hi,
i am hoping someone here may be able to help me! i am looking to add some basic equipment to my van, mean LDV type van, not motorhome or caravan in an attempt to convert it into something that will make camping in the winter a little more comfortable.
i know absolutley nothing at all about gas or electric in campervans etc so am hoping someone can recommend small cooker and explain how they work and run and what i would need in terms of batteries or gas bottles etc
will also be looking to fit some sort of heater if possible, have posted another post re this topic, so if anyone can help with this too?
many thanks,
kelly
Would you want permanant fittings or portable stuff that can be easily removed when you are not camping? What sort of camping do you expect to be doing? Mostly weekends or longer stays, Larger sites with electric hook up or smaller sites and wild camping without mains. What sort of equipment will you want to power?
If you can give a rough idea of the above, we can then offer practical suggestions which may answer your needs. It shouldn't be too difficult or expensive to set up the basics.
hi,
thanks for the reply.
the camping i do is mostly weekend stuff, i use the van when i am away competing with my dogs, i have a small team of racing siberian huskies and we compete in various forests throughout country during winter. mostly we are camping in fields or forests etc so have no access to any electric hook up.
basically i am just wanting to heat the van as you can imagine it is very cold in the middle of a forest in the middle of winter with no heating! and have a stove that is better than the single burner camping stove i have been using. i already have a spare battery to power some small spot lights.
the equipment can be fixed as there is no need for it to be removed, though i am worried about fixing things to the van in case i accidently go right through to the outside! anything fixed will need to be small as poss as the van already has cages built in at the rear to accomodate the dogs which reduces the room for storage and facilities and need storage space for all the doggie equipment as well as regular storage.
the van is already plylined and carpeted on walls and roof, but am considering taking this down and insulating some silver backed boards, unsure of name so any suggestions on that would also be useful!
the van currently has no overcabin storage area, so am hoping to put in a platform above the seats to either make storage or even a sleeping platform if possible to conserve space in the van, any suggestions on that would also be great, as i say i am unsure as how to fix things to the inside of the van without causing damage!
many thanks,
kelly
The insulation board you are looking for is Kingspan I think. You could also consider using a cheap brand of sleeping mat. I have not used it myself but aparently, due to flexibility is very easy to use and is a good insulator.
I agree with MarkJan, woodburners are realy nice. Unfortunatly not practical for all.
A gas stove could be built into a neat small unit with its gas bottle underneath. In case you are not aware, there should be "drop out" (ventilation) holes below any gas appliance or gas bottles to enable any leaks to escape.
Heating with gas can be a controversial subject. I think that the official regulations state that any gas heating appliance should be room sealed. Proper blown air heaters are available which fit under the floor. These are very effective and some can be run of the vehicles own fuel. Unfortunatly they are quite expensive, even second hand.
Personaly, although frowned on by many, I will use my gas cooker to quickly warm the van up when needed. I always ensure adequate ventilation, and would not use long term and definatly not overnight.
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Topic: advice needed on cooker
