## Deleted member 775 (Oct 7, 2016)

oldish hippy said:


> managed for years without heaters just dressed sensible and used decent sleeping bags did once sleep out in minus 12 gas froze coffee froze but decent sleeping bag and of course woolly beanie hat is a must and try and tuck the van in and face it toward the rising sun ok it wont have any warmth in it but it does help with the mood



parking in the sun in winter will warm the van quite nicely during the short few hours its shining


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## Deleted member 775 (Oct 7, 2016)

can i ask a question about your van rowena 32 . you say its a converted ambulance ,it seems as if it was a patient transport vehicle . hasent it a diesel heater fitted as it seems these vehicles usually have along with all health authority vehicles, the same goes for ex mini buses .


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## campervanannie (Oct 7, 2016)

oldish hippy said:


> managed for years without heaters just dressed sensible and used decent sleeping bags did once sleep out in minus 12 gas froze coffee froze but decent sleeping bag and of course woolly beanie hat is a must and try and tuck the van in and face it toward the rising sun ok it wont have any warmth in it but it does help with the mood



Goodness me you southern softies really need to get over it you spend a couple of nights at a minus 12ish temperature and bang on about it for years, that quite a normal winter for us northerners.&#55357;&#56488;&#55357;&#56488;❄❄☃☃


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## oldish hippy (Oct 7, 2016)

yep that was only the coldest day but it just goes to show that you can survuive without heating if you get it right it was a cold few days


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## Nesting Zombie (Oct 9, 2016)

So !,
What's your Decision,,,What did you end up getting ?.


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## paul h (Oct 9, 2016)

Sealey LP14 9,200-17,000Btu/hr Propane Heater: Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools  we use one of these


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## delicagirl (Oct 9, 2016)

andyjanet said:


> I Once wore a balaclava in bed whilst in wales following the rally of wales,i turned over in the night but the balaclava didnt, *woke up thought i was blind*
> Welcome Along, Andy




lol  !!!!!!   so who did you think Janet was if you were not able to see her ????   :rolleyes2:


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## delicagirl (Oct 9, 2016)

i used to sleep in long legs thermal trousers, and a woolly hat, and a long sleeved top, and a thick wool blanket (used as a throw in the day) over my sleeping bag and was as warm as toast.

mind you in my van i have a gas fire and can reach out and switch it on in the morning before getting up (if i sleep downstairs and not above the cab) so that the van is toasty before i have to get up -  but thick curtains/cupboard insulation and carpeted walls have made a big difference to my vans internal heat loss -  also bubble wrap in the under-seating storage boxes to stuff up the gaps and draughts.


is there any way you can access the space in between your vans external surface and the inside of the habitation area ? 

if you go to a WC meet  - go look inside every ones vans and get ideas   -  folks love to show off their vans


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## runnach (Oct 9, 2016)

delicagirl said:


> i used to sleep in long legs thermal trousers, and a woolly hat, and a long sleeved top, and a thick wool blanket (used as a throw in the day) over my sleeping bag and was as warm as toast.
> 
> mind you in my van i have a gas fire and can reach out and switch it on in the morning before getting up (if i sleep downstairs and not above the cab) so that the van is toasty before i have to get up -  but thick curtains/cupboard insulation and carpeted walls have made a big difference to my vans internal heat loss -  also bubble wrap in the under-seating storage boxes to stuff up the gaps and draughts.
> 
> ...



As my mum used to say in winter when she tucked my brother and I in bed ..." there you go me ducks, snug as a bug in a rug !!"

Channa


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## trevskoda (Oct 9, 2016)

channa said:


> As my mum used to say in winter when she tucked my brother and I in bed ..." there you go me ducks, snug as a bug in a rug !!"
> 
> Channa



I remember those days to,ice on inside of widows ,only a old coal fire downstairs which went out over night,single glassing wooden doors with drafts and the aladdin paraffin heater in bathroom to stop teeth chattering in the morning whilst having a wee,  water bottles in bed & if you were lucky maybe hot water in them,feck sake id better stop or you lot will be sending me red cross parcels full of hankys.:sad: .


