Alternative to very expensive trailer mount shower

[polarizing]

There is a company (I won't mention the name so as not to be accused of spamming, as I only joined just now) that makes trailer hitch mount portable bathrooms. However, they run an exorbitant amount of money, equal to the cost of a good quality older van.

I was wondering if there are any more economical alternatives to this that aren't just pop up solar shower tents. I'm very sensitive about body hygiene, and can't go a day without showering without feeling miserable and greasy. I don't want to build a shower inside a cramped van and worry about leakage and whatnot, so would love to get a portable contained wet bath, with tanks and hot water heater, that mounts onto the back of my van. Are there any companies that make this kind of stuff that have economical options? I'm thinking around the $5000 price point would be more reasonable, the one I found is at least twice that.

Thanks.

 

[user 423]

Daily showers will require hauling lots of heavy water. What kind of a van do you have?

 

[polarizing]

Not purchased yet, but I'm going with either a Ford E-150 or Ford E-250 van.

 

[gizmotron]

I don't want to build a shower inside a cramped van and worry about leakage and whatnot, ...I'm thinking around the $5000 price point would be more reasonable, the one I found is at least twice that.

If the craftsman that does the work knows what he or she is doing then it won't leak. The design matters too.
I'm in the middle of a van build right now. It has a full wet bath, shower with toilette, shower pan that drains externally, black water tank for the toilette. Pop up top so I can stand up in the shower and at the sink.  Materiel cost around $1,500 with all the extra plywood, shower pan, 31 gallon black water tank, RV toilette, hot water system, 30 gallon water tank, water pump, and FRP for the interior walls of the bathroom shower. I made all this tank and pan stuff fit between the wheel wells of  a Ford E-350 Super Duty van. The bathroom is 27 inches wide and around 45 inches deep. It has a Maxxfan in the pop up roof. That roof will all be done in aluminum diamond plate and insolation on the outside. But that is extra.

A lot of people make these huge garages below their beds. I wanted to use some of that space and have a full bathroom. The back 14 inches of my van design is for tailgating. I like what the teardrop trailer community is doing. You sleep or you go out back and have a great outdoor kitchen. If forced inside have a table that I use for several things that is set up opposite the bed / couch. I cook or I have my music equipment set up there. Form follows function. In my case I wanted a great place to sleep. A great place to use the bathroom facilities. And out back, a great place to cook. The bed has storage under it. It's just not 30 inches tall. 

So a bathroom is possible if you design it right and build it right. It's just a matter of knowing what you want.

 

[Scorpion Regent]

I was wondering if there are any more economical alternatives to this that aren't just pop up solar shower tents. I'm very sensitive about body hygiene, and can't go a day without showering without feeling miserable and greasy. I don't want to build a shower inside a cramped van and worry about leakage and whatnot, so would love to get a portable contained wet bath, with tanks and hot water heater, that mounts onto the back of my van. Are there any companies that make this kind of stuff that have economical options? I'm thinking around the $5000 price point would be more reasonable, the one I found is at least twice that.

Thanks.

Search the life on the road - hygiene forums.  I am sure you will find answers, maybe not the ones you want.
There are ways to stay clean on the road, they all involve some sort of sacrifice.

 

[MrNoodly]

...I'm very sensitive about body hygiene, and can't go a day without showering without feeling miserable and greasy. I don't want to build a shower inside a cramped van...

I which case it might be more satisfying, less troublesome and more economical in the long run to get an RV.

 

[Firebuild]

I have a terrific portable bathtub from Amazon and a Joolca shower system. It's not an actual bathroom but it gives me what I need. The bathtub folds, with an inflatable rim and a six foot draain hose, and I use a hula hoop and magnets to hang a shower curtain. That said, it is definitely not my preference to shower in the bus. I do the gym membership thing when geographically possible.

 

[WanderingRose]

You can take a really decent shower with a 2liter bottle of water warmed in the sun and a Simple Shower attached to it if you want to be really luxurious.

https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Showe...ocphy=9022171&hvtargid=pla-313087563542&psc=1

 

[jacqueg]

I like a bucket and a sponge. Totally portable.

I also have found that I don't actually NEED a complete wash every day. I just thought I did.

 

[MrNoodly]

I use a medium stainless steel mixing bowl with just enough of a 50-50 mixture of water and no-rinse periwash to soak a washcloth. (No-rinse periwash is what they use to bathe bedridden patients or those who can't be in tubs/showers.)

