Ahhh Warmth!

So the other day, I finally got the furnace running, and I can happily say it kicks out a LOT of heat. The van warms up in about 5-10 minutes from really cold, to cooking hot. Comfort is important when living in a van, and it will be interesting to see what the winter brings.

Canadian winter's a renowned for how cold they are, but here in Calgary, Alberta, our winters are usually a bit milder thanks to our proximity to the Rocky mountains. Southern Alberta, and more specifically the Calgary area is the only place in the world that gets Chinooks. These Chinooks can bring a -30C/-22F day to +10C/50F in a matter of a couple hours, and then hold that temperature for a week or more.

The plan for the van's heating is to install a digital thermometer, and set it to keep the van at about 10C/50F while I am away at work, and jump to 21C/70F about 15 minutes before I'm scheduled to come home. This way I save money on propane, and don't freeze my water tank either. I know that I'll be spending far more money on propane over the winter than during the summer, and next year I'll make sure to save up "winter money".

I've read many blogs where other vandwellers head south for the winter, but as a vandweller with a stable career, I do not have that luxury. I have yet to read of anyone else attempting to winter in Canada.

This will be interesting.

Insulating the van for the coming winter

This morning was the second very cool morning in a row. In fact, today was freezing. I had to turn on the range to get some warmth at about 530am. Today, I'll be turning the furnace on for tonight. It only got to about 6C over night but it was cold enough that I don't want to wake up to that again.

There are not many "vanliving in a Canadian Winter" sites out there. I'm assuming that's because most people are either snowbirds because they're retired, and can travel to warmer climates for six months every year, or they're just not crazy enough to try it. I don't even know if I'm crazy enough to try it, but what the heck.

So I've been doing some research, and one thing that comes to mind is that my van, being built in 1978 is going to have crummy insulation, made in 1978. The space between the metal and the wood panelling is not exactly large, and conpressing fiberglass isn't good, so I need an alternative. I found Reflectix. This is a type of insulation that is basically bubblewrap with aluminum foil. Here's the description in case you're reading this years down the road, and the link I provided no longer works:

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Reflectix Small Project Rolls address specific needs not possible with traditional insulations such as recreational vehicles, camping, household, plumbing and ductwork. Two outer layers of aluminum foil reflect 97% of radiant heat. Each layer of foil is bonded to a tough layer of polyethylene for strength. Two inner layers of insulating bubbles resist conductive heat flow, while a center layer of polyethylene give Reflectix high reliability and strength.
Reflects 97 percent of radiant energy.
Nontoxic/noncarcinogenic.
Does not require protective gear to install.
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Sounds perfect for summer and winter, help keep things cool in the summer by reflecting heat out, and warm by keeing heat in. We shall see how it works when I pick the Reflectix up and install it.

Does anyone have other material that they use?