In this article, we discuss about building a DIY exterior shower for a camper van conversion. We LOVE riding our mountain bikes. It can only means two things:

1. We drink a lot of craft beer
2. We take a lot of showers

Let’s focus on the last point. We had two main requirements for our van’s exterior shower:

• To have hot water (for colder days and because we’re high-maintenance dirtbags)
• To have privacy (so we can wash at the trailhead right after the ride)

TIME SPENT ON THE JOB:  8-12 hours

TOTAL COST : Approximately 100$ (excluding the Propane Instant Hot Shower)

MATERIAL:

• Waterproof Fabric (We sourced it from our local store)
• Zipper (We sourced it from our local store)
• Velcro (We sourced it from our local store)
• Grommet with tool (Buy on Amazon)
• Adjustable Curtain Rod (Such as this one here: Buy on Amazon)
• Swivel Hooks (Buy on Amazon)
• Showerhead Bracket with Suction Cup (Buy on Amazon)
• Eccotemp L5 On-Demand Propane Hot Shower (Buy on Amazon)

Here is how our van exterior shower works:

Here is the back of our van:

And here is the back of our van with the Mosquito Screen down (read everything about our Mosquito Screens here: https://faroutride.com/mosquito-screens/ ). The fabric is waterproof, so our garage doesn’t get splashed while we shower (if you don’t have that don’t worry, it’s not mandatory. We sometimes take our shower without the screen down!):

Finally, here is the back of our van with the exterior shower setup fully deployed:

The curtain is hooked on the back doors:

Voyeurs are all over the place, so we made sure they get no chance to watch:

We added a zipper to get in and out:

We also added an adjustable curtain rod (Buy on Amazon) to prevent the curtain from getting blown inside when it’s windy. It’s adjustable for easier storage (the rod slides-out of the curtain):

The shower head is held by a neat little bracket with suction cup (Buy on Amazon):

Satellite view:

When the shower is not in use, we roll the curtain and store it in the van.

We use the Eccotemp L5 on-demand hot shower (Buy on Amazon):

Everything about the Eccotemp is here (installation, operation, review):

That’s pretty much it. Thanks for reading.

Yeah, unless you’re thirsty for Instagram likes, we recommend using a shower curtain.

ON SECOND THOUGHT

Nothing to say about the summer exterior shower, it’s doing what it’s supposed to! The only downside we can think of is that it MUST be dried out before storing (to prevent mold); that’s the most time consuming part about that setup. But hey, there’s no rush 🙂