Showers in caravans
Comments
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I'm amazed how anyone can use a full aqua roll in a shower.
Take a 10litre hot water tank (60 degrees), mix 50:50 with cold from outside (say 10 degrees) and have a total of 20 litres at approx 35 degrees C.
At a pump rate of 6 litres per second, you get a roughly 3.5 minute shower - that's fine for me with short hair but the wife never manages very well, even when switching tap off for 'lathering'.
What am I doing wrong?
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One reason I bought my caravan (Lunar Ariva) was for my own facilities. I find that a full shower for me uses 20 litres of water- or just under. I have a 10 litre jerrycan which I use a couple of times during the day to stroll to the nearest tap and fill
up- so constantly topping up the Aquaroll (well Water Hog)- which means I don't really have to faff! Not run out of hot water yet- usually make sure the gas burner is on (and the electric, if on hookup). I do the wet-off-lather-rinse approach.Also, to clean up, I use a squegee and a J cloth- takes about a minute- and hang up the shower curtain over the rail, open the roof light and put the window on vent setting. Seems to work well, despite not having a seperate cubicle. Other half avoids the
caravan shower, but no choice soon on a CL we are off to in the Lakes! I avoid using the site facilities- have picked up athletes foot in far too many communal showers over the years...
Plus I like to be able to get out and dry properly, and get dressed without having to run a balancing act on a slippery wet floor (and then a cold/wet run back to the 'van!).0 -
Used once since getting it. Too small and hot water does not last long enough! I find it much easier to use the site facilities. Ours is usually used to store wet clothes and the swimming stuff! Yet to come across facliities that I would not use but
maybe I'm just not that fussy!0 -
We have the Lunar large shower so room not a problem. I always fill the aquaroll before use and have not run out yet. Never tried two showers without refilling but as I turn the shower off to soap down we would probably manage that.
We much prefer the privacy of the on board shower and the nice warm carpet when you get out.
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We occasionally use our caravan shower, but only ever when we are on a full serviced pitch with water hook-up and drainage. Like others, we could be bothered with carrying all the water.
David
How long does it take to have a stroll to the nearby tap and fill an aquaroll and stroll back? .........
While I'm walking to the tap to fill the Aquaroll and another trip to empty the waste water, I might as well walk to the toilet block and have the shower there. Just my opinion.
David
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I am happy to use either. Prefer the caravan shower (v hot and good water flow) but don't enjoy drying/cleaning it after. We find aquaroll can do two of us but think it is 45l. If using communal showers I always were flipflops/crocs although crocs are
lethal for slipping so have to be careful.0 -
We rarely use our onboard shower but when we need to we will! The ability to ablute in this way means we can enjoy even the most remotest of areas and sites without facilities and those closest to us can enjoy our close company!
Just one possible advantage of being a motorcaravaner, we can go where possibly others can not!0 -
it makes little difference if you have a 'full aquaroll' or even 2 aquarolls...or even a massive fresh tank on a MH....the key driver (for a decent got shower, or two) is the size of the hot water tank....usually 10 ltr for a Truma Combi (or Ultrastore)
but IIRC a paltry 8 ltr for an Alde unit....for a hot shower, without reheating the tank, it will usually require a mix of approx 60% hot (at 60 deg) and 40% cold, so youll get about 16 ltr of suitable water...
so, for two people to eke out a shower before the got runs out requires being able to take a shower in around 8 ltr of water...
as it happens, i reckon i get around 6 ltr and OH gets about 10ltr.....
in summer, especially overseas, we might think about using the site facs but in the uk in 'average' weather, no chance.....i cant be a***ed to get dressed in warm clothes, walk to the block, get undressed, shower, put on warm clothes again, return to van,
remove all outdoor clothes.....much nicer to get straight into the shower directly from bed and get dressed in appropriate gear at leisure....
as we use a lot of cl/aire/ths/non fac sites, we are happy showering in the van....its ads much an integral part of our 'living' in it, as is the loo, kitchen, bed etc....
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The larger of our two aquarolls contains sufficient water for both of us to have a shower. However normally OH has hers before breakfast whereas I prefer to have mine in the afternoon. If we are both having a shower in the morning we'll leave an hour or so between the two, giving time for the water to go thro' 2 of the Alde 1/2hr fast heat cycles.
