Inside Shower ... Reviews? Feedback?

[Stokeme]

Hello,

Following the Forum off & on for a couple years. Previous history is backpacking & camping in tent.
I am looking for reviews on the Inside Shower. I want a Shell, my wife fully loaded. She would like a Sprinter.
I am leaning towards a Front Dinette & H2O heater if my wife prevails. So, I will have an outside shower.
For $620 extra, I can include a Shower inside.
Can a man actually use this Shower? Does the h2o drain efficiently? Does it contain itself well?
Put up/take down time? Condensation issues? Overall feeling of quality & longevity? Satisfaction?
Whatever thoughts & opinions would be greatly appreciated.
My first post, looking to own & travel Spring 2016? Appreciate all the great info shared freely!

 

[cdbrow1]

I have the inside shower (and outside) in my 2015 Hawk. I got it in January, but I have never used it. I have used the outside shower a few times and it works well. I view the inside shower and an "emergency" thing if I have no other options. A few thoughts I have noticed.

It is nice to have the "base" (the shower floor). I use the base for the inside shower for the outside shower. It gives a good elevated places to stand on and keep your feet clean.

The pan takes up some leg room, but really not much. I am 6'6" and have no complaints about leg room in the hawk although I am usually by my self.

It might be really handy for washing off a dog - but I don;t have one.

The pan is a potential trap for keys and any loose items. Anything you drop into the grate could end up in the drain - for this reason I keep it plugged at all times. It also catches alot of sand off my feet when I go to the beach, but the shop vac takes care of that.

The shower has a separate drain from the sink - that makes the grey water situation a bit problematic. Means you really need two grey water hoses and tanks instead of one. The shower drain is right by the back step so you will want to move that water away from your steps.

In living with it for a few months I am not sure I will ever use the inside shower - but I think my lady friends might use it and it does not really take up any space. If it is ever really cold and I just don't want an outside shower I might give it a try, but probably not.

My 2 cents.

 

[JHanson]

We got the inside shower, and have been very happy with it, and even happier with the front dinette arrangement on our Fleet. We're both medium height, so the slight loss of footroom under the dinette is inconsequential. The front dinette leaves more room for whomever is cooking, and adds storage space.

The shower does take some time to set up, and it would be really crowded if your partner wanted to stay inside the camper (if it was raining, for instance). We haven't had condensation issues as yet. The shower head and hose are less than optimal right now (way too stiff); FWC is working on a solution. They improved the curtain arrangement so it does not take a Masters in mathematics to figure out the clip arrangement.

It's nice to have the external shower as well, since it's much faster and less fussy, for when the weather is mild.

Short answer - if it would make your wife happy, you'll most likely be happy with it too. Aside from the cost there are really no downsides to it except an extra bit of weight.

One tip: Do not forget to open the outer drain cap!

 

[cdbrow1]

We got the inside shower, and have been very happy with it, and even happier with the front dinette arrangement on our Fleet. We're both medium height, so the slight loss of footroom under the dinette is inconsequential. The front dinette leaves more room for whomever is cooking, and adds storage space.

The shower does take some time to set up, and it would be really crowded if your partner wanted to stay inside the camper (if it was raining, for instance). We haven't had condensation issues as yet. The shower head and hose are less than optimal right now (way too stiff); FWC is working on a solution. They improved the curtain arrangement so it does not take a Masters in mathematics to figure out the clip arrangement.

It's nice to have the external shower as well, since it's much faster and less fussy, for when the weather is mild.

Short answer - if it would make your wife happy, you'll most likely be happy with it too. Aside from the cost there are really no downsides to it except an extra bit of weight.

One tip: Do not forget to open the outer drain cap!

I will second the drain cap tip - I made that mistake on the sink. big mess.

 

[Stokeme]

Exactly the info I need. Thanks for the tips on the drain caps!

 

[DesertDave]

I have the inside shower, and have used it three times, maybe half as often as I have used the outside shower. Once was a test, twice was in low temps when I needed a shower.

I have a separate waste container I take on those trips when I think I might use the inside shower - it holds five gallons and is more than adequate for two folks to shower all they want. I could switch over the sink container for the shower if I wished. The water drains as well as the sink water does, depends on how accurately level you got the camper.

The shower curtain gets wet and must be dealt with after you finish, I have a plastic shoe storage box that it fits into and I use it to keep the water contained. Remember, I'm using this when it may get below freezing at night so things won't be getting dry while I am camping. Set up and take down is a couple minutes effort in my Grandby. Remove the table top and arm, set them on the bed. Plug in the shower wand, hang the curtain, tuck the bottom into the grate to contain all the water. Time wise, it seems about the same amount of time as I spend assembling my outside shower enclosure, easily done while waiting for the water to get hot.

It is a tight fit inside the curtain, and I haven't yet developed a way to deal with the soap/container and shampoo container to my satisfaction, since it is hard reach down to the floor to retrieve them. My girlfriend is smaller and doesn't have this problem.

