Bathroom / Shower Options for Sportsmobile

Mwilliamshs

Explorer
Mwilliams.
I have looked into that, just trying to figure it all out now. So say there was no sun and my tank is cold. There would be 2 hours for hot water...

The water heater I linked to can heat 6.8 gallons in 1 hour, so dunno what your 2 hour figure represents.

...Run it another hour for battery charging...

The actual time needed to charge depends on battery size, depth of discharge, and charge rate. See below.

...I have 100 amps (its just for 10 1 watt led bulbs (not all on at once) and my 40" LED say a few hours in the evening and avg 2-3amps TF fridge. Most I would do is a 3 day mountain bike trip off grid...

Is 100 amps the 20hr amp hour rating of your battery? I'll assume so.
10 LEDS, 1 watt each = 10w / 12v = .83 amps. Say you run half of them for 4 hours. That's 1.66 ah/day
40" LED light bar I guess? Googled up a few, average of 240w. 240w/12v = 2 amps x 4 hours = 8ah/day
TF fridge = truckfridge? I've seen multiple reports of 20-25ah/day
1.66 + 8 + 25 = 34.66 ah/day x 3 days = 104ah so you definitely need some charging to prevent killing your battery. Best to discharge less than 50%.

Generator: Let's say you need 40ah/day input. A 40 amp charger won't actually do that in an hour for a variety of reasons, all technical. Let's pretend it'll work. Your 2000w, 16 amp generator will run one. I repeat, this will not actually charge your battery in one hour. More like 2, assuming ideal charger specs.

Solar: 40ah / 8 hours of good sun (a big guess) = 5 amps per hour. 5amps is just about exactly what 100w mono panels are rated at. It's common for small solar system to build so that battery ah = solar watts.

Hope that helps
 
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The Artisan

Adventurer
Thanks all good info
I like utilizing that on demand propane water system just pump it through my tank when needed. The 7 gallon hot water goes away.
2 hours 2 showers, Guess 1 if we want to conserve water :)
LED 40" TV 3 hours Power Consumption: 42W per?
So read somewhere a 300 watt system for every 100amps?
Kevin
 

Mwilliamshs

Explorer
...LED 40" TV 3 hours Power Consumption: 42W per?
...
Kevin
First 40" LED TV google gave me was the LG 40LH5000
Energy Guide says $13/yr for 108kwh a $0.12/kh, 5 hrs/day

108khw/365 days = .295 kwh/day /5 hrs = .0591780 kw/hr
That's 59.178 watts on 120, or 0.5 amps. The trouble is that's 120v AC. To get it from a 12v battery, you gotta use an inverter. Now if you're just watching broadcast tv, not running a dvd player, etc, that's about 5.5 amps so after 3 hours, 16.5 ah. Add 15% or so for inverter inefficiency, call it 19ah total.
 

Coachgeo

Explorer
Bathing in the Traditional way (shower, river, bath tub soak, ...) is soooooooo outdated and no longer necessary. We just still do it out of habbit/tradition.

thus here is my devils advocate/out of box proposal. You don't need a stinking shower.... pardon the pun...... because you still bathe; just not in traditional way, and no.... you won't stink. The reason you need to run water over yourself in some form to bathe in the typical fashion is because soap is a Surfactant. It brings things to the "surface" and you must rinse it free to get rid of it. There are "no rinse" washing products that have been out for a long while now. They either are NOT Surfacants or the formula is designed that a wipping cloth can replace a water rinse? NASA uses them. I don't know the formulation so not sure how they work........ just know they do. No not the no rinse soaps out there for washing cars...... but a type made for people. You can get it in walmart and pharmacy. Only takes about 5 oz of mixture (comes concentrated) or so to wash your whole body. You can use it with a disposable wipe* as the wash cloth then burn that/use as fire starter. In addition for use with a heavy sweat and grease you can dilute Isopropyl Alcohol as well for a pre wipe. then there is also Facial Cleaning make up remover that also can be used as no rinse. Again Walmart sells a generic form of it. This is like a mechanics hand cleaner type gell that is bit more gentle on skin. Deep in the instructions on the bottle it says you DO NOT HAVE to rinse.

Face cleaner https://www.walmart.com/ip/Equate-Beauty-Gentle-Skin-Cleanser-16-fl-oz/36916881 I find it works good on greasy hands.
No rinse body cleaner "concentrate to be mixed with small amount of water" https://www.walmart.com/ip/No-Rinse-Body-Wash-NR900EA-1-Each-Each/166901232
No rinse hair shampoo "concentrate to be mixed with small amount of water" https://www.walmart.com/ip/Cleanlife-00122-No-Rinse-Shampoo-8-oz.-12-per-Case/30418819

Many gell soaps I've experimented with as no rinse product. Squirted them on my greasy hands and wiped it off with a paper towel instead of a rinse. Worked just fine.

