Slept in 2006 Dodge Caravan Minivan WITH Diesel Heater - Nearly Froze

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SEEKR by Caframo Ultimate Fan. Bought mine at Amazon.... super quiet, powerful and very low draw on battery. Put it out of the way, aim at ceiling and let it circulate the air. I used mine for a year in my van - way comfortable. Listen to HDR then man knows a few things.​

Insulate, Insulate, Insulate! I have lived in various commercial (as against DIY) vehicles for years. My awakening was when I still had a factory-made camper and was building out a cargo trailer into a camper. On the same hot summer day, I noticed that my self-insulated cargo was at least 10 degrees cooler than the camper, and I wasn't even half done. By the time I finished temp differences were even higher. My conclusion is that most factories skimp wherever we can't see. And did you say a bare metal floor? YIKES!
 
Hi,
This is my first post. I came here because a few days ago I was in the North Georgia Mountains near Helen, GA and temps dropped below freezing.
But even a few days later when it only dropped to 44 degrees at night, I was still freezing.

I have a properly working 5KW Diesel heater that puts out plenty of dry heat, yet I was literally freezing in my 2006 Dodge Caravan and this is why I came to this forum today...to get help answers. I was not prepared for the inside of my van to be that cold with a 5KW diesel heater going.
It was as if the windows were open, but of course, they were not.

We can rule out the heater. It pumps out TONS of very hot, dry air. And I have two others so I can compare it to those.
It was definitely not due to a lack of heating by the diesel heater.

First of all, the upper, ceiling area of the van was quite warm, about 16 inches from the ceiling.....but down on the floor where I slept was 40 degrees or below. I slept on an inflated air mattress with sheets and comforters. Maybe I was naive to think the 5KW diesel heater would keep the van warm, or maybe it was just too drafty and/or un-insulated?

The heater was set at 2.4hz and I could have raised the setting higher but I was concerned about running out of diesel fuel overnight.

Im sure that some of you have slept in your van/mini van in colder weather so I'm wondering if you've encountered this and what I should do for next time?

Things I am going to do even with no advice......

1). Make window coverings because all that glass was ice cold and probably absorbed a lot of the heat and transferred it outside?
2). Insulate the floor. I think the steel floor acted as a freezer because of lack of insulation?
3). Create a divider curtain behind the front seats.
4). Insulate more. I plan to remove the rear panels and add insulation behind them.

Any additional thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

Oh, if you are going to Helen, Georgia be fore warned, there is absolutely ZERO Sprint cellular coverage in that area.
My phone was totally useless until I was about 7 miles out of town.
Fortunately I always carry a backup secondary phone. TracFone worked just fine.
Your problem is likely the WINDOWS, but might also have something to do with your parking strategy. If you parked under a clear sky, the ambient temperature in your vehicle might be comfortable, but you're losing almost all that heat out of your roof via longwave radiation. Park UNDER something--anything (e.g. branches of a tree, loaded roof rack).
 
Hi,
This is my first post. I came here because a few days ago I was in the North Georgia Mountains near Helen, GA and temps dropped below freezing.
But even a few days later when it only dropped to 44 degrees at night, I was still freezing.
Things I am going to do even with no advice......
1). Make window coverings because all that glass was ice cold and probably absorbed a lot of the heat and transferred it outside?
2). Insulate the floor. I think the steel floor acted as a freezer because of lack of insulation?
3). Create a divider curtain behind the front seats.
4). Insulate more. I plan to remove the rear panels and add insulation behind them.
One through four are all important things to do. You remind me of when I was three years old and threw the back door of the house wide open and waited. My mother came to see why the furnace kept running and running, discovered the door open, and asking me "Why????" I explained that I was warming up the backyard so I could go out and play. Well, that didn't work out so well. (But she did go around for years, telling everyone how cute I was, trying to warm up the great out-of-doors. I really had thought I could do it!)