I got the rear Fantastic fan especially to remove the majority of the moisture when using the shower - it pulls the steam away that rises above the curtain without pulling a lot of air through the enclosure. With the Grandby I don't even need to slide in the bed, the curtain fits with the bed fully extended. And the sink is available for the other party to use while one is in the shower

It isn't as easy as using the outside shower, but when you come back from a 10 mile hike with 2500 feet of elevation change and it's 40 degrees and dropping, a shower surely hits the mark.

There are posts on here from folks who made their own inside shower setup, using an attachment onto their sink faucet for water, and a portable tub and drain, and an overhead curtain frame from PVC. I suggest considering that as an option to the factory install. I imagine it might be a bit cheaper, different, but not necessarily better or worse. Something worth considering, especially since you have time to consider before your planned purchase.

 

[SLEDAWG]

Stoke me - I have a 2013 Fleet with the inside shower and dinette setup. Wife likes a daily shower....so do I. Inside shower works great once you get a "routine" down. Takes me few minutes to set up and then I step outside while spouse showers. Ditto on opening the cap and being level or slightly up towards the front. Couple of suggestions to limit water getting out. I used a waterproof spray on the curtain which keeps it from weeping. I put silicone on all the joints in the vicinity of the shower. Lastly I put down a towel near the curtain opening. I use the towel afterwards to wipe down any water that leaked by. Ditto on the hose....stiff. Between wife and I, we generally use 5 gallons. I hang the shower curtain out to dry outside on the right side of the camper (avoid left side - heater exhaust) using the roof clamps and a couple of bungee cords between the camper mounts. Curtain drys quickly. I also opened up the water restricting washer on the shower head for better flow and to keep it from going "hot-cold-hot." As long as you open up the fantastic fan while showering, condensation is no problem. So far after 70+ nights shower works great.
BLUF: Shower = happy wife = happy life and I get to Wander.
Only major problem I have had is boondocking in KOFA Az. Hung the curtain out to dry and went back back inside. Came back out 15 minutes later to find the residents of the local beehive discovered the water source and rallied the "troops." Entire side of the camper was covered with bees enjoying the shower curtain. I can tell you that it took at least a 1/2 mile of driving with an unhappy wife in the camper to shake those bees!

 

[Stokeme]

Great to hear about the set up being more or less equal to an outside shower. I was hoping the fan would be adequate to remove the steam. Waterproofing makes a lot sense as I periodically treat my Sierra Designs rainflys. Happy wife is the basis for all of this!

 

[JJ1]

I haven't yet developed a way to deal with the soap/container and shampoo container

http://www.myshowerline.com/

Picture isn't displaying correctly on my browser, but it's at the link. It's a lanyard with travel-sized bottles attached. You could hang it around your neck or from a shower curtain clip.

 

[Durango1]

Get the inside shower and the dinette arrangement. FWC didn't have the inside shower for the hawk in 2012 when I bought mine and I went for the full length rollover bed instead of the dinette for the "extra storage". The rest of the story?

We found the under bed storage difficult to access and the outside shower is invariably miserable because it is so cold/windy. (We mostly camp in the high San Juan mountains or in SE Utah in the spring and fall- none of which is conducive for showering for a 59 year old woman who won't even let me open the bathroom door in our house when showering because "it lets a draft in"!)

So I just finished a lengthy rebuild of the Hawk to achieve the dinette (I did add some very nice drawers under the seats with full-extension drawer glides) and am still struggling with adding an inside shower option. Buy 'em both from the git-go.

Steve

 

[billharr]

Durango1

Thread Hi-jack. Did you put you your conversion build up in a post I missed? Would like to see what you came up with.

 

[Durango1]

I haven't but will... once I figger out how to do photos, etc. I did some pretty nice stuff (if I say so myself) with full extension drawer slides including the super long (and inaccessible) cabinet next to the frig.

Right now I'm jamming to be ready for our Durango, CO to Portland, OR road trip. (Which many of your were nice enough to give us ideas on.) It IS all about ME... after all!

Steve

 

[Stokeme]

I am another high Mtn. Fall/Spring camper. Understand about the wind, tent always guyed. My wife is also 59 yrs. old, I am 59 yrs young Ha! (She runs circles around me) ... Viewing online, the FD storage looks to be highly accessible. Lanyard/caddy brings back memories as my Mom made me a poster child for "Soap on a Rope".
Bill, thanks for the patience and info on the phone yesterday.

 

[Bombsight]

Seems as though a more permanent, solid solution to hanging the curtain would be better.

Like this : https://www.theflextrack.com/shop/prepackaged-kits/standard-duty-kit-60.html

That in conjunction with a buisness partnership with these guys:http://www.amcraftmanufacturing.com/commercial_sewing.php , FWC could really have something worth considering as an option.

I have some ideas as to the stiff shower hose nobody likes being hard piped (pvc) in sections also. It would allow for a more stable postioning of the shower head mounted in a permanent position.

 

[Stokeme]

Appreciate the helpful posts. Here is a link, where Tom discusses the origins of the shower for the Fleet. It goes into some good detail.
I do not remember seeing it on the FWC site, though it may be there. Interview with Truck Camper Magazine.

http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/news/tcm-exclusive-2012-four-wheel-camper-fleet-self-contained