A Taste of Van Life in Finland
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- Опубліковано 8 січ 2025
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➡️ In today's video we leave Norway and continue our Van Life journey in Scandinavia, by crossing into Finland to get a taste of what this country has to offer !
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#vanlife
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If you are planing winter camping then there is a few things like you said that you will need to check/address:
* Propper winter tyres certified with the alpine top symbol if there unstudded, best option is to rent tires in either Finland, Sweden or Norway. They will store your summer or M+S tyres until you check in your rented tyres.
* Diesel heater that heat your engine coolant, here you have many to choose from but don't go for the cheapest from china
* Check coolant so it's mixed for -50 C
* Check so your glow plugs work, if you have temperature below -15 C you can use your glow plugs the car 2-3 times with a break of about 5 seconds between them instead of only once and it will help you start the engine
* Check that your starter battery is in tip top condition, cold temperatures will lower the energy stored
* Fill up with diesel in Finland, Sweden or Norway as they sell special winter diesel that don't gel up in colder than -15 C
* If you are using lithium batteries they are a bit special in temperatures below 0 C. If the battery is colder than 0 C and it doesn't have a working low temperature shut off function you will destroy your battery if you attempt to charge it. Best option is to use lithium batteries with built in heating function, you can also make a DIY fix with 12V heating pad and a thermostat but then you will not have any warranty if it fails.
* Make sure all water tanks including gray water tank is either located in a heated area that never will go below 0 C or fit insulation around them and fit 12V heating pads with thermostat (don't forget any pipes with standing water in them).
* Carry a good snow shovel in the car and 2x plastic recovery boards as they will save your day IF you get the van stuck in remote areas, cheap insurance to get out of a bad situation
* Prep all rubber seals around your doors with antifreeze compound so you can open the doors
* A couple good ice scrapers, a snowbrush with long handle and a windscreen cover for the outside
* Check if your battery capacity and car generator will be able to keep your electric system going as you will get no energy from solar in the darker winter months and you will use more energy than in summertime (less and less energy from solar the farther north you go).
Thank you for all the tips, especially regarding the tyres that would be interesting !
Finland has good vibes. I know what you mean. The energy is unique and different.
Loved it, we'll be back 😊
The reindeer is not wild but domesticated or in some cases semi wild and they all have an owner determined by the markings in their ears.
Yeah I think they were all owned just roaming the forest
Canadian caribou is the same animal but those are wild and hunted.
You can buy petrol operating engine pre-heater. It is called Webasto.
Thank you will check it out ! 😊
@@TravelTalesVlogs It is very popular. Although most people here have electric operating pre-heater, as everyone needs a heater and parking spaces here often have electrics source for this purpose.
Loved your drone footage of Finland, especially the tracking sequences. They perform a ceremony in Rovaniemi when you cross the Arctic Circle - drink a bowl of reindeer milk, then some is poured down your back! Had it done to me in winter, and I can tell you it’s cold and uncomfortable.
Thanks so much Terence ❤️ That ceremony sounds fun 🤣
Thx for the nice video. We life full time in rv at Finland. Not Lapland but Central Ostrobothnia.
Glad you liked it ❤️ Can't wait to come back 😊
This looks beautiful 😊
Such a unique country 🇫🇮 🙂
Gee what an amazingly beautiful place! So lucky guys x
Thank you ❤️
Hey C2H!
*I wish the UK roads were as straight & empty!! Blimey ...... soooooo quiet! (Except for reindeer obvs) & quite funny how Charlene got closest to the total number in Finland & immediately said; "You owe me money baby" haha .... just like my Wife!
Anyway, glad you both enjoyed your short stay, even though some of the park-ups weren't exactly glamorous!!
Hope you're having fun wherever you are now?! Drive safe, stay safe & look out for each other. N1S Kev x
Thanks so much Kev, Finland is like that, it's like it's just you and the reindeer. Yeah sure that bet was invalid !! 😄
The beauty of Finland is in its nature and wild places, not downtown Rovaniemi. Parking lots are the same everywhere..
Definitely !
If you don´t have a heater in your watertank, proper insulation of floor, walls and cieling/roof and connection to heat your engine I do not recommend a wintertour in the north with a motorhome.
(I live in Vuollerim...)
Exactly our thoughts !
Finnland is lovely isn't it. I think you should defenitely come back one day and show us more of the country. It reminds me very much of Sweeden, what is your opinion?
Yeah it was really unique, similar to Sweden but up there it's just so remote. We hardly saw any people 😊 perfect for camping !
Was sorry to see you leaving Norway but Finland is impressive. Great vlog!
Thanks Bernardette we loved it too ❤️
About starting difficulties in cold temperatures. Have you used proper winter grade diesel? Normal ones have lowest storage temperature of -5 C and lowest usage temp -15 C. Anything below that will be a problem as diesel turns into semi solid slush that does not pump or go through the fuel filter.
Yeah most fuel stations in the Alps have the winter grade diesel over the winter. We also got an additive which works too
12:48 you are refering to Jonna Jinton i guess she is a great UA-camr. And if you drive down thrues sweden on your way down in europe You migth pass Grundtjärn where she lives. and it is a form of Heard Calling when calling for the Cows or whatever animals you have.
