Essential Tips On How To Keep Your Caravan Warm While Camping

Winter is generally known as the hibernation season. It’s either too cold, or windy or even rainy and snowing to leave our four walls. I for one don’t blame anyone for wanting to just snuggle inside by the fire (or heater) with either a good book or a new release on a streaming service and an amazing cappuccino! It’s where we feel so much comfort and the cold just spoils it all.

Nobody wants the cold to stop them heading away for the school holidays that fall smack bang in the middle of winter, neither do we! So we had to come up with ideas on how to keep ourselves and the caravan warm when mother nature unleashes on us all. Winter doesn’t have to unenjoyable, we just learn to tweak things a little so we can still get away and have a great holiday.

Dress for the occasion

It’s always a good idea to layer up. Lots of thin layers are a great idea to keep your body heat in, as opposed to one big jumper that swings around your body letting all the draughts in. And the good thing with lots of layers is that when you start moving around more, the sun comes out and heats up a little, you can remove one layer at a time to regulate your body temperature, rather than changing outfits over and over to suit the conditions. And if you take a beanie and scarfe, maybe even gloves and warm boots / slippers for the super cold temps, you probably won’t feel the cold much.

Electric blankets

If you are plugged into 240v power, electric blankets may just be the go for those really cold nights. You want to make sure they have a timer on them, or, if not, then purchase a timer switch yourself and plug into that, ensuring you don’t have the blanket going while you sleep as these are risky to use when not being monitored. A friend of ours left one unattended on her bed and sadly, caught fire and burnt 80% of her house. For this reason, we don’t use them in our home. We don’t even own one, but many people swear by them.

Caravan flooring

During the great hunt for our caravan, we came across a couple who had lived in their van by the beach in the cold months. To help keep them warm they installed carpet tiles on the floor of the van. I had never seen this done before, but it makes perfect sense. They are removable for the not so cold temperatures and relatively inexpensive we are told, and they significantly add to keeping the warm inside your caravan.

Hot water bottle / Wheat bag

Most of us would have seen our parents using a hot water bottle or wheat bag at some stage. When I was injured at work, I practically lived off my wheat bag while recovering from surgery. They’re both a brilliant idea and both have their pros and cons. A wheat bag requires a microwave, which most of the time (unless you have a generator) requires being plugged into 240v mains power. But the wheat bag is super small and takes up little space. I even use mine in the caravan to prop up items in the cupboard that I don’t want falling over when travelling. A hot water bottle however, is larger to store, but only requires, you guessed it, hot water when you want to use it. But both are a great concept and something you could investigate when planning a trip away in the colder months.

Install heating

Most caravans already have some kind of heating installed, but if not, it’s not rocket science to install some. The rooftop reverse cycle heater/air con can be expensive to install, and you need to be plugged into mains or have a generator with large enough capacity to run it. We have previously been quoted in excess of $3500 to have a 3.5hp system installed in one of our vans. We decided against this. Then there is gas heating. This one is less expensive, but not something you can do yourself unless you are a qualified gas technician. We recommend letting the experts fit this one for you. And then there is the diesel heater. They’re under $500 online to purchase and not hard at all to install yourself. They will run all night for up to a 5 nights without having to refill the tank and the best part is, a lot of the time they run off the same fuel as the tow vehicle. So if you can’t make it to the nearest servo, you can syphon from your vehicle (not leaving yourself stranded of course). You can also look at the smaller fan heaters that can be purchased from most department stores, heck some grocery stores even sell them in the colder months. They cost around $20 but do chew up power. You would need to have 240v mains power available to run these. They are super quick to warm up a small room. Some of these heaters / fans draw so much power that they may even trip a switch in the fuse box, so just be aware when using them for a long period of time.

Food and drink

Soups are the fashion in winter, purely because they raise your body temperature. It makes sense when camping and if you have the facilities, either cook up a delicious home made soup, or heat up a pre cooked one. Their lasting heat is amazing for a cold day, and they are quite filling when you enjoy them with some campfire damper (you can find our Campfire Damper Recipe here). Drinks are great for assisting in keeping warm also. There are 2 types here. You could feed the whole family a delicious hot chocolate and even pop in some marshmallows, or, for the adults only, enjoy a glass of your favourite alcoholic drink. After a few of these you certainly won’t be too worried about the cold!

Need ideas on packing for your next caravan or camping holiday? Check out our handy list here.

