Solar shower

[maingate]

its a good idea.... just make yourself wet-turn off- lather up -switch water back on to rinse !! its surprising how much water this saves, you can shower with less than a litre.

For the benefit of AJ, I am being serious now.

In my last van, Elddis Autoquest 120, I found it much more efficient to not use the shower as such. I bought a 40p plastic jug from Asda, filled upthe sink, used the jug to get wet and then lathered up. The jug was used to rinse off again.

If I had done a self build, the first thing I would have done was to make the shower more water efficient and more reliable for temperature.

 

[ajs]

For the benefit of AJ, I am being serious now.

In my last van, Elddis Autoquest 120, I found it much more efficient to not use the shower as such. I bought a 40p plastic jug from Asda, filled upthe sink, used the jug to get wet and then lathered up. The jug was used to rinse off again.

.

5 gallon jug was it....

regards
aj

 

[maingate]

5 gallon jug was it....

regards
aj

What are you doing, creeping about at 2.27 am?

There will be some Lead missing off a Church roof somewhere.

Not a nice way to fund your wilding.

 

[italiano]

solar shower

I have had one for years, and although i go along with what has been said already re, water temperature, it also depends as to where you are, i use mine all the time we are abroad, especially in the south of France where we do a bit of wild camping by the beach, i found it to get rather hot by late pm. its just right to get rid of sand and (sweat) and i fill a container with rest of it,and use it to wash plates after our meal By the way we were in L'Estartit for the month of may, and it did get rather hot i could not use it.

 

[frogdude]

I used a solar shower in Africa a few years ago, and even after a full day in the heat of the Sahara it still wasnt warm enough for my liking!

 

[Kontiki]

We stick our solar shower on the dashboard, on a sunny day the water is too hot to use without adding cold water . We have 2 of these solar showers, one we bought when we lived in the USA we got around 1990 & one we got a year ago. On one it says to have the black side face down & the other says to have the black side face up

 

[Deleted member 4850]

...On one it says to have the black side face down & the other says to have the black side face up

...had to read that last bit twice, then realised it said 'black' ...not 'back' Thought for a mo there was some houdini stuff going on in the shower!

 

[ntvinh986]

I just thought of buying one of those solar showers to use in the motorhome and maybe keeping a couple filled with water you can get them for about £8 and i just wondered what other members thought of the idea just to eak out the water tank as my tank is very small only 47 litres.I also carry 3 25 liter containers which i bought from Halfords for £11 each which now gives me a total capacity of 122 liters which is more like it.We love wild camping and we like to keep clean and fresh and with 4 children i would welcome any tips from members Thank you for taking the time to read.

Many thanks to ur post. I love it.

 

[maingate]

Whatever you use, whether plastic or metal, it has to be black to absorb the heat. Preferably matt black.

We used a 45 gallon drum and fitted a float valve when working in remote locations. It gave enough warm water for a few good showers. If you are in a hot climate, you are better off showering later on as the heat dies down and you do not want hot water which will make you start sweating again.

I really like the tip on here about the plastic bottle on the dashboard. I might try that one.

 

[tan-all-over]

Showers

We have a solar shower and find it very good (we don't use the shower in the motorhome) but the only thing about solar showers is getting the thing up high. We use the ladder on the back to hang it from. After going to the motorhome show at Malvern we bought a "Aqua fresh" shower made by Convoy that has its own pump and shower head, which just plugs in using the cigar socket. We also bought a water carrier on wheels.......yes I know, sounds like we are going caravaning .........but it carries 30 ltrs and makes for a better shower. this will double up to fill the motorhome without the need to move.
Then thought it might be fun to be inventive and bought a clothes line adjustable prop (£2) and fitted the shower head to that with clips. Then a soap dish
(50p) and fitted it about half way down. We have one of those screw in sockets that you screw into the ground so can put the prop into that. Ready for that great summer we will get in 2010 (fingers crossed). Hope all this is not boreing but love thinking of making things and keeping the wife happy.

 

[Kontiki]

We got one of the portable electric showers when they had them on sale in Maplins. Haven't tried it for real yet but it seems to work fine from a bucket & the shower head fits in the one already fitted in the van. So we will be able to have a proper shower using the water heated up in the solar shower.

 

[vwalan]

we used a pump up weed killer bottle with a shower head atachment (new of course). they used to be soldwith a big plastic bag with a firm base to use as shower room . use akettle of hot n one of cold mix. use tizer bottles on dash they were black. .also seen a shallow water tank fixed to roof of camper .with a filla and the exit had shower head .be carefull as i have known them get really hot. cheers alan

 

[frostybow]

we had one hanging from our ladder when wildcamping it fell of in middle of night i flew out of bed booted dog out of door {well she has to earn her keep} followed by me with baseball bat after scaring away solar shower i went back to sleep the dog is still not happy with me ?

 

[tan-all-over]

we had one hanging from our ladder when wildcamping it fell of in middle of night i flew out of bed booted dog out of door {well she has to earn her keep} followed by me with baseball bat after scaring away solar shower i went back to sleep the dog is still not happy with me ?

I had to smile at that Frostybow. reminds me of the time the wind down legs where not down and the feet where rocking in the wind one night. could have sworn somebody was creeping around with the little knocks and bumps. Kept looking out most of the night (well the wife's a right wimp, would'ent go and check) in the morning realised what it was.

 

[Jacques le foot]

autoquest...love youre description of the shower & fittings..you are folks after my own heart......I'm always looking for 'inovative' ideas...I'm always 'making' and 'mending'
Jackie

 

[n8rbos]

above all folks don't forget the good old wet wipes!

 

[Ian Jenner]

hi we are lucky to live in south of spain.from april to october our solar water container on m`home roof is too hot for hands. but in uk in july it only got lukewarm.sorry you dont get so much sun!