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:
- We drink a lot of craft beer
- 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 🙂
does the exhaust from the Eco Temp melt your Bug wall?
I normally leave the bug screen open while I shower to prevent that. You could deflect the heat away by turning the top metal heat shield 180 degree.
Winter showering? Have you done it? Thoughts? it’s probably nice with the on-demand water heater.
Hi! We talk about this here: https://faroutride.com/winter-vanlife
antoine
Who did the sewing? Very clean
Salut Antoine!
J’ai découvert votre site la semaine dernière. OUFFF C’est le cas de le dire,vous êtes sa coche!!!!
Mille Bravos pour l’ensemble de votre projet! Ça me pousse encore plus à réaliser moi aussi cette magnifiqueaventure!
LOL!!! Vous êtes les Céline Dion de la VanLife!!!!
Merci! C’est la comparaison la plus drôle qu’on ait entendu!!
Bonne chance dans votre projet 🙂
Hi Antoine! I’m still over here hard at work on my ’20 Transit. Love this thing! Hey, question on installing the EcoTemp to the Propane Locker…does it impede your ability to remove the tank? It looks like it would be a really tight squeeze, I’m just curious if I’ll have to make my bed as high as yours (I think 40″ is what you guys did)…I was hoping to drop to about 36″. Let me know your thoughts and as always I appreciate your insight and info a million times over!
Best
Rob H. – Denver
All our propane appliances are connected to the Cross manifold, which is outside the locker. So all we have to disconnect to remove the tank is the hose connected to the tank. See our propane diagram: https://faroutride.com/propane-system/
36″ should be enough clearance for most bike (that’s what we’ll do next time), but obviously check with you own bike just in case 🙂
Love your build ideas. Borrowing this one for sure. Where did you find the shower head? I’ve looked on Amazon but can’t find anything like it. Does the stop button cut off the water entirely? The one I have now lets water dribble when turned off. Thanks, Mehosh
The shower head comes with the Eccotemp L5 water heater: https://faroutride.com/eccotemp-l5-review/
The OFF button is not great… We prefer the use the valve we installed just before the water heater per this diagram: https://faroutride.com/water-diagram/
Cheers
Hi
Thanks for all the info. I’m doing a minimalist temporary conversion that has to be done in 3 weeks, so I’m not doing things as in depth as you. I don’t want to shlep around a big propane tank and I’m wondering if the ecotemp will run off the small propane tanks you use on camp stoves?
THanks
It will, but I don’t know for how long. Don’t forget to use a regulator between the bottle and the Eccotemp!
Cheers
When using the Eccotemp shower unit which appears to be attached to your propane locker, how do you deal with the exhaust from the top of the unit, particularly when the back screen is down covering the unit?
Thanks!
Having about 15-20 inches clearance above the Eccotemp does the trick!
Hello Isabelle and Antoine!
Thank you for this amazing resource. I’m at the point where I’m trying to figure out if I can make vanlife work for me. It’s a lot of fun sketching out layouts and thinking about the possibilities though. Are there any stipulations with where you can shower? (i.e: I’m assuming the water from your shower does not need to be collected as grey water?). If not, do you know if it would be possible for one with an indoor shower setup to simply drain to the outside? (similar like your “To China” setup).
Hello,
Just an idea. If you don’t want to stand in the mud, you can make a temp floor that installs in the trailer hitch
Cheers
Great set and love following your adventures! We bought a similar water heater/shower. I was going to mount on the rear door, but now considering your set up/location. Any issues with heat/exhaust with it being mounted under your bed? How much clearance do you have between heater and underside of bed? Thanks so much! Bill
No issue, in fact with the heater location most of the heat goes outside, not under the bed. Ensure to have at least 8-12″ clearance with the bed I’d say.
Cheers!