Suggestions on a Makeshift, Indoor Shower?

[April]

I am curious if anyone has any suggestions on putting together an
indoor shower. I have a 17' Burro Widebody trailer with a real
bathroom, but unfortunately, no hot water heater. I am trying to
figure out how to rig up a shower using hot water from a solar shower
bag. I have seen some set ups in the past where people will pour the
hot water from the solar shower into a large 5 gallon bucket, and then
use a pump (maybe a bilge pump?) to pump the water to a shower head in
the shower. The two things I am looking advice on are what kind of
pump would work best, and what is a good brand of water-saving
hand-held shower head? I have looked at some bilge pumps that pump at
360 gph (60gpm), but I am worried the bilge pump could burn up if it
was constricted by a 1.5 gpm shower head. I have read about the Coleman
portable shower in other postings, but I don't like that it is powered by batteries. I
would like to be able to wire the pump into the 12 V system. I am hoping to keep this project affordable. I really only need to buy the bilge pump, the on/off switch, and maybe a better shower head.

Does anyone have any suggestions, or have fabricated something similar without batteries?

Dreaming of a Nice, Hot, Indoor Shower,
-April

[Daniel V.]

Does anyone have any suggestions, or have fabricated something similar without batteries?

Not sure yet if this would be practical or not, but I'm considering making a portable shower out of a stainless steel garden sprayer such as this Zodi extreme shower. No batteries required, and can be used indoors or outdoors. Heat it on the stove or leave it in the sun. I got the idea from here.

[Gina D.]

I recently purchased one of these

Reliance "On Tap" portable shower unit

It has a 12v line that can be plugged into a ciggy lighter, so you wouldn't need to hard wire it in. You obviously, would have to figure a way to keep the socket out of the shower stream, but the cord is very long.

I actually purchased it to pump water out of my rolling water tote and into my fresh tank for campgrounds that have community spigots.

It works very well. I run the power line in thru my kitchen window and to a socket that is on the front of my cabinet there. It also has a power box that holds D cells to get your 12v and could be used that way. You said you didn't like batteries, but it is an option.

I had a Coleman unit that performed very well for years. I finally broke the switch on it, and frankly, it was easier to replace than repair time wise. I saw this unit which has some mating parts for my reliance tote and am just as pleased with it.

Yep, get a big old 5 gallon bucket, heat water on the stove, pour in bucket, put pump in bucket, turn on and shower!

[Connie M.]

My husband and I used a garden sprayer for showers on our way to Alaska many years ago. Heat the water, pump up the pressure, and sluice yourself off. Worked great.

[April]

My husband and I used a garden sprayer for showers on our way to Alaska many years ago. Heat the water, pump up the pressure, and sluice yourself off. Worked great.

That sounds like a really good, simple idea! Do they make 3-5 gallon garden sprayers?

Thanks!

-April

[April]

Not sure yet if this would be practical or not, but I'm considering making a portable shower out of a stainless steel garden sprayer such as this Zodi extreme shower. No batteries required, and can be used indoors or outdoors. Heat it on the stove or leave it in the sun. I got the idea from here.

Pretty cool! I will have to show this one to my boyfriend. Why bother buying a hot water heater when you have this?

Thanks,
-April

[April]

I recently purchased one of these

Reliance "On Tap" portable shower unit

It has a 12v line that can be plugged into a ciggy lighter, so you wouldn't need to hard wire it in. You obviously, would have to figure a way to keep the socket out of the shower stream, but the cord is very long.

I actually purchased it to pump water out of my rolling water tote and into my fresh tank for campgrounds that have community spigots.

It works very well. I run the power line in thru my kitchen window and to a socket that is on the front of my cabinet there. It also has a power box that holds D cells to get your 12v and could be used that way. You said you didn't like batteries, but it is an option.

I had a Coleman unit that performed very well for years. I finally broke the switch on it, and frankly, it was easier to replace than repair time wise. I saw this unit which has some mating parts for my reliance tote and am just as pleased with it.

Yep, get a big old 5 gallon bucket, heat water on the stove, pour in bucket, put pump in bucket, turn on and shower!

This looks pretty cool. I will have to see if I can find one on the USA Amazon site.

Thanks!

April

[Gina D.]

I picked mine up at a Bass Pro shop. 24 bucks, I think.

I am sure the are sold in most sporting goods stores.

[Connie M.]

Not sure what sizes of garden sprayers are currently available, but I'm thinking of getting a new one to use in our Trillium. If you spray to wet down, then soapy up, then spray to rinse off, it really doesn't take too much water. Seems like I use the most water rinsing my hair.

But the more I look at that Reliance "On Tap" system, the more I am intrigued. I'll have to think on which way will require the least amount of extra gear to stow.

[Coach George Jessup]

using hot water from coffee pot, fire/stove top, orrr????? fill up one of the below and go at it.

. hand held squirt bottle

. Gal. bucket and a big sponges?

. pressure bottle sprayer with modified head like THIS ONE

[Coach George Jessup]

Solar- Previous owner of my Unimog had on its camper top a 6" PVC pipe with end caps and a hose. Hose stored inside while not in use by unscrewing one of the end caps.

Never saw it in operation due to dissasemly but I assume you filled it with water at some point to soak up the heat of the sun and then hosed down with it in the evening. It was a good 5 feet long so used conservatably could essentually serve several people. Granted the Unimog did a bit of desert travel before I got it.

[Joy A]

I have the Coleman Battery Powered Shower. It's similar to the Reliance but runs on 4 D batteries. It works great. I just drop the pump into the water and step on the button.

I mainly use the pump without the shower head to pump water out of 5 gallon collapsable jugs into my fresh water tank. It does it in just a couple of minutes.

[Coach George Jessup]

just posted this on another thread and thought it would fit here too.

Put a fold away shelf on the wall appropriat for sink height when folded out. Also put a portable sink on a permanent shelf up high say behind the john where you obviously do not stand up; unless your prone to standing on toilets for some strange reason. For sink use pull it out and stick it on the fold out shelf.

For showers use.. fill it with hot water (link below is one that holds three gallons) and place it back on its high shelf and shower away.

Portable Sink

Dont see why you could not put a quick connect hose onto it then attach a flow thru heater and hose w/shower head. Heaters like the ones that come with the battery heated portable showers as mentioned in here previously. Well I assume they have some sort of heating element.