Shower / Hot Water on-board system

[aai]

Do you guys notice any issues with the clear tubing over time? Any growth on the inside or does it stay clean?

there's a procedure to sanitize your fresh water tank if ever, appropriate amount of bleach per size tank. You can find write ups on RV sites, camping world etc. The way darkhorse13 designed it, you could literally dismount the entire system in minutes, or to replace the hose.

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[darkhorse13]

there's a procedure to sanitize your fresh water tank if ever, appropriate amount of bleach per size tank. You can find write ups on RV sites, camping world etc. The way darkhorse13 designed it, you could literally dismount the entire system in minutes, or to replace the hose.

I ran CAMCO TastePURE thru the tank/hose at the beginning of this season. I don't store mine for a long time with water in it. After each trip I drain the tank thru the spigot and leave the breather cap open to air out the system. On my next tire rotation I'll probably undo the rear fender liner and take a peek at the spigot hose. Bleach probably works the same and if you get paranoid you can easily buy new hose and replace the line completely in about 10 minutes like @aai mentions

 

[FairFrank]

thanks again for answering my pms and posting this diy. Finally have ours put together, and very happy with the setup. Didn't bother to fool around with the shower head and right away ordered the Joolca as you posted. An OVS shower room to match our 270 degree awning. Just a few things I did differently, we wanted the option to carry a little more water in case we do some cleaning at our rural property. Ordered the 32 gallon tank, basically same size as the 20 gallon you posted but 5" taller. In doing that I knew I had to build some sort of frame for support so I had ordered some 20/20 T track to play with. The harbor freight 4800 case was exact fit for the Eccotemp, so instead of hacking it up to vent and holes for provisions in the bottom for attachments, just decided to put a couple of stainless bolts on the outside and hang the eccotemp off it, to make it work

Congratz! How it goes with new showerheads? As far as I know, low water pressure is the main problem in these systems. Do they solve it or there is the sense to take a look at professional high-pressure showerheads?

 

[aai]

Pressure is more or less adjusted at the hot water heater, works great as others have mentioned and have used before me. Keep in mind, the higher pressure the more water used. I have a 3.5gpm pump. I was testing for how many showers I could get and see how long it would to empty my 32 gallon tank. With optimum setting for me I can empty that tank in 20 min. So adjusted to move 1.6gpm per minute? Plenty of pressure for a shower

 

[darkhorse13]

Hey everyone,
I always get a lot of interest in my hot shower at expos so I figured I'd put together a brand new, fully complete kit for sale. Don't know if anyone will actually buy one or if they just like the idea Anyway, I made up (1) complete box and figured I'd offer it up here.

Some of the highlights of this "new" design include...

1) More compact size case that still nests both the shower wand and propane hose
2) Quick disconnect water input and output fittings
3) Mirror and wash cloth hook
4) Side carry handle and rear handle for hanging shower box if not mounting
5) Vibration dampening rubber feet included for hard mounting to camper or truck bed rack

You just need a propane source and water hookup for endless hot water on your next adventure!

I'll post it on the Members Sale section but figured most of the people in this thread would be interested more than the general masses.

 

[Mules]

Nice idea! How much for your kit?

 

[vsayler]

Darkhorse13, what is the Adventure Mat you have in your picture in one of the early posts on this thread? I assume its something to stand on when you are getting a shower.
thanks
Van

 

[am1978]

I'll admit it, my wife and I love a good camp shower after a long day of MTB'ing. The Rebel Off-Road rack keeps shining with it's endless mounting configurations so I decided to add an EccoTemp hot water shower under the 23 Zero cube. All it takes is a propane source and a 12v water pump to enjoy a rinse before bed.

I went with a SEAFLO 3.0 GPM 45psi 12V pump from Amazon with 1/2" OD barb and some tubing to match from Home Depot. I also added a quick disconnect at the shower end to remove the tubing when taking out the tank in the bed for winter. Just hook up the shower to the 10lb propane tank, squeeze the trigger and you're clean!

Treat yourself to a hot shower on the next adventure or keep your hands from freezing while doing dishes in the morning... or both.

I use that same EcoTemp (5yrs now) and a propane tank for my off-grid cabin. The ecoTemp pulls water from a rain barrel using a 12v pump wired to a battery-powered DC switch. The battery is connected to a solar panel and a battery tender.

 

[am1978]

there's a procedure to sanitize your fresh water tank if ever, appropriate amount of bleach per size tank. You can find write ups on RV sites, camping world etc. The way darkhorse13 designed it, you could literally dismount the entire system in minutes, or to replace the hose.

If it doesn’t rain enough at the off-grid cabin (rain barrel) then I fill a bunch 3gal tanks at the lake to fill the barrel and then use chlorine according to this.

https://www.small-cabin.com/forum/3_5798_0.html

 

[darkhorse13]

I use that same EcoTemp (5yrs now) and a propane tank for my off-grid cabin. The ecoTemp pulls water from a rain barrel using a 12v pump wired to a battery-powered DC switch. The battery is connected to a solar panel and a battery tender.