So, one through four:
1) I made window coverings by cutting firm half-inch foam wall insulation into sections to perfectly fit each window. I put a screw above and below the center of each window, and stretched a bungee chord across each pair of screws to hold the insulation boards on the glass. But that wasn't tight enough, as it was letting air run down over the glass behind the foam on each window; so I cut 2-inch squares of wood, and put one wood block under the center of each bungee cord to hold the insulation firmly against the glass. That works great!
2) I covered the metal floor with that same firm 1-inch thick foam insulation board. Then I covered the foam board with a sheet of white linoleum. That not only prevents a freezing floor that is easy to clean, it also makes crawling around very soft on my knees. It actually feels good on my knees!
3) I made a divider wall behind the front seats too. My reason was that it seemed impossible to insulate the front, there being the dashboard, under the dashboard, curved windshield, floor under the seats, etc. I quickly gave up the idea of insulating the front of my van, and just made a wall with a door in the center (for a quick escape if problems develop outside). The wall and door are covered with that same kind of insulation board used on my floor and window covers.
4) And yes, I did Insulate more, using two packages of Havelock wool, stuffing it everywhere I could, and had very little leftover at the end. (It's amazingly good soundproofing too, and sleeping surrounded with real wool makes me feel like I'm outside in nature, not in a tin can. "Baaaa!")

This past weekend, it was 19F degrees outside, yet I was toasty warm through the night in my van. But my furnace was only part of the reason. I had it set to 41 degrees, not lower to prevent my water from freezing. With all the insulation and set so low, the furnace hardly came on at all, even though 19F degrees outside!

But the main reason I stayed toasty warm all night was because I connected this 12-volt mini electric blanket to my house battery (not the battery that starts the engine). I wrapped that little electric blanket around my chest, and put on a soft but warm jacket over it to hold its heat in. Set to only medium for the night, this blanket really did keep me toasty warm. But I also had warm socks on my feet, and fur-lined gloves over my fingers, and two regular blankets over me. Then, I slept like a baby, totally contented, all night long!
 
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One through four are all important things to do. You remind me of when I was three years old and threw the back door of the house wide open and waited. My mother came to see why the furnace kept running and running, discovered the door open, and asking me "Why????" I explained that I was warming up the backyard so I could go out and play. Well, that didn't work out so well. (But she did go around for years, telling everyone how cute I was, trying to warm up the great out-of-doors. I really had thought I could do it!)

So, one through four:
1) I made window coverings by cutting firm half-inch foam wall insulation into sections to perfectly fit each window. I put a screw above and below the center of each window, and stretched a bungee chord across each pair of screws to hold the insulation boards on the glass. But that wasn't tight enough, as it was letting air run down over the glass behind the foam on each window; so I cut 2-inch squares of wood, and put one wood block under the center of each bungee cord to hold the insulation firmly against the glass. That works great!
2) I covered the metal floor with that same firm 1-inch thick foam insulation board. Then I covered the foam board with a sheet of white linoleum. That not only prevents a freezing floor that is easy to clean, it also makes crawling around very soft on my knees. It actually feels good on my knees!
3) I made a divider wall behind the front seats too. My reason was that it seemed impossible to insulate the front, there being the dashboard, under the dashboard, curved windshield, floor under the seats, etc. I quickly gave up the idea of insulating the front of my van, and just made a wall with a door in the center (for a quick escape if problems develop outside). The wall and door are covered with that same kind of insulation board used on my floor and window covers.
4) And yes, I did Insulate more, using two packages of Havelock wool, stuffing it everywhere I could, and had very little leftover at the end. (It's amazingly good soundproofing too, and sleeping surrounded with real wool makes me feel like I'm outside in nature, not in a tin can. "Baaaa!")

This past weekend, it was 19F degrees outside, yet I was toasty warm through the night in my van. But my furnace was only part of the reason. I had it set to 41 degrees, not lower to prevent my water from freezing. With all the insulation and set so low, the furnace hardly came on at all, even though 19F degrees outside!

But the main reason I stayed toasty warm all night was because I connected this 12-volt mini electric blanket to my house battery (not the battery that starts the engine). I wrapped that little electric blanket around my chest, and put on a soft but warm jacket over it to hold its heat in. Set to only medium for the night, this blanket really did keep me toasty warm. But I also had warm socks on my feet, and fur-lined gloves over my fingers, and two regular blankets over me. Then, I slept like a baby, totally contented, all night long!

lol
Yeah, that first time out I WAS like a little kid. No idea how cold it was gonna get in that minivan. I intend to get a heated mattress pad to go under me.
But so far, just raising myself 14 inches off the floor made an unbelievable difference. I've slept in the mini-v many nights now with temps at or below freezing and actually had to open a window. Toasty comfy.
 
