A HUGE thank you to LMNT for sponsoring this video! Head to DrinkLMNT.com/APLUSK to get your free sample pack with any purchase. ☕ Want to support our adventures? Check out our A+K merch and eBooks! adventuresofaplusk.com/shop/ 📅 This video was filmed in late January 2025 🥾See ALL of our gear here: adventuresofaplusk.com/gear/
We are full time travelers too for almost 4 years! We have been watching you guys for a very long time & you definitely helped inspired us to hit the road with our 4 kids! No regrets! Thank You!!! We love how genuine you guys are! Our kids even watch you guys which is amazing because their attention spans are terrible 🤣 Be Safe
Thanks for the tip! We’ve filled up a few times now in New Mexico and Colorado that should have a winter mix that should prevent that. No issues so far on some really cold nights
Coldest ever in my van 17F. Discovered that flannel pillow cases are better, then they don’t feel like ice cubes when sleeping on them. I also hang my clothes over the dash vent while the van warms up in the morning. More pleasant to get dressed with warmed up clothes.
My GF got a temp medical job in Glenwood Springs Co. two years ago and we stayed through the winter. And we are Floridians with zero winter experience and the first thing we did was get snow tires and I’m very glad we did. Hope you guys have them! That winter was one of the most magical experiences of my lifetime. We lived on a golf course and in the winter all the elk came down off the mountains to live on the golf course! There were hundreds of them and they were wandering around all over the place - crossing the roads and all up in peoples’ yards…it was incredible.
That does sound magical! We have winter rated tires. I do wish they had the studs though. I’d feel more confident. But what we have has been working great!
Adam is a Jedi level fixer. I've watched him repair all kinds of items over the last few years. The 'tube is a good source of knowledge when it comes to "how do I go about doing this".
We loved this video…so fun watching you both sled! It looked like a fun fun fun time! Listening to how much fun you both were having made my heart melt! I wish you didn’t have the heater problem but now Adam has one more thing under his belt that he has learned. Way to go Adam!
Ahh I need more LMNT in my life!! So inspiring to watch you overcome challenges together guys. Congrats on graduating RUclips academy Adam! I laughed out loud at your cap toss. 😂
I always carry a very small electric portable heater knowing I can put it on my jackery. For my van , that small portable heater heats it up real quick. I often😮 run that small portable heater when it’s cold for the whole night to keep the temperatures up so the pipes don’t freeze and open the cabinets. It is really tiny like about 18 inches but it does the trick in a van and often faster than using the propane heater. In the morning, you should’ve turned on the heater in your Mercedes!
Thanks for sharing, awesome as always! Looking forward to your future adventures. And always leave your feet down while sledding. 😉🤣🤣 Miss your dances at the end. 😊
Poor you! No heat in the winter is not fun! But you guys have the best attitude and Adam is obviously quite handy! Another adventure to add to your collection! 😊
I grew up in NM and my parents took us to different places around the state more wkends than not when we were growing up. I love this video! I know these NM places. So pretty! Thank you for taking us along.
Always great that you take us along. Always great that you tell the whole story, good and bad. Thanks for all the work you put into producing your videos.
So fun to watch you again in the van. I never camped in the winter but where I live we get easily-30C this time of the year (or colder). Layers is always the thing when dressing for winter temperatures.
Hey, if you wanna experience those Finland type temperatures again feel free to come back to Minnesota this upcoming week. We're in for a frigid February, with weather forecasts hinting at double digits below zero for overnight lows. That would give your heater a true workout. ;)
Great video ! i follow you for a long time but never wrote a comment , always very busy ;) hehe if you buy the Bluetti D60L Alternator Charger 1 DC-DC Charger you can charge with 500 Watt ( or if you go full ECOFLOW setup you can charge with 800 Watts ! ) and for heating up my van in the morning i use a " Mr. Heater Portable Buddy Heater MH9BX " with a USB Fan on top of it the spread the heat in to my van works very well !! have great sunday , mark
We have a Renogy 40 amp DC to DC alternator charger. We wish we could upgrade it but I’m not sure if the cables that are installed could handle more. It would a lot of work to replace them. We’ve been getting by this long. Thanks for the tip!
we have 2 dogs and they are so warm on cold nights! but they aren't brave enough to walk on the gorge bridge! lol. another option for heat is a small space heater for emergencies- you'd have to park somewhere where you could plug in but it's cheaper than a hotel.
