[AshWhite]

OK, I've searched the forum for info on heating the van through the cold snap that's due imminentely, but I'm struggling to find a definitive answer.

The van is a SWB Citroen Relay, and I've got my hydramaster TM perched on it's water tank, with the fuel tank strapped to the floor on the side.

I don't have a garage, and quite often I have to park the van slightly down the street and not outside the house (plus my garden path is approx 80ft from front door to front gate - so electricity is out of the question.

I don't trust a parafin or gas heater in the back of the van, just on the off chance some drunk walks past on a Saturday night, bangs the van, and knocks it over - or something similar.

I really don't want the expense of fitting a webasto/eberspacher at the moment (although I hope to be in a better position to consider it by next winter).

So..what are my options?

Thanks as always 

[from edge2edge]

Someone will be along soon with a better answer but for now get as many quilts/blankets etc to cover as much of the kit as possible.I put my wand/handtools in an old sleeping bag...............Alan(swindon)

[Andrew Briscoe]

Your van needs to be as well insulated as possible, so you can retain as much heat as possible during the night.

Worrying about the cost of a webasto/eberspacher is false economy,
as it is same cost of a few parts which will break/split/ruin with hard frost.
How much is a new pump or hx ?

Andrew

[AshWhite]

Appreciate the input. I was planning on stuffing some roof insulation between the van and the ply lining (I also need to get the roof lined), and making the inside like a Dreams ad with quilts everywhere - but I'm just concerned that if there's no heat in there to begin with, what are they really insulating?

Andrew, it's a good point re: costs of replacement parts - and one which I have considered, but after only purchasing all my equipment over the last 4 months, another investment of a £1k is one which I can't really stomach so close to Xmas (although I appreciate I'd have to if something did go t*ts up). I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place on that front I suppose.

[Doug Holloway]

Hi Guys

You have answered your own question Ash, you have to get some heat in somehow.

Is there any possibility of using someone else's drive?

Cheers

Doug

[wynne jones]

This is just an idea, not sure it's a goer. But if the van's well insulated, at the end of the day could you not run your TM and pump hot water into the supply tank. Would this tide you over?

[Tom Bennett]

Ash;
There is a heat source in your van now, run the truckmount for 10 minutes, that will soon warm the van up.
If it's insulated well and quilted you might just have a chance, wouldn't recommend it myself though, I'm fortunate as I can connect heatesr to the electrical supply from my house.
A mate of mine had trouble with his neighbours when he used the types you mentioned, they complained about the noise it made and it also flattened his battery in the van.

[AshWhite]

I did think about this, but then I thought that warm water freezes faster than cold water?

[Mike Halliday]

fill your waterbox with antifreeze and run a pipe back into the waterbox then circulate through the machine, in the morning empty it out into a container and use it again the next day.

bring hoses and tools into the house & only leave  powdered chemicals in the van

[wynne jones]

I did think about this, but then I thought that warm water freezes faster than cold water?

 

[Jim_77]

Ash,

With things currently the way they are Mike's method is the safest option, but I'll tell you now you'll get sick of doing that after a few nights.  Especially with a garden path as long as yours!  Also there will be parts containing water that won't get the antifreeze through them, like the chemical feed system, unless you drain that out completely and fill it with antifreeze.  No thanks, much easier to invest a bit of time and effort once to save a perpetual pain in the ass every night it's frosty.

Can you not convert the front end of your garden into a drive?  That would be the ultimate answer.

You do also need to get that roof lined and all of the ply, roof and sides, stuffed with loft insulation behind it.  Don't forget the doors as well.  The sliding door is a pain but you have to do it all otherwise it's not worth it.

Ply lining/insulating a van like this is difficult enough when the van is empty, god knows what a ball ache it's going to be with a TM installation in it!  It amazes me the amount of people who get a TM installed and don't insulate the van beforehand.

If you've got the van well insulated, the residual heat from the TM will keep it warm enough overnight, if the machine has been running until late afternoon and as long as it's not -10 or something ridiculous.  I only put a heater in the back when it's really really cold overnight or I'm not going to be running the machine for a couple of days and it's just touching freezing outside.

When needed, I use about 300W of heat and a little fan which keeps it nice and toasty.

[AshWhite]

I'd love to convert part of the garden to a hardstanding, but unfortunately, it goes almost straight onto a T-Junction so I don't think I would get permission to put an entrance in the wall. Perhaps I'll get the Dale farm lot to knock it up, then it should be ok for 10 years or so 

[Simon@arenaclean]

bit off the wall but do you have relatives or friends nearby, maybe you could park the van there overnight?

[derek west]

I did think about this, but then I thought that warm water freezes faster than cold water?

yes it does ash,

[AshWhite]

I helped the old man build a garage, with an electricity and water supply, but the whole point was so that he could park his convertible in there to protect it from the elements. I could park it in front of the entrance, but if we get heavy snow I won't be able to move it as its quite a rural area where he lives.

[Paul Moss]

Warm water does freeze faster than cold water but only if placed in a freezer with temps below minus 18 degrees

[derek west]

its called the mpemba effect

[AshWhite]

After the schoolboy who discovered the effect, I believe