Shower system? (1 Viewer)

[rlynch356]

Yes that is what I was saying.. a vent allows the pump to pull water out without a lot of resistance.. just like the gas can with an air vent example. I burned out a water pump on my AT trailer (19 gallon external tank) due to it not being vented, basically making the pump work harder that it had to, the tank was fully sealed at the time.

Anyway I think leaks from all the fittings would be more problematic, 3 tanks in series to pull from at the same time since they are all separate containers. A water pump is never going to be able to collapse a tank, it'll just burn out.

To vent them you would need to add a hole and a line to each of the tanks, using a through bulkhead type fitting normally from the inside of the tank to the outside , seal it, then the vent line would then run up somewhere. Building a cradle for a stock RV type tank would be easier, require less plumbing, and probably work better since you would be pull from the bottom of 1 tank and not the middle (based on cap location on those) of 3.

downside is that the spare tire needs to move to the bumper. of course, you could do something like the long ranger 12g tank, but at @ $2100 it's a lot for a water tank.

I try and keep it as simple as possible, usually works better for longer in my experience.

 

[Sac Cerevisiae]

Dare I suggest a bucket and sponge? All kidding aside, I’m curious to see what you ultimately do.

 

[BloggerL]

Sure, just install a vent line.

Thank you. Any link to what that would look like -- a part or explanation. I would appreciate any help on this!

 

[indycole]

The black tube going straight up is the vent line on my tank. In this case the components include a bulkhead fitting installed by the tank maker, a hose barb to the bulkhead, some tubing, and a hose clamp. The other end of the vent line is Velcro’d to the grab handle with a filter on the end. We drape it out the door/ window when refilling the tank.

I’d suggest starting with the tank and then figure out inlets, outlets, etc. and standardize fittings as much as you can from there.

 

[BloggerL]

That's a very impressive system @indycole. I'm thinking I could address @rlynch356's points more simply for my usage, which will be more basic than yours, by drilling into the tanks in the spare tire location and installing a right angle fitting with a valve in each of them. Then, before turning on the pump for a shower, I could simply open the valve of whichever tank I'm using. (I probably won't connect them in series. I like the idea of having three separate tanks in case one punctures or in case I want to pull one off and use it for something else.)

What do you think @rlynch356? Small right angle fitting with valve. Shouldn't be to hard to reach under the bumper to the spare location and turn a valve.

 

[BloggerL]

I'm actually starting to wonder if all this hassle is worth it for the tank. Maybe I'll just get a hitch-mounted carrier for a few jerry cans and be done with it.

 

[linuxgod]

I'm actually starting to wonder if all this hassle is worth it for the tank. Maybe I'll just get a hitch-mounted carrier for a few jerry cans and be done with it.

Practically probably not unless you're using it regularly, but there's a cool factor for sure.

 

[BloggerL]

I mean, I'm going to have the shower system installed. Parts are ordered and on the way. Heat exchanger system with pump and thermostatic mixing valve in then engine, with lines going down the vehicle for in and out, all powered through Switch Pros. I'm just struggling with the tank. Can't go in the vehicle. Don't want heavy weight on top. So it's looking like a choice between a modified or custom under-vehicle solution or just some containers in a basket on the back.

 

[grinchy]

Long term expedition walk thru

 

[BloggerL]

@grinchy Incredibly helpful link for water tank ideas!!! Thank you.

 

[rlynch356]

here is a fitting which could be used (just an example..) Amazon product ASIN B004XAFICS
If it were me and not doing any long distance live out of the car stuff for weeks on end I would just throw 2-3 jerry cans of water in the Slee rear bumper basket and call it day. that gives you an easy water supply (just open and stick the input hose in the tank) and the ability to take 0-3 jerry cans of water or fuel as needs dictate. SLEE- Rear Bumper, Tire Carrier and Ladder - '08+ Land Cruiser / LX 570 - Slee Off Road

Or just throw it up on the roof, using a Frontrunner tank Water Tank With Mounting System / 42l - by Front Runner

Unless you are doing extreme rock crawling its not going to be an issue except for parking garages.

 

[BloggerL]

Late-breaking discovery/idea for tank mounting!

I just installed my new 1UP Euip-D bike carrier, which folds up against the hatch with no bikes installed and down into a horizontal tray position for bike carrying. This thing is basically a tank and fits perfectly in the hitch receiver with a mounting system that eliminates all wobble. I'll post more pics on the build thread. But meanwhile, I'm thinking I could make this beauty serve multiple duties. With a custom-fabricated bracket, I could bolt on a water tank to the underside (which become the backside when folded up) of the rack. The force would go straight down the beefiest part of the rack and into the hitch/frame. So I'm confident I could mount even a fairly heavy tank this way. I could even use it for drinking water on mountain biking outings, which would solve another issue. If the weight seems too much with bikes mounted as well, then I don't have to fill it all the way or I could just throw in the towel and use an alt tank on the roof rack that day.

Come to think of it, with some other custom brackets, this rack could also be used to hold other things instead of bikes of the platforms quite easily too.

