Permanent vs. Aisle Bath in Roadtrek

[N147JK]

A shower/enclosed bath in a van-size vehicle is a rear space hog. Not to mention problems involving leaks, mildew, excessive water use, etc. Next time you see one, squint and notice how much interior volume that gigantic box is eating up. Better off to use public showers and keep the interior open, bright, and spacious, and save the limited onboard water supply for better things.

 

[Doneworking]

Obviously, it depends on personal preference and how the B is used. There are a lot of variables. My wife and I can't think of better use in our 210P than our wet bath. We custom ordered it long ago and wanted a five foot refrig (later standard)option and the twin beds. In our 210 or a 190 twin beds allow for a very large storage space under the beds which is fully accessed from the rear doors and partially accessed from a door under the twin drawer bedside table between the two twin beds.

We still have this RT because for our purposes this works better than any floorplan we have seen over the years. Of course, it would not be the best solution for many folks that have different preferences, so, again, it is just personal preference of the user.

Since our RT has 23 gallons fresh plus 6 gallons hot and a 30 gallon gray tank, we have learned how to make it all work over the years. Many newer Bs seem to have smaller tanks which might change the equation.

 

[Davydd]

A shower/enclosed bath in a van-size vehicle is a rear space hog. Not to mention problems involving leaks, mildew, excessive water use, etc. Next time you see one, squint and notice how much interior volume that gigantic box is eating up. Better off to use public showers and keep the interior open, bright, and spacious, and save the limited onboard water supply for better things.

So how much interior volume does the toilet take up? A wet bath doesn't take up much more space but usually has a vanity sink, privacy with two or more people, storage for bathroom items and keeps that interior open, bright, spacious and doesn't inconvenient the other person. Aren't leaks, mildew, excessive water use, etc. pretty much the same with an aisle shower? Then you have a choice as some of us have mentioned we don't take showers in campground that have substandard showers.

 

[booster]

So how much interior volume does the toilet take up? A wet bath doesn't take up much more space but usually has a vanity sink, privacy with two or more people, storage for bathroom items and keeps that interior open, bright, spacious and doesn't inconvenient the other person. Aren't leaks, mildew, excessive water use, etc. pretty much the same with an aisle shower? Then you have a choice as some of us have mentioned we don't take showers in campground that have substandard showers.

Not going to get into the need or not for a shower in the van, but a wet bath takes quite a bit of space. I measured pretty much every unit we went into while we were trying to decide what we wanted and at the time the wet baths took about double the space/volume of an aisle shower. My impression since is that many/most of the wet baths have gotten larger and probably closer to 2.5 times the space of an aisle shower,

 

[Davydd]

I just analyzed the Winnebago offerings with the Sprinter 19' vs 24' models.

Revel 19' model wet bath - 31"W on aisle x 26"D - 806 inches
Era 24' model wet bath - 43"W on aisle x24"D - 1,032 sq. in.

The Revel takes up 17" aisle less than ERA
The Revel takes up 78% of the space of the ERA
The ERA is only 1.39 longer on the aisle than the Revel
The ERA is only 1.28 bigger than the Revel

They are both bigger than a non-shower dry bath (just toilet) but don't take up as much space as a dry bath and aisle shower combined at a minimum of 24" x48" - 1152 sq. in. and the Revel takes up 7" more of aisle space and the ERA takes up more of aisle 19" space as a dry bath with aisle shower. The aisle shower disrupts walking through the van which is more inconvenient for a partner. The toilet exposes the user on the aisle.

The 2.5 ft. longer aisle space is not going to happen with a wet bath over a dry bath nor takes up more space than a dry bath and aisle shower combined. Wet baths are way more convenient and with privacy when 2 or more van occupants, IMO.

 

[booster]

I just analyzed the Winnebago offerings with the Sprinter 19' vs 24' models.

Revel 19' model wet bath - 31"W on aisle x 26"D - 806 inches
Era 24' model wet bath - 43"W on aisle x24"D - 1,032 sq. in.

The Revel takes up 17" aisle less than ERA
The Revel takes up 78% of the space of the ERA
The ERA is only 1.39 longer on the aisle than the Revel
The ERA is only 1.28 bigger than the Revel

They are both bigger than a non-shower dry bath (just toilet) but don't take up as much space as a dry bath and aisle shower combined at a minimum of 24" x48" - 1152 sq. in. and the Revel takes up 7" more of aisle space and the ERA takes up more of aisle 19" space as a dry bath with aisle shower. The aisle shower disrupts walking through the van which is more inconvenient for a partner. The toilet exposes the user on the aisle.

The 2.5 ft. longer aisle space is not going to happen with a wet bath over a dry bath nor takes up more space than a dry bath and aisle shower combined. Wet baths are way more convenient and with privacy when 2 or more van occupants, IMO.

