Warm shower... would this work?

[Thepuma]

OK, so looking at buying a Cali and one of the things that I'd love it to have is a shower.

Obviously one doesn't come with the Cali and if you buy the shower attachment for the rear then its cold water only. But this got me thinking....

Could you not just heat a few kettles of hot water...put that in the water tank that the rear shower attachment feeds from and with the cold water already in there it may be warm enough to have a quick shower? This was my genius idea, but wondering if anyone has tried this, or if there's a reason it cannot be done?

I was thinking then of getting one of those zip around curtain things for the rear hatch to make a private area and voila...a private warm shower!!

Any thoughts....

 

[Wogga]

no reason why not as long as the fittings are temperature rated, saying that it ain't going to be hot.I'd go for it. I am considering fitting a water heater, I'll suss it out when I get the van, on electrical hook up of course.

 

[Thepuma]

Yeah I wouldnt expect the water to be hot...or even every warm. But just warm enough to be able to have a quick shower under it and not be shivering to death..lol

 

[calikev]

you would be better with a bucket and portable shower pump

 

[Hunchyfish]

You’d be better off with a solar shower if wild camping. Personally I think it could be more hassle that it’s worth, but interested to hear how you found it if you do try it!

 

[Ebos]

OK, so looking at buying a Cali and one of the things that I'd love it to have is a shower.

Obviously one doesn't come with the Cali and if you buy the shower attachment for the rear then its cold water only. But this got me thinking....

Could you not just heat a few kettles of hot water...put that in the water tank that the rear shower attachment feeds from and with the cold water already in there it may be warm enough to have a quick shower? This was my genius idea, but wondering if anyone has tried this, or if there's a reason it cannot be done?

I was thinking then of getting one of those zip around curtain things for the rear hatch to make a private area and voila...a private warm shower!!

Any thoughts....

Hi My Cali 6.1 arrives early next year and I had an idea about this. I have a rechargeable battery / 12v / 240v 17Lt portable spray unit for my bikes. Perfect pressure and nozzle adjustment for a shower with a really long hose unit too. My idea is to put say 4 kettle fulls of hot water as a top up to the ambient water tank and then use a shower tent when required. That works out at 6lt of boiling vs 11lt ambient. Might just work and you have an additional 17lt water storage too!
Any thoughts?

 

[Hotel California]

Good luck boiling water and poring then in the fresh water tank ...
Keep it simple , use a bowl and wash-up like we did in the 70's very nostalgic when not at a campsite.
Using a mobile shower system as pointed out above is a option , read some existing threads on these things , all been written about before on here.

 

[Wildcamper]

Heating kettles was too much hassle for us
We went the expensive option of a Whale water heater running off hook up or propane (we have a large underslung LPG tank) so when wild camping, or on site, have hot water on tap. Not cheap but great to have. Use the set up all the time, hot shower out in the woods, or after a cold swim - lovely.

 

[Ebos]

Heating kettles was too much hassle for us
We went the expensive option of a Whale water heater running off hook up or propane (we have a large underslung LPG tank) so when wild camping, or on site, have hot water on tap. Not cheap but great to have. Use the set up all the time, hot shower out in the woods, or after a cold swim - lovely.

Thanks for the feedback. Do you have a spec or pictures etc of the heating system would really like to look into this.

 

[westfalia]

Sure it would work for a warmish shower, for me, the hassle
of filling the tank up would be an issue, i'd probably build up more
of a sweat doing that than sitting next to the fridge and chilling so
it wouldn't be for me.

 

[Elly Swanson]

OK, so looking at buying a Cali and one of the things that I'd love it to have is a shower.

Obviously one doesn't come with the Cali and if you buy the shower attachment for the rear then its cold water only. But this got me thinking....

Could you not just heat a few kettles of hot water...put that in the water tank that the rear shower attachment feeds from and with the cold water already in there it may be warm enough to have a quick shower? This was my genius idea, but wondering if anyone has tried this, or if there's a reason it cannot be done?

I was thinking then of getting one of those zip around curtain things for the rear hatch to make a private area and voila...a private warm shower!!

Any thoughts....

Seems a lot of faff when you could buy one of these Quechua hand pump showers that isn’t connected to the van and can be used anywhere.

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/pressure-balanced-solar-shower-for-camping-10-litres/_/R-p-303362

 

[Thepuma]

People saying its a lot of faff, but it's simply boiling a kettle, pouring it into the rear tank and using the shower head thats already in the back of the van?.....compared to having to get a separate shower pump thing out, fill that with hot water, erect the shower tent, then empty the remaining after, pack it all away and take down the shower tent after and pack that away? On the face of it just filling a tank with hot water appears quicker.....or am I missing something?

