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madspaniard
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 7:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think the Roadshower guys had to change their design because the black PVC alone was not hearing well the water. They went from all black PVC to black PVC with an end to end clear window to allow the sun a more direct heating path for the water.
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Jon_slider
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 7:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

another option I just learned about today

http://m.rei.com/product/850667/nemo-helio-pressure-shower
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Link


unfortunately, the unit sits above the line of sight in the luggage rack when inflated,
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

but could possibly be flattened by letting the air out and putting a motorcycle net over it,
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

it costs $99, and holds just under 3 gallons.

the one in the picture on top of my westy does not belong to me, I borrowed it from a surfer today, and tossed it up in the luggage rack for the photo. I think its sticking up more than it would on one end because it is propped up by the foot pump.
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photogdave
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 8:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jon_slider wrote:
another option I just learned about today

it costs $99, and holds just under 3 gallons.

the one in the picture on top of my westy does not belong to me, I borrowed it from a surfer today, and tossed it up in the luggage rack for the photo. I think its sticking up more than it would on one end because it is propped up by the foot pump.


Did you actually try it? How well does it work?
the website has good reviews but only one person brings up that's actually not a solar shower and the manufacturer says not to store in direct sunlight...
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Jon_slider
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 8:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

photogdave wrote:
Did you actually try it? How well does it work?


it has enough pressure, and a nice shower head. pros, because it is pressurized, it can sit on the ground and you can spray self or dishes. It packs down into a somewhat compact storage container, so is more convenient for backpacking than a hardbody garden sprayer.

cons, its a soft bag and is not really designed to heat up in the sun, nor would I pour boiling water into it, for fear of melting it

personally, I think its overpriced and vulnerable to puncture, Im not a buyer.

For my needs, a 5 gallon solar bag shower in the luggage rack is prefferable, as I can tie it to the front luggage cleat, flop the bag over the windshield, and shower sitting on the front bumper.. And a solar bag shower sits below line of sight, covered with a motorcycle helmet net so it does not flop onto the windshield at the wrong time.

However, out of all the options mentioned, in foggy and overcast conditions where solar heating is not going to happen, neither to a roadshower, nor to a bag shower, the hard plastic garden sprayer is superior, and costs less, and it can be filled with hot water without concern for melting. The downside to the garden sprayer is it does not pack down as small as the REI shower or a bag shower.

I would buy this Duckworth modified garden sprayer, before a roadshower or an REI Helio
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photogdave
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 22, 2014 10:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice summary of the various showers. Thanks Jon.
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Jon_slider
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 24, 2014 10:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

one more
http://tinyurl.com/kj97p55
bottle is translucent for ease in checking the fluid level, it might even warm up in the sun better than the thick black Duckworth or Wall mart on page 1... this is 2 gallon, there is also 3 gallon...
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4x4BNB
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 25, 2014 3:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.walmart.com/ip/RL-Flo-Master-2-gallon-Wood-Masonry-Sprayer/13376326

Viola. It's even black...already
Plus...I use as a fire extinguisher, too
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rubbachicken
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 25, 2014 3:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

my father an i used to build the occasional RV interior into sprinter vans, they all had solar showers on them, black pipe worked a treat, we plumbed them so that cold water at one end pushed the hot water out, refilling it for the next shower, you could feel the temp getting cooler as you were running out of hot water, and no need for a bleed or vent valve.
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Rodknock
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 25, 2014 5:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've tried a lot of different shower set-ups and still find my 4 (or 5?) gal Stearns solar shower bag to work best. If it is cloudy I heat up water in a pot on the stove, hang the bag on one of the table legs, and pour hot water into the bag using a small funnel. Recently did this and it was snowing out Shocked . Hot shower felt great. Even in partly cloudy conditions I heat a little water on the stove to add to the solar heated bag to bring the temp up. As far as hauling water, it weighs about 6 lbs per gallon. That's a lot of weight to put up high. Many campgrounds have water available, and if not I just fill up my Platypus gravity-fed water filter from a lake or stream and in a few minutes have plenty of clean water without having hauled it over the mountains on the roof of the van. I appreciate the ingenuity of these different shower methods though. Sometimes the old tried-and-true car camping or backpacking methods are hard to beat.
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Jon_slider
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 25, 2014 9:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

> Viola. It's even black...already

Yes, thats on page 1 of this thread. The point of posting the clear version is so you can tell how much water is left inside. And since thick black containers don't heat up water in the sun very fast, or at all in Foggy NorCal… black is a disadvantage.

> cold water at one end pushed the hot water out, refilling it for the next shower

sounds like that assumes the RV is hooked up to a hose. And yes, black pipe might work great in SoCal, but its pretty worthless in NorCal fog.

> As far as hauling water, it weighs about 6 lbs per gallon

8 lbs per gallon actually. So a 5 gallon bag is 40 pounds, but you don't have to fill it all the way. 2 Gallons is enough for a shower..

thanks for the comment that you pour boiling water into it. Sounds like the right move for overcast weather. Thats what the Garden Sprayers are good at too, holding hot water, and no funnel needed, the mouth is big.

Also, if you fill a Garden Sprayer from a hot faucet, and wrap in a towel, water is still warm hours later.

Lots of options, good discussion

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=5437854#5437854
Jon_slider wrote:
Here is a pic of how much the Duckworth sticks up above the luggage rack.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


in my experience, summer in Malibu Ca, the Duckworth does not heat up the water in the sun.. The solar bag, in the foreground of the same picture does heat the water, in Malibu summer, but not in Santa Cruz fog..

Jugs work great for holding heat, the water stays warm for hours, if you fill it with hot water from a sink.. I suggest carrying a piece of hose long enough to reach from a bathroom faucet to the water tank on the floor, as it wont fit under the faucet..

I like to put my hot water jug in my wetsuit before going surfing. When I put the wetsuit on, I wrap my towel around the hot water jug, so it stays insulated while surfing.. Ive gone as long as 4 hours between the time I filled the jug and when I used it to shower, and it was still warm.

I actually use a jug now, no pump sprayer, but the jug was free..
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gene l
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 26, 2014 8:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I received my duckworks shower the other day. It suits my need perfectly.The only fault I can find, is my wife wants to use it around the house for other purposes.
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Jem5649
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 31, 2014 7:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So for those of you who were asking how to fill roof rack showers, I have the answer. I bought a $20 12V water pump off ebay and 50' of hose. I installed 10 feet of hose on the "outgoing" end and 40' on the "ingoing" side. I then bolted it up just below the passenger side seat belt reel and wired it to my battery. Now all I have to do is throw one end in a river ad the other in the tank on the roof and switch it on!
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