A "Murphy" Shower?

[djkeev]

I am beginning to see that a folding shower, while entirely possible, probably is too complex to work seamlessly. It certainly wouldn't be "Plug and Play" by any means.

So I drifted to a "Pull Out" shower.

My thought is that the shower pan slides under the bed on a track. It has a flexible drain hise which follows it out.

You would need a circular ceiling mounted shower curtain.

It could slide onto the floor or out the back doors, though if you're doing that, just go shiwer outside.

A concept......
Shower stowed away under bed.......




Shower pulled out for use......



Dave

 

[djkeev]

I looked at Sameer's Van.

http://www.cheaprvliving.com/conversion-details/ingenious-van-conversion-simple-indoor-shower/

Clever ideas and he's in what is essentially my Van!

The shower is sit down, practical and cheap.

I think that I'd like to refine his concept a tad.

The battery powered pump is pretty cool though!

Thanks for the link.

Dave

 

[djkeev]

Good thing that I've got the luxury of time to plan! My plans keep morphing as the days slip by.

This is my latest to scale concept.
Use a residential 32"x32" shower pan and build upon it as I can. It will function as the bathroom with a removeable portable toilet.
Nothing folding, nothing sliding...... I am concerned that the centered drain drops right on top of the gas tank though!
I may need to locate an edge drain trough design, that way I can locate a waste tank in the empty cavity behind the driver and drop the drain into it.



Shower pan with edge "linear" drain......



Dave

 

[BradKW]

I've been deciding on my shower pan choice for months now and at one point I was looking at the one pictured above...my vehicle has a pronounced tilt forward and edge drain seemed good. Finally moved on from that design because of the low sides, which don't provide room for error if not parked "correctly"...

 

[Vagabound]

... Finally moved on from that design because of the low sides, which don't provide room for error if not parked "correctly"...

Exactly right.  My thinking as well.  I'm more inclined toward going with something like Sameer did.  His "pan" is actually more like a large plastic bin, maybe 18" high.  I'm still pondering how to make that do double or triple duty.  If I can figure that out, it would be A LOT easier to make, use, and contain water while showering, in my opinion.  Certainly as a seat.  Maybe as a toilet holder.  Probably not storage.  Only downside is that such a design might get in the way of another overall design goal -- I really want to minimize daily assembly / disassembly / relocation of all types of s _ _ t.  The opposite gets old really fast.

djkeev:  Forgot to mention ... like your modeling method.  Drawn outline of your van with movable (likely to scale) components.  I think I'll steal that, if you don't mind! ;-)

Vagabound

 

[djkeev]

Brad,
Yeah......very oldschool type design method.
This type of design is now done digitally by many/most people.

The furnishings are to scale, 1/2" = 1'

I used Post-it Notes as the furniture medium, they din't slide around as you rearrange other components.


Dave

 

[djkeev]

Call me "snooty" if you want to but I desire something a tad more "refined" than Sameer's shower pan. His is a great idea for sure, but with some effort and design tweaks it can be improved upon both functionally and visually.

I have been looking for "off the shelf" shower pans that would work in a RV.

A higher lip is indeed desireable.
I located this Tower Industries pan. They come in different sizes with the drain drop in four different spots!
This pan seems to be ideal BUT I've yet to locate a source to buy one or a price. I've contacted the company but thus far haven't recieved a reply.

They make a 32x32 inch pan as well as this 32x36 inch pan I'm drooling over right now.......

http://www.towersurfaces.com/32x36-universal-offset-drain/

http://www.towersurfaces.com/wp-con...andard-Shower-Base-Universal-Offset-Drain.pdf

Dave

 

[BradKW]

Did you happen to see a price on that? Closest I came was finding a "financing available" link. What I believe that is, is custom molded solid surface...think Corian heated up and vacuum formed, with matching wall panels available. Very pricey.

Something like this 27 x 27 Corner RV Shower Pan With Right Drain gives you some options as far as actually integrating water storage under the pan...but there's a fair amount of options in the $100 - $200 range.

[img=300x200]https://www.rvandvansurplus.com/eshop/products/surround-2727.jpg[/img]

A few random thoughts from months of going through options:

1) poor reviews seem to universally be the result of improper installations...if it cracked or leaked, it wasn't installed and supported properly.
2) In a home, proper support consists of "setting" the pan into wet mud (sand mix)...in a van, expanding foam is probably the best option.
3) Orientation of the "opening" is where there isn't a tile/wall flange, and that's eliminated my original plan for a neo-hex installed "backwards".
4) the flange is important if you're integrating fixed walls. Fixed walls need to be done right or you have the potential for a leak that is hidden until damage passes a threshold where it becomes obvious.
5) A hulahoop style curtain system has the advantage of not hiding or trapping water anywhere.
6) a custom fiberglass pan a lot more design and fabrication issues than I expected.

Since weight isn't really an issue for my build, I'm now toying with traditional liner + mud + tile ideas, but perhaps going epoxy instead of tile. Next thing on list to see if this is workable is finding out if sand mix can be modified or replaced with something that isn't going to breakup with mobile wear and movement...

 

[djkeev]

Brad, thanks for that link.

For me, running an 03 Dodge Ram Van B1500, weight is an issue as well as space.

