DIY Heated Shower Idea

Looking for some feedback and alternative ideas on a heated shower idea. I’ve done a lot of full time living out of a Tacoma and will probably spend at least the first half of next year in the truck and want to up my shower game.

I’ve been using a shower bag for a while now and when it works, it’s awesome. Here’s the one:

$34 Advanced Elements (SS761) Summer Solar Shower - 3 Gallon , Silver/Black

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000J2Q0SU?ie=UTF8

On hot days I lay it on the hood, but the key is putting it inside the truck on the dash. Even on moderately warm days, it gets piping hot in a few hours, enough to where I need to dilute with cold water to be able to use it. I then either hang it from a tree, or from the latch on the rear glass on my topper using a trekking pole for support. I find that using gravity instead of pressure like some of the other portable showers is fine. The flow is slow but its enough, and two people can get a shower out of the 3 gallons so it works out pretty well.

Pros of the shower bag: simple, cheap, easy, takes up very little space when not in use.

Cons: no heat on cold or cloudy days.

I've thougth about the roof mounted shower tubes, but I imagine that they only get warm on the hottest days, so for a hot shower, they’re a downgrade from the shower bag. They also look like a pain to fill. Plus I prefer to not look like I’m living in the truck for times when I’m stealthing it in the city. For anyone using a shower tube though, I’m wondering, will they work with gravity?


So here’s my DIY idea, cost is about $220 after tax and hardware, and it’s easy to build.

Container ($53): https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=134150&clickid=related-slider

Pros: easy fill, and small enough to where I can heat it on the dash using the sun on warm days like the shower bag.

Cons: can’t hang it easily for gravity use. I’m thinking I’d make some sort of carrier out of webbing that could be used to hang it up, or just set it on the roof of the truck. Not sure how well it will flow with gravity. I’d prefer another shape container but haven’t’ seen anything that I can modify to accept the heating rod (still doing research).

Heating rod ($70): https://overlander.com/products/rin...hhhnMVYT5K3SEhb6SaTMYZ-2IEihoJmEaArJ5EALw_wcB

This thing looks promising. I’d add a threaded bulkhead fitting in the tank and leave the rod permanently installed. According to the manufacturer, it will heat 2 gallons by 11F every 30 minutes. It has a timer up to 90 minutes, so I can plug it in and it will heat the water by about 30 degrees while I go for a hike. Sounds pretty good!

If gravity doesn’t flow well enough, I’d add a pressure booster ($40): https://rinsekit.com/collections/accessories-spare-parts/products/pressure-booster-pump. This would also allow me to leave it on the ground during use and not have to hang it, but I’m not sure how much it would reduce the usable time.


My idea isn’t that different from the off-the shelf Rinsekit: https://rinsekit.com/collections/2-...-pressure-booster-pump-hot-rod-water-heater-1

The downside to that for me are the size, and the fact that there’s no option to heat in the sun.

I really like this 2-gallon Go Spout but it doesn’t seem possible to install the heating rod:

$145 WaterPORT GoSpout 2 Gallon Portable Water Tank with Hose and Sprayer for Camping Showers, Rinsing Overlanding Gear, Vehicle Water Storage, Off Road Showers

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07G9RQNVP?smid=A2TIEUZNLTBMES


Anyway, any input is appreciated!

 

Save yourself some headache and simply buy one already to go with you on your trip. $130 from Lowes. Here is what I have and all you'd need to do is pressurize your water tank.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Camplux-1-...LhBdlBI1v2kXQtxoOKxoCBUIQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

Thanks, I'm sure this works awesome but it sounds like more of a headache. The heater, pressurized tank, and propane are a lot more to assemble for every use, will take up a lot more space, and would be tougher to move if I want to shower away from the truck. It makes a lot of sense if you're hanging around camp for a few days, but I guess I'm looking more for a quick shower after a hike and then moving on.

Assuming my idea works, its a one time build, heats from the battery, no consumables, and self contained. Just not sure how well it'll actually work.

