Adding a bath to a 13' Burro or?

[Kirki]

So many deals on 13' fiberglass units w/o bath (of course)

Any info on adding one??

Thanks

[Robin G]

Personally, I think it would be harder to add a bath rather than wait for a 13'er come up for sale with a bath....... Just my opinion, but can't see that it would be a easy chore!

I know it's hard to wait, but sometimes the wait is worth it.......... good luck!


Or buy a 13ft without and buy a outdoor camp shower.


Welcome to the forum, glad you joined us!

[CindyL]

Several people have put in a portable shower like we did on our previous 13' Burro. Hubby rigged out a 4-sided PVC pipe into a square that we put shower curtains on and added screws to the ceiling for the fish line to hold them up. Then we bought a camp shower. Portapotty came out at night. Others build portapotty into the front seat.

And then there are people who turn the front bunk area into a bathroom.

Others created showers outside using shower tents.

CindyL

[Kirki]

Thanks it's what I figured. I'm going to wait for a 16"

[CindyL]

Well, after adding the bathroom in our Burro, we never used it and ended up trading up for a 16' Uhaul . However, we rarely use the shower in it. We look for clean campgrounds. Having the bathroom, or really a privacy room in the Uhaul, has been great though.

CindyL

[RogerDat]

There are a number of phone booth sized dome tents that are for shower/changing and port-a-potti use. Mesh floors that drain are a good feature for shower and toilet use. Depends on what you want or need as to if the "portable" approach will work for you.

Having added a bathroom to a home built motorhome I would say non-trivial undertaking to install a wet bathroom and I had a lot more space to work with than a 13 ft FGRV does. And metal floor so no wood floor to rot if I had a leak someplace.

I would rather use a portable toilet than many outhouses at rustic sites, and someone posted a neat solar shower that was just plastic milk or juice jugs with holes drilled in the cap to make it a sprinkler. Set in sun to warm, or fill with heated water. Easy pour handle and you can see how much water you have left.

[MN Jim]

I like the milk-jug-shower idea and plan to steal it! Great idea! Thanks!
A co-worker has a new class A but did not plan to use the bathroom (to keep it new and fresh, I guess?). Instead they camp near restroom facilities. However, this weekend, she got stomach flu or food poisoning. Needless to say, the bathroom got broken in and well used. Made us think twice about what to look for in a trailer...

[Robin G]

Well, I can't get the link to post correctly from my original, Portable Camp Shower post. But here is the pic of it, self explanitory so shouldn't be a problem without the discussion.......





As well as another idea I ran across for a camp shower!

[Thomas G.]

This was my solution on a recent camping trip.

The water is heated in the black solar shower bag and transferred to the 2 liter pop bottle. Dollar store shower curtains are hung from a 1/2" plastic pipe hoop under the screen room, water is captured in a doggy wading pool. Total cost under $10.

[Green Frog]

Having had my '83 Burro (13 footer) for a little over a year now, I can't imagine giving up the space needed for any kind of indoor plumbing beyond the existing kitchen sink... there just ain't now room for it! BTW, I camp by myself and seem to fill up the available space; with 2 people, you'd have to go outside just to change your mind! I love it for what it is, but don't think you should try to make it what it isn't. Rather, if you want more amenities, go for at least a 16 footer. JMHO, YMMV.

Froggie

[Dick N]

Originally Posted by Green Frog

Having had my '83 Burro (13 footer) for a little over a year now, I can't imagine giving up the space needed for any kind of indoor plumbing beyond the existing kitchen sink... there just ain't now room for it! BTW, I camp by myself and seem to fill up the available space; with 2 people, you'd have to go outside just to change your mind! I love it for what it is, but don't think you should try to make it what it isn't. Rather, if you want more amenities, go for at least a 16 footer. JMHO, YMMV.

Froggie

To each his own. That is what makes life interesting. But just to remark on the above post. We have a 13 foot Scamp with a shower and camode. My wife and I have no problem with the arrangement. We never use campground showers. Why would we want to with our own shower? And we rarely sit outside. The point is that a 13 foot with bath is very workable and in fact we would have it no other way. Granted as Froggie expresses, others may want and need the space but others do not. As I said, to each his own.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Dick N

To each his own. That is what makes life interesting. But just to remark on the above post. We have a 13 foot Scamp with a shower and camode. My wife and I have no problem with the arrangement. We never use campground showers. Why would we want to with our own shower? And we rarely sit outside. The point is that a 13 foot with bath is very workable and in fact we would have it no other way. Granted as Froggie expresses, others may want and need the space but others do not. As I said, to each his own.

Since you rarely sit outside, what's the attraction to going camping? Why spend the gas and camping fees if you're going to stay inside?

Wondering minds would like to know.

[RogerDat]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

Since you rarely sit outside, what's the attraction to going camping? Why spend the gas and camping fees if you're going to stay inside?

Wondering minds would like to know.

I'm an outside person (cooking, reading, eating etc.) and only dress and sleep in camper, or flee the bugs but.....

I never ever have to do the yardwork at the campground or the never ending list of fixes and projects around the house. Both major improvements to my mood of general relaxation.

