*A lash van like this keeps a Calgary client warm on the bed for a full set, whether a chinook is blowing or the city is sitting at −25 °C.* # Mobile salon vans for Calgary ProVanWorks builds mobile salon vans at our shop in Langley, BC, and delivers them to lash artists, nail technicians and hair stylists in Calgary, Airdrie, Cochrane, Chestermere and Okotoks. Calgary weather can climb from deep cold to above freezing in one afternoon when a chinook arrives, so a Calgary salon van is built to hold a steady room temperature while the outside keeps changing. You can have the van built to your own specifications or start from one of our already designed systems. ## How do chinooks and cold snaps shape a Calgary salon van? Calgarians call the warm, dry westerly that spills over the Rockies a chinook. One can turn the snow on your client's street to slush by lunch, and a few days later Arctic air brings −25 °C back. Between chinooks, Calgary cold snaps go below −30 °C. ProVanWorks insulates the walls, roof and floor of a Calgary van much more thickly than the roughly 16 mm (5/8 inch) we use for the Lower Mainland. A small diesel, gas or electric heater under the seat sends heat through pipes in the floor and walls and through heat exchangers around the room, and a thermostat holds the setting you choose. When a chinook arch shows up over the mountains, you don't touch anything: the thermostat backs the heat off, then brings it up again when the cold returns. Warm floors matter most for a pedicure client with bare feet and for a lash client lying on the bed through a full set. The plumbing stays inside the heated part of the van, so hot water keeps reaching the sink and basin in a January cold snap. The waterproof floor wipes dry when melting chinook snow comes in on boots. Calgary summers are sunny and dry, and a closed van with a dryer or nail lamp running warms up fast on a July afternoon. The front fan in the cargo area also runs the air conditioning, on the same thermostat as the winter heat. ## Where do mobile salons work in Calgary? A mobile salon in Calgary covers a lot of ground. Out in Mahogany, Seton or Evanston, a salon van usually fits on the driveway or the wide street in front. Closer in, in Bridgeland or Mount Royal, you may have to hunt for a curb long enough for a cargo van. Downtown office workers, seniors' residences, new parents and bridal parties all book appointments where they are. West of the city, wedding venues in the foothills and in Canmore and Banff bring bridal hair, nails and lashes on location, often far from an outlet. Film and TV productions around Calgary need hair and makeup space on set. For a market or a festival where you stay at one site all day, a [mobile beauty salon trailer](/custom-work-trailers/beauty-salon-trailer/) is another way to go. When a snow route parking ban is on, vehicles can't stay on designated snow routes. Check with the City of Calgary about parking a van and setting up on the street before you book curbside appointments, and with each town for stops outside the city. ## What water and power setup suits a Calgary salon van? A ProVanWorks salon van carries its own water. A hair van has a shampoo bowl, a nail van has a pedicure basin, and most vans have a hand-wash sink, all with running hot water. The fresh water reservoir and the grey water tank in the utility area are sized for each build around the number of clients you see in a day. The auxiliary battery bank charges at Level 2 EV chargers through a J1772 inlet, or 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. For a long day at a mountain wedding or on a film set, a generator or a bigger battery bank keeps dryers and hot tools running. See the [mobile lash van](/mobile-salon-vans/lash-van/) page for a lash layout, or all [mobile salon vans](/mobile-salon-vans/) for hair and nails. ## What rules apply to a mobile salon in Calgary? Before you book clients, check with your local public health inspector about the rules for a mobile personal service business, and with the City of Calgary about business licences and parking. Ask the body that certifies your trade, if there is one, about your own licence. ## How does a salon van get from Langley to Calgary? Calgary is about 1,000 km from our Langley shop. The usual route takes the Coquihalla (Highway 5) to Kamloops, then the Trans-Canada (Highway 1) over Rogers Pass and through Golden and Banff. The Trans-Canada through the Fraser Canyon is the other way to Kamloops. Winter avalanche work can hold traffic at Rogers Pass for a few hours, so a winter delivery allows extra time, and the van's water system is protected for the trip. ProVanWorks drives the van to you, ships it on a vehicle transport carrier, or you pick it up in Langley. Read more about [delivery across Canada](/delivery-across-canada/), and see the [Alberta salon van](/mobile-salon-vans/alberta/) page for the rest of the province. ## Frequently asked questions ### Do I need to change the heat in a Calgary salon van when a chinook blows in? No. Set the thermostat once, and the ProVanWorks heating system holds the room at that temperature as the outside air swings. That keeps a pedicure or lash client comfortable on a +8 °C afternoon and through the cold that usually follows. ### Can a Calgary salon van work a wedding in the mountains? Yes. A ProVanWorks salon van carries its own hot water and battery power, so you can do bridal hair, nails or lashes at a venue with no outlet nearby. Add a generator or a bigger battery bank if you run several dryers through a long day.