 

Yep you're correct. I have it down now but was a bit frustrated with my setup at first. A few scalding hot or ice cold showers and no pressure a few times made for some interesting words at camp!!

And good luck on your project.

 

I've got several shower setups I've tried; at this point I keep a Simple Shower* (

Simple Shower Portable Camping Shower

https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Shower-Portable-Camping/dp/B00DVXXIQQ) in the truck and when I go camping I carry a $10 pump sprayer from Home Depot (it was actually on sale for $6, IIRC). Ex.https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-1-Gal-Pump-Sprayer-1501HDXA/307766754 The nozzle will screw onto the handle, eliminating the wand part or you can swap on a sink sprayer. If you want to spend some (a lot) more money you can buy a stainless version that you can put directly over a heat source instead of heating water and pouring it in. If you're really lazy you can add a Schrader valve and pressurize it from an air source.


*Unless you're really dirty a 1L bottle will get you clean; 2L is better but harder to handle. They don't show it in the pictures, but the perforated portion unscrews leaving the funnel part on the bottle which makes it easier to fill. A small but intelligent detail.

 

I bought one of these 10-15 years ago for camping and works great. If I used it a lot I would buy the adapter and use a 5 gallon propane tank cause the little green bottles get expensive.
http://zodi.com/hot-showers/extreme-sc

 

I'm really intrigued by the pump sprayer. I stopped by Home Depot yesterday and looked at the 2 gallon version and I think I could actually add the heating rod to one of these, and the price is great. Being able to keep that funnel part on the bottle for the Simple Shower does sound like a nice detail.

This does look pretty cool. The other propane setups required too many pieces but this looks really convenient.


Thanks guys for the ideas, I'm going to consider these as well.

 

Just my opinion, but I looked at those heaters at one point and decided it just wasn't worth the effort or money. On most any given trip I'm going to have at least one of the stoves out, even if it's just making coffee or tea so it's not that big of a deal to heat some water for cleaning. You'll figure out your ratios of hot to cold water pretty quickly. For the Simple Shower I just start heating water on the JetBoil and when it's warm enough I pour it in the bottle (I think I have an empty Aquafina bottle in the truck at the moment).

Learn to do the navy shower or whatever you want to call it to save water- quick rinse using just enough water to get wet, soap up with some quick rinse biodegradable soap or something like Dr. Bronner's on a wash cloth then rinse. My ex had longish hair so it took her a good bit more water than my bald headed self and even she could get by with the gallon sprayer. It works well for spraying off biking or paddling gear and dogs too. It's small enough not to get in the way and it also fits in my cargo box if I'm using that. I can also empty and drain it and see inside of it so I know there's nothing funky growing in it (I used to have to disinfect the water tank on my VW Westy a couple of times a year but that was potable water).

 

I hear ya and appreciate the input, but my stove would rarely be out while I'm hiking and it starts to feel tedious to have to get the stove and propane out, wait to heat water, then mix into whatever I'm using to shower. It doesn't take all that long, but day after day it starts to feel like a chore. Plus a lot of times its cold out, so the faster I can shower after getting to the truck before my body cools down the more comfortable it'll be. If I was just hanging around camp it would be fine but I'm looking more for a quick trailhead shower and hitting the road.

I'm pretty used to the solar shower and having to be quick, the only downside is that the weather has to cooperate to make it hot. I'm leaning towards giving this sprayer and heating rod a shot. All said and done it should only be $100 or so. Is the opening on your sprayer big enough to get your hand inside? I'm wondering how easily I'd be able to add a bulkhead fitting.

 

I echo the sentiment on the Zodi Extreme Shower. We have one and use it frequently.

 

I built a portable shower based on the youtube build below. Rather than using a portable cache battery I wired it to the 12v solar/house battery in my camper. The cheap little electric pump provides more than enough pressure. If you want something very portable, using the cache battery from the vid would work great.

