Vehicle Shower Feedback

Hi Snaggers

I carry an empty 20litre steel bucket - one of those empty paint buckets with a handle. When I travelled through the Kimberleys I would get some water from the creek and go back to camp - put the bucket into the fire for 10mins or less.

Then like Joc45 I just use a cheap 12v shower that you can pick up in any camping store. Fit a switch to it so you don't have to keep unplugging. This bucket of water can shower two adults with comfort.

It was easier and quicker to heat the bucket in the camp fire. The bucket doubled up as storage container for the spare gas bottle.

Problem with the solar shower is you need the daylight (good sunny day) to warm it up - and then you would need to shower soon after. Once the water runs out you need more sunlight to heat up another. I like to shower during the evening when we are getting the kids ready for bed otherwise they would tear around and get dirty again. You can heat more water over and over.

David

What size battery were you using? Musn't be very big or must have been flat already. You sure it was a 12v shower or a 'D' or 'C' cell battery shower?

Being in the Kimberley also and not needing to heat water i just use a 12v Primus/Jaycar shower. Fill bucket drop in pump and away ya go. I heard some dont last very long, so will be replacing the pump with a RULE bilge pump very soon. Little bit of modifying might be needed but at least i will have a good cheap reliable pump and with only a small current draw.

Should oly need about 5 litres for a shower, unless ya been fishing or crabbing then might need 10.

I'm home now and have since discovered it was not flat, but the neg terminal had come off inside the battery storage bag and I didn't notice at the time. No wonder it didn't charge... :-)

The battery is a 7 amphour SLA battery- $30 at Jaycar. It is nice and easy to recharge as you can plug it into the 12V sockets in the car while on the move.

I think my shower bucket is around 7L, but using the 12V shower I usually struggle to get my hair rinsed properly with my bucketfull. I still had a few litres left after the flannel wash down. If you don't have long hair I don't imagine you'll have this problem :)