Best thing is, it almost seems made for the 200. It's closes up nice and tight to the tailgate. Then when you pull it down, there's a beautiful 1" clearance between the bottom of lower cargo door and the top of the rack.

I taped on a box as an example of wear the tank might go. The actual tank would be a bit bigger.

 

[TeCKis300]

Couple thoughts for designing the tank
1) For a long term or permanent install, it would be worthwhile to consider maintainability. RV systems require annual shocking of the system to make sure it continues to be safe and potable. Will want a way to drain the system. Or winterize or evacuate it to allow for visiting freezing climates so the system doesn't self implode
2) Weight is a factor that needs to be more seriously considered. Water weight and overall system weight. Carrying significant water can be a burden and effect handling, including sloshing of that weight. Where that weight is held is equally important if a larger tank. Low along the centerline is preferred.

There's a couple larger voids just aft of the rear tires, outside the frame underneath the rear bumper. Or perhaps along the frame rails along the side steps. Trick would be to find/make tank that could be mountable in that space.

My preference would be a portable standalone system. There's some pretty cool options others have linked earlier that I'm really considering.

Long hot showers are the stuff of imagination IMO. Even with my full RV, for boondocking, we resort more to wipes to extend what water we have onboard. Or tepid 1-2 gallon military showers every couple days.

 

[BloggerL]

Thanks, @TeCKis300 . In my case, I just need something for short trips. It's for professional work, and I just need people to be able to rinse off in the outdoors with minimal fuss or mess. So I'm going to have permanent, easy-activated shower internals but with a more portable tank, I think. Not worth have a tank hidden away under the car, outside easy reach for inspection or cleaning. Right now, I'm leaning toward either the spare-tire-shaped tanks that mount in the factory spare location or something that can pop off or lift out of a bracket or basket on the basket of the vehicle.

 

[Fisher23]

I would think about how many gallons are needed first. Pumps have a gallon per hour rating you can divide by 60 to figure gallons per minute.

The # gallon x 8 lbs per gallon may dictate where the temporary tank goes. 40 gallon can go fast and will be 320 lbs. I would put it in the cargo area.

 

[linuxgod]

FWIW we can manage a family of 5 for 4-5 days on the 45 gallon tank in our trailer. That's drinking water, dishes, hand washing, 2 showers per person, and toilet use. We pulled off 6 days in Ft. Collins, though I added about 15 gallons of fresh water during the trip (refilled via the 5 gallon jerry can 3 times). In our case we tend to run out of grey water space first, but that's really more of a parked trailer issue that you're not dealing with in an overlanding rig. We're very cognizant of the amount of water available though.

 

[Fisher23]

I think they maybe showering down or rinsing off a sports team, which would use a given amount of water, which could be estimated by the pump time?

Example a surflo marine pump will pump 3 gallons per minute, so 15 minutes and you've gone through 45 gallons hosing people off.

 

[wiseinvestor]

I've been giving your spare tire tank idea some thought I was left with a couple questions.
Unmodified wouldn't you have to remove them to fill them due to the location of the fill cap. Might be a pita or messy.
It would seem less challenging if it was one 18 gallon donut shaped tank as opposed to 3 separate tanks where the loss of usable water is x 3. Would you locate the drain line on the exterior edge? Due to the flat tank shape, the pump could be sucking air long before they are empty if the line isn't at the low point. Even worse if not parked perfectly level.

It is a neat idea, but those would be my concerns.

 

[wiseinvestor]

I think they maybe showering down or rinsing off a sports team, which would use a given amount of water, which could be estimated by the pump time?

Example a surflo marine pump will pump 3 gallons per minute, so 15 minutes and you've gone through 45 gallons hosing people off.

That is an unrestricted flow rate. When you add plumbing, gravity, distance, and a shower head.... you are not actually going to burn water at that rate.

 

[linuxgod]

I think they maybe showering down or rinsing off a sports team, which would use a given amount of water, which could be estimated by the pump time?

Example a surflo marine pump will pump 3 gallons per minute, so 15 minutes and you've gone through 45 gallons hosing people off.

My Shurflo is rated at 3 GPM but at least in my trailer I've never seen that level of flow, even at the kitchen sink which is right above the pump. In my experience they pump about half that, but maybe a really short water line would help the flow? I'm not saying you couldn't drain a 45 gallon tank in 15 minutes, but you'd have to work a bit to get that speed, and some basic changes to your setup and process makes the water last a LOT longer.

In any case if you use it as a shower you should (a) get a low flow, high pressure shower head with (b) an on/off switch on the shower head so you can stop the water flow immediately once you get wet, rather than standing in running water as you soap up.

FWIW I'm sure I use <2 gallons to shower, as I've intentionally left the shower drain closed in the trailer to see how much accumulates. My camp shower "process" (hot water on, turn on cold water once the shower is hot, wet hair/body, stop water, soap/shampoo, start water, rinse, stop water, optional conditioner, start water, rinse, water off) takes me 4-5 minutes, including the time it takes to get hot water from the water heater to the shower head. My boys use less than me I think (no conditioner), but the girls have long hair and use more water.