Dinette seat shower information

[Spirit Deer]

Because this topic comes up so often, I'm starting this thread for people who have done the dinette seat shower mod to post links to their pictures and information.  Having this info all gathered in one place should make it easy for people interested in this mod to find everything they need to know.

I'll start by adding links to a portable version and permanent installation from EveryBodyHauls:

Bart's portable indoor shower mod

Bart's permanent indoor shower mod

Oz? Nick? Red?  Who else has done this one?  Post your linkies here if you like.

[Oz and Us]

Oz's Permanent Inside Shower ... click forward for a series of pics.  I did first build a portable system on which Bart based his own system but long ago removed the pics as the permanent shower is a far better solution.

[ngatel]

Dinette Shower

Updated Shower Curtain Rod

[rjniles]

Here is my implementation of the ideas I stole ftom OZ and ngatel    not

http://s611.photobucket.com/albums/tt193/rjniles/Shower%20and%20water%20heater/

[azjim1]

Here is my installation in our old Coleman (also based on ideas from bart, ngatel Oz&Us and others):

AZJim1's Dinette Seat Shower Install

One of the other really nice installs (By Leafpeeper who doesn't post here often so I thought I would provide the link incase no one else does!)

Leafpeepers Dinette Seat Shower Install with built in faucet

[OneMoreDay]

This looks interesting, but why not just use a sun shower and hang it on a tree? If you're in a remote camping area, with no showers, a sun shower seems logical, and if you're in a campground, why not use the hot/cold showers that are provided?

Seriously, doesn't this introduce moisture/mold problems?

Thank you.

[bcrewcaptain]

This looks interesting, but why not just use a sun shower and hang it on a tree? If you're in a remote camping area, with no showers, a sun shower seems logical, and if you're in a campground, why not use the hot/cold showers that are provided?

Seriously, doesn't this introduce moisture/mold problems?

Thank you.

campground with no showers and temps below 50* is the 1st thing that comes to my mind...sure it will introduce moisture....but so does camping with rain/dew..

[Spirit Deer]

Not all campgrounds offer showers.  Or sometimes they do and they're horrible.  Or maybe you prefer the privacy of your trailer.  Or maybe there's a long line at the cg showers.  Or maybe you'd rather come out of the shower in a warm trailer if it's cold or a cool trailer if it's hot.  Or maybe you have small kids it would be more convenient to shower in the trailer instead of at the cg showers.

I've heard those solar showers don't always work that well.  Especially in cooler weather.

As for mold, of course you can't shower and then pack the shower up wet.  But it's easy enough to let the curtains hang there till they dry, or do as Oz and Us did and hang the curtains outside to dry.

We used to think using the cg showers was the way to go, too.  Then we went to North Dakota, only to find the park was closed where we had scheduled our showers.  Our next stop for several days was a national park with no showers at all.  It got ugly before we found a place to shower.  That trip played a big part in us buying our trailer on eBay and then driving all the way to Michigan to get it, because we needed a trailer with a hot water package.

Then we went to Oklahoma.  Beautiful state parks, but the showers were clean but horrible.  At one park, the shower curtains did not go all the way around the shower, and every time the wind blew through the door of the building, the curtains that were there blew completely open, leaving anyone in the shower completely exposed.  We didn't shower there, either.

At one OK park, the showers were a couple of blocks from our site and there were few other people in the park.  I basically was alone and defenseless while in the shower in that park.  I wasn't particularly worried, not being the paranoid type, but anything can happen when you're alone like that.  It would have been safer to shower in our trailer.

At a rally one year, I made the long trek to the shower only to find the bathhouse closed for cleaning.  So I got to make that long walk in the heat and humidity twice.

This year on our upcoming trip to Yellowstone, the information we've been able to find indicates most of the campgrounds where we would be staying charge for showers.  I understand why they do stuff like that, but it still irks me.  By taking our trailer, we'll avoid the issue of public pay showers altogether.

There are lots of reasons why a shower in a pop up can be a good thing, but it's an individual decision to add one.

[ngatel]

Polyester curtains dry in no time. No mold.

No campground shower is as clean as ours.

Even when temps are in the 30s, it is nice and toasty in our PU.

We almost never stay in a campground, and if we do, they are the kind that don't have showers or hook-ups.

I guess the best answer would be... would you get rid of the shower in your house? Our PU is our house many, many days each year. And our rolling house is self contained.

[ballard]

Interestingly enough, one day last year I was at lowes searching for mod ideas. I had a shower in mind. Saw a plastic utility sink and thought I discovered plutonium, only to get home and see someone here had already used the same exact sink. It was actually comforting knowing that my idea was going to work. I saw the portable unit take shape then I read about the transformation to the underseat idea. I was going to go with the underseat but there was something I didn't like. Part of my trailer overhaul involved removing the original booth style seating in favor of bench seating that went along the walls. This would provide more seats and open it up. The shower basin/utility sink..was too big to fit under the bench seating. So I thought long and hard. Finally I decided I didn't like the kitchen fold down setup on my 93 coleman. I removed this, built a new smaller folddown hutch and put the shower under there. Now when you fold over the hutch, the top unit acts as a small step into the tub and the tub is otherwise always hidden under the counter top of the hutch.

