Short answer: Using a campervan in winter works well if you sort four things: a heater you can run safely all night with a carbon monoxide alarm, ventilation to keep condensation down, water pipes and tanks protected from freezing, and a battery that can cope with the cold. Lithium batteries can discharge in the cold but many must not be charged below freezing; Victron sets +5 °C as the minimum for its own.
Some of our favourite nights in the van have been in winter: frost on the windscreen, a quiet campsite, a pan of something hot. A campervan in winter is also where every weak point in a build shows up. This guide is what we have learned, with sources for the parts that are fact rather than habit.
Heating a campervan in winter
There are three common ways vans get heated in the UK.
- Diesel night heaters take fuel from the vehicle tank, burn it in a sealed unit and blow warm air into the van. The exhaust goes outside. They are popular in self builds because they run for hours on little fuel and do not need hook-up.
- Gas heaters are common in factory motorhomes, often combined with a water heater. They are also sealed units with an external flue.
- Electric heaters work well on hook-up. Off grid, they are far too hungry for a typical leisure battery, so treat them as hook-up only.
Whatever you use, fit it properly with a sealed exhaust or flue, keep the vents clear, get it serviced, and fit a carbon monoxide alarm. Camping club backed safety campaigns recommend a CO alarm in every caravan and motorhome and warn never to bring a barbecue inside, even once you have finished cooking. Never use an unflued gas camping heater or a cooker to heat the van while you sleep.
A carbon monoxide alarm is cheap and you will not smell CO. Test yours before every winter trip.
Insulation does a lot of the heater's work for it. If your van feels like it loses heat as fast as you make it, read our guide to campervan insulation, and look at thermal screens for the windscreen and cab windows, which is where much of the heat goes.
Condensation and damp
Condensation is the problem nobody warns you about. Two people breathing, cooking and drying coats in a small, cold metal box puts a lot of water into the air, and it lands on the coldest surfaces: windows, metal ribs, the back of cupboards.
What helps, in rough order of importance:
- Ventilate even when it is cold. Keep a roof vent or window cracked open a little. Warm, dry air is easier to heat than warm, wet air.
- Use the heater properly. Diesel and gas heaters produce dry heat. Keeping the van evenly warm stops surfaces getting cold enough for water to settle.
- Put a lid on pans and use the extractor or open a window when cooking.
- Dry wet gear outside the living space where you can: the cab, an awning, a campsite drying room.
- Wipe the windows each morning with a cloth or a small window vacuum.
- Air the bedding on dry days and lift the mattress now and then. Damp gathers underneath.
Some people use moisture traps or a small dehumidifier on hook-up. They help, but ventilation does most of the work.
Stopping water freezing
Water expands when it freezes, and that is what splits pipes, pumps and filters. Where your tanks and pipes are matters more than anything.
- Tanks inside the heated space are much less likely to freeze. If you are building, this is worth designing in.
- Underslung tanks and exposed pipes are vulnerable. Tank heaters and lagging help. Otherwise, plan to drain them when frost is forecast and you are not using the van.
- Grey water tanks freeze too. Leaving the drain valve open with a bucket underneath stops a frozen tank. Check site rules on where grey water can go; our water and waste guide covers this.
- Drain down when the van is parked up. Empty the fresh tank, open taps, drain the water heater following its manual and leave taps open. Many water heaters have a frost valve that dumps the water automatically when cold; know where yours is.
- Carry a water carrier inside the van as a backup for drinking and cooking if the main system is off.
Batteries in the cold
Cold affects batteries in two ways: how much you can get out of them, and whether you can safely charge them.
Lithium (LiFePO4). Lithium iron phosphate batteries are now the common choice in self builds. Victron Energy, a big supplier of van electrics, states that +5 °C is the minimum temperature for charging its Smart Lithium batteries and that charging lithium iron phosphate cells below 5 °C can damage them permanently, even if they appear to charge normally. Its software blocks charging below that temperature by default. Other brands set their own limits, often around 0 °C, and some have built in heaters. Read your own battery's datasheet.
In practice, the easiest fix is to keep the battery inside the heated part of the van rather than under the floor or in an outside locker. A battery that sits at the same temperature as you do is rarely a problem.
Lead acid and AGM. These accept charge in the cold but deliver less usable capacity as they get colder. Keep them charged, because a flat lead acid battery can freeze more easily than a full one.
Less sun, more demand. Winter is also when solar is weakest and you use the most power: longer evenings with lights on, a heater fan running all night, more phone and laptop charging indoors. Expect solar to cover much less than in summer and rely more on your DC-DC charger while driving or on hook-up. Our solar and battery calculator lets you try a winter day, and the DC-DC charger guide explains charging from the engine.
Roam's Build your electrics planner sizes the battery, solar and DC-DC charger for your own devices, and it is in the app now.
Gas in winter
If you cook or heat with LPG, the gas type matters in a British winter. Butane boils at around -1 °C, so as bottles get cold it struggles to turn into gas, and a nearly empty bottle in an outside locker can stop working on a frosty morning. Propane boils at around -42 °C and keeps working in much colder weather. Many people switch to propane for winter trips. Butane and propane can need different regulators or adaptors depending on your system, so check yours, and have any change done by someone qualified. Gas lockers must stay ventilated whatever the weather.
Winter driving and parking
- Check tyres, screen wash and wiper blades before the season starts.
- Carry a shovel, a scraper and de-icer, gloves and a warm layer in the cab.
- Avoid soft grass pitches after heavy rain. Ask the campsite for hard standing.
- Park facing away from the wind if you can, and keep roof vents clear of snow.
- Many campsites close for winter. Check the opening dates before you go.
A short winter kit list
- Working carbon monoxide and smoke alarms
- Thermal screens for the windscreen and cab
- Duvet and blankets rated for the cold, and a hot water bottle
- Propane rather than butane for gas, if your system allows
- Microfibre cloths for the windows
- Spare water carrier kept inside
- Head torch, since winter evenings are long
The full list is in our campervan checklist.
Questions
Can you live in a campervan in the UK in winter?
Plenty of people do. It needs good insulation, a safe heater with a CO alarm, steady ventilation and a plan for water and power. Many campsites close in winter, so check which are open.
Can I charge a lithium battery below freezing?
Usually not. Victron sets +5 °C as the minimum charging temperature for its lithium batteries and blocks charging below that. Check your own battery's datasheet, and keep it in the heated space if you can.
How do I stop condensation in my van?
Ventilate a little all the time, keep the van evenly heated with a dry heater, cover pans when cooking and wipe the windows each morning.
Is it safe to sleep with a diesel heater on?
A correctly installed heater with a sealed exhaust outside the van is designed to run overnight. Have it fitted properly, keep the exhaust clear and always fit a carbon monoxide alarm.