The only issue with this setup is lack of heat. Its not a problem in summer when it's hot out, but getting into fall I didn't use the shower as much once temperatures dropped. At times I could warm water using my old solar shower and then pour it into the jerry can. But like you said when it's cloudy or cool out, the solar shower doesn't add much heat.

I will look into the rinse kit heating rod. I can probably drill a hole in the jerry can and install it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aOeKUOG0Us&t=292s&ab_channel=DoingStuff

 

I love this idea. Self contained and cheap and easy to build, and it should be easy to add the heating rod.

I think this one from Amazon will heat much better than the Rinsekit heating rod, but doesn't have the timer which is really nice:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B096XDW8H9?smid=A1HMVPZ67CM5G8

But you could add this:

$13 12V Timer Switch - Programmable, DC/AC/Solar Battery Powered | 12 Volt Timer Relay

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WR0ELCO?smid=AZJZIJQ37LZ1T


I'm heavily leaning towards the jerry can idea now, the one in the video is a little large for me though. I'm debating on the Waterport Go Spout and adding the heating rod in the spare cap:

$145 WaterPORT GoSpout 2 Gallon Portable Water Tank with Hose and Sprayer for Camping Showers, Rinsing Overlanding Gear, Vehicle Water Storage, Off Road Showers

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07G9RQNVP?smid=A2TIEUZNLTBMES

I like that there's a hand pump for pressure eliminating the need for an electric pump and battery, and I sent Waterport a message, they said you can hang it from a tree and it'll flow well with gravity if the cap is loose. I also like that it's black so it'll heat up without the heating rod on hot days.



Thanks!

 

Get this one here:

$250 Hike Crew Portable Propane Water Heater & Shower Pump – Compact Outdoor Cleaning Showering System w/LCD Auto Safety Shutoff for Instant Hot While Camping, Hiking Carry Case Included

https://www.amazon.com/Hike-Crew-Po...6?keywords=camp+shower&qid=1637090149&sr=8-16

I bought one like these for my parents back in the day and it is really convenient.
Because it has a pump already you would be able to pump the water straight from a creek or lake. And when you use it with the small propane canisters and a jackery PowerStation (which you might already have) you could use it independently from the car.

 

FWIW I ended up ordering this for a heating rod:

$70 Allied Precision The Premier Line 742G Bucket Water Heater, Electric Immersion Heating Element Heats 5 Gallons of Water in Minutes with Auto Shutoff, Submersible Design is Heavy Duty and Portable 120V

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BDB4UG

It's a 1000W model so I can plug it in my 1200W inverter. No timer or anything, I'll just use a thermometer to monitor the water temp and unplug when warm enough.

 

Looks great, let me know how it works out!

 

So the heating rod showed up today and I tested it out. It's a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be, fortunately it fit through the opening in my jerry can. I tested it off the Renogy battery. Pretty happy with how it went.

5 gal water started at 67F. It took 22min to heat it up to 100F. Battery dropped from 79% to 41% in that time.

It might be a push to heat it from 30s/40s to 100F, might have to have the truck running to charge off the alternator or plan a shower right before I have to do some driving so it can charge back up right away. Or use the solar shower to pre-warm the water a bit. Or settle for a warm shower rather than hot. Nah....

 

22 minutes to heat 5 gallons by 33F is impressive! I don't have the electrical juice for that unfortunately but that almost makes the upgrade worth it. I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on this thing, will report back on how mine works in December.

 

It might be possible to use something like this while your truck is running, if it has a 120v plug. I have 3rd gen, there is such a plug in the bed. To have it idle for 20min isn't outrageous. One of the commercially available camping shower systems run off electrical says you need to have the truck running while using it.

 

If you're going to be running the engine you could always go with a heat exchanger; you can buy them for under $100 or make them if you can solder. There are plenty of examples on various off-road and camping forums.

 

Yes I have this in my truck. Takes roughly 15min to get my 10Gal on board water tank nice and warm for a shower. And I can turn it on while driving, before I arrive at the campsite.

But I think the OP originally wanted something which he can use independently from the truck.