Living in a van w/o insulation in Canada

[Texjbird]

I having been watching Chrome in Vancouver on the Y T channel Vancity Vanlife since right after he bought his van and before he moved out of his condo over a year ago.

He posted a video on 9/9/18 with a couple who did their own van build mostly with free and repurposed items.  It looks very neat and not thrown together which is how my Safari will look.

They have a older Dodge EXT van with windows all around.  What caught my eye was no insulation added to the van and they live north out of Vancouver with some winter temps sometimes down to -40c and at -10c for months at a time.

Now I don't know how -40c relates to -40f.....still sounds damn cold to this Texican.  I do know what a windchill of -51f in SD feels like

I like this channel because he goes to some of the most beautiful places in Canada that I know i'll never see in person.  I plan on seeing America first...if I'm lucky enough.  Also he's very enthusiastic about van life and tells people they don't have to spend a small fortune on solar and insulation &12v stuff and then see if they might want to live in/out of a van.  He also does a lot of city stealth camping and gives a lot of tips on that in some of his earlier videos. 
I like his bulldog Disco and the Queen barks back at him.
 
I think that many of the members here aren't new to extensive travel in various vehicles.  I'm one of those, sort of.  I never even thought of living in a van until I had the internet and a small tablet that I bought myself for Chrismas in 2015.  Back then I was trying to find a way to build a simple topper on my Ranger4x4 so I wouldn't have to set up a big Viking Popup while stopping over night in my travels.  Van builds kept popping up along with DIY truck campers.  I'm convinced I'm going to give vanning a shot.  As someone here once said, with the Safari and the Aliner it will be like a 2 bedroom condo. 
 I'm thinking it will be more the size of a older no tell motel room with " outside facilitys "

Q sez it's nap time now.......she's so bossy and never cuts me any slack at all

Jewellann

[Nana]

Texj, Put some pics up of safari when you get the chance.

[Kaylee]

TJB, could you post some links to specific videos? Sounds like a good resource - thanks!

Rather conveniently:
-40C == -40F

-10C == 14F

Was I was in the Reserves, we flew down to -35C. Anything colder risked damage to our engines (this was back in the 1980s and early 90s).

You grok windchill, so yes, -50 (C or F) is Dang Cold!
Last Wednesday, I spent the day in my van and the low was -5F, but I was inside (no wind), with lots of blankets and it was sunny, so I was fine (until the cop insisted on talking to me with the door open... sigh).

[TrainChaser]

Out west here, a Canadian van w/o insulation is called a "deep freeze".

[Texjbird]

Texj, Put some pics up of  safari when you get the chance.

 
 I DO NOT HAVE ANY PICTURES OF THE SAFARI.  IF YOU GOGGLE 1998 GMC SAFARI HIGHTOP CONVERSION VAN PICTURES OF THE SAFARI, SAVANNA, AND ASTRO VANS WILL LIKELY  POP UP.  TO ME IT SEEMS THAT THE ASTRO AND SAVANNA IN THE OLDER MODELS LOOK MORE SQUARED OFF THAN THE SAFARI.  

THE OFFICIAL COLOR OF MINE IS COPPER.  I HAD A PAINT AND BODY GUY LOOK AT THE PAINT AND HE SAID "I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT".  THE PAINT AROUND THE ROOFLINE ON THE UPPER METAL BODY IS CRAZING/CRACKELING LIKE THE FINSH SOMETIMES DOES ON OLD WOODEN FURNITURE.  

THERE ARE PLACES ON THE BODY WHERE THE COPPER PAINT LOOKS LIKE A SLASHED KNIFE WOUND WITH THE ORIGINAL WHITE PAINT SHOWING THRU.  THE WHITE PAINT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE PRIMER.  WE BOTH LIKED THE CRAZING AFFECT.  I THINK I'LL LEAVE THE CRAZING ALONE AND SAND DOWN THE ROUGH EDGES OF THE "SLASHES" WHERE THE WHITE SHOWS THRU.  THEN TRY TO DO SOME RAT ROD STYLE PAINT PATCHES.

   TJB

TJB, could you post some links to specific videos? Sounds like a good resource - thanks!

I JUST GOOGLED "CHROME AND DISCO VALDEZ" AND PULLED UP A SITE THAT SEZ 130 VIDEOS THEN THERE WAS A LIST OF THEM WITH THE RED U TUBE ARROW TO CLICK FOR EACH ONE.

DISCO IS A ENGLISH BULLDOG..........CHROME IS A DJ & CHROME IS HIS LEGAL NAME.  AFTER MOVING INTO HIS VAN HE PAID OFF $20,000 OF DEBT IN 11 MONTHS.  NOW THAT GOT MY ATTENTION.   IF I DIDN'T HAVE APT RENT AND STORAGE UNITS RENT EACH MONTH I'D HAVE OVER $760 MORE TO SPEND ON TRAVELING AND PAYING DOWN LOANS AND CRD. CARDS.

I FORGOT TO SAY "ALL I KNOW ABOUT LINKS ARE STEAMED, FRIED, OR B-B-Q"?

    TJB

[GypsyDogs]

Here is a direct link to one of his vids.. rock on weirdos!

[TWIH]

No f’in way anyone is up in -40 C or F (same thing when that low) in an uninsulated anything for very long.  

Back in about 1998 I was out of work (in central BC) and thought to try Edmonton Alberta over the Xmas timeframe to get some short-term income. I figured a big city like that would have something.
Well as soon as I crossed into Alberta from BC the temps went from about -10C to -25C, and that was during the daytime. That evening, just outside of Edmonton at a truck stop it was -35C with a steady wind.  I had been planning on staying in my uninsulated truck canopy and using my propane (the truck was propane fueled) to run my heater.

The propane freakin’ froze up, I had no heat and even my doubled up Coleman sleeping bags (maybe +30F bags each) did almost nothing. I was wearing long johns, a full set of clothes, had on gloves, a tuc’ (beanie), doubled socks and I absolutely froze all night. Worst night I ever had... 

I turned around that next day, I think it was Dec 24th, and drove back to BC. As soon as I crossed the mts back into BC the temps shot up about 15 degrees and I knew I’d never ever do that again!

Short version: Anyone attempting -40 winter conditions without proper gear and backup planning is not only foolish but lucky to be alive.