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Honuak Samba Member
Joined: April 21, 2009 Posts: 521 Location: AK
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Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 12:26 am Post subject: Shower with a floor drain |
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Alright. I admit, I have too much time to think about this stuff but my westy is currently my only retirement plan so...how about a floor drain? My van is currently being restored and I've looked at all the options for re-doing the floor and it occured to me...how cool would it be to steath shower? Cool! Right?
The question is, how? Without making things too heavy, thinset and tile would weigh a ton and custom fabbing a fiberglass pan would be such a project...but I seldom let fear or common sence make a coward out of me...
Whatayallthinkthen?
SAMBA! |
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Corn1849 Samba Member
Joined: December 04, 2006 Posts: 116 Location: Wood River Valley, Idaho
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DAIZEE Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2010 Posts: 7552 Location: Greater Toronto Area Ontario West Side
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Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 3:33 am Post subject: |
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I think you are asking for problems rust, moisture. Build a shelter off your rear hatch and call that your shower. I wouldn't do it. _________________ '09 2.5L Jetta 5 cylinder, 5 spd, super turbo, see thread in H2O Cooled Jetta, etc...
83.5 Vanagon L Riviera Model with 98 1.9L TD AAZ 4 speed Daily Driver 3 out of 4 seasons (sold)
84 Vanagon GL Wolfsburg Westy WBX 4 speed (sold) |
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Honuak Samba Member
Joined: April 21, 2009 Posts: 521 Location: AK
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 5:31 am Post subject: Im doing it. |
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But I don’t have a Dehler, I can’t even pronounce that.
Now that my van is "done"...as if that will ever be true, I am revisiting this idea. I typed "custom shower pan" into the Google and numerous products pop up. Turns out that you can order almost any size, shape and drain location. I’m thinking that it would be great not just as a shower but for all kinds of things...wetsuit removal, wet boots, cleaning larger items...butchering a chicken...
Since I can’t actually do this project now (at work, remote location) I am looking to you, SAMBA brethren, to stoke me up/heckle me straight.
Abide |
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Honuak Samba Member
Joined: April 21, 2009 Posts: 521 Location: AK
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fastwagens Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004 Posts: 1028 Location: Michigan (The other west coast)
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 6:05 am Post subject: |
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if you are thinking you want something that is not permenant maybe you could do a 6" deep plastic tub Maybe 3' x 3' with a drain with a hose that you could shower than crack the slider and let it drain out. samba search (ultimate shower) there are some great ideas in that thread. |
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Honuak Samba Member
Joined: April 21, 2009 Posts: 521 Location: AK
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 6:11 am Post subject: |
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fastwagens wrote: |
if you are thinking you want something that is not permenant maybe you could do a 6" deep plastic tub Maybe 3' x 3' with a drain with a hose that you could shower than crack the slider and let it drain out. samba search (ultimate shower) there are some great ideas in that thread. |
That would work...but then I'd have to set all that up and carry it around. I want something built in and ready to go all the time. Plus I like to make things overly complicated...
I saw the ultimate shower thread...maybe I should delete this thread... |
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FNGRUVN Samba Member
Joined: October 27, 2007 Posts: 2237 Location: Fort Collins, CO
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 6:16 am Post subject: |
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Keep it simple.
Get one of those little kiddie pools that you inflate and use that as the shower base and hang a shower curtain from the top.
Even that sounds like a pain in the ass when there's a creek near by. _________________ "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." - Benjamin Franklin |
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GrindGarage Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2008 Posts: 710 Location: Ocean City, NJ
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 7:08 am Post subject: |
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There is a post of a Spanish fellow with dual sliders and rotating cabinets with a shower inside. He used a wrap around curtain and some kind of plastic base. I think the thread was on custom west cabinets? I mean westy dam iPad _________________ -cliff
91 Vanagon AUTO
97 Single Port EJ22 all smallcar.com |
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j_dirge Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2007 Posts: 4641 Location: Twain Harte, CA
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 7:16 am Post subject: |
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Honuak wrote: |
fastwagens wrote: |
if you are thinking you want something that is not permenant maybe you could do a 6" deep plastic tub Maybe 3' x 3' with a drain with a hose that you could shower than crack the slider and let it drain out. samba search (ultimate shower) there are some great ideas in that thread. |
That would work...but then I'd have to set all that up and carry it around. I want something built in and ready to go all the time. Plus I like to make things overly complicated...
I saw the ultimate shower thread...maybe I should delete this thread... |
RV shower pans:
http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/rv-pumps-water/rv-shower-pans.htm
Start cruising around the yacht websites, too
What is often done is to just water proof and enclose the head area with a shower curtain.
You don't need at-home style bathroom tiles and grout and such.. Good quality paint over marine ply would do fine for backsplash.
You can use a sump (and pump) instead of a drain thru floor..
Fabbing a custom f/g "pan" would not be that much of a project.. build the pan using 10mm marine play and encase in epoxy resi with one layer of 6ox glass... ta da!.. waterproof pan!
Can not remember if you have a Westy, but there's plenty of headroom to achieve something like that and the fold out idea used in the Dehler (also the name of a yahct building company, BTW) could be borrowed and developed upon.
Shower head would be a simple pull out.
Its not a bad idea towards a more self-contained outfit.
Maybe right behind the passenger seat? _________________ -89 GL Westy, SVX.. finally.
-57 pan f/g buggy with a 67 pancake Type 3 "S"
"Jimi Hendrix owned one. Richard Nixon did not"
-Grand Tour, Season 1, episodes 4 and 5
danfromsyr wrote: |
those are straight line runs with light weight race cars for only 1/4mile at a time..
not pushing a loaded brick up a mountain pass with a family of 4+ inside expecting to have an event free vacation..
