[CamperVantastic]

These comments are offered based on our personal experiences and therefore they are provided in good faith, we trust that you use this advice in the spirit it is intended, we cannot take responsibility for any impact that may arise from following this advice, unless of course it’s all good!

Space can be a real issue when packing winter gear, bulky clothing not to mention skis, snowboards and boots all need their place. We have used a variety of equipment and sleeping options that we hope will give you some inspiration to make your winter trip a success.

Bike racks can offer extra capacity if you attach a storage bag, available from Fiamma and Brandrup. Roof bars give you another option to add a roof box or ski/snowboard carriers but remember you can only load up to 50kg on the roof and still raise it.

Sleeping: It is warmer in the lower part of the campervan so here is a tip if you have small children. Put the campervan in first gear and chock the wheels and you can then drop the handbrake put the front seats facing together to make a bed for a four year old. You can also get a hammock across the front cab for older children (get in touch if this is of interest). The roof bed can be cold at night in winter and we use the Brandrup front screens and Iso Top roof liner (the Iso Top deflects the heat away from the top air vents and also acts as a wind breaker). Other options include the "Muntz Hood" and thermal external screens which all need to be fitted and then removed after closing the roof, the advantage of the Iso Top is that it can be left fitted when lowering the roof. The lower bed area is really toasty – the heating system is amazing and we have used it in temps around -18C, it can be left on through the night and without hook-up, you can get few nights or more if you're careful with the energy and turn off the fridge etc to conserve power. Igniting the heater is a problem when power is low so turning the on engine also charges and can give the batteries a boost, check your heating in advance and charge your batteries using the hook up as the journey alone may not be enough!

The Brandrup internal front Cab screens and rear window screens are good quality and useful all available from VW. Purser Screens in Littlehampton also make a silver screen for the roof. An external cover for the windscreen is also handy as it saves having to scrap off the ice/snow, point your wipers out as well so they don’t stick.

If you are living in the campervan you can leave the fresh water in the tank as long as you maintain heating below 0. However it is better to drain the water tank when leaving the campervan uninhabited for short periods, you also need to drain the waste tank and the residue of water from the sink tap, otherwise the tap can freeze off!

If wild camping a porta pottie can be very handy, but you can check in advance what facilities are available at the services or stopovers, we sell All the Aires in France, Spain and Portugal.

There are also campsites in Europe that have en-suite shower/toilet facilities and heated ski lockers!

We didn’t do have any problem using the gas cooker and it all worked fine, the gas can freeze below 0C, the water tank in a California protects the gas bottle however you could consider insulating it.

Check out Praz-sur-Arly near Chamonix, there is a car park at the foot of the slopes and if you need more comfort a campsite walking distance away. Buy All the Aires in France from our website, it lists 1600 stop overs including a good number in Ski resorts!



OTHER BITS

Think about hiring your ski gear here in the UK we found it very expensive In France and we are using Finches Ski and Snow Board Centre in Forest Hill, if you are local then drop in and tell them we sent you!


Also don’t forget Snow chains and practice putting them on before you leave. The alloy wheels and tyre sizes on a California can make getting the right fit sometimes difficult (17" wheels and above), get in touch if you need a supplier or advice; we’ve also some for hire if you need them as well as other gear on our rental - optional extras page.



Subject to when you travel there is also low temperature diesel available in the Alps which might be preferable in sub zero temperatures.

Happy Camping