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## The laird (Oct 10, 2016)

Welcome n enjoy


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## Rowena32 (Dec 6, 2016)

*Thanks for all your help and advice - what happened next...*

Thanks for all your help and advice - what happened next...

I took a lot of advice from this forum, double and triple sleeping bags, hot water bottle + hats + socks, moving the van into the sun and orientating it for maximum solar gain  -very effective in the autumn sunshine.

I ended up running for shelter on when the first hard frosts came, to a Caravan Club Certified location which had electric hookup for a fan heater, while I scoured the charity shops in Abingdon looking for heavy curtains.

I considered fitting a heater, but while looking for cheap and quiet heaters, discovered that narrowboats have wood-burning and solid fuel stoves.  I also realised that much of my wildcamping had taken place along canals - my favourites including crt car parks on the Oxford and Grand Union canals. all handily near excellent pubs.

I ended up after another 4 weeks moving onto a lowcost narrowboat. (and approaching the pubs from the other side). I still have my campervan, which I am still wildcamping in occasionally but only when the weather forecast is optimistic.

Narrowboating is very similar to wildcamping except that everyone is doing it and the facilities are better.  Now when I use my van, I will stay close to crt facilities so that I can use their toilets and water.  The stoves in narrowboats are very effective, but to keep them going until the morning, users have to bank them up at night - this usually requires doors and windows to be opened and users sit around in minimal clothing until it cools down.

Thanks again for all your help, I hope to meet some of you, when it gets warmer.

R.


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## wildman (Dec 6, 2016)

there is nothing in a narrowboat that cannot be achieved in a van for fulltiming that would have to include a woodburner and the windy smithy  in Devon make lots of a suitable size to fit in most vans, insulation and double glazing plus blinds and heavy duty curtains help as well. Sue an I lived one winter in snow whilst in a part converted horsebox, the rear half unheated had icicles hanging from the ceiling whilst the main saloon was toasty hot, no shortage of waste wood and pallets to burn. No need to be cold with a decent means of heating.


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## Rowena32 (Dec 6, 2016)

*These look excellent, but I just don't have anywhere to put it.*



wildman said:


> there is nothing in a narrowboat that cannot be achieved in a van for fulltiming that would have to include a woodburner and the windy smithy  in Devon make lots of a suitable size to fit in most vans, insulation and double glazing plus blinds and heavy duty curtains help as well. Sue an I lived one winter in snow whilst in a part converted horsebox, the rear half unheated had icicles hanging from the ceiling whilst the main saloon was toasty hot, no shortage of waste wood and pallets to burn. No need to be cold with a decent means of heating.



These look excellent, but I just didn't have anywhere to put it.  The habitation area in the van is about 10 feet long; the habitation area in the narrowboat is 22 feet long.

R.:idea:


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## Nesting Zombie (Dec 15, 2016)

Ed on Tour said:


> as I am about to embark on this mystical journey of self discovery, I am keen to read more.
> 
> I favour an extra quilt, hot water bottle and woolie cap (if it ever gets that cold)
> 
> ...




WAY ahead of you,,Right I'm ready for bed LOL LOL
Dropbox - IMAG1782_1.jpg


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## jagmanx (Dec 15, 2016)

*Maybe*

A Toyboy would help !

Not volunteering I am too old to be considered a Toyboy.


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## rockape (Dec 15, 2016)

Sharon the Cat said:


> Thermal full length undies & a really good sleeping bag. You have to strip down to the undies before getting in the bag for it to work properly.
> Lots of others will come on & offer more technical solutions I'm sure.
> 
> A dog works well too!


I was taught when I was in the forces to sleep with your change of clothes IN your sleeping bag,( wanking chariot) that way the extra clothes will keep you warm and if they are only slightly damp they will dry out in the night from your body heat.
Don't forget the odd sock, ex squadies will understand the odd sock.
&#55357;&#56841;&#55357;&#56841;


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