Installing a Shower in a Van

[yamsack]

Hey all,<br>Does anyone know if installing a shower/mini wet room in a Ford E-150 conversion van (with a high top) is doable?<br><br>Additionally, does anyone know what the average length (from back of driver's seat to the back doors) of a Ford E-150 van?&nbsp; Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated.&nbsp; Thanks all.<br><br>

 

[Wild_E]

A shower is doeable, there have been others that have posted that info.&nbsp;<div>You can go as low tech as a pump up 2-3 gal spray bottle, like me,, or high teck like adding in a 12v bilge pump, with a hoola hoop semi mounted on the roof with panels that are attached to the hoola hoop. I would make it semi-permanent, you can stand in an unused plastic tote, or a kids pool, or I was thinking a plastic sled with shallow sides. Remember you use less water this way, as you gotta haul it by yourself etc normally.</div><div>Go find someone with one, ask to measure the inside, say your looking to get one and add in some stuff, when asked just say racks and such, leave out the other details, not lying, just not saying everything..</div>

 

[SoulRaven]

Dont forget that bucket baths work well also... 5 gal bucket, boiled water, soap, and wash cloth... This goes a long ways between proper showers mixed with wet wipes...<br><br>Just sayin'<br><br>SR<br><br><br>

 

[vonu]

Dont forget that bucket baths work well also... 5 gal bucket, boiled water, soap, and wash cloth... This goes a long ways between proper showers mixed with wet wipes...<br><br>Just sayin'<br><br>SR<br><br><br>

<div><br></div><div>Go easy on the soap, once it's in, it's in.</div><div>I have been bathing daily with 2 gallons of water for long enough to forget when I started doing it. &nbsp;I only use baby shampoo on my hair, the first thing washed, and that is plenty of surfactant to do the rest of me with washcloths.</div><div>I haven't had to heat the water since the heat wave started.</div>

 

[oldnjung]

We have a 1996 Ford E-150 conversion van with high top. It measures about 9 feet from inside back doors to headrest height of drivers side with seat back almost as far as it can go. With all the wood used for the fancy lighting, tv and clothes rack, installing some kind of sit down shower should be doable. Or a "standup" if you are not over 5'6". When there is no wind, we just open the double side doors, hang our curtain rod (installed behind front seats) on top edge of doors. Clothespin curtains together and use&nbsp;small&nbsp;pieces of ducttape to hold rod in place. Using jugs of warm water and steps/floor of van for shelves,&nbsp;it makes for a roomy shower stall. Also, WalMart has some large&nbsp;"wipies" in orange packaging near shampoo/soap section. Less than&nbsp;$2.00 for 80. Using them (about 10) with a little warm water from a spray bottle cleans almost as good as any shower.&nbsp; Target sells "No Rinse" shampoo for about $5.00. Lasts a long time for my hair. Why it is kept behind the pharmacy counter is one of lifes great mysteries!!&nbsp; Works really well. Would like to hear about your van.<br>Jerry&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>

Hey all,<BR>Does anyone know if installing a shower/mini wet room in a Ford E-150 conversion van (with a high top) is doable?<BR><BR>Additionally, does anyone know what the average length (from back of driver's seat to the back doors) of a Ford E-150 van?&nbsp; Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated.&nbsp; Thanks all.<BR><BR>

<br>

 

[Seraphim]

Easily doable. Consider a sit-down shower: an inexpensive nozzle (with an on-nozzle shut off)&nbsp;on a flexible hose. Wet down, soap up, rinse off. We use ours constantly - preferable to a campground shower house, imo.<br><br>Just need a water tank of some sort, some type of pump (electric, air pressure) a hose and nozzle, and a place for grey water to drain off.<br><br>I use velcro for the curtains, but if the area is water resistant curtains really aren't necessary. A low pressure nozzle and a bit of care prevents too much of an overspray.<br>

 

[SoulRaven]

Also consider an outside shower that is gravity fed... I have plans for a 5 gsl shower in a privacy tarped area where the toilet and urinal are also... The water placed a day before will be heated for an excellent evening shower before dinner and bed time...<br><br>Or not...<br><br>

 

[Guest]

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-weight: bold;">COUPLE HINTS ON&nbsp; BAG SHOWERS:</span><br>A gravity fed shower, especially a small 5 gallon, has almost no water pressure.<br>As you're using up the water inside, there's less weight inside pushing down. Less and less weight = less and less pressure of the water coming out. <br>I'm just sayin'........<br>Becasue that's the #1 complaint of ppl who complain about gravity fed solar camp showers. They get mad because a 4.5 gallon plastic bag hanging in a tree, doesn't produce city water pressure.<br><u><i>Buy one and try it out at home first.</i></u> You'll see how low the pressure is, and how fast you need to get wet, washed and rinsed before it's all gone. <br>If you can deal with it after trying it, buy two. They're cheap and the second is for when the first runs out before you're fully rinsed off, or so you have more hot water on hand without waiting hours for the 1st bag to re-heat.<br><br>You also need to figure on having something very sturdy to hang it on, and being strong enough to haul or hang 41+ lbs of jiggling water above your head every day.<br>Fresh water weighs aprox 8.35 lbs per gallon.<br><br>

 

[SoulRaven]

I have been shopping for a hot shower for inside/outside use and think I found the perfect one...<br><br>Its called the Zodi Zip Shower and here it is at Amazon (reviews) and Cabala's... And for under $100.00 ya cant go wrong...<br><br>http://www.amazon.com/ZODI-Outback-Gear-Instant-Shower/dp/B003EEESPW<br>http://www.cabelas.com/product/Camping/Camp-Essentials/Showers-Toilets-Accessories<br><br>