Yes it is! Sounds good - so far we only tested it on the reindeer 😊
Raindeeer eats the Whit moss on the Hardstone surfice It is called renlav in swedish and in English White lichen
Wow so interesting. It was really cool to see so many of them !!! 😊
Lichen is winter time food for reindeer or would be if they hadn't eaten it away. Instead they are fed stored hay and fodder(except most northern parts). Basically cow feed. In the summer and fall nature provides everything with abundance. In the summer anything green and soft(new growth)goes, in the fall mushrooms make most of the diet. They can even eat mushrooms which are toxic or inedible for humans. Like red hat fly agarics.
lichen is actually extremely different to moss. moss is just a plant but lichen is part mushroom part cyanobacteria iirc (and neither one are plants. actually more related to animals than plants)
Nice to see you again!
Enjoy 😊
You might be surprised to learn that Finland is not part of Scandinavia. It part of the Nordic countries.
You're right remember seeing that !
Scandinavia is a geographical thing, not political.
Some part of Finland is part of Scandinavia some not.
Scandinavian countries are also Nordic countries. Finland 🇫🇮 Norway 🇸🇯 Denmark 🇩🇰 Sweden 🇸🇪 and Iceland 🇮🇸 are Nordic countries and are members of the Nordic council.
@@cinderellaandstepsisters Yes, every thumb is a finger, but not every finger is a thumb.
Enjoy & stay safe !
Thank you Simon 😊
She's right, that "little hill" is the highest ski resort in Finland, with a vertical drop of 540m, not a "little hill". 😅😂
Yeah we could see where the slopes were, guess it's all white now 😊
Thank you for the video. Let me just correct you one thing. Finland is not in Scandinavia, but it's one of the Nordic countries.
Thank you yes I think there are some comments already discussing this 😊
Love your videos guys, you make everything interesting. Had you a lot of problems with mosquitoes in general in Scandinavia? We’ve heard so much about them that it’s putting us off going in summer. What do you think?
Thank you glad you enjoy the videos ❤️ I wouldn't say it's a deal breaker because it's an amazing place to visit. I think the worst for mosquitos was some of the lakes in Sweden but we also had the same problem in Scotland too so don't let it deter you
The fact that you didn't go to North Cape will ALWAYS be nagging at the back of your mind. We as your viewers and you as travelers KNOW that you will regret it for the rest of your life if you don't take the trip.
But be warned: The road to/from North Cape is BRUTALLY narrow and the parking lot on the North Cape plateau is full of RVs with missing/or smashed left mirrors. That happened to my RV too. I was as close to the guardrail facing the sea as possible but "Gunter from Germany" felt like he owned the road and there was an infernal bang when both his and my mirror disappeared. It was not possible to stop to look at the damage for either "Gunter" or me so we just continued in our separate directions since you are driving bumper-to-bumper in a convoy with campers both in front and behind.
I had to drive 2500km back to Oslo without a left-side mirror since it was impossible to find a repair shop on the road that had the part in stock. Anyone who has driven a motorhome knows that rear visibility is already poor, but try driving with only the right mirror. Anyway, I have now acquired a spare mirror that is always in the cargo area of the motorhome.
But the trip to North Cape was worth it and as I said: It is just a matter of time before you regret that you didn't go. But maybe you are trying to give yourself a reason for a new Norway trip ... ?
Indeed so much more to explore, we didn't want to just drive up for one night.. so for sure yeah we need to come again 🙂 sorry to hear about your misfortunes !
The road up to North Cape is not that narrow. But many mirrors are taken because there are a number of campers in the middle of the road.
Love your videos guys and hoping to cash in my pension and buy a motorhome next year. Which month were you travelling through Norway as the weather looks perfect.
Thanks so much Sean, glad you enjoy the vids. Sounds like a great idea, 2025 can't come soon enough for you then !! We were in Norway for about seven weeks in July & August.
Don't you have an electrical motor heater, plug is probably in the front.?
No only normal glow plugs and just now got a portable starter which might come in handy. But normally anything up to -5C we're good 😊 it's only when we had -10/15C that we had problems
@@TravelTalesVlogs You might want to install a heater, they cost about 500 euros with installation, but they save the motor from wear, and petrol consumption compared to cold starts. and are worthwhile to use from 10 degrees and colder
@@TravelTalesVlogs maybe you can get a Better Battery with Higher Amps to start better in the cold.
32:31 if it suits you it will be nice to eat :D
It definitely did the trick !
When were you there? And almost no mosquitoes???
End of summer. Yes mosquitos but surprisingly not too bad !
finland is not in scandinavia btw
Yeah you're right !
watch out for bears🙂
Thank you. We made it out alive 🙂
You really don't have to watch out for bears in Finland. Finnish brown bears don't come anywhere close to people. They are scared of you. It is very rare to even see one in the forests.
There is really nothing to be scared of in Finnish wilderness. Except cold weather in winter and mosquitoes in summer. 😅
Was disappointed to see you didn’t carry on to Nordkapp. Norway 🇳🇴 is so much more interesting than Finland 🇫🇮 Been to both and found Finlands landscape to be boring.
Yeah Norway was so impressive !! We will surely go back again and head to Nordkapp too. It was fun in Finland though too so remote and so many reindeer everywhere 😍
In Sweden there are even more Raindeers 😅
They're so cute 😊
Have you ever tried to make some pancakes out on a real fire.
Thats very common thing to do in Finland.
We call them "commando pancakes"... 😂.. You should try out.
Will do 😊
Really enjoyed this video, can't wait to see you again ❤ X X X
💋'S for Holly X X X
Thank you so much Susan ❤️