D.I.Y Shower Options

G

Gtdad

Adventurer
Bbasso said:
Well... you're going to be disappointed with many of us, might as well click a different thread lol
Click to expand...

Not trying to be DxxK , it could potentially be a very dangerous , especially if vehicle is parked in sun and temps rise so much more pressure.
I'm a chef and member of the Teamsters Union up here in vancouver bc (you have to be in the union to work in film catering here) there are some very stringent rules about propane storage and handling.
They have to be stored in exterior places only ,like mesh lockups, flat deck cages on trucks etc, but not in cube vans, shipping containers or sheds or any vehicle interiors.

I had good friend also chef same job that had propane leak from an oven while he was driving the kitchen to another location. This is 30ft long 19000kg gvw truck mbile kitchen unit. he barely had time to hit the brakes and jump out with his life.
The truck burned to the ground in 20minutes.

My previous camper van had external battery compartment but turned out to have a sealing problem which I found when my battery solenoid malfunctioned while on a highway with nowhere to pull over immediately , my batteries boiled and the air in the van went very bad very quickly. I had to go the hospital because of that. Hence battery comment.
I just want to point out the dangers of internal propane tanks. I would hate to hear about one you guys getting hurt.
I use a portable on demand water heater with a show/bathroom tent if needed for privacy.
If I was building a van I would use the same heater as you , I would just mount the tank outside and plumb a line in with shut off.
Do you have a gas detector in your van btw?
My van does not have gas water heater only a small 12v/120ac instant hot water tank for beverages. The van came that way so I have to use something else.
The portable one have also has tap for washing dishes etc and works well.
https://www.amazon.ca/BaseCamp-Mr-Heater-F235350-BOSS-XCW20/dp/B011TRLWIG
 
R

rex_1_mn

Observer
What about the simple solar showers? Obviously you need sun but other than sun and the latency time to warm up is there a downside?
 
Bbasso

Bbasso

Expedition Leader
Multiple detection devices, gas, CO and I forgot the other...

As for solar show bags, I did it for 1.5 years. Simple when it's warm outside and you don't mind a cool shower but in the winter, boil water and mixing gets old very fast.
 
B

bdog1

Adventurer
"Bug sprayers" come in black for masonry use. Warm up a little quicker in the sun. Think their three gallon.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
86scotty

86scotty

Cynic
Oh yeah, that's just a bit overkill. It's gonna look a little, ummm, questionable too. You'll look like the county mosquito spray guy driving around.

superparabuteo said:
Very cool, thanks for sharing! Looks like you put a tire valve on the cap? Is that to pressurize the system? I'm wondering whether gravity will be sufficient or if I need to do the same.
Click to expand...

Yes, it's to pressurize it but it actually works better on gravity feed. To pressurize you have to have a pressure sealed cap and there's not an easy way to do that with PVC. I just crack the PVC screw-on cap and gravity feed works awesome.

Bbasso said:
Multiple detection devices, gas, CO and I forgot the other...
Click to expand...

Sasquatch detector :cool:

I do agree with alarms but am guilty of keeping propane bottles inside my campers. I've got a pretty strong nose though.

As for batteries, AGM inside or lead acid outside is the only way to go.....or seal the lead acids in a case and vent them. Battery explosions scare the hell outta me.
 
another_mike

another_mike

Adventurer
86scotty said:
Oh yeah, that's just a bit overkill. It's gonna look a little, ummm, questionable too. You'll look like the county mosquito spray guy driving around.
Click to expand...
Not a bad thing.. slap some poison stickers on it. Pull up to camp and spray yourself down... No one will want to camp near you. Sounds perfect.
 
Bbasso

Bbasso

Expedition Leader
Sasquatch detector ! That's it... I had forgotten lol

My rig regularly sees 115 deg heat inside after its been sitting in the Florida sun all day at work. Yet to smell any thing or has my detectors.
Besides I never fully close my windows (vent-visors) and my fantastic fan is always open too...
 
R

rex_1_mn

Observer
I keep 1 pound bottles in my old van in the winter with a portable ice fishing house. After work one day in the spring probably 60 degrees outside I found that one of the tanks had sprung it's pressure release. Glad it didn't blow when I opened the doors and the lights came on.

It can happen.
 
luthj

luthj

Engineer In Residence
Propane tanks can and will leak if a vale seal fails, or the overpressure vent corrodes etc. Propane can quickly fill a vehicle and suffocate the occupants, even with an open window or vent. The 1 or 2lb bottles aren't big enough to be a major risk, but the larger bottles are. A propane detector is the minimum I would do in that situation, and even that is not really good enough in the case of a major leak.

Personally and professionally, A sealed box with vent to the outside of the van is the safe and accepted way to have a tank inside the passenger compartment. This is the way it is done on European RVs/vans and boats. The box doesn't need to be perfectly air tight as long as a reasonable sized vent to the outside is available near the bottom of the box. The propane will readily flow downwards and out through the vent.

A simple method to get hot water for showering is with a flat plate heat exchanger plumbed into the heater core loop or engine cooling system. Using a thermostatic mixing valve (tempering valve) you can get consistent hot water with the engine running. Adding a coolant circulation pump will allow you to take hot showers anytime the engine block is warm, which will usually stay that way for hours after a drive.

A quick disconnect near the rear door(s) can be used for a shower wand or spray handle. Search for Cole Parmer disconnects, as they are designed for water. Having the tempering valve at the disconnect will allow easy water temp adjustment without a separate mixer valve.

Remember to use tubing rated for at least 180F on the water lines connected to the heat exchanger, as the water leaving it can reach that temperature. I suggest high temp marine braided vinyl hose, or PEX tubing.

Locating the shower hookup at the rear doors allows you to hang a curtain if needed from the doors themselves. A vinyl shower curtain is cheap and wont absorb water. Bungee cords, magnets, hooks, etc can be used to hang the curtain, or a pop up shower enclosure is also an option.

I would suggest avoiding mounting a shower head. Instead you want a handheld wand or sprayer. Unless you have unlimited water, or a very large tank, you will want to conserve, and a free flowing shower head is the opposite of that. Instead, being able to direct the spray where you want/need it, and turn it off at the wand, will cut your usage of water dramatically.

When taking showers we usually use around 15L (4 gallons) per person without much conservation. We turn the water off when lathering up, and use a wand with on/off valve. If we go into full conservation mode, we can usually get by with about 2.5 gallons per person.

If you don't have a water tank, and have no plans to add one, using a gravity fed cold shower, or a portable propane system is probably the easiest method. There are several manufacturers, but most can be easily mounted near a door (they need venting), and a bucket or jerry can of water can be used as the shower source.
 
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