[rjniles]

ballard,
I would love to see more pictures of your inside shower. What I can see looks good.

[ngatel]

Ballard,

That looks great. You will need to be creative with the plumbing, and hopefully can install controls in the side of the tub. Also would be nice to cover the "step" with a material that would be comfortable to sit on, and water proof for drying off. Keep posting your progress.

[Spirit Deer]

Since this thread wandered so far off course and it's a sticky created to collect dinette shower info, I split it into two topics.  I've copied Ballard's post here because it's pertinent to this discussion.  It's also the new OP for the new thread.

Interesting thread, both of them. 

Thanks for the compliments. I have torn everything out of the interior and have been redoing it. I am going at it by using recycled hardware from the old furniture, I used a low cabinet unit from a captains bed as a bench seat, and using left over lumber I've had laying around. My builds and designs are done in the moment from my head and since there is a lot of improvising some things look better than others. I like my shower idea but the actual build could have been better if it was drawn up on paper. Since I did it on the fly it came out heavier than I would have liked but I will say that the thing is solid. You can jump up and down on it and it will not move a bit.

I have not yet finished the top platform yet for the very reasons stated by the above posters.....I wanted to give some thought to a nice smooth waterproof surface that can be used as a seat and be resilient to the wet aspect of the shower. The other cool thing here is that I camp with twin 2 year old boys and a five year old girl. This thing is perfect for small baths.....The plumbing will be done using a hand held shower head which will come up through a hole in the soap shelf which is molded to the sink/tub unit. I have plumbed in the pump, a pressure tank, and am using four seven gallon aquatainers for water storage. Aquatainers rule since the threads in cap fit brass mip threads.

Here are more pics. There is still trim work to do as well as framing in the cabinet next to the fold down hutch which is storing the plumbing.....I don't have money for a water heater so I will be using an outdoor portable propane water heater. This will be setup outside the pup and the hot water hose will come into the shower through an existing hose hatch on the side of the camper which was already there from electric power cord that I have removed and relocated along with the converter.

Here is the shower install with the hutch in the upright position. This serves as a small countertop and there will be a door in front with plenty of storage space inside of the unit. Next to it you can see the plumbing cabinet which houses the pump, pressure tank, and next to that a seven gallon water tank.


This shows the plumbing setup:


This shows the shower unit with the rv toilet I installed across from it, I'm using a portable waste tank:


And this shows the bench seating mentioned. The bench on the left will go down to a bed and that particular bench is setup to reuse the old seat cushions. The other bench across was always there but has been refaced and the drawers were replaced with a lid on the top so it is now a storage chest instead of a drawer/cabinet unit.

More interesting is that I have chosen to rip down the wall separating the front trunk area from the main living area. I will be using this space for clothing. Not sure if I will build a custom cabinet unit in the space or just use plastic tote bins....we'll see...whatever I do I want it to look nice. The table is now a pedestal table so it only has one leg which means more room and more seating options.

There is a lot left to be done on this project. It has only just begun.....see my project here:http://www.popupportal.com/index.php?topic=36287.0

suggestions welcome.....it was my five year old daughter that came up with the idea to have the shower hutch fold down into a step and platform for bathing.....at least someone in the family is thinking a little.....

Since we no longer have a kitchenette unit we will be using our portable high pressure coleman stove...we could install the old one easy but to be honest I don't really like the low pressure aspect and most of my cooking is done outside under the awning anyway. We will be squeezing a very small sink in somewhere in that picture but we have yet to figure and there will be a cabinet enclosing the toilet. Thanks for looking and let me know of all your criticisms...I've already been reminded of the weight of water and have decided to transport most of my water in the tow vehicle.

[Mike n Leslie]

I fell in love with the dinette seat shower.  My husband and I spent the week-end finding the stuff and getting it set up.  But our little Sun Valley doesn't have a water heater and we don't have time to get one installed before our next trip. (We know our limits of DYI installation.)  So here is one to give you a laugh, but it works.   A decent sized, but not too big garden pump in an insulated 5 gallon bucket of warm/hot water.   You can't turn the shower head off without messing up the pump, so we plugged it into a clapper to keep the water far, far away from the electric.   

[Mike n Leslie]

I now have pics of our version of the famous PUX dinette seat shower.  I wasn't sure about posting them here, so I made my first ever blog.  I have much to learn,  but the pics turned out better than I actually expected.

This link is for those who do not have water heaters or water pumps.  Maybe someone else can use these ideas -they've been working great for us! 

http://idelvice.wordpress.com/     


MODERATOR EDIT: made link a clicky