Still will never understand how my sister goes camping and does not bother with a campfire. I say Huh?

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by RogerDat

I'm an outside person (cooking, reading, eating etc.) and only dress and sleep in camper, or flee the bugs but.....

I never ever have to do the yardwork at the campground or the never ending list of fixes and projects around the house. Both major improvements to my mood of general relaxation.

Still will never understand how my sister goes camping and does not bother with a campfire. I say Huh?

I don't bother with a campfire. For one thing a campfire draws your undivided attention to the dancing flames and bright coals. It ruins your night vision and prevents you from seeing the creatures of the night. I recall one evening while camped on wilderness lake we went for a little walk by moon light. There was another couple down the lake a bit we stopped to talk a bit. While talking I was watching the kangaroo mice jump over their feet. They had a fire they were watching and never saw what was at their feet. I never bothered to point it out, instead watched the show and left with the memories of antics of those kangaroo mice.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Back on subject.
I vote for the solar shower. We've used one for years. In the back country where nobody's around hanging from a tree branch gives a nice warm shower. Where there's people a swim suit preserves modesty. However one has to be careful of rules and regulations. Some places don't allow for soapy water on the ground.
We've also found that a nice dip in a lake when possible washes the dust off and refreshes.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Another option I use is this Read the reviews and I'll add mine. They large enough to do the job, they don't dry out before completing a complete wash. They remove odor causing bacteria. You feel pretty clean after use.

[RogerDat]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

I don't bother with a campfire. For one thing a campfire draws your undivided attention to the dancing flames and bright coals. It ruins your night vision and prevents you from seeing the creatures of the night.....instead watched the show and left with the memories of antics of those kangaroo mice.

We have had so many fun and interesting conversations around a campfire, we tend to keep it small just a bed of coals and a piece of wood or two. Sometimes that undivided attention is nice, "watching the fairies dance on the coals".

For stargazing we do have to move out and let our eyes adjust.

Dog owner, schnauzer always sees mice first, we see it when it's in her mouth. We would have had a totally different experience with the kangaroo mice, yours sounds like a nicer memory.

Up in the national forest one night sitting by our small bed of coals in the middle of the woods the dogs head came up, ears tipped forward and his head slowly followed something moving past the clearing we were in. Wife had that fire full of kindling pretty quick, me I just blew on it to get it going. To avoid the smoke ya know.

That national forest camping is one reason it would be nice to have a bath, but also why we don't need one. Who is going to see?

[BCDave]

Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman

Since you rarely sit outside, what's the attraction to going camping? Why spend the gas and camping fees if you're going to stay inside?

Wondering minds would like to know.

We also very, very rarely sit outside. But then "camping" has NO attraction for us anyway. The trailer is a hotel room. Period. It is used ONLY if where we are going has no hotels nearby.

When you figure in the added cost of fuel for towing plus the costs of campgrounds, plus the fact that campgrounds are usually not located in any convenient spot, it is usually much less costly to travel sans trailer and use hotels - which are generally much more comfortable in any case.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by BCDave

We also very, very rarely sit outside. But then "camping" has NO attraction for us anyway. The trailer is a hotel room. Period. It is used ONLY if where we are going has no hotels nearby.

When you figure in the added cost of fuel for towing plus the costs of campgrounds, plus the fact that campgrounds are usually not located in any convenient spot, it is usually much less costly to travel sans trailer and use hotels - which are generally much more comfortable in any case.

I see, city folk.
Thanks for answering.
As for me I don't ever want to stay in a Motel or Hotel again. But, we're closer to mountain folk than city folk.

[BCDave]

Actually - we moved out of the city 11 years ago last month.

Lived and worked in many many places - and NONE of them were "city" until 25 years ago. Only lied "in the city" for a few years.

Lived in Northwest Territories. Have canoed and tented all over.

Worked in jobs that required me to be dropped off by floatplane and travel by canoe until plane picks me up "over there" in 3 weeks.

Spent 2 summers doing post-grad research work traveling by small boat and by canoe, tenting.

AND the very best thing of all is THAT I NEVER have to do that again! I can now pretend to be civilized!

My wife grew up in a family that camped for vacations. Part of her agreeing to marry me was that I had to promise that we would not ever go camping! As she said - if we can't afford to go in comfort, lets not go!

We have been married for 34 years (Coming up on 35!).

Our Bigfoot 21 is the most comfortable trailer we've owned. We went to the spring NOG just to see if we'd like doing something like that.

Nearest decent restaurant was a good half hour or more away.

Nothing whatever to do at the park (world's most BORING place to spend a weekend!!!!!)

At least there was the Tillamook air museum , and the incredibly spectacular Evergreen Air Museum (featuring the Spruce Goose) in McMinnville. Portland wasn't too far away either. We'd go to see the museums, but not specifically just "to go camping". Hotels are usually a lot handier than campgrounds for going to attractions (although there is VERY nice campground that is literally right next door to the Evergreen museum)

On our way home from the NOG, we stayed in a campground in a suburb of Portland. $46.00 per night. Considering the extra fuel etc to bring the trailer, it likely would have cost less to take the wife's car instead and use hotel rooms.