Anyone ever make their own road shower device?
- Thread starter kojackJKU
- Start date
jeep-N-montero
Expedition Leader
There are several threads on here discussing it.
Clawhammer
Adventurer
I used a 4' piece of 4" PVC painted black, faucet installed on one end, test cap installed on the other and a bicycle tire valve installed in the cap. It mounts to the roof rack on my truck's topper. I screw a little hand sprayer and hose on the faucet end. It holds about 4 gallons and if you pump it once or twice during your "shower" it does the trick. Not the prettiest thing going though but since it was made mostly out of the stuff from the Habitat ReStore, it was cheap.
Happy Joe
Apprentice Geezer
Its been may years and an evolution;
The first one that I made was a roughly foot long copper heat exchanger soldered up from 1.5 or 2 inch tube & caps with about 7 or 9 copper 1/4 inch heat exchanger tubes plumbed into the vehicles engine heater circuit. it was powered by a 12 volt utility pump and had a strainer for pond/stream pick up, several lengths of garden hose and an old showerhead. It worked fairly well once the vehicle engine was hot and really needed a mixing valve to control the temperature. It was more trouble than I wanted to deal with.
A couple of years ago I bought a u-pump-it-up 3 gallon (or so) garden sprayer, painted it black for solar heat, and added a sink sprayer. Its way easier to use, setup and pack; its only down side is the water is not unlimited.
In both cases a hanging tarp serves for an enclosure.
Enjoy!
The first one that I made was a roughly foot long copper heat exchanger soldered up from 1.5 or 2 inch tube & caps with about 7 or 9 copper 1/4 inch heat exchanger tubes plumbed into the vehicles engine heater circuit. it was powered by a 12 volt utility pump and had a strainer for pond/stream pick up, several lengths of garden hose and an old showerhead. It worked fairly well once the vehicle engine was hot and really needed a mixing valve to control the temperature. It was more trouble than I wanted to deal with.
A couple of years ago I bought a u-pump-it-up 3 gallon (or so) garden sprayer, painted it black for solar heat, and added a sink sprayer. Its way easier to use, setup and pack; its only down side is the water is not unlimited.
In both cases a hanging tarp serves for an enclosure.
Enjoy!
Ducky's Dad
Explorer
ABS will be cheaper, it's already black, and it doesn't degrade like PVC with sun exposure. Downside is that you don't have the variety of fittings that are available for PVC, but if you keep it simple that is not a problem. On the roof rack, you can probably skip the pump and use gravity feed if you don't need a spray.
There is a huge difference in volume as you go up in pipe diameter. I have a pair of 6"x6' tanks on my rack and that gives me a little over 18 gallons. A single 8" pipe would give me more capacity and a simpler system. PVC and ABS pipe are heavy, and water is heavier, so allow for that in your mounting system. If all the water is on the same side of the rack, the truck will take on a list, because of the leverage of having all that weight up high. Make sure you can reach the filler neck when you are in the field. Mine is accessed by standing on the open tailgate, no ladder or stool required. Don't leave the tanks full when you are not using them and that will help preserve the suspension. Been there, done that.
And glue joints in big fittings take a lot of pressure, so use a slow glue. If you are working with pipe bigger than 4", have a helper or rig up some sort of clamp to pull the joints together while you give them a 1/4 turn. A third hand is very helpful.
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fourstringfletch
Adventurer
I'd vote for a more portable option. Ever since I made this for about $85, I've lost all desire for a vehicle mounted system.
Pack it empty, dunk it in a stream, heat it on a fire or a burner and wander off to a nice private spot without creating mud at your feet where you step into your truck.
I often camp near water and enjoy stoking a fire, and in this case, unlimited hot water is usually on tap. Really nice for washing dishes, dogs, gear and people.
Pack it empty, dunk it in a stream, heat it on a fire or a burner and wander off to a nice private spot without creating mud at your feet where you step into your truck.
I often camp near water and enjoy stoking a fire, and in this case, unlimited hot water is usually on tap. Really nice for washing dishes, dogs, gear and people.
stingray1300
Explorer
Regcabguy
Oil eater.
Two gallon garden sprayer with extended hose and shortened wand sprayer. We used them in Baja for yrs. Retaining the supplied nozzle allows you to atomize the water,thus conserving it. Heat water up in the coffee pot and add to desired temp. Portable and effective. Gets into all the nooks and crannies. Good for doing dishes too.
hidesertwheelin
Explorer
Do you have a parts list?