 

[Hotel California]

@Thepuma , it takes a while to boil a ketle in the Cali , boiling 2 liter water poring in the tank . Then tapping out of that same tank filling the next ketle . Boiling it again ....and so on until your fresh water tankt is warm enough to have a shower .....just use a bowl or a shower bag , much easyer. There's simply not enough water in a Cali to have a good shower . You would use all your water in one or two showers , leaving noting to cook with or wash up disches .

 

[Sad]

@Thepuma @hotel california

Plus all the time then wasted in hospital being treated for the scalds on your hands from trying to pour boiling water into the tank...

 

[Wildcamper]

Thanks for the feedback. Do you have a spec or pictures etc of the heating system would really like to look into this.

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These are what we have, as said not the cheap option but for us it works really well and really helps making off grid camping a joy. In case you have not noticed our T6 is a LWB conversion not a Cali.

 

[CampervanTime]

Maybe something like this might be more suitable? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/264664718927

 

[Calimili]

What season are we talking about, or what outside temp?

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

People saying its a lot of faff, but it's simply boiling a kettle, pouring it into the rear tank and using the shower head thats already in the back of the van?.....compared to having to get a separate shower pump thing out, fill that with hot water, erect the shower tent, then empty the remaining after, pack it all away and take down the shower tent after and pack that away? On the face of it just filling a tank with hot water appears quicker.....or am I missing something?

Hi Thepuma, Go native, don’t shower

 

[Thepuma]

...baring in mind also that pretty much all my stays

What season are we talking about, or what outside temp?

Possibly spring but mainly summer....if spring it would be when we go to the South of France/Spain/Portugal.

And just to add...im not looking for a prolonged boiling hot shower....id be literally lathering my pits and bits - then turning on the shower to quickly swill the suds off....only has to be barely warm...just not freezing cold...so I don't think I'd need much boiling water...maybe 2 kettles at most. I think for me it just saves having anything external humping around in the boot, thats the thought anyway...plus we are getting a rear hatch tent which we will be using as the toilet/shower area.

Was just a thought really and wondered if anyone had tried it.

Although we may stop at some camp sites, we will be doing a lot of off grid stops, hence the need for a shower.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

...baring in mind also that pretty much all my stays


Possibly spring but mainly summer....if spring it would be when we go to the South of France/Spain/Portugal.

And just to add...im not looking for a prolonged boiling hot shower....id be literally lathering my pits and bits - then turning on the shower to quickly swill the suds off....only has to be barely warm...just not freezing cold...so I don't think I'd need much boiling water...maybe 2 kettles at most. I think for me it just saves having anything external humping around in the boot, thats the thought anyway...plus we are getting a rear hatch tent which we will be using as the toilet/shower area.

Was just a thought really and wondered if anyone had tried it.

Although we may stop at some camp sites, we will be doing a lot of off grid stops, hence the need for a shower.

and don’t forget if you’re desperate for a shower, leisure centres, swimming pools, gyms etc have shower facilities.

 

[Calimili]

I wouldn't been so keen filling boiling water into the tank, it may break something. But you could use one of those collapsible 15l water tank, filling it with 9L water of water from the cali at 15 Celsius, adding 2.5l boiling water, that should give you 11.5 L of 33.5 Celsius water, to be filled into an emptied water tank. you'll lose a couple of degrees in the process, still it will be very comfortable and enough for 2 people. Of course you may vary the mix with experience

 

[Vagophile]

It sounds attractive to have a shower, but ask yourself if you really need it. Keep it simple.
The replies from experienced campers like @hotel california point you in the direction of a bucket and flannel, two items that you will already have. It's easy to have a very refreshing wipe down without carrying a load of paraphernalia or dreaming up improbable scenarios to spray hot water over yourself.
I've never seen a commando yomping with a shower attachment in his backpack.

 

[Thepuma]

It sounds attractive to have a shower, but ask yourself if you really need it. Keep it simple.
The replies from experienced campers like @hotel california point you in the direction of a bucket and flannel, two items that you will already have. It's easy to have a very refreshing wipe down without carrying a load of paraphernalia or dreaming up improbable scenarios to spray hot water over yourself.
I've never seen a commando yomping with a shower attachment in his backpack.

Lol....and there was me thinking boiling a kettle and pouring it into a tank was simple. Who knew?

 

[Vagophile]

Lol....and there was me thinking boiling a kettle and pouring it into a tank was simple. Who knew?

Lots of Cali owners. Maybe O.K. in theory, but in practice....

 

[Wildcamper]

It sounds attractive to have a shower, but ask yourself if you really need it. Keep it simple.
The replies from experienced campers like @hotel california point you in the direction of a bucket and flannel, two items that you will already have. It's easy to have a very refreshing wipe down without carrying a load of paraphernalia or dreaming up improbable scenarios to spray hot water over yourself.
I've never seen a commando yomping with a shower attachment in his backpack.

Having now invested in a fully functioning hot water system all we to do is flick a switch - hot water in 5 mins. Sounds simple to me. Regarding the "Commando", I doubt many of us go to bed with a sweaty commando - I don't!