Where to get a shower stall for the Van or cargo trailer?

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Trekking

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I'd like to install a shower stall and a bathroom unit in one in the van or in the cargo trailer and I was wondering work can one purchase in the shower and then all that.

Has anybody ever installed a shower into their van.
 
cheap free standing utility shower unit can be had from home depot.....it comes with the base and can cut the height to size

another good method is to build your own using a washer overflow pan and a couple sheets of corplast cut to size for the walls
 
Lucky mike said:
cheap free standing utility shower unit can be had from home depot.....it comes with the base and can cut the height to size

another good method is to build your own using a washer overflow pan and a couple sheets of corplast cut to size for the walls

Thanks for the leads! In winter it gets mighty cold in below 0 weather taking a pan shower outside the water ice`s up. I need a motorhome.
 
You might be able to find a salvage rv with the combo shower and potty and adapt it for your van. A lot of the old Class Cs and TTs had the combos.
 
Trekking said:
Thanks for the leads! In winter it gets mighty cold in below 0 weather taking a pan shower outside the water ice`s up. I need a motorhome.

now you know why I live in a motorhome (25'ft) I dont mind the poor gas mileage because I do short hops and work inbetween , I boondock all the time and tow my truck & shop trailer long distance.

But heat in the morning , stand-up shower , kichen & living area...my bed is a queen size "magic bed" that lowers down electrically from the living room ceiling at nite . the generator & solar keep it powered. I hold 120 of fresh water..160 of waste.....I have a high gain WIFI Antenna and a cheap cellphone......and a budget kept at 800 a month. beats the hell out of a rooming house or nursing home!!

but to stay in one spot for a month is very comfortable....this past winter I stayed in New Hampshire all winter in it....

but we each have our own way of living out here....I did the van thing until I became disabled and had to either Get the RV or give up the life I love.....I'm Not a quitter!!!!
 

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decodancer said:
You might be able to find a salvage rv with the combo shower and potty and adapt it for your van. A lot of the old Class Cs and TTs had the combos.

Deco's right on the money!! ^^^

your local junkyard likely has a bunch of old RV's in their back lot (several of our's do here)...and you can rip out all the things you need to fully equip your rig.

Most refrigerators and generators are taken out before they get there, but heaters, HW heaters, windows, rooftop cargo boxes, airconditioner units, full modular bathrooms (with showers, tubs, potty), and kitchen implements, and holding tanks are cheap and are usually yours for most any reasonable offer. (they usually have a hard time selling off this stuff)
 
How much cubic footage are you willing to sacrifice for it? Mock it up in your van with cardboard. See how much room you have left to live in. Unless you have at least a 2-foot high-top, or you're a very diminutive person, you'll need to sit to shower. (How do you clean your butt that way?) And since van walls slant in, you'll be leaning forward or sideways. And you'll need a way to get to water heated, unless you like cold showers. And some way to get the water up to shower height. And a way to drain the gray water or hold it. And if you're wanting a flush toilet, then there's another whole layer of complication. (Yay, sweage holding tanks!) If you absolutely need a shower and toilet, then I think you're better off getting something that's already had everything figured out, like a Roadtek or Rialta or one of the Class B's.
 
not much of a 'do-it-yourself' kinda guy??

I'd much rather take the time to build something for myself, or modify something to suit what I want, then to have someone else design something that he can sell to the masses, but doesn't at all match my needs.

BIG DIFFERENCE!!
 
I snagged a 3 foot long rv bathtub from a scrapped trailer to use for grooming dogs. It will also be my sink and place to clean up when I'm traveling. I got a 20 gal water tank new for less than $100 bucks but you may be able to find one at a salvage yard. I put a "on demand" 3 gallon hot water heater (they have propane models, mine is AC) in and wired the pump to my van battery. I have bathed dogs all day and have never run my battery low. Added a shower head and I've got water whenever I need it. If the tub wasn't raised up to waist high, I could even take a bubble bath. I ran the drain through the floor. Most times I just let it run out but could easily put a bucket or jerry tank under the van to catch the water.
 
A couple downsides (out of many) to those all-in-one showers with the sink and toilet inside the pan... The floor is always muddy or dirty. The toilet's metal parts rust out much, much faster due to the constant water. We lived with an all-in-one shower from 2006 - 2010. We do NOT have an all in one shower in the bus. Our daughter now lives in our old Class C. She will NOT have an all-in-one shower in her bus conversion.

Our shower in the bus consists of a 32x32 shower pan with FRP (4x8 sheets) sides.
 
I agree 100% with MrNoodly, unless you are a very handy guy with a good bank account you are better off to buy a Class B with a shower, toilet, hot water heater, water pump and tanks already installed.

There are cheap and easy ways to have a shower in the van, but if you want a stall and everything else, buy a class B.
Bob
 
I am not a fan of the wet baths(all in one). but it saves space. remember to take the tp out when you take a shower. highdesertranger
 
decodancer said:
I snagged a 3 foot long rv bathtub from a scrapped trailer to use for grooming dogs. It will also be my sink and place to clean up when I'm traveling. I got a 20 gal water tank new for less than $100 bucks but you may be able to find one at a salvage yard. I put a "on demand" 3 gallon hot water heater (they have propane models, mine is AC) in and wired the pump to my van battery. I have bathed dogs all day and have never run my battery low. Added a shower head and I've got water whenever I need it. If the tub wasn't raised up to waist high, I could even take a bubble bath. I ran the drain through the floor. Most times I just let it run out but could easily put a bucket or jerry tank under the van to catch the water.

Put an ambulance gurney under your tub to easily raise or lower it so you can enjoy your bubble bath!


Use a hula hoop for a shower curtain rod to make a portable shower enclosure that will tuck away when not in use, or be your toilet enclosure like I use mine for. Dollar store parts, maybe $5.00 invested & works great.
 
I would like to see more pics of shower enclosures using a hula hoop shower curtain rod.
 
I've shared my Chevy 1500 AWD van conversion's bath/shower closet elsewhere but here are a couple shots. It is a very simple build that takes up ~18" (deep on floor/from street side wall) x ~30" wide x Height to top of original chevy roof line.

Here it is closed:
TCLawdBCclosed.jpg


and open for use as shower:
TCLawdBCshower.jpg


The original info is at my build thread _here_.

It is a battery operated garden sprayer (my wife found it at home depot), and a small contractors cement mix tub. We pour a couple kettles of room temp water in the sprayer and then a kettle of boiled water...swish to mix and enjoy a nice long shower in the class B sized van (regular body/9 feet behind seats).

Thom
 
If it is the interior head room you are asking about we have a measured 73" from on top of the rubber flooring (with 1" insulation under it) to the marine headliner (that has ~3" of insulation above it). So there is plenty of room for my wife and i at 5'4" and my 5'8" to stand/walk/shower.

The top is a standard fiberine 24" "Bubble top" as seen here before installation:
TGL_WEB24inchFiberineTop.jpg


Hope that helps.
Thom
 
accrete said:
We pour a couple kettles of room temp water in the sprayer and then a kettle of boiled water...swish to mix and enjoy a nice long shower...

How do you then dispose of the soapy water? Scoop it out? Drag the tub to the door and dump it?
 
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