In praise of the 1 gallon pump sprayer.

[The Minimalist]

Some may remember my story about how we got our Little Joe. I was going to build a teardrop. Laura asked me if we could get a toilet in there, so I modified the plan. Then she asked if we could have a shower. Well, long story short, we ended up with the Little Joe, with a cassette toilet, but no shower.

I've had an idea for a shower of sorts banging around in the bean for some time, so on our last trip I brought along a 15 x 19 inch Rubbermaid commercial buss pan, with the idea of buying a 1 gallon pump sprayer and a shower curtain on the road. My idea was to hang the shower curtain from the ceiling using Velcro backed hooks on the rat fur.

Well, lo and behold, we walk into WalMart and there, right by the front door, are 1 gallon pump sprayers on special for $5!

So, here is the setup. Place hooks on the ceiling to match the outline of the buss pan, which is placed on the floor. In the Joe we put it in the galley, between the stove and the sink. Hang the curtain from the hooks, with the opening toward the sink. Put half a gallon of cold water, then add a half gallon of hot water to the tank, pump it up and place it in the sink. Run the hose sprayer through the curtain opening.Voila, a shower! In the Joe this puts the shower directly under the Fantastic Fan, so we also have effective shower ventilation.

Yes, you do have to be careful that the curtain bottom stays inside the buss pan, and we are talking about a 15 x 19 inch shower, so you have to plan your moves, but it works. And, you also have to pour the water from the pan to the sink.

Now, to keep all in perspective, this is a warm 'shower', as opposed to the ice cold Navy showers we are used to in the Smokies.

We have a set of those 3M Command hooks, the ones with the pivoting metal hook on a white pad. We place Velcro Heavy Duty hook pads on the backs. These hold very well on the rat fur and we use them to hang a variety of items on the walls while we are camping.

But we have also found that we use less water rinsing dishes with the sprayer. And, if you remove the wand, it's great for washing hair. Removal of the wand is recommended for rinsing the nether regions as well.

I set up the sprayer and buss pan under our canopy and washed Laura's hair. She felt that she was in the lap of luxury.

When we are packing up, the sprayer is used for rinsing debris from some of our outdoor items.

So, there you have it. The Little Joe has a shower........ of sorts. Actually, I think this approximates the shower setup in the Ponderosa version.

I was in WalMart this week. The pump sprayers were still on sale.

[Bill Nolen]

Some people have been known to paint the 1-gal sprayer a dark color and place it outside in the sun for warm showers!

Bill

[RandyNH]

Most people are broader on the top half than at their feet, so long as your curtain ends in the pan you can make the top as large a circle as you'd like to allow movement. That's why i have one of those outward curved curtain rods in the tub at home, works like a charm.

[k corbin]

There is another shower pan/tub option that is a little larger but not too large. It also happens to be very sturdy as well. Quite inexpensive and easy to find are other bonus points. They are made for mixing small batches of bagged concrete where you use a hoe for the mixing tool. So you know they must be good and strong as well as durable to handle that heavy duty task. They look very acceptable, color is black, price is under $10.00. I had one of them around for years when I owned houses.
Medium Mixing Tub-887101A - The Home Depot

You might want to put in a barbed spigot meant for plastic buckets so you can attach a drain hose. Here is an example of one. Just turn it sideways so you can get it low down on the side of the tub near a corner. Water in the hose will run downhill and out the door into a bucket or storage container for reusing for other tasks such as washing clothes, flushing the toilet, etc.
http://mylhbs.com/6.5-gal-Bottling-B...%22-Barb-0181/

[Mike Magee]

Have you thought of suspending a hula hoop from your 3M hooks (by wires or something)? Then put your curtain rings on the hula hoop. Not sure if this would give you more shoulder room or less... depends on your current setup.

Does 1 gallon of water suffice for a shower?

[Timber Wolf]

We use a 2 gallon sprayer, and I replaced the wand with a sink sprayer sourced from Amazon with a fitting from Ace.

[DavidG]

Originally Posted by k corbin

There is another shower pan/tub option that is a little larger but not too large. It also happens to be very sturdy as well. Quite inexpensive and easy to find are other bonus points. They are made for mixing small batches of bagged concrete where you use a hoe for the mixing tool. So you know they must be good and strong as well as durable to handle that heavy duty task. They look very acceptable, color is black, price is under $10.00. I had one of them around for years when I owned houses.
Medium Mixing Tub-887101A - The Home Depot

You might want to put in a barbed spigot meant for plastic buckets so you can attach a drain hose. Here is an example of one. Just turn it sideways so you can get it low down on the side of the tub near a corner. Water in the hose will run downhill and out the door into a bucket or storage container for reusing for other tasks such as washing clothes, flushing the toilet, etc.
6.5 Gallon Bottling Bucket Spigot - 3/8" Barb - myLocal HomeBrew Shop

-------------------------<<<((( 0)))>>>--------------------- The mixing tub looks like a good idea : I recently said in a post on here that I found a folding dog bath tub that collapsed to about 2' thick, had a drain hose, and fit in the Scamp open area. I found a new one at a yard sale for $2 ! But on my scamp I would not pin any shower curtain or rods to the ceiling rat fur. On older trailers the rat fur invariably starts sagging and that would make it worse . But collapsible curtain rods could rest in the openings for the upper cabinets or be held by small fittings on the closet side. Some hand-held plant spray bottles are smaller but easy to use . Remember : " Clean Mind, Clean Body . Take your pick ! " David in Fresno and Sonora, CA

[Burro Bill]

I've been using a 2 gallon sprayer for few
years now and it works great. I put it in the
sun to heat the water or add hot water heated
on the stove if it's too cold. I modified the spray
wand to a garden sprayer with six settings and use
it for everything. I call it My Redneck Shower!
Don't leave home without it.