Wow! You’re back in the USA! Don’t get me wrong, I loved the Peru trip but excited to see you traveling this country again! Adam did so well on the disk!! I grew up with a wooden sled and the disk, too. Yahoo for heat!! Good job!!!
Good job fixing that furnace, Adam! Diesel and propane furnaces can be finicky appliances that suddenly stop working, and it's usually a big deal when they do! The propane furnace in our fifth wheel that we full-time in went out when we were in southern Utah last January, and it took a professional nearly an hour just to figure out what the problem was!
Diesel fuel from Texas isn't formulated for cold weather and will usually gel when used in freezing temperatures. Even if they changed to winter fuel recently due to cold weather, it's quite possible the tank you filled from, your van's tank, or the fuel line to the heater had "summer" fuel in it. So when ya'll take a winter trip to cold temps, add a diesel fuel additive like Hot Shot's Secret Diesel Winter Anti-Gel to your tank every time you fill.
Ya I ran the tank down to below a quarter before I filled up again in northern New Mexico where I figured they’d have a winter mix. I’ve heard mixed things on the anti gel additives. The heater issue wasn’t a fuel issue. There was build up in the air intake so the glow plug couldn’t start the heater without oxygen coming in. Thankfully it was an easy fix! Thanks for the suggestion and thanks for watching!
Great video as usual! What was your temp fix and issue? We have a Mr Heater buddy as a backup. Also, we have electric heaters for when we are at hookups and should the main furnace fail.
Make sure the fuel line from your van tank to the heater is well insulated. That is where the diesel fuel is most likely to freeze/gel. If the fuel in the line gets too cold it won't pump properly, causing your fuel error code.
Thanks for the tip. This issue was caused by the air intake next to the glow plug being clogged. We’ve filled up several times now in these states that should have a winter mix. No issues since thankfully! Thanks for watching
Y'all are too funny. I live here in NM. Last time I tent camped in Taos, next to the gorge, it was 13 degrees. No, I didn't have a heater and dog refused to get under the sleeping bag. LOL
We had the same thing happen to us up at Grand Canyon National Park while doing winter vanlife. Our Webasto heater stopped working and threw an error code. It was definitely not rated for that hight of an altitude. Luckily we found a great repair guy in Flagstaff the next day and he serviced our heater. There was a lot of carbon buildup. It works great now. We were going to do some cross country skiing in Taos around the same time you guys were there but were worried there wouldn't be enough snow. Congratulations on troubleshooting the heater! Also I might have to get some of that boxed pho broth you're using!
That’s great you found a repair man that quickly! We started to look for one but luckily fixed it ourselves for now Ya Taos didn’t have much snow but I think a few days later they got a really good amount That broth and the Oceans Halo are really good!
Diesel mechanic for 30 years - do not add 911 if you do not need it as it is very hard on the seals for your fuel system and can cause injection pump failure if used too often. LP tank and catalytic heater are a good backup to Espar heater, but do require some ventilation of the van to work.
Good to know! Thanks for sharing that! I never considered putting any anti gelling additive in. I ran the tank below a quarter tank then filled up in northern New Mexico where I figured they’d have a winter mix that would help with that. The heater issue wasn’t a fuel issue. Thanks for sharing that info. I try to take care of our engine as best I can and any bits of info like that are very helpful
So what did you fix exactly? The filter, the fuel line, the exhaust...? I know my diesel tractor needs a new fuel filter every year because diesel fuel is so "dirty" with contaminates like living organisms. It's why expensive diesel engines have fuel "polishers."
After a few cold experiences, we now always keep a small & cheap electric space heater in our RV, just in case the system isn't working but we do have some electricity. Also, if you have contact lenses, keep 'em in your pocket! ❄
"I was told once that the best way to regenerate body heat is to crawl naked into a sleeping bag with somebody else who's already naked." -Fox Mulder :)
A HUGE thank you to LMNT for sponsoring this video! Head to DrinkLMNT.com/APLUSK to get your free sample pack with any purchase.