Bedding

There’s nothing like being wrapped up in a bed of fluff when the weather is not great. Add to your mattress a pillow top. These are great for protecting your mattress plus adding some extra layers to help keep heat in. On top of that, add a thick cotton filled mattress protector, then use your favourite doona and flannelette sheeting. The duck style doonas are really warm and so nice to wrap yourself into and the flannelette sheets aren’t cold on your skin. It would also pay to take some flannelette pyjamas and some thick bed socks as well. You’ll feel like you’re in a cocoon! But at least you will be warm.

Draught skirts

If you have a skirt for your caravan, it’s a good idea to put it on in windy weather. These are designed to keep the wind from blowing straight through the underneath of the caravan, hence stopping some of the cold going through also.

Annexe

If you have an annexe, it would be wise to install it when you are camping in winter. These are a great idea for adding an extra room when you want a common area to keep warm in or just an extra bedroom for the kids. Putting this up also helps to insulate that side of the caravan and when the wind is blowing, you’ll get less coming into the caravan when you open and close the door.

Caravan privacy screens

We use these for 2 reasons. Firstly, to keep the sun off us in the hotter temperatures. They’re versatile and are super quick and easy to install when required. Secondly, to help insulate that side of the caravan and help keep the inside a little warmer. Keeping as much draught off the side of the van helps to insulate, and that’s a big thing in winter.

Seals and draught proof

Take a few moments here to assist in keeping warm when caravanning in winter. Check seals around doors and windows, and don’t forget the roof hatches also. And while you are doing this, check there are no water leaks and that the van is watertight in every corner and over the roof.

Hot shower

If you are plugged into mains water, this will be your best friend in winter. A hot shower is great for heating your body up, and when possible, stand in it for as long as you can until you feel hot. This is how I tend to heat up after a workout when I get the chills and its fast and effective. It’s also good for your skin too. But you’ll want to be mindful of water usage if you are free camping as the shower will drain your tanks quite quickly. Once you have finished in the shower, leave the door open to allow some of the warm steam to escape into the rest of the caravan. But then once the sun comes out and warms up the day a little, be sure to open windows and doors to stop mould breeding in the van.

Move around

It’s a well known fact that moving creates body heat. Any type of movement is good. And it’s good for your internals too. A great idea for first thing in the morning is, when you get the opportunity, take a run. Doesn’t have to be a long run, even a short 1km jog or brisk walk is all you need to warm up. In no time you’ll be stripping down and feeling like it’s 35 degrees out! It’s also great for your body and your (healthy) heart will love you for it.

Campfire

When permissible, campfires are a great little thing to have around your campsite. They’re warm, you can cook on them, and they are great for ambience. Kids and adults alike love to sit around them, toasting marshmallows, or with your favourite drink and great company.

Blankets

Don’t forget to pack your favourite blanket. It’s versatile and can be used just about anywhere from your bed, lounge, camping chair and even for some extra padding for your seat in the car.

Windows

For the bigger type jobs, you could look at replacing your windows with double glazed if your van doesn’t already have them. These are a great idea to help keep the warmth in your van and the cold outside. You can even consider fitting your windows with some tint. Thick block out curtains will also assist in keeping the van warmer when it’s cold. Use blinds that cover the entire window for maximum performance.

Location

Location is a key to helping keep your van warm in winter. If you park somewhere that is going to allow the sun to shine onto your van, you’ll find that the inside will be warmer during the day than if you were parked where the sun doesn’t shine directly onto the van. And before the warmth starts to disappear for the day, close your blinds (block outs are great for this) to keep the warmth in.

Outside floor

You may find the ground to also be quite cold. To assist in keeping cold air from taking away that precious warm air, perhaps look at tarps, outdoor matting and even rubber mats to position on the ground under the caravan and annexe floor. It’s also nice to walk on too, and it minimises dirt and grass getting into the van.

Sleeping bag

This one has a couple of good uses. You can make use of it while you are sitting outside by the fire on your camp chair. Keep it zipped up and just slide into it. Most sleeping bags that you can buy from a camping store are thermal and have a temperature rating. The better the rating, the warmer it will keep you. You can also use it while sitting on the lounge or bed inside during the day, plus you can use it when you go to bed as an extra layer. These are rather good at keeping the warm in and you may just find yourself sliding right on out in the middle of the night!

Cooking inside

Many people prefer not to cook inside their van for a variety of reasons, but for those who don’t mind it, you will see the benefit here. In such a confined space inside your caravan, cooking for just a few minutes will have you notice the different in temperature. You could even just boil the kettle and notice a little warmth. Always make sure you have adequate ventilation and working smoke and carbon detectors inside also. Never leave the cooking unattended.

**Note: When you are trying to keep the inside of your van warm when the weather is cold, never cover the factory air vent fitted inside your van. It is there to improve air circulation and allow potentially poisonous gases to escape, preventing tragedies.