Draft under bench seat

[GrumpyGranddad]

Sitting in my van yesterday afternoon on EHU and with a fan heater going, I noticed a distinct draft of cold air coming from underneath the bench seat. I’m working on the assumption that the rear stowage area was very very cold and radiating into the living area as it heated up. Just wondered though whether there a hidden vent in the rear of the Cali where cold air could be drawn in?
All doors and tailgate were closed.

 

[WelshGas]

Sitting in my van yesterday afternoon on EHU and with a fan heater going, I noticed a distinct draft of cold air coming from underneath the bench seat. I’m working on the assumption that the rear stowage area was very very cold and radiating into the living area as it heated up. Just wondered though whether there a hidden vent in the rear of the Cali where cold air could be drawn in?
All doors and tailgate were closed.

No vent, but you can get what feels like a draft from open kitchen cupboards because the interior is often colder than the cabin area.
Probably just the heated air from the heater, rising up and displacing the cold air in the boot downwards and forwards into the cabin area. Cold air being heavier than warm air. I would have thought it would lessen and then disappear as the vehicle warms up and the boot area gets warmed.

 

[B J G]

No insulation on the metal side under the fridge-sink area which would also add to the cold air being drawn into the warmer cabin area.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

No vent, but you can get what feels like a draft from open kitchen cupboards because the interior is often colder than the cabin area.
Probably just the heated air from the heater, rising up and displacing the cold air in the boot downwards and forwards into the cabin area. Cold air being heavier than warm air. I would have thought it would lessen and then disappear as the vehicle warms up and the boot area gets warmed.

Thanks WG, that was my thinking. It’s obviously been very cold here and the van has sat idle.

 

[westfalia]

I've been relaxing in the van - all toasty - and then opened up a
cupboard under the sink and the rush off cold air coming out of that
cupboard created Thunder, but that could've been me.

Surprised that the cupboards would have been that cold.
Don't leave any cadburys chocolate fingers in the drawer under the
bench when running the heating though. Still edible just not the same

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Do you have a other personcarrier car ?
put one one of the rear seatrest flat or open the skihatch in the middle ....what do you feel ?
I also have the suspision that underneeth the wooden floor there are ventilation/drainholes in the floor of the chassis .

Thanks. I reckon it was just cold air from the rear. Not sure about vent/drain holes but a possibility.

 

[California4x4]

Thanks. I reckon it was just cold air from the rear. Not sure about vent/drain holes but a possibility.

I think you’re correct. I’ve used my Ocean in minus 25 degrees. The diesel heater does keep up with the heat loss from the uninsulated vehicle but you do get a wind of moving hot and cold air. This is not obvious in an insulated campervan. I have been in below minus 40 in one of those and it was much less obvious. The Add Blue tank and the diesel tank froze though, so it only lasted so long.