Showering & toilet options

kcowyo

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2006
Messages
732
Location
Lander, Wyoming
I thought it might be interesting to see and discuss good options for showering and a camp toilet. Knowing some FWC models have the shower option or cassette toilet, but what about those that don't. What are you using, liking, disliking, shopping for, making at home, etc.

I'm one whose camper set-up offers no showering or toilet options so I've gone with the following (including links) -

The Zodi Extreme Shower
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Basically it is a 2.5 gallon stainless steel can with a pressure pump and small hose. These are a little pricey, $140-ish, but that includes the stove stand, a thermometer displaying water temps and a carrying bag. I lucked out and picked up a "used only once" kit for $60. All bagged up it is similar in size to a rolled up camp chair. I know of people who have made their own can and hose with parts from Home Depot for around $60. These can be heated either using the stove stand or right on the stove top in your camper.


To insure some privacy while showering, I purchased the Outback Porta Privy tent from Cabela's for $50, but I hear Sportsman's Warehouse has them for $40.
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Other than being a big PITA to learn to fold back up, these are a great shelter. It comes with a PVC floor with drain, zip open moon roof, shower head holder, soap & shampoo pockets, glow in the dark zippers, and towel hanger. It's lightweight and folds up to the size of a garbage can lid. For easy set up, available features, a good price-point and compact size to store, I give the Porta Privy very high marks.


For those times when a tree just won't do, I found a great solution for a camp toilet. I picked up a Collapsable Toilet Chair from Cabela's, for $20. It works great with the Porta Privy tent for absolute privacy when needed.
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I liked this chair better than a cassette toilet that I don't really have room for and I liked it better than the popular 3 legged toilet chairs because it is much more sturdy. It folds up just like a camp chair, in its own carry-bag and takes up the same amount of room. It also has a solid flap/lid so it can be used as additional chair in camp. It came with 10 plastic bags for disposing of what you've disposed of.

So far I'm very happy with these 3 products. They're relatively inexpensive, compact & lightweight, stow easily, work as advertised, keeps the kids & lady happy and provide a little bit of luxury and comfort when off the beaten path.

So what about everyone else? What are your store bought or homemade solutions?
 
kc,

We have a Paha Que Power Shower we bought last year for about $90.00. It's a 5 gallon bucket with an immersible 12v pump that provides a pressure shower. It runs off a rechargeable battery that was included or plugs into the camper 12v outlet. It is intended to be a solar heated unit but we found that one coffee pot of hot water will heat the whole bucket of water to a good temp. We also got a deal on a tent enclosure for showing but I can't recall the brand. Honestly, it's not that sturdy and is a pain to put up so I wouldn't recommend it anyway.

As to the porti potti, we upgraded the standard Thetford to a model 565 and have it set under folding lid next to the couch and love the convenience. In fact we just took a quick two nighter to the outlands and were very happy we didn't have to dig holes anymore.
 
I love my Zodi Extreme pump shower. I don't use the portable propane, just put it on my Coleman stove and watch the temp rise. Always have a extra shower head in the camper, they will brake when you step on them in the dark:eek: . I think I got two extra heads for 2.50 each at REI. I took a closed cell camping pad and some ducktape and made a carrier/insulator sleeve for the shower. This prevents cracked shower heads when I toss it up in the Thule and it lets you heat the water up after dinner and shower after dark. I have also got the water into the hot range, put a down jacket over the top of the closed tank pump head and it will still be quite warm in the morning as long as the evening temps don't drop too low.

I used the shower for 4 months straight, just be sure to lube the pump head seal real good and check it often as the hot water will reduce its life so the pump seal doesn't fail. Mine did and I stole the part out of one of my garden sprayers.
 
We are frugal, but we have no problem spending money for quality products.

The FWC “HOT WATER / OUTSIDE SHOWER (Grandby and Hawk Only) $565” option seems like a very nice feature. (Wife loves hot dish water for her hands, and loves are very hot shower.) But, the price is a bit high.

Any one tried/used/seen the Coleman Hot Water on Demand™ system (MSRP $258.49)?
http://www.coleman.com/coleman/ColemanCom/subcategory.asp?CategoryID=2200 … in FIVE SECONDS you have hot water.

http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Water-Demand-Portable-Heater/dp/B0009PURE0 $175.00 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping

Mike
 
Hi Mike,

The price Coleman lists on it's web is really unrealistically high, I have never seen one in a store for much more than $149. Everyone has their own opinion but I think they are great. Mine is >3yrs old, has been used a lot without any maintanence, will instantly give you as long and as hot a shower as you want and can supply water for (it comes with 5 gallon collapsable water container, I bought an extra for ~$5 but you can put the intake into any supply like a cooler or whatever). We use it for showers, washing dishes, washing up in general. Not being attached to the camper seems to be an advantage to me. The shower head you have to buy seperately (about $10) comes with too short of a supply hose but you can easily replace it with a longer one, identical hose is available at the local hardware purchased by the foot.

I also bought the Outback Porta-privy ($39 from Sportsman's warehouse), it is an equally useful product, it is very light, dries quickly, folds up small and very easily/quickly (when you figure out how) and is surprisingly large. I previously had used a vinyl shower enclosure - it is now in the garbage where it belongs.
 
We've had our Coleman for about 3 years also. Thing works really well. It does provide hot water quickly. Problem I have with it is it fairly bulky and I haven't come up with a good way to store it.
 
I use the water tank drain valve for a shower. I purchased a shower head (from a solar shower) and attach it to the valve.

I bought the big porta potty (565?) and couldn't be happier. it's a great toy and sure beats running out on a cold night and going to the bathroom. One of those porta privi tents would be great for use in campgrounds.
 
When I was fulltiming, I cut the spout out of a laundry detergent jug (free at laundromats ;) ) and used that as my 'yellow tank' at night. Just take it to nearest toilet in morning and pour it down. Doesn't work well for females, however...
 
Cabelas has their camp shower enclosure on sale so i picked one up. Where I go it's just me and the burros so i probably wont use it that much but in a crowded campground or when with someone who has to have some privacy it looks solid.

I can put the porta potty in there too.
 
We have an older Zodi twin propane tank that works great. I made a folding wooden platform to stand on. You can take a great shower in just over a gallon of water.
For privacy there are bunch of different pop style rooms.
 

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We have an older Zodi twin propane tank that works great. I made a folding wooden platform to stand on. You can take a great shower in just over a gallon of water.

For privacy there are bunch of different pop style rooms.

I own both the Zodi Single Burner and HP Double Burner and I find that the double burner is a must when you only have access to a cold water source. The single propane canister of the Zodi Hot Tap single burner doesn't seem powerful enough to heat the water to a comfortable temperature while it's passing through the coil. If you're taking it someplace warm then it's not even an issue.
You can find more water heater models here: Propane Water Heaters
 
I've heard with the single burner if you're starting with a cold bucket of water to run it with the "hot" water flowing back into the bucket for a bit to preheat the water and then shower up. Supposedly works okay to stick with the smaller package.
 
Bumping up a 4 year old thread, with a link to a campshower company in his sig...?

Smells like spam to me -
.
 
Bumping up a 4 year old thread, with a link to a campshower company in his sig...?

Smells like spam to me -
.

I didn't pay attention to that but would agree.
 

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