The Dodge also needs to have a drain towards the outside wall because the fuel tank runs the inboard length of the left undercarriage. Any drain drops and grey water tanks need to be located on the left outside edge of the body. My grey water tank plan is a simple 8" scedule 40 PVC pipe as long as I can make it. Four feet and maybe five is totally doable I think.
I Need to look again, but I don't think that I can fit two parallel runs of 8" pipe in the space available.

8" pipe will hang down only slightly and it will hold 2.61 gallons per running foot. At four feet I've over 10 gallons of grey water storage. Water in an 8" pipe weighs 21.8 lbs per running foot of pipe, I may not want much more storage capability anyway. 

What to do with that grey water? Maybe I'm wrong but I don't view grey water as an environmental hazard, especially if you are conscientious about your soaps that are used.

Also, to risk getting beat up, I see nothing wrong with slowly dispensing it drip by drip as you travel down the highway, not unlike a vehicles A/C system dropping condensate. It would evaporate quickly and do far less harm than the millions of vehicle engines leaking oil onto the highway as they travel. 
Before departure in the morning, crack the drain valve a smidgen.......

Dave

 

[djkeev]

I've used expanding foam for a residential shower pan installation. It worked for awhile but the foam has "give" to it and an inability to spring back into shape.

I'd not do it again, I can feel a little flex in the pan as I shower, it's been 10 years but still.......

Dave

 

[Vagabound]

Brad,
Yeah......
...

Dave

He's Brad, I'm Vagabound, you're Dave. I think.  ;-)

Good tip about the sticky notes.  And about digital, despite having pretty good computer skills, Sketchup puts me into homicidal rages, looking for my GPS and overnight bag so I can take a road trip and find whoever designed and programmed it.  Grrrr.

Vagabound (who isn't Brad)

 

[djkeev]

Hey! I'm old enough to use paper, pencil and scissors, I'm old enough to mix up names..... Just ask my Grandchildren!

 

[djkeev]

Another thought that I Had but I'm not going to pursue it is a slide away shower.

With my plan of a permanent bed in the rear, simply have a shower that slides under the bed.
When you need to use it, pull it out and use a 360* shower curtain.

Here are some rough ideas, in the first photo the shower is shown on top of the bed but is actually under it.........



Here is the shower pulled out for use.....



The logistics are too complex to pursue, as mentioned previously I'm opting for a fixed shower base with a seating area built in, the space will double as a toilet room utilizing a porta potty type set up thus eliminating the Black water tank.

Dave

 

[Vagabound]

Another thought that I Had but I'm not going to pursue it is a slide away shower.

With my plan of a permanent bed in the rear, simply have a shower that slides under the bed. ...

Understand brainstorming.  When I first read that idea, my instant reaction was "Ah, but what about losing all that great storage space?!?"  Under-the-bed storage is classic and I don't think I'll give it up.

The logistics are too complex to pursue, as mentioned previously I'm opting for a fixed shower base with a seating area built in, the space will double as a toilet room utilizing a porta potty type set up thus eliminating the Black water tank.

 
Leaning in that same direction.  Just have to design it so that I don't have to play Erector Set* every morning when I wake up.  No patience or time for that.  

Dave

And just when I'd started to imagine this hip Slavic grandfather named Keev doing part-time gigs as a DJ .... ;-)


Vagabound

(*now that's a term to date a person)

 

[Cammalu]

For kicks on day I was surfing and looking at the overlander vehicles. I can't recall which one now but I'll try to find it. As you walk in the door you are walking through the shower but don't know it. Was a neat set up. Anyone happen to know which beast had that setup?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[coffeewitholiver]

Call me "snooty" if you want to but I desire something a tad more "refined" than Sameer's shower pan. His is a great idea for sure, but with some effort and design tweaks it can be improved upon both functionally and visually.

I have been looking for "off the shelf" shower pans that would work in a RV.

A higher lip is indeed desireable.
I located this Tower Industries pan. They come in different sizes with the drain drop in four different spots!
This pan seems to be ideal BUT I've yet to locate a source to buy one or a price. I've contacted the company but thus far haven't recieved a reply.

Maybe something like this? http://www.hayneedle.com/product/vigovg06019wht323232375wx32375dinsquareshowerpan.cfm  http://www.cngreengoods.com/shower-trays/shower-tray-082.html  http://www.cngreengoods.com/shower-trays/shower-tray-012.html  or maybe the best: http://www.cngreengoods.com/shower-trays/shower-tray-101.html

Dave

 

[djkeev]

coffeewitholiver,
Thanks for those links!

Scary but I went on facebook this morning and the hayneedle link popped up!

The European showers look interesting but are propably unobtainium in the States.

Went to your Truck build thread, quite a job you've done! You've in essence constructed a tiny house on the truck, great work!

Dave

 

[highdesertranger]

as y'all are building a Murphy shower don't forget about Murphy's law. highdesertranger

 

[BradKW]

You're forgetting Murphy's Corollary Law: Projects dedicated to Murphy are generally immune to the effect. They do, however, exhibit an unusual affinity for random quantum implosion...

 

[flying kurbmaster]

I think a small bucket 3/4 filled with cold water, a kettle of boiling water and one of my cooking pots and a facecloth is the answer for showering as a vandweller. I shower outside in a bathing suit.