Thanks for the input... yep, just a small 12v pump and any water source does the trick.

 

[darkhorse13]

Nice idea! How much for your kit?

Thanks, I threw my newly built one up on the marketplace = https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/hot-water-shower-box-kit.50665/#post-825379

 

[darkhorse13]

Darkhorse13, what is the Adventure Mat you have in your picture in one of the early posts on this thread? I assume its something to stand on when you are getting a shower.
thanks
Van

My friend turned me onto this company over 3 years ago and they are great! So compact and durable. We just leave it in the shower kit. I actually need to buy another to leave in the RTT for the base of the ladder.

 

[spectre6000]

Back in 2013, we experienced a 500 year flood in the canyons above Denver/Boulder. No gas for hot water, but we had electricity for the well pump and electric stove. I got a metal bodied garden sprayer from ACE, put some PEX tubing and a shower head on the end of it. Heat water up however you like (stove, fire, sun, engine, etc.), fill it up with whatever hot/cold mixture suits you, pump it up, and you're good to go. Plenty for me to get a full shower with water to spare. My wife has enough to shower, including washing her hair. Not as slick as some of the above options, but I can't imagine I have more than maybe $20 in it...

My wife dug the camp shower out this weekend for washing windows, and then this thread came to the top of the feed. I'm going to revise my cost estimate up because it's a bigger/nicer sprayer than I remember. I also need to add a wire coat hanger and a band clamp to the build list. The hose is not PEX either (not sure why I thought it was come to think of it); just flexible vinyl tubing. The coat hanger makes it so you can hang and reliably aim the shower head. The sprayer has/came with a strap that makes it easier to hang and carry around when it's filled with hot water (the body isn't insulated). Still way cheaper and more versatile than a lot of the "camp shower" options for sale out there. Also, easily and inexpensively rebuildable (good luck finding parts for a lot of those units when they break down a few years from now).

 

[darkhorse13]

My wife dug the camp shower out this weekend for washing windows, and then this thread came to the top of the feed. I'm going to revise my cost estimate up because it's a bigger/nicer sprayer than I remember. I also need to add a wire coat hanger and a band clamp to the build list. The hose is not PEX either (not sure why I thought it was come to think of it); just flexible vinyl tubing. The coat hanger makes it so you can hang and reliably aim the shower head. The sprayer has/came with a strap that makes it easier to hang and carry around when it's filled with hot water (the body isn't insulated). Still way cheaper and more versatile than a lot of the "camp shower" options for sale out there. Also, easily and inexpensively rebuildable (good luck finding parts for a lot of those units when they break down a few years from now).

Agreed, there are always cheaper versions of anything on the market. I mean the Coleman shower bag has been the most budget friendly solution for a very long time. Probably the most versatile too. Most of time these showers are only serve the purpose of spraying off your body or your equipment (i.e. mountain bikes, surf boards, etc)

In my opinion, the Lunatec Aquabot is the most versatile and cost effective solution on the market. It's a high pressure sprayer, water bottle and shower mister (wand/hose sold separately) all in one. More compact than anything out there and it only takes a 50/50 mix of cold water + Jetboil hot water to have a lovely hot shower. Yes, you can get a full body rinse off (not including a headful of hair) with just this bottle.

Below are options that are still "packable" but start getting bulky and more expensive...

Yep, your thank is a version of the Zodi shower. My wife and I used the Extreme S/C for a season. It's a great portable shower for sure and the price is in line with other competitors in this segment. It does take roughly 15-20min to warm the entire tank to a very comfortable temperature. It also chews thru those 16oz Coleman containers in a hurry. Plus you have to find a spot to fill the beast every time.

Other "portable" non-infinite hot water showers include these brands in the sub $250 range.

The version I am putting together is really better as a hard mounted / set-it and forget-it solution and could technically never run out of hot water as long as you have a water source nearby.

In terms of these more "permanent" mounted solutions, the instant hot water shower kit like I put together is in line with offerings such as RoadShower (over-priced IMO but I'm sure very well built)

Also, these tankless hot water showers like I'm using in my box kit actually have plenty of rebuildable parts available... and not pricey. Not trying to be a salesman with this, but I really doubt that "a few years from now" there won't be parts or an entire new/improved unit available. I've had my current shower box for over 2 years now without incident. @am1978 said they've been going strong for 5 years. I won't argue though that we live in a disposable product world these days.

Again, different solutions for different needs

 

[Free2roam]

If it doesn’t rain enough at the off-grid cabin (rain barrel) then I fill a bunch 3gal tanks at the lake to fill the barrel and then use chlorine according to this.

https://www.small-cabin.com/forum/3_5798_0.html

Anybody ever use an ozone generator to purify water? We used to use one in a 300 gallon tank at work. I did an experiment with water from the "so called" water purifier connected to the regular water supply (city water) and some from the tank. Let them sit over the hot summer weekend. City water purified smelled like algae on Monday. The ozone water smelled like nothing but water if it really has a smell.

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