I've seen a few videos where people put in radiant floor heating, either hydronic or electric, but I wonder how well these work. Anyone here have experience with such systems? I imagine they might work well in a cargo trailer but installing one in a van might be harder?
Right now there is only a slight dusting of snow and it is warm outside (9 degree fahrenheit) but the wind makes it really cold. I'll wear a coat today.
 
I've seen a few videos where people put in radiant floor heating, either hydronic or electric, but I wonder how well these work. Anyone here have experience with such systems? I imagine they might work well in a cargo trailer but installing one in a van might be harder?
Right now there is only a slight dusting of snow and it is warm outside (9 degree fahrenheit) but the wind makes it really cold. I'll wear a coat today.

9F is "warm" outside ?
wow. Are you from Yakutsk ?

Reminds me of the Canadians who come to South Florida for the winter when it's in the 60's at night here and they go swimming at the beach as if it's mid summer. To native Floridians there may as well be icebergs floating out there.
 
9F is "warm" outside ?
wow. Are you from Yakutsk ?

Reminds me of the Canadians who come to South Florida for the winter when it's in the 60's at night here and they go swimming at the beach as if it's mid summer. To native Floridians there may as well be icebergs floating out there.
Love the Canadian/Floridian reference. I lived in Minnesota, where we would run outside and tear off our shirts when it first got above freezing. Just goes to show words like cold and hot are relative.

I have found in my travels that insulation pays off far more than heating/cooling devices. Do the insulation first and then figure out what else you might have to do. Maybe, very little.
 
9F is "warm" outside ?
wow. Are you from Yakutsk ?

Reminds me of the Canadians who come to South Florida for the winter when it's in the 60's at night here and they go swimming at the beach as if it's mid summer. To native Floridians there may as well be icebergs floating out there.
Compared with the Valentine's Week 2021 cold spell, 9F is pretty warm.
 
I wouldn't consider 44 degrees F at night (inside the van) as very cold. For me, "cold at night" is measured in terms of how difficult I find it to get out of my sleeping bag and go to the bathroom. Below 30-35 degrees at night, I become noticeably more reluctant to get out of my sleeping bag.

And do make sure you have a WARM sleeping bag! I have a down sleeping bag rated to zero degrees. It is reasonably warm to a bit below 30 degrees and then seems to have "cold spots" when the temperature is below about 25. My fix for that is to pile blankets on top of the sleeping bag, as well as wear a knit cap while sleeping.

I hadn't realized an air mattress was cold to sleep on, but I wouldn't use an air mattress anyhow just because I don't think they are ideal for best support for your back and body.

I don't experience a need for either insulation or a heater in my van. On my trips, the intention is to be active during the daylight hours (and I stay warm moving around and with jacket/s on) and then at night I go to bed early, getting inside the sleeping bag and perhaps reading for a while before sleeping. I do have one of these heaters https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Heater-F232000-Indoor-Safe-Portable/dp/B002G51BZU/ref=sr_1_5 which I generally use only on really cold mornings, to get warmed up, I set it by my feet and crack the van door open for ventilation while using it.
 
Hi,
This is my first post. I came here because a few days ago I was in the North Georgia Mountains near Helen, GA and temps dropped below freezing.
But even a few days later when it only dropped to 44 degrees at night, I was still freezing.

I have a properly working 5KW Diesel heater that puts out plenty of dry heat, yet I was literally freezing in my 2006 Dodge Caravan and this is why I came to this forum today...to get help answers. I was not prepared for the inside of my van to be that cold with a 5KW diesel heater going.
It was as if the windows were open, but of course, they were not.

We can rule out the heater. It pumps out TONS of very hot, dry air. And I have two others so I can compare it to those.
It was definitely not due to a lack of heating by the diesel heater.

