Outside shower

[MagicBox]

Hi

I wanted to re-post about the DIY outside shower because it’s so useful in the summer and easy/cheap to make mostly with basic hardware store supplies. The suction cups I got off Amazon. I used some cut up bicycle inner tube to attach the suction cups to the PVC pole. I think the soap dish we got at target and it came came with a little suction cup but I removed it and put one of the bigger Amazon suction cups on it . The only tool you will need is a hacksaw, and you will need some PVC glue.
This idea has been on the Internet for a while, I have added a showerhead holder.
Showers in our RT 190 are a little cramped and messy. With an outside shower you aren’t filling up your gray tank.
They work best at campsites where you have a little privacy. We’ve enjoyed some spectacular views set up along a creek or in a prairie.

Hope this helps somebody.

[MsNomer]

Great idea. I have one comment—looks like the greatest hassle is the curtain hooks, and they are unnecessary. One attachment point in each corner is all you need. I envision a nubbin of some sort that you can just slip a grommet over. I also see that structure as an outdoor drying rack.

[MagicBox]

We found shower curtain hooks that have a spring tensioned clip so they stay attached to the curtain pretty well.
The curtain itself is made of quick drying material but we do try to let it air dry a little before putting it away.

And I know everyone is tired of hearing about my Trasharoo spare tire backpack but it’s a great place to put wet or dirty gear.

[Urlauber]

Very nice solution!

I am thinking of using the opened back doors as sides, plus some stick or pvc pipe across, and a $1 Tablecloth or such to close it off. We have the bathroom in the back so I can use the existing shower head.

I also bought a 5 gallon solar shower baggie to play around with. Saves some propane I guess. Maybe put it on the rear roof in the morning and come back to a hot shower.

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by Urlauber

Very nice solution!

I am thinking of using the opened back doors as sides, plus some stick or pvc pipe across, and a $1 Tablecloth or such to close it off. We have the bathroom in the back so I can use the existing shower head.

I also bought a 5 gallon solar shower baggie to play around with. Saves some propane I guess. Maybe put it on the rear roof in the morning and come back to a hot shower.

If you have a Sprinter this could be an option. https://www.go-hangout.com/

[Urlauber]

Looks nice, but ouch, that price. I guess it's almost like an extra room though.

I'll DIY something along these lines.

https://www.vanlifeoutfitters.com/st...ivacy-curtain/

[Davydd]

I access my back doors frequently because that is where a lot of storage is I need to access when stopped for outdoor camping and activities. What does one do with a resultant wet surface on the ground at the back doors? Do you just move?

[mkguitar]

good points


I'd looked at something like that



sometimes insects keep us from leaving doors open on the van
( we do have screen kits for rear & side opening )



my take is this:


I use campground showers


and when in the boonies I use the outside shower..."boonies" means there is no one within sight
and if there were I could shower in swim trunks
Spouse grew up swimming and surfing and can somehow manage to completely change outfits under a towel or behind car door- contortionist


we are really really trying to reduce the amount of stuff we carry



mike

[Urlauber]

Good to have options. My wife will prolly prefer the campground shower, teen the inside one, and I'll jump around half-neckid under the outdoor option.

We don't open the back doors much since there is just a view of the toilet and side of the storage cabinet... just depends on your particular config.

[avanti]

In all the years we've had outdoor shower fixtures, we have literally never used them. I am leaving it off this time.

Many different patterns of usage...

[Davydd]

We left it off too. I will cede it may be useful for cleaning a dog's paws (we have no dog) or cleaning the soles of shoes. We built an adequate inside shower. Whether you shower outside our inside you use the same amount of water I imagine. Inside it does double duty cleaning your bathroom and I believe wiping down an inside bathroom is easier than putting up and taking down a damp shower curtain and putting it away.

[GallenH]

Just wondering. Some campgrounds don’t allow grey water dumping on sites or even wooded areas around them. Has anyone had an issue with showers?

[GeorgeRa]

Indeed, different patterns. Since eighties we often use outdoor shower as a convenient source of instant hot or cold water. For bathing campgrounds showers are roomy and not water limited.

[MsNomer]

Originally Posted by GallenH

Just wondering. Some campgrounds don’t allow grey water dumping on sites or even wooded areas around them. Has anyone had an issue with showers?

We shower into a bus pan from Sam's ($13 for 2). Where permissible, we just dump. Where not, we pour into a 2-gal bucket and dump in the toilet.

We showered outside several years before I built my temporary enclosure. Side was better than rear, but still a royal PITR.

[Urlauber]

Originally Posted by GallenH

Just wondering. Some campgrounds don’t allow grey water dumping on sites or even wooded areas around them. Has anyone had an issue with showers?

I would say first, follow local rules, and second, use common sense. Don't bother others, don't run around neckid, create excessive run-off, etc.
I would not take an outdoor shower in the middle of a crowded campground, while at a dispersed site in the desert at night, with nobody around for 85 miles, it's a pleasure.

One could argue that grey water is a bit of a grey area. I would not dump my dirty dish-wash water anywhere, but at the same time, washing hands or rinsing off your feet outside without using excessive soap and cleaners shouldn't be an issue. Outdoor shower is somewhat in between.

Some campgrounds may appreciate the additional plant irrigation?

I know folks who water their lawns with the runoff from their washing machine. Not sure if legal, but the lawns look fine.

[avanti]

Dumping gray water on the ground is illegal almost everywhere (there are exceptions, though). That is not a "gray area". What IS gray is whether taking an outdoor shower counts as "dumping".

The reason for the rules has to do with the need to disperse anything that attracts animals, which screws up their population concentrations. That is why it is OK for a tent camper to dump the evening's wash water but it is not ok to dump 20 gallons of graywater from an RV.

I would think that a single shower is more like the tent camper than the RV dumper.

Dunno.

[Urlauber]

Originally Posted by avanti

I would think that a single shower is more like the tent camper than the RV dumper.

I think we're saying the same, just using different words. Did not mean to imply it would be ok to dump the gray water anywhere, just that taking an outdoor shower may be prohibited in some places and not in others => gray area.

[rvsprinterguy]

We use our outdoor shower fixture during dishwashing. I've upgraded the hose and added a lead-free spray nozzle with a quick connect. I find it very handy to fill our wash and rinse basins and give a quick spray to anything needing it while washing and rinsing.

And I'm careful where I dump the basins to comply with the rules and not make a mess.

[rtbill]

Originally Posted by GallenH

Just wondering. Some campgrounds don’t allow grey water dumping on sites or even wooded areas around them. Has anyone had an issue with showers?

We camped in Glacier once with friends who had a popup trailer. They had a homemade outdoor shower like this. A park ranger almost had a stroke when she saw it. Followed by a conniption fit, reinforced by her badge. Soap fragrances and grizzly bears, you know.