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Sodo
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 6:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here's our vanagon method.

If in a crowded area, use the shower in the public bathroom. Usually we would avoid such a place as a camp-spot unless we 'needed' the shower, and then, only stay there one night.

If not in a crowded area, decide which side of the van is more exposed, and hang your shower on the other side.

This method has its drawbacks, sometimes you don't shower enough and then you have to go in seek of developed sites as mentioned above.
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Jon_slider
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 7:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here is a D cell powered shower pump. On sale at Cabellas for $20

It could be used by boiling water that is poured into the sink, or a bucket, then run the shower out the window, or take the bucket outside..

http://tinyurl.com/476s48

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.
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[email protected]
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 7:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jon_slider wrote:
Here is a D cell powered shower pump. On sale at Cabellas for $20

It could be used by boiling water that is poured into the sink, or a bucket, then run the shower out the window, or take the bucket outside..

http://tinyurl.com/476s48

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


I have one simaliar to this but you can use the D cells or plug it into 12volts. the head has an adjustable flow as well.

My neighbor stopped by to show me the one he had got for his camp site. Its virtually the same except just has a 12volt socket attached to it. You plug that into a supplied battery box if you do not have 12 volt outlet. I thought that was a better setup, I'm just not quite sure where he found it. so far its the best low dollar one I have seen, although the shower head will not fully shut off, it will drip slightly in the closed position (I guess so it won't burn up the pump). I would think it would work pretty good with Wolfies setup, I would boil a teapot of water, pour it into the sink and then just fill the remaing space of the sink basin with water from the storage tank to cool it down to correct temp and pump from there Smile
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wolfej1
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 7:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

[email protected] wrote:
Jon_slider wrote:
Here is a D cell powered shower pump. On sale at Cabellas for $20

It could be used by boiling water that is poured into the sink, or a bucket, then run the shower out the window, or take the bucket outside..

http://tinyurl.com/476s48

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


I have one simaliar to this but you can use the D cells or plug it into 12volts. the head has an adjustable flow as well.

My neighbor stopped by to show me the one he had got for his camp site. Its virtually the same except just has a 12volt socket attached to it. You plug that into a supplied battery box if you do not have 12 volt outlet. I thought that was a better setup, I'm just not quite sure where he found it. so far its the best low dollar one I have seen, although the shower head will not fully shut off, it will drip slightly in the closed position (I guess so it won't burn up the pump). I would think it would work pretty good with Wolfies setup, I would boil a teapot of water, pour it into the sink and then just fill the remaing space of the sink basin with water from the storage tank to cool it down to correct temp and pump from there Smile


I like this.... would eliminate carrying the bulky pump sprayer ....the sink reservoir would probably hold just enough water for one shower....and the pressure would remain constant out of the spray head. Outstanding!

However.....I was looking at the website and it looks like the button for the pump is located on the yellow box where the batteries for the pump are located. This would be kind of a bummer for this setup because for this type of shower you are not leaving the water on, but are turning it on and off constantly. Having to reach and continually press a button on that box would become a drag. Now if the the pump button were located on the spray head......I think that would be perfect -at least for the folks using the hot water in the sink method combined with the interior enclosure.
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climberjohn
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 08, 2008 7:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

People,

Simplicity, simplicity.

Here's a long time backpacker trick that works great for van camping.

Procure an empty 2 liter pop bottle.
Drill a few holes in the lid.
Pour hot water into bottle, screw on lid.
Instant hot water dispenser for shower

Free, fast, minimal clutter of extra stuff in your van.

Albert Einstein (and others): “Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to be added, but when there is nothing more to be taken away.” 
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Jon_slider
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 27, 2008 7:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here is a pocket shower hanging next to a shower bag for size comparison
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


here are the size of the two showers when ready to store
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Some observations about the pocket shower
The pocket shower is not waterproof if you lay it on its side on top of the luggage rack, the rolled opening leaks. It is only water tight when hanging. The flow from the shower head is a mild tricle. It wont heat up in the sun during winter, but it has a nice wide mouth so pouring hot water in is easy, no funnel required.

Some observations about the plastic bag Camp Shower.
This one also leaks, at the fill plug, if laid on the luggage rack plug side down, which exposes a clear plastic side to heat up better. This bag also wont heat up in winter, pouring hot water into it requires a funnel. This particular shower was very inexpensive, 5.99, I also have a more expensive model that has a screw on cap that does not leak. I have kept a solar bag shower on my luggage rack while on the freeway, no problems, tied at the front only. For added security, I used a bunji net used to hold motorcycle helmets, covering half the luggage rack, with the shower bag under it. The shower is not visible unless you get up on the wheel to look into the luggage rack, and it can stay up there for days at a time, full of water, ready to be deployed without need to find a way to fill the bag when you are ready to shower. I dont use my westy faucet to fill shower bags..


compare and contrast
Pocket shower packs away very tiny, plastic bag shower takes a bit more room.