☕ Want to support our adventures? Check out our A+K merch and eBooks! adventuresofaplusk.com/shop/
📅 This video was filmed in late January 2025
🥾See ALL of our gear here: adventuresofaplusk.com/gear/
We are full time travelers too for almost 4 years! We have been watching you guys for a very long time & you definitely helped inspired us to hit the road with our 4 kids! No regrets! Thank You!!! We love how genuine you guys are! Our kids even watch you guys which is amazing because their attention spans are terrible 🤣 Be Safe
Husband is a truck driver, you need to add 911 to your tank & run your engine to get it in the system to prevent your diesel from gelling.
Thanks for the tip! We’ve filled up a few times now in New Mexico and Colorado that should have a winter mix that should prevent that. No issues so far on some really cold nights
Coldest ever in my van 17F. Discovered that flannel pillow cases are better, then they don’t feel like ice cubes when sleeping on them. I also hang my clothes over the dash vent while the van warms up in the morning. More pleasant to get dressed with warmed up clothes.
Oh ya those are good tips! I sleep with one of those cooling pillows haha thankfully one side is not cooling
Good thing you’re a handy guy Adam! Love your positive attitudes when faced with adversity.
It was a tad stressful but thankfully an easy fix and we remained calm. Thanks and thanks for watching!
My GF got a temp medical job in Glenwood Springs Co. two years ago and we stayed through the winter. And we are Floridians with zero winter experience and the first thing we did was get snow tires and I’m very glad we did. Hope you guys have them! That winter was one of the most magical experiences of my lifetime. We lived on a golf course and in the winter all the elk came down off the mountains to live on the golf course! There were hundreds of them and they were wandering around all over the place - crossing the roads and all up in peoples’ yards…it was incredible.
That does sound magical! We have winter rated tires. I do wish they had the studs though. I’d feel more confident. But what we have has been working great!
You guys sledding, are true southern souls. You’re fear sledding 😆😂 but you did it!
Adam is a Jedi level fixer. I've watched him repair all kinds of items over the last few years. The 'tube is a good source of knowledge when it comes to "how do I go about doing this".
😂 haha thanks! Thankfully the fixes over the years haven’t been anything major and are doable on my beginner fixer level! And I hope that continues! 🤞
You should visit Blackwater Falls State Park in Davis, WV. The sled run there is the longest sled run east of the Mississippi!
Was there years ago for the"Blackwater 100" off road moto race. The race is no longer but I'm still here remembering.
Wv resident here too! I’ve only been up there once but I loved it
We’ve been! Been not in the winter. Sounds awesome
Kona appreciation comment, she's just the cutest!!
Loved the Peru series, but really excited to see you guys back in the van!! You guys got this!
We loved this video…so fun watching you both sled! It looked like a fun fun fun time! Listening to how much fun you both were having made my heart melt! I wish you didn’t have the heater problem but now Adam has one more thing under his belt that he has learned. Way to go Adam!
Sledding was so much fun! Luckily it was an easy fix!
Ahh I need more LMNT in my life!! So inspiring to watch you overcome challenges together guys. Congrats on graduating RUclips academy Adam! I laughed out loud at your cap toss. 😂
😂 👨🎓 🎉 thanks yall!
I always carry a very small electric portable heater knowing I can put it on my jackery. For my van , that small portable heater heats it up real quick. I often😮 run that small portable heater when it’s cold for the whole night to keep the temperatures up so the pipes don’t freeze and open the cabinets. It is really tiny like about 18 inches but it does the trick in a van and often faster than using the propane heater. In the morning, you should’ve turned on the heater in your Mercedes!
Thanks for sharing, awesome as always! Looking forward to your future adventures. And always leave your feet down while sledding. 😉🤣🤣 Miss your dances at the end. 😊
Poor you! No heat in the winter is not fun! But you guys have the best attitude and Adam is obviously quite handy! Another adventure to add to your collection! 😊
It was a tad scary! But we managed and luckily it wasn’t a difficult fix!
I grew up in NM and my parents took us to different places around the state more wkends than not when we were growing up. I love this video! I know these NM places. So pretty! Thank you for taking us along.
This just what I need to see. We live in STX and winter vanlife is something we want to try. Well mainly the snow part of vanlife.
We’ve really enjoyed it!
Always great that you take us along. Always great that you tell the whole story, good and bad. Thanks for all the work you put into producing your videos.
Thank you and thanks for watching!
So fun to watch you again in the van. I never camped in the winter but where I live we get easily-30C this time of the year (or colder).
Layers is always the thing when dressing for winter temperatures.
