What's the coldest you have experienced living in van without insulation or heater?

[reflex439]

The lowest for me was -11ºF in a Class A RV. We didn't use any heat during the night. I slept with long johns, sweatshirt, warm socks in a 30ºF sleeping bag with another sleeping bag over it. Slept great for the weekend while there. Turned on the propane in the morning, jumped back in the sleeping bag for an hour while everything warmed up. Never really felt cold at all during the nights. Inside thermometer showed low 20's in the morning if I remember correctly.

More recently in a van, Roadtrek 190P, I spent a few nights in the low 5ºF to 10ºF range, covered in snow. Same basic principles, run furnace until bed time then turn it off, long johns, weather, warm socks, but used blankets and comforters instead of sleeping bags. Toasty warm all night. Reached up and turned on the furnace about an hour before getting out of bed to warm the interior. Inside thermometer showed mid 30's in the morning before turning on the furnace.

It's amazing how warm you can be at night in very fold temps if you capture your body heat efficiently. Good layering of clothes and warm blankets/comforters/sleeping bags, and starting with a warm interior at night are key. Then turn on the furnace about an hour before getting out of bed, and the interior will be nice and warm. I also crack a window open to control condensation.

 

[Wanderer]

The coldest for me is only 28 degrees.  However, will be traveling to east coast in single digits or below.

For sleeping - long Johns, Merino wool balaclava, 3 sleeping bags - (2) 4LB Coleman sleeping bags (1) 5LB.  I was gonna double up 4LB and 5LB and lay another 4LB on top.  

Will I still freeze?  or should I pay for a hotel room . . . .  

Currently I don't have funds for big ticket items like $1k down sleeping bags or mountaineering jackets, so I'm trying to get by as economical as possible.

Well....I believe it was 2014. I had a a/c unit in back and forgot to cover it and had no propane and it was blowing at 15 mph and it was about 20 degrees.....Plus only a "Comforter" which was NO confort.

I awoke at 5 am and stayed awake till 7 am till I could get to a propane seller who was open.

Now I have a stocking cap (Covers the ears) Layering a hoodie and then a fleece jacket (From the local Ilani casino) and fleece pants and knit socks and gloves (As standby) and of course the comforter which is still useful. I also have a 20 degree sleeping bag, I may use that in a month. I'm trying to cut costs so I run the heater for 10-20 min then shut it down and cover up....I have all three tanks filled atm so I'm good.

 

[Scassell19]

Ive done -10F. Similar to reflex439, I had no heat or insulation but had on many layers of long johns and shirts, multiple pairs of socks, nice warm hat. I had a 40 degree sleeping bag inside of a 0 degree sleeping bag. Had another 40 degree sleeping bag underneath for additional insulation and another one draped over the to trap in any heat that escapes. Id say the key to have confidence doing it in cold temps is to gradually sleep in colder and colder temps. I would have said for sure that -10F would not be doable if asked before i started. My first year I was in an area with really cold winters and i started in summer. As fall/winter came, the overnight lows got colder and colder, so i gradually went into colder temps. I gained confidence staying warm as the temps went down. After 3 years in this climate i knew exactly what to wear based on what the low temp was gonna be.

 

[LMTLMT]

thanks for sharing all your experiences. on a different note, my van has two roof vents (with covers) and no side vents or windows. If it snows hard and snow accumulates the entire roof, i guess it'll block fresh air coming in and i'll have condensation. on a crazier note, if it snows so hard that snow surrounds the entire van top to bottom, am I going to suffocate? ughh

 

[wagoneer]

About 20 at 10k in Montana in my old airstream left due to increasing snowfall. Moosehead Mt.

 

[accrete]

well i can answer the "van without heat"...but we did insulate (both) van builds, we just don't bother heating the air, but rather (as i've mentioned elsewhere) focus on keeping our personal temp at a comfortable level with layering/etc.

So this one fine june evening up at the caldera lake above sisters/oregon we went to bed with fluffy white moonlit clouds ...slept like babies. Woke up seeing my breath (pretty typical), opened door to go out and make some coffee on the outside camp stove...to about 3" to 4" of fresh show. We had no idea. Our bodies were cozy warm, no real issue. Threw some snowballs around camp and moved down the valley to warmer climate.

We've got wheels, no need to stick around if it is not what we were looking for.
Thom

 

[steamjam1]

-5 degrees. IT SUCKED.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Back in the mid '70s four of us went on a long skiing weekend to Thunder Bay, Ontario in a '60 something Chevy van.  Friday and Saturday were beautiful with the highs in the lower 20's.  Good night sleeping in the van Friday night.  Saturday night started at ~10ºF, we woke up at about 1:30 to a temperature  of -15º.  By 3 AM it was -23º and we abandoned the van for a restaurant, taking turns ordering so they would let us stay until the ski slopes opened.

Miserable night and miserable day skiing Sunday; -20ºF, wind off Lake Superior.  There were like only 15 - 20 people on the slopes, got the death stare every time a lift attendant would have to come out of his shack to guide us onto the lift; but we had bought a weekend passes and were going to use them.  No lift lines though.