Preparing for winter

Last night, I went for my daily run at about midnight.  It had been a nice day with sun and 67 degrees, but it had now taken a deeper dip than was forecasted.  The weather man said that it would remain above 40 degrees at night for at least another week or two, but the gauge at my house said 36 degrees and I could clearly see my breath.

So, I panicked a little and threw a couple of heaters in the box truck since it is not winterized at this point.  The inside of the aluminum box was freaking cold and had me worried....laser gauge showed 42 degrees at the pump.

Today, I decided to get some work done protecting the cargo box, but not winterizing just yet.  Just a few simple modifications that will make it easier to heat and keep heat inside.  Actually, it turned out pretty good.

Step One:  Reducing the compartment size

I purchase some 1.5 inch thick insulation panels and installed them above the compartments.  This reduced the compartment from 8 feet tall to only 5 feet.  It is only an R-5 rating, but compared to zero, it should help keep the heat from rising too fast.

Obviously, these panels will have to be removed when the machine is operating since they aren't the best for flame resistance, but there is room to just slide them down over the rear storage compartments.





Step Two:  Seal off the roll-up doors

This cargo box uses roll-up doors that might as well be an open window with the gaps along the rollers.  So, I decided to install panels inside the doors as well.  These are just set inside with 2 hold-down clips so I can remove them once at the job in a few seconds and set them in the spare compartment in the back.

Again, it is just R-5 panels, but it basically changes the compartments from being wide open to a small insulated box of 4x4x5 which should be easy to heat.  This will also solve one of my issues when driving to the job as this will eliminate all those door leaks.



Step Three:  Adding a portable heater

I have always used oil-filled radiator heaters in my van, but I wanted something that I could direct more towards the key areas that are most at risk to freezing temperatures.

I wandered through various stores and decided on a Stanley heater.  This thing is a 1500 watt ceramic heater with a pivoting head and it has a very solid feel to it.  Simple controls with thermostat and output selector as well as the standard safety features.  I think I am going to like this thing.



Next up will be installing an auxiliary heater like ACE and AC suggested.  When I dropped off my van's fender at the body shop, the owner came out to look at my box truck.  He made the same suggestion of installing a heater off of the truck's cooling system, but I told him that I didn't think running a coolant hose outside the truck was a good idea.

He rolled his eyes and told me that he wasn't talking about a rubber hose....he was talking about metal pipes.  All I would need to do is run metal piping back to the box and install a 12v auxiliary heater for when I am driving down the road.

I think between an aux heater and the insulation panels installed inside the roll-up doors, this truck just might work out after-all.  I would have to duct the heat to the key compartments, but that shouldn't be a deal breaker.  I might have to go back and install the Little Giant on a pedestal to get it off the floor as well, but everything else is isolated from the floor which is the coldest part of the truck.

Kind of a positive day after-all.

Wow, I wouldn't last a whole week down there in the winter if it involves that much work

Somebody has to live there. Glad it's not me.

Other than the snowy Christmas time....it pretty much sucks.

How they ever did back in the frontier day I will never know. I think I would have moved to the coast after the first winter.

After-all, most species died out in the ice age, not the warm front. There is a lesson in their somewhere.

So far, the insulation panels are working perfectly.

It is 38 degrees outside right now and I have a oil-filled radiator heater in the compartment with the LG heater set at 50 degrees. When I checked the temperature gauge, it was 60 degrees in that compartment.

The TNT bay is twice the size and has a small ceramic heater in there....it was set 55 degrees, but has yet to kick on and the temperature remains near 50 degrees without the heater running.

That is about a 20 degree difference from the outside temperature without either heater kicking on yet....and may not tonight. I think I need to re-insulate my van as well with these panels.

I know you are concerned about the propane deal. But on the nights that its really cold you could leave the pilot lite on in the LG just that would protect your coils. Think about it the LG is a big tank less hot water heater that heats up on demand so turn the control to pilot its like a candle under the coils. I have a 50 gal propane water heater here for 20 yrs with no problems.

That is an excellent point ACE, I will consider that.

I just got home from some tactical training and checked the truck again since I couldn't hear the heaters running from outside the box. It is already 36 degrees outside and 52 inside the box with no heater running yet.

I really am shocked by this.....maybe this double-walled aluminum box makes a good insulation after-all? Once the gaps in the doors were sealed off, it really seems to hold heat pretty well.