Mobile salon vans in British Columbia

How does BC's climate change what a salon van needs?

The coast is wet and mild. Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and southern Vancouver Island see more rain than snow, with a few days of Arctic outflow cold most winters. For Lower Mainland vans we use about 16 mm (5/8 inch) of insulation in the walls, roof and floor.

The Southern Interior is drier, with colder winters and hot summers: in the Okanagan and around Kamloops, cold snaps drop well below −10 °C and July heat makes A/C a daily need. Northern BC, around Prince George and Fort St. John, has long winters with deep cold, and vans going there get custom, much thicker insulation.

Every ProVanWorks salon van has a small diesel, gas or electric heater under the seat that runs with the engine off, in-floor and in-wall heat, heat exchangers and a thermostat. The front fan in the cargo area also runs the air conditioning.

Which BC cities have their own salon van page?

Each city page covers local weather, where salons work and the drive from Langley:

• Vancouver: condo towers, film sets and curbside parking.
• Surrey: townhouse complexes, acreages and White Rock by the bay.
• Burnaby: tower clusters and snowy Burnaby Mountain.
• Richmond: a flat, windy island reached by bridge or tunnel.
• Langley: the home of our shop, with visits by appointment.
• Abbotsford: Fraser Valley outflow winds and farm routes.
• Victoria: mild, wet winters and a BC Ferries crossing.
• Kelowna: Okanagan cold snaps, hot summers and winery weddings.

Where do mobile salons work across BC?

In Metro Vancouver, many clients live in condos and townhouses, and film and TV productions across the Lower Mainland need hair and makeup on location. In the Fraser Valley and on the Island, acreages and farms are a long way from the nearest salon.

Weddings bring steady summer work: wineries in the Okanagan and the Fraser Valley, mountain venues along the Sea to Sky, and gardens and waterfronts on the Island. Ski towns such as Whistler, Revelstoke and Fernie fill up with visitors in winter. Seniors' residences in every region book hair and nail appointments, and small towns in the Interior and the North have clients who travel a long way for a salon.

Check with the city or district where you plan to work about parking before booking regular stops.

What water and power setup suits a BC salon van?

A ProVanWorks salon van can have a shampoo bowl, a pedicure basin and a hand-wash sink, each with running hot water from a fresh water reservoir in the utility area, draining to a grey water tank under the floor that is the same size as or larger than the reservoir. Tanks are sized per build. Grey water goes to an approved disposal point or the sanitary sewer, never a storm drain.

The auxiliary battery bank charges at Level 2 EV chargers through a J1772 inlet, and from shore power through the 50 A inlet (30 A also available) or the 20 A, 120 V inlet. Solar panels and a generator are add-ons. A Vancouver van can live on chargers and shore power, an Okanagan van running A/C all afternoon needs more battery, and a van for remote towns or rural weddings often gets a generator. See the hair, nail and lash van pages for each layout.

What rules apply to a mobile salon in BC?

In BC, check with the regional health authority where you work about personal service rules. For the cities on these pages, that means Fraser Health (Surrey, Langley, Abbotsford and Burnaby), Vancouver Coastal Health (Vancouver and Richmond), Island Health (Victoria) and Interior Health (Kelowna). Elsewhere, check with your local health authority. Check with your municipality about business licences and parking, and with your licensing body if your service needs a licence.

How do salon vans get from Langley to the rest of BC?

Highway 1 runs east from Langley through the Fraser Valley to Hope. From there, the Coquihalla (Highway 5) climbs to Merritt and Kamloops, and the Okanagan Connector (Highway 97C) branches off to Kelowna. Highway 97 runs north from Cache Creek through the Cariboo to Prince George, and the Yellowhead (Highway 16) crosses the north. Vans for Vancouver Island cross on BC Ferries, from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay for Victoria. BC's winter tire and chain rules apply on many highways from October 1, and DriveBC posts road conditions.

ProVanWorks drives the van to you, ships it on a vehicle transport carrier, or you pick it up at the Langley shop, which you can visit by appointment. See delivery across Canada for how delivery is quoted.

Can I have a BC salon van built my way?

Yes. ProVanWorks builds to your own specifications, or you can pick one of our already designed systems and change what you need. The mobile salon vans page shows the hair, nail, lash and massage layouts. For markets, fairs and events where you stay in one spot, a mobile beauty salon trailer is another option.

Frequently asked questions

Do you deliver salon vans to Northern BC?

Yes. ProVanWorks delivers across Canada, including Northern BC, and vans going north get much thicker insulation. Delivery is quoted per job.

Is a salon van for the Interior built differently from one for the coast?

The heating system is the same, but insulation thickness, battery size and add-ons change with the climate: about 16 mm of insulation on the coast, more inland and in the north.