If you only use your campervan at weekends or for short trips, can you live without a shower onboard?

An in-built water pump draws the water up where it’s heated by a propane boiler and pumped out to the shower head at around a gallon per minute. One of the major decisions when planning a camper van conversion, is whether to install a shower or not. When we’re living off grid, we only ever shower outdoors. Anything to avoid unnecessary water vapour in the van.Adding hot water to your fresh water system starts to add complications. Heating water takes a lot of energy.

This one is for the adventurous. In the sports areas of some universities, you can chance it and shower incognito. 10 CouchsurfingMost showers are solar heated, but one notable exception on this list is heated with propane. Solar heated showers are best for most campers and will provide sufficiently warm water, but if you live out of your vehicle (looking at you #vanlifers) and need a semi-permanent solution, you should consider a propane-heated shower for greater control over your shower temperature. Capacity Of all the campervan accessories we own, the vehicle mounted hot water shower tops the list of our favourites. Even if there’s no running water nearby, you can still “shower” on the go. Fill your toiletry bag with a few useful items such as wet wipes, dry shampoo, talcum powder, or healing clay. A pinch of talcum powder on your feet helps combat sweaty feet and bad smells as well as prevents blisters on long hikes. Portable camping showers are designed for outdoor use. So how do you choose the ideal portable camping shower for you? But an onboard shower does reduce the need to find paid facilities and anything to reduce van life costs is a help.

When operating on 12v, these water heaters draw around 25 amps so quite a heavy demand on battery capacity. This is really well made and super easy to install. I installed it on a 1997 80 Series Land Cruiser and it only took about 20 minutes. Opening and closing it is really easy and even with a bit of wind it holds up it's shape and won't collapse on itself. I like that it has a way to unzip a section that is facing the car so if you have a window open you can access things from inside the car. Overall I am very pleased with it and looking forward to using it more.It’s also worth looking at your budget and available storage space for camping gear. Portable showers come in various types, ranging from basic gravity showers to more advanced battery-powered units. Determine what features are right for you and find an option that fits your budget and storage limitations. Despite it having quite a high upfront cost, for us, it’s a complete luxury and one we use daily in areas like Patagonia.

The Road Shower also has the highest pressure rating (65 PSI) of any other pressurized portable camping shower we considered. This means that it requires fewer “air-ups” per fill. In our experience with the 7 gallon model, one good pressurization to 65 psi can completely drain the tank.

Before making a decision about what camper shower to install in your van, give a passing thought to your actual needs. Interchangeable suction heads: Most window vacs come with a 280mm suction head as standard, but many include an additional smaller head for fiddly jobs such as leaded windows and front door panels. Pivoting suction heads can also help to get into awkward spots. Some large campervans fit the shower cubicle at the entry door. As you walk in to the living quarters you actually walk through the bathroom. The best window vacs you can buy in 2023 1. Karcher Window Vac WV5: Best all-round window vacuum cleaner