 

[yamsack]

Hi all,<br>I agree that the shower bag is not a good option.&nbsp; I just tested out a 5 gallon shower bag in my apartment's bathroom.&nbsp; First off, the weight of the bag makes it very precarious to hang.&nbsp; Unless the structure is solid, the risk of the bag breaking something off is pretty good.&nbsp; Secondly, I ran out of water before I could finish a very quick shower.&nbsp; Thirdly, since the shower bag is gravity fed, the bag would need to be VERY high above your head for the water flow to work properly...or else you would have to be kneeling or sitting.<br><br>I think I'm going with a shower pump submerged in a 7 gallon Reliance water jug.&nbsp; The jug would be sitting on the floor, so there would be no danger of anything falling or breaking.&nbsp; Thanks everyone for your comments and advice.<br><br>

 

[Guest]

RE: Zodi, Coleman, etc <i><b>$100???!!!!</b></i><br>Even for convenience, that's a lot of money. Maybe worth it if you have to be somewhere the temps go below 40 and you have to outdoor shower, but......<br>for Less than $50 you can still have a portable hot shower.<br>You don't need to be a mechanic or plumber to put together either version.<br>Version A, $49 runs on 3 D cell batteries :<br>Attwood water pump $32<br>Plastic bucket $3 at walmart (recycle code 2, polyethylene, food grade)<br>Solar shower bag $8 <br>1/2" vinyl tubing $4 for 20 feet at Lowe's<br>Garden hose sprayer, 8 pattern $2 at any Family Dollar store<br>Adding an (optional) external, 12v waterproof switch $5.<br><br>Or option B, $40 runs off 12v jumper pak (which everyone ought to have) or your car's 12v cig lighter.<br>RULE 320 bilge pump $18.50<br>Cig lighter 12 plug, $2 <br>Fuseholder $2.50<br>Plastic bucket $3 at walmart (recycle code 2, polyethylene, food grade)<br> Solar shower bag $8 <br> 1/2" vinyl tubing $4 for 20 feet at Lowe's<br> Garden hose sprayer, 8 pattern $2 at any Family Dollar store.<br>12v waterproof switch is optional - $5.<br><br>

 

[spacer]

I had a shower bag for a while, and once I got used to using it sailboat-style (rinse, turn it off, lather, then rinse again... short hair really helped) there wasn't a problem. I was preparing to move, and when I wasn't in the Mack, I was in my '88 E150.<br>I just hung the bag from the roof rack and showered in my shorts. Fortunately, I was always in a secluded area.<br>The pressure wasn't great, but it sure beat being dirty... and it wasn't always warm enough to suit me, but again...<br><br>

 

[Seraphim]

<IMG border=0 hspace=0 alt="" align=baseline src="http://1001rv.com/pics/R46736b.jpg"><BR><BR>Here's an idea of what you can do with a hi-top van. In back, there's a toilet (it's covered with a bag). Out of view to the right is a sit down tub with a shower. On the left is hanging closet and&nbsp;drawers.&nbsp;If you're doing it yourself, there's no reason you can't make a small cubicle with a chemical toilet to sit on, make the inside waterproof (panels) and enjoy a hot shower with a small purchased or manufactured water heater.<BR><BR>I like my hot showers.<BR><BR>

 

[VanTramp]

Me too! This is my modified shower. This closet was never meant to be wet and was not part of the shower from the factory. No reason a person couldn't do something like this too in a low-top van since it is more comfortable to sit and shower anyway IMO.&nbsp;<div><br></div><div><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-...AAAAAAJg/_YR2eub34ZY/s400/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg"></div><div><br></div><div><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-...AAAAAAJo/tJ8o9awvMUw/s400/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg"></div><div><br></div><div><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-...AAAAAAJs/iE_J6YJ9_YE/s400/%255BUNSET%255D.jpg"></div><div><br></div><div>I did way more with this conversion than was needed obviously. The thing is too, the shower worked well as it was with the curtain making a stall in the middle isle. This is just a lot nicer and way more comfortable to use. It was worth every bit of work too.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>My perspective on this sort of thing is that while I know we can get by with a garden sprayer and heating water etc or even sponge baths. We are van people for the long haul! We want our home to be as comfortable as possible always and anything I can do to improve that comfort has a significant impact on our enjoyment in such a small space. &nbsp;Especially when it's we (wife and I).&nbsp;</div><div><br></div>

 

[Seraphim]

vantramp<br><br>If I ever modify the GyrFalcon that's what I'd to do - more efficient space-wise. <br>

 

[WanderingRonin]

I just washed my head in the company toilet this morning. I brought in a small package --just a small face towel and soap. Quick and fast. In and out. I am beginning to realize that if I break up my body wash into parts, I can go in and out of the toilet in little quick visits and do each part separately. It also works in this cold weather. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"> (I am thinking if I have to wash my midsection, I can always go into the stalls with a moistened face towel)<div>I know this may not be new to some, but it's new to me. <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"> New and exciting to be discovering these little things as I go along this great experiment.</div>

 

[Wild_E]

WOW.<div>boy did I read that wrong Ronin...</div><div>I pictured you with your head in the toilet washing then flushing for a rinse! No offence, that is what I pictured with your words!&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>For quick washes I just use the little spray bottles, for a larger wash the pump up 2 gal sprayer (in vehicle or out depending on weather) and for deep luxury washed the gym.&nbsp;</div>

 

[Seraphim]

<P>Uh yeah - I kinda got the same disturbing image, myself lol...</P>