 

[Tony's Dream]

As a retired soldier, I have learned how to shower using a single 8 oz bottle of water. Being on the road is not like home, you don't get the benefit of taking 30 minute showers. You do want you can and what you need to do.

 

[bullfrog]

I agree with MrNoodly except even with an RV you will need to learn to conserve water while showering as most RVs have a 6 gallon hot water tank and many only carry 35 gallons of fresh water. If you take a 10 minute shower daily you will be lucky to last more than a few days without having to dump and fill tanks and that is time consuming and gets old really fast. I would plan on a gym membership, staying in parks with public showers or adapt to a better suited method of keeping clean on the road.

 

[John in Montreal]

I use about 2-3 gallons to get a good wash. The shower is nothing fancy and I don't have a toilet. But I bring plenty of water.

 

[Matlock]

I try to keep water use to a minimum, the least amount of water for me to wash head to toe with is 14oz. every other day.

FWIW, the gym membership thing often left me feeling umm not so clean. Some of those facilities are filthy so I ask to take a look before committing. I have much better luck with large commercial truck stops. They tend to keep their showers really clean. (Also a convenient time to ask about free overnight parking).

Although there are degrees of cleanliness, If I were a hygiene puriest I'd avoid living in a mobile platform. Way to much time spent fussing about water, both supply and disposal. And lets not forget about washing clothes.

All that out of a Van, nope, you need something closer to a bus. Maybe a Skoolie (School Bus) conversion.

 

[MrNoodly]

All that out of a Van, nope, you need something closer to a bus.

The more you want to live like you still live in a house, the more your rig will need to be the size of a house. The more you want your mobile life to be like your stationary life, the more frustrated and disappointed you'll be. Mobile living is a different life, not just the old life plus wheels. It's more like camping.

 

[WanderingRose]

The last post is a very good point.

An elaborate shower set up as described by the OP is not only expensive, but requires ongoing access to a plentiful supply of water and a camping area that will allow this water to be dumped.

It doesn’t seem realistic nor practical.

I like some warm water running over me most days, but get by with using very little water most of the time and intersperse that with a good scrub in a public campground that has shower facilities.

The AllStays app allows you to filter for what you are looking for, and is my go-to for finding established campgrounds where I can empty tanks and have a good shower.

 

[gizmotron]

I'm putting a bathroom in my van because I'm not hauling a ton of junk. I have a tailgate kitchen, something I really wanted. I have enough storage for clothes, dirty clothes, a pantry, a fridge, and a solar power system. I even have a screen door. And I can fit a swamp cooler in if I want to bring it in the summer. It sits in front of the screen door and drops the temp by 20 degrees. I used the full back end's 13 inches deep to put all my cooking gear and tables. I have my fresh water, my coffee pot, my NinjaFoodi, and my gas flat top and gas barbecue back there. I have some of my pantry back there. I got this idea from Teardrop Trailer ideas of people living in the Pacific Northwest. It rains a lot there. But they cook out back under an awning anyway.

 

[gizmotron]

The last post is a very good point.

An elaborate shower set up as described by the OP is not only expensive, but requires ongoing access to a plentiful supply of water and a camping area that will allow this water to be dumped.

It doesn’t seem realistic nor practical.

My 30 gallon freshwater tank has a remote pump  that can draw charcoal filtered water from any lake or stream. I never use it for drinking. I put a drop of Clorox in it after each fill.  Most places will allow you to drain the shower water if you are taking an outdoor shower. It just ends up on the ground. My shower pan has an external garden hose attachment that drains out under the van or even off into the weeds. It all comes down to what is allowed with gray water.  If I have to, I know in advance that I must recover all that water and pack it out. So into the black tank it will go. I have a 31 gallon black water tank. I almost never stay in one spot for very long. I got sick of that with Thousand Trails.  But if I have to I can put the black water tank on a budget.

 

[GypsyJan]

A minivan has even less choices. I use a 5 gallon bucket. When dry, it stores the garden sprayer, soap, sponge, etc.

I put my right foot in, I scrub my right foot down, I rinse my right foot off and I shake it all about...all together now, put the left foot in, scrub the left foot down.....

I can sit on the bucket to wash the nether regions and use a large bowl as a sink for a sponge bath for the face & torso, pouring the used water into the bucket afterward. After the hoochie coochie bath, I snap the lid on the bucket and dump the gray water depending on whether I am boon docking (water the plants) or at a campground (restroom or dump station).

 

[abnorm]

^ "That's-what-it's-all-about "