VAN LIFE | winter van upkeep
Temperatures are trending down in Tennessee, and while it feels like the perfect weather for camping, it also gets our wheels turning for how to keep our van safe during the winter months. Timing is different for everyone depending on where you live, but once the temps start dipping below 40, it’s time to put a plan in motion. So whether you store your van for the winter, or want a solution on how to keep using it, we compiled a list of our tips + tricks to keep your van happy during the winter months.
VAN PREPERATION
Early fall is a great time to start looking at you van and making sure you have it like you need it for the fall and winter months. This can include:
HEATER
A heater in your van is key during the fall and winter. Not only does it keep you warm while using it, it can also play a practical role for keeping your van safe (I’ll discuss later). If you already have a heater installed in your van, it’s a good idea to turn that bad boy on before the temperature gets too low. It’s not a good feeling to find out your heater doesn’t work on the day temps drop below freezing. This is also a good time to assess if your heater needs servicing.
WINDOW COVERS
Any window in your van should have an insulated window cover for it. When it starts to get really cold, this is a big place for heat loss. We’ve used and loved the ones from the Wanderful and also DIY Adventure Van Co (not sponsored by either).
TIRE UPGRADE
The fall/winter can be a good time to replace/upgrade your tires if you have been holding out. With ice or varying road conditions, an all-terrain tire or snow tire is a great option if you’re going to be traveling a lot during these months.
SOLAR PANELS
It is easy to forget about your solar panels (out of sight, out of mind), but they’re important to think about during these months. The sun isn’t out for quite as long during the day, so capturing every bit of solar you can is key. Hop up on your roof and brush those guys off - leaves, sticks, or even snow like to stick to the panels.
DIESEL ADDITIVE
If you have a diesel van, you may not know you need to maintain your fuel during the winter, too. In order to prevent diesel from gelling or crystalizing, you should pour in an anti-gelling fuel supplement into your fuel tank to top it off with each fill-up.
SEMI-WINTERIZE
This is what we like to call it when you still want to use your van during the cold months so you don’t want to fully winterize it.
DRAIN YOUR TANKS
If you have tank heaters, turn those on and skip this step. Depending on where your tanks are located, you’ll want to keep any exterior tanks drained. Leaving liquid in tanks sitting in freezing temperatures is a recipe for disaster.
SET YOUR HEATER
We love using our van year-round, so we don’t like to winterize our plumbing system. Our go-to way to ensure nothing happens is to set our heater to the lowest setting above freezing (for most espars, that’s 40). This keeps the interior of our van above that freezing threshold so all of our pipes and fresh water tank stay safe + cozy.
WINTERIZE
PLUMBING
If you want to store your van over the winter, it is best practice to go ahead and fully winterize your van.
Empty your fresh water tank.
Turn on your water pump and open your faucet to run any water out of the lines.
Once the water stops flowing, turn off your pump. Don’t run the pump without water in it for more than a few seconds.
Lightly blow out the water system with compressed air. If you have an OverVanding Solutions campervan, you will have an easy-to-access fitting that will enable you to get all of the water out of your system.
Store your campervan with all drains, faucets, and/or spigots left open.
Empty your grey water tank
If you have a composting toilet, make sure you empty it out as well.
BATTERIES
If your van is built with batteries that don’t self protect or turn off during the cold, you may want to invest in battery heaters.
FRIDGE
Don’t forget about your fridge! Turn that guy off, and let it defrost. Once thawed, wipe it out/dry it so the moisture doesn’t sit in it. It’s also a good idea to leave the door open on your fridge/freezer for air flow.
VENTILATION
Even in the coldest months, it’s good to leave a vent fan cracked or some sort of ventilation. This will help prevent any buildup of moisture that happens with condensation.
We hope these tips + tricks help keep your campervan happy + healthy during those colder months. All of OverVanding Solutions vans are built for 4 seasons, as we have personally weathered the winter while living in a van. We often used our van as a “ski in ski out” home at resorts, some dipping below 0F at night. As always, stay safe out there and enjoy the outdoors!