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pioneer1 Samba Member
Joined: February 11, 2008 Posts: 2069 Location: Ontario Canada
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 2:06 pm Post subject: shower |
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Buy a Rialta _________________ "Always waiting for tomorrow ruined everything"
'85 Porsche 911 Targa
'76 Westfalia project |
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wolfsburg4x4 Samba Member
Joined: December 20, 2004 Posts: 102
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 2:25 pm Post subject: |
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The factory vinyl floor is perfectly waterproof ( unless you have the extra seat tracks ) , so you just need to add a perimeter lip to keep water from going places it shouldn't. If you install a drain in one of the corners and set up your van to have a slight slope in that direction .....viola
If you like an overcomplicated water system , I got that |
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Love My Westy Samba Member
Joined: August 08, 2007 Posts: 1839
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 3:52 pm Post subject: |
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My wife wanted an inside shower too. We ended up with one of these:
http://www.casitatraveltrailers.com/
Then she had to buy me a new truck to haul it.
I'm happy with my VW the way it is, 'don't want to make it into something it isn't. |
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vanagonjr Samba Member
Joined: October 07, 2010 Posts: 3431 Location: Dartmouth, Mass.
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 6:46 pm Post subject: Re: Im doing it. |
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Honuak wrote: |
But I don’t have a Dehler, I can’t even pronounce that.
Abide |
I can relate to wanting a shower. Some of the Mass. state parks we stay at have shower facilities that I bet would not be allowed in a prison. For the amount of trips I take, I'm going to rig up a rear shower curtain.
But long distance travel, I think a gray water tank and drain in the floor isn't too bad, but I think a molded shower pan would just take up too much space.
I don't have a great idea for you, but I thought a tarp bottom with a hole that would be inserted into the drain, shower curtain attached to this bottom tarp, so all drains into the hole in the floor. |
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westyventures Samba Member
Joined: December 29, 2004 Posts: 2306 Location: Oregon Outback
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 7:01 pm Post subject: |
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So, ya really want a shower? How about a toilet too? Oh the luxury...these are from the Karmann Gipsy/Cheetah forums where I hang out lately, after buying one of these rigs. Someday the bath in mine will look so nice...
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wolfsburg4x4 Samba Member
Joined: December 20, 2004 Posts: 102
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 7:39 pm Post subject: |
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Karl, i see cedar lining and steam !!!!!!!
then step out into the living room area with a wood burning stove... |
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Corwyn Samba Member
Joined: December 29, 2009 Posts: 2239 Location: Olympia, Washington
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 7:42 pm Post subject: |
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DUDE!
Use a shower curtain and a kiddie pool that drains out the door! You can PEE in it; everyone pees in the kiddie pool! _________________ '90 White Westy ("The Longship")
FAS Gen V 2.0
The Annual Baja Rally
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=604813&highlight=baja
"If anything's" gonna happen, it's gonna happen out there"
~ Captain Ron ~ |
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populuxe59 Samba Member
Joined: February 27, 2007 Posts: 87 Location: Green Bay
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 7:43 pm Post subject: |
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from a winnebago LeSharo, there is an insert that covers it when not in use. |
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Honuak Samba Member
Joined: April 21, 2009 Posts: 521 Location: AK
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 7:54 pm Post subject: I love the SAMBA |
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I love that I'm a thousand miles away from my project and I can still "work" on it. Lots of good info and ideas here. Many Thanks.
What I'm planning is cutting the westy floor (not the body) in as big an area as I can. I have a RMW box with a propex in it behind the passenger seat so probably the rectangular area aft of that. I'll use my Fein-tool to make it a clean cut. I'll order a shower pan that has as low a lip as possible to be just over the height of the westy floor around it. I'll get some marine deck pads or make something out of wood to bring the level (but still allow water to drain) up inside the shower pan to flush with the westy floor. I'll probably put some kind of padding on the westy floor that is left. What I'm aiming for is a seamless, factory look. Like something that Westfalia would have done.
Not to get up on my soapbox here but I don’t believe that the westy in the form it was sold should be considered a finished product, it was a product designed for mass market; they had to make a profit. Don’t get me wrong I am embarrassingly obsessed with how much I enjoyed my westy pre-customization. But there are plenty of areas for improvement, individualization. I did some custom (factory look) cabinet work in the rear that in my opinion (search my pics if you’re curious), for my needs, radically improves the livability and drivability of my van.
As another poster mentioned, his wife wanted a shower. My girlfriend would like the same, without having to find a decent campground or enough privacy to set up a shelter. I've stealth camped a lot, keeping clean sometimes with wet wipes, for weeks...I’m ready for some lux van living now.
I'll post pics of my project. When I start it, after I finish the dozen or so I'm already working on.
SAMBA! |
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1621 Samba Member
Joined: May 15, 2006 Posts: 2174
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Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2011 11:24 pm Post subject: |
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Sounds interesting, I'm eager to see what you come up with. So if I understand correctly, you'll essentially be mounting the pan like an over-mount or drop-in sink. Then some slats in the pant keep the floorig level, yes? How would you provide support under the pan, or would you need to?
Met a guy once who had done something similar. He wanted "basement" storage and removed the floor in the area next to the slider. He had a custom stainless tub with a drain built and dropped it in to create a cooler/live well/additional storage area. He put a hinged door over the top and through a rug over the top. _________________ '85 Westy |
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