I’m a van lifer… I use £15 DIY hack to stay warm on winter nights – I’m toasty even when it’s below freezing
A VAN lifer has shared her £15 DIY hack to stay warm on cold winter nights.
Kim, from Florida, has outfitted her minivan into a camper so she can live life on four wheels.
But even though Florida is usually warm, sometimes she stays in other places and it can get cold in winter.
Kim claims that the handy method keeps her toasty even if temperatures outside plunge to below freezing.
The savvy motorhome owner told viewers in a recent YouTube video: “I don’t have an external heater in my van which makes cold weather camping quite uncomfortable when sleeping.
“This easy DIY project will cost you about $17 to make. Mine kept me toasty in 35 degree weather.”
Kim says that she tested her idea up in North Carolina and “could not believe how well it worked”.
She said the first step is to buy a “laundry basket” and she got one for cheap from Walmart.
“You need to turn it over and use it as a tent for your head, make sure it has holes all around so you won’t be smothered.
Next, she used a cheap hand saw to cut her laundry basket in half.
She added: “Find the side where there are no holes and saw down the middle through to the bottom.
“Do the same thing with the other side. Where there are no holes, just saw straight down the middle.
“When you get to the bottom, the basket will be loose, so you need to cut at the top to create a full opening.”
From here on, Kim explains that the method is simple.
All you have to do is place your pillow at the base inside your DIY basket.
Lastly get a blanket with enough length to “drape over the basket” and put that down.
You can then just simply slide underneath into the enclosed space but will have ventilation.
Kim said: “I woke up at 3am in the morning and I was as toasty as I could be!
“The temperature was a lot warmer inside my blanket tent than outside.
“For me it was a success and a great solution!”
It goes without saying the handy hack can save you hundreds by not putting on your heating or using electrical devices.
Kim says that when you are not using the basket in winter or cold climates, you can just turn it upside down and store the pillows and blanket inside.
Viewers were quick to take to the comments section to weigh in with their opinions.
One wrote: “I went camping all last summer and sometimes struggled breathing the cold air.
“This hack will be perfect next summer. It could also help me save on the electricity bill in winter. Bonus if you have a cat that likes to paw your face in the morning, that would be a perfect shield!”
Another said: “Well that works! Who hasn’t pulled the covers over our head and then made an opening for air to circulate?”
“Very clever! Who knows when this will come in handy. Thanks for sharing,” said a third.
Meanwhile another commented: “Our electricity was out a few days,this is something that I will be able to do to keep warm.”
The tour comes after a fellow van-lifer revealed how he saves enough money to travel by working just six days a month while living on the road.
Meanwhile, a traveler revealed how he transforms his work van into a fully kitted-out camper with a £20 Ikea find.