Shower inside or no? That is the question

[dholt]

Working on my buildout and the sticking point is this - do we forgo closet/storage space and put in a toilet/shower space or do we use a porta-potty and have a pump shower out the back of the van? I'd love to hear the thoughts and opinions here. From what I'm seeing in my build, it would be about a 5-7k difference in price, which I can justify over the lifetime of the vehicle, but my wife and I are curious what the experience of others is?

Thanks in advance!

D

 

[wjeeper]

It all really depends. How long of trips are you planning? Where are the trips going to be, domestic or foreign?

For our purposes I chose against it. Just a few thoughts from my perspective:

• Shower/ toilet eat a lot of real estate. A porta-potty and pump shower out the back would easily take care of the week long trips for the wife and me. Longer trips aren't realistically happening with our career paths.
• Showers = water consumption + more water weight on the chassis. I got really good at taking full showers with a 1 gallon jug. It took some practice and short hair.
• RV showers are tiny. It was like showering in a coffin. I hated showering during the 7+ summers I lived in a motorhome.
• A damp towel alternating days with "fresh bath" travel wipes work pretty well and use very little water.
• Taking a side detour to swim/ cliff jump/ insert water sport really helps keeps the stench to a manageable level :elkgrin:
• And the biggest reason we chose against it: $$$$$$! $5-7 grand pays for an awful lot of adventures!

That said I have yet to do a long trip out of my van. (still in the planning/ slowly building phase) We came from a sleeping in a RTT on a Jeep set up, so a bare bones cargo van feels like the ritz. We had considered working in a shower pan into a trap door near the sink and using the sink squirter as a shower head........we may revisit that concept if the need arises.

 

[huskyhauler]

Sponge baths are highly underrated! If you do want a shower go with a pump shower out the back of the van. The only downside is you won't be able to use it in a campground unless you can find a way to contain the water.

 

[BajaSportsmobile]

Outdoor shower plumbed in and a shower/toilet tent for when others are around.

I've taken hot outdoor showers on the side of the van over looking death Valley in a 40 degree snow storm - amazing!

 

[dholt]

It seems that everyone has the same thought we did and the shower outside with a port-potty inside makes the most sense. There are so many options that it can get overwhelming at times, but I think we're on the right path. I greatly appreciate all the feedback!

I'll share the details of the build soon. Thank you!

 

[BajaSportsmobile]

One thing I have found, is that when I imagine interior design, the van seems so cavernous and an open canvas, but as soon as you start putting just a few components in the actual van, it becomes very small with limited space.

A truly well designed interior layout is a work of art. I would suggest learning from the masters. Look at what the best RV builders do and don't forget to look at the boat builders who really take the art to another level.

 

[luthj]

If you want/need an interior shower, don't bother with a permanent setup IMHO. A temporary hanging curtain can easily be installed. Then use a plastic tub or bucket to catch the water. When you are done, dump the water where convenient (or in the sink if you have one). Since most of these rigs have limited water reserves, you are not going to be taking a 10 gallon luxury shower (4 gallons is more than enough in my experience).

Adding plumbing to use an exterior shower is a great addition. Had this on both my vans, and its really great to shower off with warm water without getting the van dirty.

Using quick disconnects (drip-less are available) and compact marine mixers makes for a nice clean install. Here are some photos of the indoor and outdoor shower hookups on my current van.

DSC06579 by J Luth, on Flickr

DSC06489 by J Luth, on Flickr

With a cheap plate type heat exchanger you can get on-demand hot water any time your engine is warm (even hours after driving).

 

[Bbasso]

Potty inside and shower outside for me. I've taken plenty of showers during winter, with the eccotemp and Espar keeping things warm it's very doable.

 

[simple]

Shower outside, some type of potty inside. A shower outside can do a lot of other things like wash dishes, clean fish, rinse feet, fill wet suit with warm water etc. Most of the time on the road there is a campground somewhere with a better shower for 1 or 2 bucks in quarters and you can usually use it without paying for day use or overnight fees and best part is you don't have to clean the mess up in your tiny RV bath when you're done.

 

[Accrete]

In our regular body chevy with 24" fiberine top we went with a closet that has all we need to potty and shower inside. My wife actually came up with the idea and we had Van Specialties work it into the interior. Basically it is an area that is ~18" deep (from street side wall) x ~30" wide (to the rear of driver seat) and the height of the van to stock roof rail (~60" ?).

Here is an outside view:

Now again, I must stress... this is basically all my girly-girl MacGirlver's idea. It is so basic and easy to use/maintain. I would have suggested it but, well, it is basically a hunter's dream of a solution to camp-bathroom and I really didn't think she would even take a second thought at the idea...but she came up with it too.

At night we have it in "potty" mode. We use WagBags (commercial and DIY).

and when we want a shower we set up the temporary shower pan and curtain:

For us this is a wonderful solution and has worked well over the last 5 seasons.

Whatever you two decide have fun and enjoy the adventure!

: ) Thom

 

[Hondaslayer]

Built in shower / toilet technically makes the van an RV... Might make a difference on your insurance rates. Something to consider.

 

[Accrete]

...Might make a difference on your insurance rates...

Yes in many cases : )
I asked our State Farm Agent many questions before the build began years ago.
One thing I did find out from him is that at least with SF in Oregon... I could drive a class A motorhome knowing it was a full blown RV, but making it my Daily Driver (which our Class B Van Conversion is) changes everything. For us we can not claim it as an RV since it is used for daily transportation to/from employment. Once we ditch the 9to5 it can be registered as-is by SF as an RV.

Thom

 

[Bbasso]

Or... You can pick up a $500 car register and insure that as your primary vehicle. Going back and forth to work and such and therefore your home-built-van-RV-Expo-rig will be a full-time RV, as long as you meet the requirement for equipment.