What Should I Do To Power Heat, Fan & Laptop In My Van?

[visitorfromsomewhere]

If there's trouble viewing my text (as happened previously) please see the post at alternatively. Thank you.

TL,DR = I'm living in a cargo van and seeking suggestions for powering my film-editing-laptop and a small heater/fan to avoid reliance on libraries and restaurants. My budget is the upcoming stimulus check. 

More in depth version: 

Hi. I'm in the cargo van you see in this photo (I cannot seem to include photo on text post).

I only need power for my laptop (MSI GS70 2QE gaming laptop to edit video)
a heater and / or electric blanket.

I'm sure a small fan or heater will be fine since I typically don't get too hot or cold. I'll go to warm areas in winter and cool areas in summer. I don't want a microwave and I shower at gyms. 
I have medical conditions that impact my ability to process new info at times - and I'm also not very knowledgeable about electrical. Please be patient with me when replying if I have a hard time understanding. 

"Explain This To Me Like I'm a Two Year Old...." -Denzel Washington. Videos or links to recommended purchases are most helpful since I'm a visual learner. 
I want to be free from having to recharge at libraries and restaurants. I also stay up later yet in this era most places are closing early. 

Does sitting in my van with the heater lessen the fuel in my tank? Does it put me at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning? These 40-50° cold, windy nights are tough on me.

I was previously in an SUV from around 2010 to around 2017 but the interior was fabric and that plastic-type material. The van is what? Metal or steel? I think it attracts heat and coldness more than the SUV.  I was in CA most of that time and never got too cold. Now I'm a bit increased in years. 

I tried to buy a blanket/robe hybrid from the big corporation but it won't fit in thier delivery box. The "comforters" from the stores are lousy and fail to keep me warm even doubling up with 2 and sleeping with socks. I don't feel safe in sleeping bags because if I ever encounter any intruder incident I don't want to be stuck in a sleeping bag. Also weighted blankets with glass inside seem like a pain to deal with since some can only be cleaned by spot drying or have to be undone like an obnoxious duvet. 

I recently posted a question about the portable power station https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T48L6C...9ZNBZVQP61JH4QQ6Q1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1]which was gifted to me (still in the return window). The overall topic of what I should do for power came up and it seems repliers don't think the power station will be sufficient only lasting 2 hours for the laptop. I'm posting this as a standalone post to widen the pool of ideas. 

]I've been looking online at insulation to be placed along the wall sides and maybe ceiling. Is this an asbestos ris - or other breathing risk? I don't want to use chemicals out of a can.
some seem to be suggesting different power stations.
others seem to be suggesting putting solar panels atop the roof. 

Will affixing solar panels require drilling? If yes will it create holes that rain will get thru? Will I be able to use car wash? Will the warranty get voided? 

I scrape by financially - especially after buying a new-2020 van so I don't have thousands to spend on this. With the stimulus check perhaps I can afford a solution.

Due to various medical conditions likely necessitating surgery soon I doubt I can get atop my van to do this work if solar ends up being the best option. 

I'm presently around So-CA, NV, and AZ so if I have to hire someone it could be in those areas. 
I really appreciate the help. My channel shows my history of homeless outreach so rest assured I'm a giver too - not just a taker.

Thank you

Moderator edit to fix formatting problem.

 

[bullfrog]

It would seem to me since heating with electricity usually involves a generator or a place you can plug in like an RV Park with full hookups a 2,000 watt inverter generator or larger would work as long as you stay in places you can run it at night as that seems to be when you need it. I would use a hitch rack to carry the generator. You can get dual fuel ones or have them converted to run off propane or gasoline. It doesn’t require much wiring or modification to the van and any RV place can probably do what if any modifications are required.

 

[XERTYX]

Let's start small. I googled that laptop and the original charger is 150 watts. I have a couple of questions. 

How long does it to charge the laptop?

How long does the laptop run before the battery dies?

That will give an idea of how much power is needed for the laptop. As far as powering an electric heater on batteries and solar, to be blunt that's not realistic.

Electric heaters are power hogs. More so than the laptop. Much more so. Unless you would be parked as stated with an electrical hookup that's not really an option. 

Using a generator to run an electric heater isnt very efficient either. A better option would be some type of fuel burning heater.

Bob Wells has some good reviews of different ways of heating. If you will be using a solar panel to recharge and have a decent sized battery one option may be what is called a 12v diesel parking heater.

Those use your electricity to run the mechanism of a heater that burns diesel fuel. It does take some electric power but the heat comes from burning diesel fuel.

Propane heating is an option. I have used a Coleman bearcat I believe tent heater. They are less likely to create a carbon monoxide risk but you should have proper ventilation. 

Any fuel burning heater can pose a risk of carbon monoxide. Its very wise to have a carbon monoxide detector.

 

[user 37446]

Watch a lot of YT videos on vandwelling, click on the author's name and look at their list of videos. Some have information on many/all of the topics you are asking about.

Then there's another huge section of rv'ers. Even though many of them use the grid, there are some who use solar/generator power. Truck camper folks often use some solar and generators as they tend to go out more in the boonies.

It just takes time to research, which I imagine you are capable of doing. You can tell within a minute if the video is making sense to you or fits your criteria. If not move on to the next one or person. Pretty soon you will be able to make a list of heat source pros and cons as well as how to power/fuel them. You will also see people hawking all sorts of newfangled items, those "paid promotion" ads are all over many sites.

Heating by artificial means is costly one way or another. Best to live somewhere mild to reduce those equipment costs.

 

[jonyjoe303]

get a large panel, you can easily fit a 365 watt panel on your van ( its what I have) . I  been getting up to 21 amps of charging power in February with that panel. (max I got with a 240 watt panel was about 12 amps) . 21 amps will easily run your gaming laptop and still have amps leftover to top off your battery. I also have a gaming laptop and its rare that it runs at max power usage. At nighttime I use a smaller 12 inch laptop that maxes out at 3 amps. Get a large solar panel and you won't need to go to the library anymore, I produce twice the power that I need, the good thing about a large panel even in cloudy conditions your going to get enough power to run some things.

For help with the cold, get some rtech foam insulation (home depot sells it) and install on the metal skin of your van. Use hotglue to apply it, hotglue has no fumes and it dries quickly. Hotglues sticks good to metal and foam, it also sticks good from foam to foam. Sometimes you have to use multiple layers to achieve the comfort you want. I got 6 layers of 1/2 foam on the roof of my van. Also make the van as airtight as possible, outside air will get in through the tiniest cracks especially if the wind is blowing outside. If possible seperate the front of the van from the back of the van, alot of heat/cold comes in through the huge windshield.

Heres a picture of my inside/outside temperatures in winter without a heater, just alot of foam insulation. Any temp about 50 degrees, you don't need a sleeping bag.