Getting ready for winter camping! (Late mid-November 2020)
I bought compact traction mats and traction chains. We were ready to hit the mountains.
I bought a “luggable loo” and a popup tent for emergencies. I’d been informed that a late night winter walk was not acceptable should the need arise. We were ready to camp
I bought a set of old Sprinter wheels off of Craigslist. $100 for wheels (a little beat up) with ok tires and TPMS sensors. I had Costco put on Blizzak LT245/75R16 Snow tires on the “new” rims and install the tires the day before we were supposed to take the van skiing for the first time. Rude awakening - the mag wheels (what my van came with) use shorter lug bolts than the regular wheels (what I now have my snow tires on). Huge scramble, and nearly $200 later I was able to get a set of appropriate bolts from MB, and Costco was able to get my new tires on the car. Looks pretty ghetto, I wish I’d bought some MB wheel centers - may still do so at some point.
At the last minute I threw together some window coverings and built a ski rack (almost literally last minute - started working after kids went to bed and finished up after midnight).
For the window coverings I just used leftover (form floor insulation) foil backed foam duct-taped together to make big enough pieces (also allows them to fold). I cut them to shape using paper templates, and “bound” the edges using gaffer tape (like duct-tape, but with a nicer matte cloth look) - I placed magnets under the tape for the big windows, and in tape flaps for the front windows. We also used magnetic clips to hang a blanket in front of the sliding door as I’d never insulated it (still haven’t gotten around to insulating the doors yet)
I built the ski rack under the passenger side of bed (top foot) utilizing unused space. Skis can be easily accessed from the rear passenger side barn door and are mostly out of the way. In the back the skis are held down with a bungee cord, the fronts are held down with a wood bar held in place with a buckle strap. Only drawback is snowy skis defrost dripping all over the provisions. We’ve gotten good at brushing off the snow, but there is always some.
The rack could squeeze in six pairs of skis, but I ended up having to extend it into the driver’s side once we were into the season because we needed to be able to carry seven pairs. Worked, but the driver’s side is not as convenient and the rack got more in the way of our storage. Next year we might need to carry up to eight pairs (kids are getting into ski racing).
That first night we camped for two nights in the RV spaces in B-Lot at Crystal Mountain. I was a little worried because we’d never tested the insulation and did not have a real heater installed - but we did have a space heater, and the van would be plugged in. Turns out even in sub freezing temperatures the insulation is great - or four bodies puts out a lot of heat! Either way the space heater was more than enough and we woke up at the ski resort.
Still using bedding solution v0.2
The sense of elation when I stepped outside in the morning and saw the early morning light on the mountains - and realized this was going to work - was pretty incredible. It was tight, but it worked. My wife and I were so stoked - the kids just complained about the lack of bathroom (“that’s not a toilet - it’s a bucket”) and the lousy internet.
After this first winter camping trip I think we only missed 3 or 4 weekends camping at Crystal. And that was because we were at different resorts. The main trick learned is that if you’re staying more than three nights throw a hotel stay in the middle - more than two nights gets cramped - and stinky.
- Traction Mats - these were frequently used later in the season - to help other cars
- Chains (these work great - but MAKE SURE TO TRY THEM ON BEFORE YOU NEED THEM. I might tell this story later)
- Luggable Loo - “It’s a bucket”
- Toilet Bags - Do NOT run out
- Windshield shade - I did not make the windshield cover
- Gaffer Tape
- Magnets
- Magnetic clips - bought to hold up insulating blanked, but great for everything. When you live in a metal box, magnets are your best friend!
- Pop-up toilet tent - This is not the one shown in the photos - that one ended up being a bit too transparent when lighted at night so we bought this as a replacement
Next time: I’d make the window coverings nicer. They were just made for the weekend, but six months later we still use them because they’re good enough. I’d also go straight to a nicer porta potty. I actually love the luggable loo, and the bags make it maintenance free, and it was only for emergencies. But the boys hated it, and it made camping in the van a negative experience for them.