You need to get you a Mr heater, Buddy heater it's a good backup propane heater that can be used inside
I agree, this has saved us with main furnace failures or just low batteries.
Thanks for the tip!
Bingo! Clark Griswold has nothing over on Adam with the round sled. Stay safe & warm on the road.
😂 thank you!
Adam, you are truly a resourceful guy. So glad to see both of you out in the snow again. Looking forward to next episodes. 😊🪒
Hey, if you wanna experience those Finland type temperatures again feel free to come back to Minnesota this upcoming week. We're in for a frigid February, with weather forecasts hinting at double digits below zero for overnight lows. That would give your heater a true workout. ;)
Haha you got that right! We’re going to be in the single digits tonight! Wish us a luck!
Great video ! i follow you for a long time but never wrote a comment , always very busy ;) hehe if you buy the Bluetti D60L Alternator Charger 1 DC-DC Charger you can charge with 500 Watt ( or if you go full ECOFLOW setup you can charge with 800 Watts ! ) and for heating up my van in the morning i use a " Mr. Heater Portable Buddy Heater MH9BX " with a USB Fan on top of it the spread the heat in to my van works very well !! have great sunday , mark
We have a Renogy 40 amp DC to DC alternator charger. We wish we could upgrade it but I’m not sure if the cables that are installed could handle more. It would a lot of work to replace them. We’ve been getting by this long. Thanks for the tip!
@ i see on the internet renogy is also 500watt so no need to upgrade to bluetti dc to dc , i think you have to drive more miles ;)
we have 2 dogs and they are so warm on cold nights! but they aren't brave enough to walk on the gorge bridge! lol. another option for heat is a small space heater for emergencies- you'd have to park somewhere where you could plug in but it's cheaper than a hotel.
Haha Kona can be brave sometimes! If it’s a grated bridge it’s a no go!
That’s a good idea. Thanks!
We did that area in October chasing fall foliage.....before the real cold and snow. Happy Trails 🐕
Yay Adam Mr. Fixit. Good job
Wow! You’re back in the USA! Don’t get me wrong, I loved the Peru trip but excited to see you traveling this country again! Adam did so well on the disk!! I grew up with a wooden sled and the disk, too. Yahoo for heat!! Good job!!!
Love the Winter Van Roadtrip
Please write a cookbook!
Happy to see Brisket back! I’ve missed vanlife!
Good job fixing that furnace, Adam! Diesel and propane furnaces can be finicky appliances that suddenly stop working, and it's usually a big deal when they do! The propane furnace in our fifth wheel that we full-time in went out when we were in southern Utah last January, and it took a professional nearly an hour just to figure out what the problem was!
Ya I am constantly worried about things going wrong with the van. Trying to get better about managing that worry! Thankfully this one was an easy one!
We stayed at that Bass Pro Shop parking lot in mid September. Great views!
Spots like that are gold! Big shout out to Bass Pro Shop for letting people stay there. There aren’t a ton of options in the winter
Love you guys keep going
Diesel fuel from Texas isn't formulated for cold weather and will usually gel when used in freezing temperatures. Even if they changed to winter fuel recently due to cold weather, it's quite possible the tank you filled from, your van's tank, or the fuel line to the heater had "summer" fuel in it. So when ya'll take a winter trip to cold temps, add a diesel fuel additive like Hot Shot's Secret Diesel Winter Anti-Gel to your tank every time you fill.
Ya I ran the tank down to below a quarter before I filled up again in northern New Mexico where I figured they’d have a winter mix. I’ve heard mixed things on the anti gel additives. The heater issue wasn’t a fuel issue. There was build up in the air intake so the glow plug couldn’t start the heater without oxygen coming in. Thankfully it was an easy fix! Thanks for the suggestion and thanks for watching!
Great video as usual!
What was your temp fix and issue?
We have a Mr Heater buddy as a backup. Also, we have electric heaters for when we are at hookups and should the main furnace fail.
The air intake next to the glow plug was clogged. Cleaned that out with a pick and we were back in business!
That’s a good idea. Thanks!
I’m glad I’m not the only one that refers to my dog as a space heater 🤣
😂😂
Make sure the fuel line from your van tank to the heater is well insulated. That is where the diesel fuel is most likely to freeze/gel. If the fuel in the line gets too cold it won't pump properly, causing your fuel error code.