One could warm the mixture in a pan of hot water like you would a baby bottle if you wanted I guess.That way it would be more cozy comfy?

*I suspect that disposable Baby Wipes actually use a formula simular to the "no rinse" products as the cleaner the wipe is soaked with.


You can get the NO Rinse products in a one Gallon concentrate that will last you for years. You litterally use that little of it. The hair one not as long. I can't use the hair one it makes my scalp itch like CRAZYY. Others have zero issue with that. I should try it at a lower ratio to see if that solves the issue...... but ....... I just don't use shampoo at all anymore..... no hair. now I cut my head bald so its a non issue:p
 
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The Artisan

Adventurer
First 40" LED TV google gave me was the LG 40LH5000
Energy Guide says $13/yr for 108kwh a $0.12/kh, 5 hrs/day

108khw/365 days = .295 kwh/day /5 hrs = .0591780 kw/hr
That's 59.178 watts on 120, or 0.5 amps. The trouble is that's 120v AC. To get it from a 12v battery, you gotta use an inverter. Now if you're just watching broadcast tv, not running a dvd player, etc, that's about 5.5 amps so after 3 hours, 16.5 ah. Add 15% or so for inverter inefficiency, call it 19ah total.
Sounds about right I calculated 3 hours at 3.5. For the very litte DC power used, I could get another 100amps and charge every so often..

Coach this was posted on response to my post which is another good option
Having been a caregiver for my father, I discovered that a bag of Assurance Extra Large Pre-Moistened Disposable Washcloths from Walmart go a long way in keeping one clean and feeling fresh as a daisy.
Kevin
 
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Coachgeo

Explorer
....Coach this was posted on response to my post which is another good option
Having been a caregiver for my father, I discovered that a bag of Assurance Extra Large Pre-Moistened Disposable Washcloths from Walmart go a long way in keeping one clean and feeling fresh as a daisy.
Kevin
Honestly didn't know the bigger wipes you mention existed. Luckily am a small-ish person at 150lb soaking wet; if that much, so typical baby wipes at end of hard outdoor work days work for me as a cloth if I remoisten with the No Rinse solution a time or two. But that's not typical.... Bet most folk would need the larger wipes so thanks for posting this.
 
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wrinkledpants

New member
I guess my problem isn't feeling fresh, but washing the salt off after grinding it out in the sun riding or climbing. I quickly get chapped ***** if I don't bath with water, but am sweating profusely all day.

We just finalized our Sprinter order and our van is coming with a factory coolant line extensions that goes to the B-pillar. Sportsmobile is connecting a flat plate water heater to that. Will either idle the van or run the block heater for hot water. Simple solution that doesn't require a water tank. Our showers are usually fast, so the block heater or idling will be more than enough.
 

Coachgeo

Explorer
I guess my problem isn't feeling fresh, but washing the salt off after grinding it out in the sun riding or climbing. I quickly get chapped ***** if I don't bath with water, but am sweating profusely all day. ...
do an Experement and try a small bottle of the "no rinse", some wipes. Maybe along with a low % solution of Isoproply for super sweat areas. Finish off with little lotion and see if that works. I bet it will even if your salty and sweaty. If it works... your good to go. saved tons of money and TONS OF SPACE. If not.. you've not lost anything.
 

draaronr

Adventurer
I guess my problem isn't feeling fresh, but washing the salt off after grinding it out in the sun riding or climbing. I quickly get chapped ***** if I don't bath with water, but am sweating profusely all day.

We just finalized our Sprinter order and our van is coming with a factory coolant line extensions that goes to the B-pillar. Sportsmobile is connecting a flat plate water heater to that. Will either idle the van or run the block heater for hot water. Simple solution that doesn't require a water tank. Our showers are usually fast, so the block heater or idling will be more than enough.
Could you post pics?
 

wrinkledpants

New member
It's a full-height shower that's about 33" long. It won't have a sink or cabinets, but will have a window. We're mounting the shower about 10" back from the driver seat. The area between the driver seat and shower will be lined with rubber and cargo tracks. We'll use this for vertical ski storage or hang our climbing gear here in the summer. If we go with a Rixen-based heater setup, we'll likely install an air handler in this location to be used as a boot/glove dryer.

We don't need a shower; we want it. Our goal is to eat, sleep, cook, clean, work, and relax completely off the grid. Hot and sunny in the summer, or cold and snowing in the winter. The only way we can justify the cost of a new Sprinter-based SMB build is if we can use it four-seasons and with a capability and comfort that you can't get with a tent or teardrop.

Layout.jpg

Example of what the bathroom will look like. We won't have a permanent mount toilet like that, just a Porta-potti, likely a newer Curve model.
http://sportsmobile.com/sections/fordchevy/baths/eb110s16-lg.jpg
 

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