First of all, the upper, ceiling area of the van was quite warm, about 16 inches from the ceiling.....but down on the floor where I slept was 40 degrees or below. I slept on an inflated air mattress with sheets and comforters. Maybe I was naive to think the 5KW diesel heater would keep the van warm, or maybe it was just too drafty and/or un-insulated?

The heater was set at 2.4hz and I could have raised the setting higher but I was concerned about running out of diesel fuel overnight.

Im sure that some of you have slept in your van/mini van in colder weather so I'm wondering if you've encountered this and what I should do for next time?

Things I am going to do even with no advice......

1). Make window coverings because all that glass was ice cold and probably absorbed a lot of the heat and transferred it outside?
2). Insulate the floor. I think the steel floor acted as a freezer because of lack of insulation?
3). Create a divider curtain behind the front seats.
4). Insulate more. I plan to remove the rear panels and add insulation behind them.

Any additional thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

Oh, if you are going to Helen, Georgia be fore warned, there is absolutely ZERO Sprint cellular coverage in that area.
My phone was totally useless until I was about 7 miles out of town.
Fortunately I always carry a backup secondary phone. TracFone worked just fine.

All those things you listed will help a lot. You’ll be warmer if you replace the inflatable with a regular mattress or memory foam. Also, those thick plush blankets at Costco are insanely warm.
 
I wouldn't consider 44 degrees F at night (inside the van) as very cold. For me, "cold at night" is measured in terms of how difficult I find it to get out of my sleeping bag and go to the bathroom. Below 30-35 degrees at night, I become noticeably more reluctant to get out of my sleeping bag.

And do make sure you have a WARM sleeping bag! I have a down sleeping bag rated to zero degrees. It is reasonably warm to a bit below 30 degrees and then seems to have "cold spots" when the temperature is below about 25. My fix for that is to pile blankets on top of the sleeping bag, as well as wear a knit cap while sleeping.

I hadn't realized an air mattress was cold to sleep on, but I wouldn't use an air mattress anyhow just because I don't think they are ideal for best support for your back and body.

I don't experience a need for either insulation or a heater in my van. On my trips, the intention is to be active during the daylight hours (and I stay warm moving around and with jacket/s on) and then at night I go to bed early, getting inside the sleeping bag and perhaps reading for a while before sleeping. I do have one of these heaters https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Heater-F232000-Indoor-Safe-Portable/dp/B002G51BZU/ref=sr_1_5 which I generally use only on really cold mornings, to get warmed up, I set it by my feet and crack the van door open for ventilation while using it.

When it's toasty warm in the van, that crisp cold air from a slightly ajar door or open window on the face for breathing is magnificent. (y)
 
Got one more suggestion for you, although it seems like you've "warmed to the challenge" pretty well already. (Groan.) Like your mama might have told you, wear a hat. (A hoodie might be even better). For me, if my head / ears are warm, I might be aware of my hands or feet feeling icy, but I don't feel bone-deep cold.
 
Hello,

Yes indeed. It was really cold. "Ice daggers hanging off the gutters in the morning" cold.

My Diesel heater is one of the generic ones off of Amazon. It works extremely well and I am very happy with it.
The amount of heat it puts out is crazy. It warms up my 6 x 10 cargo trailer to roasting inside in minutes.
It is an All-In-One unit so the fuel tank is built in. I set it outside the van at night with only the heat output hose inside the van..
All the exhaust stays outside the vehicle. No different than running your motor at night to stay warm.
I was running it off of my 50AH backup battery which charges during the day from a 100watt rooftop solar panel.

In all honesty I believe the problem is that the van is just a tin box with no insulation and having the windows uncovered just was too much to keep the van warm inside. I could feel drafts inside, as if the cold air was coming in even though all windows were closed.
A Dodge Caravan needs a LOT of help to be cold weather ready IMO after this.

For those "afraid" of diesel heaters....please don't be. They are in wide use and no reported fatalities that I know of.
The way they work all the fumes are outside, exactly like your car's exhaust.
Millions in use in RV's around the world. You just have to use common sense.
I also have two top brand Carbon Monoxide detectors monitoring the air at all times.
Most hard core campers/RVers I know use them full time.

Of course, to each his own. ymmv.
This is what I did to my 2010 van at the very start...for noise suppression and warmth
 

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