Thanks for the tip. This issue was caused by the air intake next to the glow plug being clogged. We’ve filled up several times now in these states that should have a winter mix. No issues since thankfully! Thanks for watching
Nice video! You need to run those heaters on high to burn off the carbon. 😁
That’s what we’ve read now. Thanks for the tip and for watching!
We ordered LMNT thru your site and I tried a packet of grapefruit in my coffee snd loved it! Chicolate too. Thank you for the opportunity.
+1, just waiting for my 1st package ;)
We’ve never thought to try grapefruit in the coffee! We’ll have to give that a try
Thank you for ordering. That means a lot to us
Thank you, Eugene!
Fun to join you back on. the road! Adam is "Mr Fix It!"
Good on you! "random guy's RUclips tutorial"... LOVE THAT! hahaha. Let the winter trek continue~~
Haha so thankful for people posting helpful stuff on RUclips!
Oh the fun of winter camping. LOL
Yup! Haha
Y'all are too funny. I live here in NM. Last time I tent camped in Taos, next to the gorge, it was 13 degrees. No, I didn't have a heater and dog refused to get under the sleeping bag. LOL
Oof! That’s a cold one!
We had the same thing happen to us up at Grand Canyon National Park while doing winter vanlife. Our Webasto heater stopped working and threw an error code. It was definitely not rated for that hight of an altitude. Luckily we found a great repair guy in Flagstaff the next day and he serviced our heater. There was a lot of carbon buildup. It works great now. We were going to do some cross country skiing in Taos around the same time you guys were there but were worried there wouldn't be enough snow. Congratulations on troubleshooting the heater! Also I might have to get some of that boxed pho broth you're using!
That’s great you found a repair man that quickly! We started to look for one but luckily fixed it ourselves for now
Ya Taos didn’t have much snow but I think a few days later they got a really good amount
That broth and the Oceans Halo are really good!
As I have heard could have been a 3 dog night. glade you had 1 for heat.
Diesel mechanic for 30 years - do not add 911 if you do not need it as it is very hard on the seals for your fuel system and can cause injection pump failure if used too often. LP tank and catalytic heater are a good backup to Espar heater, but do require some ventilation of the van to work.
Good to know! Thanks for sharing that! I never considered putting any anti gelling additive in. I ran the tank below a quarter tank then filled up in northern New Mexico where I figured they’d have a winter mix that would help with that. The heater issue wasn’t a fuel issue. Thanks for sharing that info. I try to take care of our engine as best I can and any bits of info like that are very helpful
You probably don’t want to switch to snow tires but I hope you have good threads on your tires
No we can’t do that. Thankfully these tires still have good tread. No issues so far 🤞
Well, I do declare. Everything going backwards these least few years, now we got snowbirds heading north for the winter.😊
😂
Proper sled send 🫡
Have you been to the Florida Keys in the winter?
Not to the Keys, no. But we did do the Everglades and other spots in south Florida in the winter a few years ago
So what did you fix exactly? The filter, the fuel line, the exhaust...? I know my diesel tractor needs a new fuel filter every year because diesel fuel is so "dirty" with contaminates like living organisms. It's why expensive diesel engines have fuel "polishers."
After a few cold experiences, we now always keep a small & cheap electric space heater in our RV, just in case the system isn't working but we do have some electricity. Also, if you have contact lenses, keep 'em in your pocket! ❄
Ya those are really good ideas!
I saw a video where they used bubble wrap to insulate windows, maybe something to look into...
Interesting technique. Our window covers are pretty good quality so not sure if that would be better on not. Thanks for the tip and for watching!
"I was told once that the best way to regenerate body heat is to crawl naked into a sleeping bag with somebody else who's already naked." -Fox Mulder :)
Hey you two....
Have you cleaned out the build up of SOOT in your heater?
JIMMY AND NATALIE YOU TUBERS had about the same issues....
my check it out!!
I haven’t done anything about that but I have heard of doing that. I’ll look into it! Thanks!
Can you share the random RUclips guy tutorial for the heater repair?
Wow, you guys are so brave to tackle winter van life! I can’t believe you were able to fix the heater yourself-RUclips University for the win! 🚐❄
Where is the dog?
Never mind, I saw him.
This one was cringy. Way to over dramatic over very normal snow/cold.
👍🏼