One of our favorite trips is a long weekend at the Coast here in Oregon. Somehow, no matter how many times we go, it’s never enough. This one was extra fantastic because we had HEAT for the first time. I had the Webasto Air Top 2000 installed by Van Specialties in Tualatin and can’t say enough good things about it. We had it going for the better part of our 3 day/2 night adventure and it sipped so little gas, it barely registered on the gauge. Though it sounds like an airplane getting ready to take off when it first starts up, we ran it through the night at around 64 degrees and couldn’t even hear it up in the poptop bed. The Smart Temp 2.0 thermostat was worth the upgrade. Really simple to use, highly programmable, it kept the temperature even and constant. Though we lucked out with some sun on the first and third days, the second day was cold and rainy, so we just stayed in and read. It felt like a real luxury to be so nice and warm. The new Battle Borns kept the heater, fridge, lights, and phones going for three days and only discharged to 55%. It was satisfying to see all systems working as hoped with no issues. Even the Thule awning held up in the wind and rain, allowing us to cook meals outside despite the weather.
I had the Webasto installed just in front of the driver side wheel well. I’m building a platform over it to support the fridge. For now, it’s in open space and isn’t much bigger than your hand.
I’ve read about other folks worrying about the outdoor exhaust noise of some heaters but I think this model is quiet. I stood outside for a bit at night and had to get pretty close before the noise was obvious.
I’ve always loved camping but have never slept well. The heat and the Exped Megamat made all the difference. I actually slept for 8 hours both nights... that’s a record. The CCV canvas is completely dark, so we slept well past sunrise. And the insulated shades worked as hoped with all that glass. They kept the heat in and the cold out and provided good privacy at night, too. During the day, the tinted glass provides full privacy. We keep the windshield and front windows covered because they’re less tinted.
This is our temporary setup while I’m still building out the interior. We had tons of space by carrying all the “dirty stuff” out back on the cargo carrier. I got to thinking how the poptop adds a whole second floor bedroom where it would otherwise be taking up space down below, as in Sprinters, etc. I had some trepidation about cutting that great big hole in the roof but now can’t imagine the van without it. We push back the bedding and tilt up the floorboards and have a nice, bright eight feet of standing room all day.
One of the most underrated perks in a van is swivel seats. Because we have room for both to swivel, it creates a nice livingroom. That cold, rainy day, everybody was cozy and warm. Even the pup didn’t complain.
The beach was practically empty on the last day. And we were rewarded with a terrific sunset, one of my favorite parts of any Coast trip. In all, we sure enjoyed it and felt lucky to be in our tiny house on wheels. Sometimes it seems like working on the van is hard, expensive, and, by necessity, taking a long time to come to fruition. But now I have HEAT and can conquer the world. The rest will be icing on the cake.
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PhoTo
2008 GMC 3500 SMB
AWOL
Linear Mode