Pocket shower cannot be aimed, plastic bag shower can have the sprayer clipped to the bag, clip point built into the bag, so even if I hang the shower on my windshield, I can aim the spray to land on my head with both hands free, not so with a pocket shower.

Pocket shower spray head is very weak trickle, plastic camp shower flows more water, works better as a shower.

Conclusion
for small, Pocket Shower
for effective, Plastic Camp Shower
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aswah
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:05 am    Post subject: shower? Reply with quote

do you all really worry about this that much? When I camp I generally shower every three days and by then I usually am ready to move. I pull into a campground, shower, get gas and keep on truckin' down the road. Finding a shower never seems to be a problem. I did buy a solar shower that worked great for ten bucks. Carrying the extra water to use for a shower seems a bit odd. I fill the water tank (13 gallons) which we use solely for washing dishes (that last us one week), I carry about ten gallons of water for drinking during the same time frame. I couldn't imagine hauling even more water just for a shower.

God bless and all, I just do not understand the need for this...
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DAIZEE
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sponge baths until you really need a shower. Hair is a bigger issue. I carry a marine solar bag.

That yellow pump, could you wire it with a foot pump for on and off control?
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Blueconundrum
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 9:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Solar showers make the most sense to me, but it seems they don't work well when it's cold out or overcast. I keep thinking that on a sunny but cold day, would it work to park your vehicle facing the sun and put up a foil windshield reflector, then sandwich the bag between the reflector and the windshield? It might concentrate the warmth and keep errant breezes from cooling the bag.
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Jon_slider
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 10:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

> do you all really worry about this that much?

nah, that was 2 years ago

now I just fill a jug with hot water and dump it over my head.. picture here
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=4709731#4709731

what I worried about is where to get the hot water without carrying it, so I decided a gas station bathroom would do the job, so long as I carry a piece of hose long enough to go from faucet to jug on floor, cause the jug wont fit under a gas station sink faucet.. as you might anticipate..

your choice how big a jug to carry.. I know how to take a shower with 1 gallon.. 2 gallons is luxurious to me.. I carry a 2 gallon jug.. you can see the hose inside..

and if the water goes cold, it goes into my westy water tank, as drinking water..

I think its nuts to use the westy water tank for dishes, its my tea water, but then, I dont eat as well as aswah Smile, and I drink more tea than he does wine.. I think <g>

I have put my solar bag shower behind my windshield with my silver side sunscreen behind it.. it helps very little if it is winter, low sun angle, short solar day length..

solar showers are really a sunny summer thing.. pretty useless in the evening..
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VanWilder
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 10:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Shower Bottles.. 2 of them cooking up top on the rack all day.

We shower everyday. Its not hard to make that happen. Laughing
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Californio
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 11:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

As regards hot water production, it seems there should be a way to coil tubing around a header, attach to 12v pump and water supply on one end and shower head on the other, start engine and lather up.

The reason I say header rather than another heat source (dometic pilot, coolant hoses, etc.) is that it would be much faster to get hot water, and so would use less gas.
No solder near the header, duh.
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Jon_slider
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 12:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The aptly named BushRanger
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

http://bushranger.com.au/hot_water_shower.php

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


http://www.helton.com.au/shower%20units.htm
"Helton heat exchangers are available as a complete installation kit with all components including heat exchanger, 12 volt pump and shower, fresh water and heater hoses, hose clamps, bumper bracket and barbs. Everything you need for a complete installation !! complete kits $279.00 "


Link



Link

"I plumbed mine in so I have two snap on connections on the left side of the car. They are protected by the running board. I also put a inline filter incase i draw water from a damn."

another diy option is a coil of copper tubing connected to the cooling system and dropped into a westy water tank, which you dont have in a Weekender..

for another option google Zodi Extreme..
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Californio
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 13, 2010 1:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

These look like pretty sturdy units.

Still, if you plumbed directly to the header, you'd have hot water in a matter of seconds rather than having to wait for the whole cooling system to get hot, then exchange the heat into a tank, etc.

If anyone did this, important to put a temp/pressure valve in the line...probably would work as a steam cleaner in a few minutes as well...ymmv...
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