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One of the main drivers of our choice of caravan layout was a large end bathroom. It’s just too convenient to get out of bed and walk straight into a nice warm shower. I don’t think I’d cope with the small wardrobe type bathroom layout! Cleaning the shower
cubicle is no problem, I just rinse it down after showering and leave it to dry but give it a good clean with a suitable foaming cleaner a couple of times a week to prevent any build up of grime, this only takes five minutes and is probably quicker than walking
to and from the shower block.0 -
Before before the days of the Internet, I observed that if people had never had a letter published elsewhere, they could in the CC magazine. And what a range of misconceptions they showed. 60 litres of water consumption for a shower is quoted as average. That's around 8 minutes at domestic water pressures. Overflowing waste water tanks for caravanners who will have run out of hot water after their 20 litres has expired (50:50 mix with cold water). Multiple barrels are required we're told, presumably for cold showering. Living in a caravan requires compromises of scale, a smaller kitchen sink, washbasin, fridge and oven, but for some it's inconceivable to shower for less than 8 minutes. Then there's the Ecocamel myth (we have them at home and in the van) in reality the flow of water is defined by pump pressure and tap setting. Open your tap fully and your eco camel will deliver much the same as a standard shower head. BUT with a more vigorous flow due to the air it introduces. Visiting on site facilities is accompanied by emotive adjectives like 'trudging', filling barrels with 'lugging'. Whatever happened to 'strolling' and 'rolling'. All in all It's enough to make a soul decide to stay in bed all day - unwashed
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Jenny, when the sun is out i might 'stoll' (or even an amble) to the shower block.
when its not, or its raining, the trip would become a 'trudge' (or a sprint)...
hence we tend to shower in the van unless its lovely and warm outside.....
also, we do not 'roll' or 'lug' whatever the weather, we 'fill'....
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The larger of our two aquarolls contains sufficient water for both of us to have a shower. However normally OH has hers before breakfast whereas I prefer to have mine in the afternoon. If we are both having a shower in the morning we'll leave an hour or
so between the two, giving time for the water to go thro' 2 of the Alde 1/2hr fast heat cycles.I would not think that you get any hotter water by allowing 2 cycles, ours is up to the higher temp after about 10/15 minutes of boost on 2kw electric. even faster if on the gas.
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We've all gone soft. When we bought our first caravan, it was second hand and came complete with all the equipment. This included a salou awning with an annexe and a knapsack sprayer with a shower head. That was regarded as 'posh' at the time.
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We've all gone soft. When we bought our first caravan, it was second hand and came complete with all the equipment. This included a salou awning with an annexe and a knapsack sprayer with a shower head. That was regarded as 'posh' at the time.
A knapsack sprayer! Eeee, luxury. We used to have to leap into the North sea mid winter with weights on our ankles if we wanted a wash.
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Jenny, when the sun is out i might 'stoll' (or even an amble) to the shower block.
when its not, or its raining, the trip would become a 'trudge' (or a sprint)...
hence we tend to shower in the van unless its lovely and warm outside.....
also, we do not 'roll' or 'lug' whatever the weather, we 'fill'....
Write your comments here...
Like you we stroll in good weather, but we roll in our own time because we have two barrels connected. And one tank of hot water showers us both.
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Our new van has a full size shower.
We thought we would give it a go last week for the first time.
Mindful of the limitations of the small Truma combi in our Pursuit and ultimately the capacity of the Aquaroll and waste hog, I obviously drew the short straw having the last of three showers.Absolutly no problem in getting three perfectly adequate showers. Not luxury relaxing types but perfectly adequate clean and fresh showers. Even managed the washing up straight afterwards.
Made sure the bathroom rooflight and window were open during, and wiped it down afterwards to get rid of the residual water.
So good I can see it becoming the norm for the wife and daughter, rather than trudging to the shower block. Guess who has to fill and empty the tanks?
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We never use anything BUT our own facilities. We bought our last two wagons, really based on what the bathroom/shower was like In addition to other things. We absolutely LOVE the Caravan we have now but if the bathroom had not been up to scratch (shower
over the loo type affair/fold down washbasin etc) we would never have bought it even though everything else was spot on.0 -
I recently purchased 2 of your Jetstorm shower heads after seeing a 2 for 1 offer in the caravan club magazine and have been very disappointed in it performance in my caravan shower.
With a normal shower head I get 3.4L/Min and with the Jetstorm 2.8L/Min. This is a 17.6% reduction in water usage which is well short of the claimed up to 45%0 -
The key words here are "up to".
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The bathroom in our 2003 (refurbished), Lunar Ariva GTS two berth is very tiny but on our first 3 night run out a couple of weeks ago I would half fill the sink and have a real slosh down every morning. Once soaped up and rinsed with the sink water I briefly
used the shower to simply rinse off. Didn't use much water from the aquaroll at all. I know this was the first time in 13 years that the shower had been used as the shower curtain was still in a sealed bag in a cupboard.0 -
I have a Lunar Ariva GT (1998) and regularly use the shower! Find it a lot better than many boat showers I havev used over the years...!
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I am quite happy to use the caravan shower as the walls have a supposedly 'sealed casing' I might be more cautious with those which have the normal interior walls finished off with beading which are often found in the all in one units which includes sink
and toilet. No doubt the latter must work but it just looks a design which could let water through without you being immediately aware.0
