In December of 2007, we drove 8,000 kilometres, from one end of Canada to the other. We were leaving our home-land, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and moving across Canada to Prince Edward Island. It took 28 days to get there, and we slept in our car every night along the way–in temperatures as low as -18 degrees celcius.
Where were we going? We weren’t really sure. We knew we wanted to move somewhere we’d never been. So we just sold our condo, packed everything we owned, and started driving. We had a vague idea that we wanted to move to the east coast of Canada–maybe PEI–but beyond that, we weren’t sure.
This is part one of our story.
Cameron and I have been together for over ten years, and the biggest party we’ve ever had thrown in our honour was our going-away party.
It was a splendid affair, and it was just like a good wedding–except for the jeans and all. Look, here we are, cutting the cake.
By the time of the party, our car and trailer was already packed with all our worldly goods, and we’d built a bed in the back of our 1982 diesel Toyota Landcruiser.
Our plan was to sleep in our car during every leg of our trip, no matter how cold it got. To prepare, we bought serious sleeping bags and threw in three more quilts for good measure. Realists that we are, we knew we would need a back-up warmth plan so that we didn’t get too cold and end up turning to hotel rooms.
We debated all the options. We knew it wouldn’t be safe or feasible to leave the car running all night. (Besides, have you ever felt the heat coming out of a 1982 Landcruiser’s little heating vent: “Um, is this thing even on”?) We knew we had to do something, but we weren’t quite sure what.
Somewhere during our brain-storming sessions Cameron read about a crazy Icelander who had attached an old fuel-powered boat heater to his car’s fuel lines, and then piped the warmth into his car. Cameron, being the crazy yet ingenious Canadian that he is, thought that he might be able to do the same. And so he did.
Heading to our trusty friend eBay, we bought a used “Webasto” boat heater that ran on diesel fuel.
Upon the heater’s arrival, Cameron attached the heater to the car’s diesel fuel lines, ensured that the exhaust was piped outside, and, after a few fits and starts, got the Webasto boat heater to pipe magnificently hot air directly into our car. And the best part was we could turn the car off and leave the heater on all night. (I know, he’s a genius. It’s reason #276 why I love him.)
So, once the bed was built, the heater was installed, and the trailer was packed, we were ready to start our journey. We were excited to begin our adventure, but also a little apprehensive; it was December, and the majority of Canada was covered in snow. Would we get lost in the prairires in a blizzard? Would we get stuck in the snow on some little travelled highway? Only time would tell.
Nonetheless, we dipped our fingers into the Pacific Ocean for one last time.
And we began our journey, starting from Mile “0″ in Victoria, British Columbia.
The journey continues in part two!
[...] month in the middle of winter–for 28 nights, in fact! I wrote a long photo/blog entry about it at my website. We used the Webasto heater, and it worked SPECTACULARLY. It was crazy. The winds were whistling [...]
We’ve had a number of emails about our heater installation!
A couple of important notes about safety:
1. Exhaust from such a heater can kill you. So be extremely aware about where your exhaust is coming out. Remember, you cannot smell or see carbon monoxide, so you have to take precautions.
2. We bought an RV/motorhome carbon-monoxide detector. Cam spliced it so that it we could plug it in to the cigarette plug. We never slept in the car without the carbon monoxide detector plugged in.
Your story says you made the trip in December of 2008. Given that it’s only November 2008 right now, shouldn’t that be corrected?
@ Kat – Yes! Correction made. Thank you for pointing that out!!!
It is amazing how peoples lives cross paths. We live in Maine and we are preparing for our journey/new lives in Washington State. We will land very close to the area you left and visa versa. I wish you well PEI has always been a place i wanted to visit but never did. Good luck with your new home. I found this blog from hearth.com. One thing I will miss dearly is burning wood…
awesome post! im actually considering trading in my current vehicle for a fuel efficient car with spacious room for sleep. i want to drive all across the us just for the hell of it. your post was very helpful and very fun to read.
Thank you for your post. I am taking a small trip from and do not wish to pay to hotels. I am going to sleep in my small corella toyota. Also I have no air conditioning. Looking for ways to keep the car cool as I drive South n the hottest time of the year..
I have driven across in fall and summer. Now we are doing it again as of November 1st. This time with a baby (10 months) . People think we are crazy, but we love the adventure of it all… We hope our son will also be an adventurous soul. I guess we are sometimes double guessing ourselves with some peoples negetive comments, but we know we can do it!
I hope your trip was awesome and you will think of doing it again for the love of life.
You just don’t realize how much is out there until you leave your confort barrier. That’s the scariest part leaving the confort and the unknown awaits.
Anonymous: this may be too late, but if you google your request, you will get a lot of great ideas about living in your car.
One important thing is to darken your back side windows as much as you are allowed. – for security as well as reduction of sun heating up your car. Then get those stick on dark blinds for the other windows, and one for the back middle window where the sun comes in and reflects on your mirror and blinds you.
Also get those sun screens for the front windows – everyone uses them and you don’t look like you are sleeping in your car.
Which is illegal in some States and Provinces.
Wash up at truck stops – nice air conditioned or heated places where truck drivers go to shower for $5. This is also a safe place to sleep overnight as well. Google Truck Stops across Canada or the States.
There is also a little solar fan that you can get for your car – goes in the rear windows and solar makes a fan turn. Never used it as I live in Alberta and we only get two weeks of summer heat – ever!
Shop at Grocery Stores – don’t eat fast food. Go to a movie once in awhile if it is really hot. hang out at the beach.
Google your needs man! It is all there.
Have fun!
[...] recently shared part one of our cross-Canada adventure. You’re now reading part [...]
[...] trip story starts the Whimfield blog. Laura Jane opens the manifest by detailing her migration in Driving Across Canada: How To Sleep in Your Car In The Depths Of Winter with her boyfriend Cameron in a jeep like automobile. The couple slept in their vehicle and rigged [...]
Works fantastic to warm up our bathroom. Still working after a year. It is rather loud on high speed, on low speed its ok, but if you place it on high then get in the shower you wont hear it over the water running.
I live in Iceland and I own a motorhome fiat ducato 1991 model,whit gas heater but I wuld like to buy Webasto heater:)
I envy you both on your giant leap of faith and going through with such an adventure. I wish my husband and I had been so brave when we were first married.
Now 20+ years later we are feeling the need for an adventure much like the one you embarked on and are teetering back and forth on leaving our one and only home or taking that leap and creating a completely different way of life for ourselves and children. I’m leaning towards the adventure…and what an adventure it would be with 4 kids in tow!