I have no idea what you are talking about. Take a look at the aisle shower in a 190 Roadtrek where the shower area takes NO extra space in the aisle like one at the end of an aisle normally does. The shower and toilet area become one when the door is open and the curtain surround if pulled out and the water comes out from a faucet in the toilet area.


The area used is only the area of the toilet footprint with a little clearance around it. When you are not using the shower you are back to a normal aisle, so having the shower takes no extra area compared to just a toilet that also doesn't need to have room for you legs and feet when using it because they are in the aisle and using no extra space.


With this kind of setup you don't have to sit on the toilet to take shower, either as the area is full height and width in the aisle.

 

[Sleeping Dog]

I made an assumption that the 190 is a nineteen footer, that maybe wrong.

The Lexor is on a Promaster 3500 and is 20'11" stem to stern. (to mix metaphors)

 

[Davydd]

Who makes an aisle shower now?

 

[booster]

Who makes an aisle shower now?

Maybe somebody, maybe nobody, but what does that have to do with your argument about relative size, utility, etc of them?

 

[Davydd]

If someone knows you would know I think. I rest my case. The vast majority of customers don't want or care for aisle showers. If they did they would make them. No major manufacturer sells them that I know of, including Roadtrek.

 

[booster]

If someone knows you would know I think. I rest my case. The vast majority of customers don't want or care for aisle showers. If they did they would make them. No major manufacturer sells them that I know of, including Roadtrek.

That may well be the case, but again, just how does this change the inaccuracy about size and aisle showers? Divert and confuse?


You don't see many, or maybe no, bunkbeds in standard production vans either, but does that make them a bad idea for those who want them, or change how much floorspace the save?

 

[Bud-ClassB]

Does a rear bath B have an aisle shower?

 

[booster]

Does a rear bath B have an aisle shower?

I think that is a very interesting question and probably why there is confusion because, depending on the configuration, it probably could be either by definition.


Some rear baths have walls in the rear so no rear exit and thus no aisle, but others do not have rear walls and would technically be on an aisle. My guess would be that very few people would exit in the rear, though, unless it was one of the very few models from quite a while ago that were rear only entrance with no side door behind the cab doors. Of course there are also rear baths that don't do the showering in the middle of the van so those certainly wouldn't be considered and aisle shower.

 

[Bud-ClassB]

I think that is a very interesting question and probably why there is confusion because, depending on the configuration, it probably could be either by definition.


Some rear baths have walls in the rear so no rear exit and thus no aisle, but others do not have rear walls and would technically be on an aisle. My guess would be that very few people would exit in the rear, though, unless it was one of the very few models from quite a while ago that were rear only entrance with no side door behind the cab doors. Of course there are also rear baths that don't do the showering in the middle of the van so those certainly wouldn't be considered and aisle shower.

Earlier booster, you cited some numbers comparing aisle and permanent that I agreed with, goods points were made.

I think that your analysis fits the Winnebago Travato 59K rear bath just like your Roadtrek 190. The space in the Travato is for toilet use And storage access. That storage access could have been access to whatever.

 

[booster]

Earlier booster, you cited some numbers comparing aisle and permanent that I agreed with, goods points were made.

I think that your analysis fits the Winnebago Travato 59K rear bath just like your Roadtrek 190. The space in the Travato is for toilet use And storage access. That storage access could have been access to whatever.

Yep, they are pretty similar in that way and you could get in an out the rear doors I think.


Probably one of the easiest ways to tell which is using the most space would be to look at how much aisle is each van as that is area that can't be used for storage, cooking, bathroom, etc.


In a Roadtrek 190 the aisle itself goes from the cockpit to the front of the rear couch in "daytime" configuration or to the front of the bed in night configuration. Our van has a permanent bed with a the aisle going into it a bit between our leg areas so a bit longer than a complete size bed.


With the couch setup the Travato would have about the same aisle length as the couch daytime setup when you go to the entrance to bathroom. You would lose a bit of storage the width of the aisle that is under and over the couch so a bit of loss, but certainly not as much as you would if you had a bathroom as big as the Travato along the side of the van. We do a bit better in the loss area as the aisle is a bit shorter, but not a whole lot.


So pretty similar, I think, in regard to use of space.

 

[VANAWYT]

I saw in an old brochure that Roadtrek offered the armoir as an option. Where did you get yours and what was the installation like?

My 2016 has cabinet and third sleeper options. Bed is in storage and never been used. (I’d like to sell it.) I love the cabinet—has tons of store/pantry space and two pull-out shelves. Hope you’re able to find one.

 

[LostInWoods]

No major manufacturer sells them that I know of, including Roadtrek.

I don't know about major manufacturer, but Embassy does have something like an aisle shower in the Dolphin SL model. The floor mat pulls out of the way to expose the drain pan in the aisle.