Shower / Dishwasher

Firehole Hunter

Lil-Rokslider
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Jun 1, 2017
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Atlanta area
I am trying to set up my own dishwasher / shower water pump system for my base camp so that I can wash dishes and take a hot shower if needed. The pump would need to be powered by a 12 volt marine battery. Would like to be able to turn the water on and off like in a sink at home. Additionally, would like to have hot water for it and a shower that would be placed near the sink area of the tent. I am sure that others have done this, but plumbing and electrical motors are not my specialty.
 

Wapiti1

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Sep 18, 2017
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3,569
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Indiana
Two tanks. One metal. A rack for the tanks about 5 feet high with a burner/fire box under the metal tank. Fill with water, and use gravity feed. No pump needed unless you use one to fill the tanks.

It's easy to make a rack that takes down with screw or slip connections out of black iron pipe.

Jeremy
 

boom

WKR
Joined
Sep 11, 2013
Messages
3,185
i made one from a fertilizer spray bottle. cost me around $25.,

it is an amazingly good shower for using less than 2 gallons.
 

boom

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Sep 11, 2013
Messages
3,185
I am trying to set up my own dishwasher / shower water pump system for my base camp so that I can wash dishes and take a hot shower if needed. The pump would need to be powered by a 12 volt marine battery. Would like to be able to turn the water on and off like in a sink at home. Additionally, would like to have hot water for it and a shower that would be placed near the sink area of the tent. I am sure that others have done this, but plumbing and electrical motors are not my specialty.
google hot water shower. they are making them out of those tiny tankless water heaters running propane. a simple 12 v pump and propane tanks gets you a hot shower..

since my wife is getting into camping, i might try to make one. bare minimum it can be used to wash my dog in the backyard at home.
 
Joined
Feb 11, 2020
Messages
780
Location
Oregon
For the 12v water pump you can purchase a replacement weed sprayer pump at a local farm supply. Not very expensive and has a pressure switch so it turns on and off when you open close shower/faucet valves.
 
OP
Firehole Hunter

Firehole Hunter

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Jun 1, 2017
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Atlanta area
Thanks guys for the input but money is not really a concern, but quality of hot water for a shower is. So I am figuring a propane heater of sorts, an electrical water pump for the pressure needed and a rubber trash can w/ a lid to hold water I'm guessing. That is what I was thinking of, but don't have the necessary know-how.
 
Joined
May 1, 2018
Messages
47
Location
North Dakota
We have a makeshift shower for our camp. Used a camper/rv pump connected to a 12 volt battery, outlet hose has a shower head on it, and for a reservoir tank we used a rubbermaid type storage container that holds about 15 gallons of water. The recipe for a perfect temperature "hot" shower is one turkey cooker pot full of boiling water mixed with one turkey cooker pot of October cold river water. A person can take a solid 10 minute shower without running out of water and at the same time the next person is boiling the next pot of water. Works great.
 

packer58

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Joined
May 28, 2013
Messages
993
Here's what i did and it works great,

Picked up a 20 gal blue drum with the large and small bungs, drilled and mounted with screws a 12 volt pump used for weed spraying tanks to the top of the drum. Purchased a Triton tankless water heater that runs on propane and has auto igniter when it senses flow. I could probably dig up some pics.......
 

2rocky

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Jun 21, 2012
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Nor Cal
maxresdefault-1-670x377.jpg


At last, we’ve reached the new frontier of surf showers: automatically pressurized, heated bliss in a bottle. You’d think you were showing at an Equinox with one of these babies.

For $90, you can be the owner of a Rinse Kit, a 2-gallon rig that fills in 20 seconds from a hose or sink and offers the same pressurization as a home showerhead for four minutes. The only drawback is the lack of a heater. So, if you want a warm shower, you’ll have to fill up with with hot water, which will stay heated for several hours, far longer than any of the above-listed units in this article.

And for something even more indulgent, my gearheads, brace yourselves for the Big Kahuna. With their larger capacity, this line of portable showers surpasses the needs of surfers looking for a quick, carpark-rinse off. But for extended camping trips or boat missions, who wouldn’t want the 4.7-gallon Big Kahuna (they also make 6-, 8- and 13-gallon models). And the kicker: Their website promises integrated heating units coming soon, rechargeable in car cigarette lighters.
 

Titan

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Sep 13, 2016
Messages
570
Location
Texas
I use a cheap portable shower. It was $30 and uses 4 D Batteries (Zodi outback brand). So it's technically 6v, but those batteries last plenty for 10 days of use as a sink and a shower. There are 12v models for less than $20.

We use a 5 gallon bucket with a hole cut in the lid for the clean water and another bucket as a sink drain.

I also put in a barbed ball valve to slow the flow down. I assumed I would burn the pump up pretty fast, but this thing is on year 5 and still going strong.
 

Azone

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Apr 21, 2018
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Northern Nevada
Take a pallet and a old piece of carpet or some rubber mats to place on it so your not standing in a mud puddle. We also hang a little one gallon bucket off a tree limb or the shower frame to hold soap, shampoo and the occasional shower beer.
 

packer58

WKR
Joined
May 28, 2013
Messages
993
I used a 12 volt spray tank pump mounted to the top of my water barrel......hose from barrel to suction side of the pump, hose from pressure side of pump to the heater.........Very simple setup

My barrel is in the front corner of the trailer and the pump is plugged into a cigarette lighter socket mounted on the cabinet face.
 

rayporter

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Jul 3, 2014
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arkansas or ohio
pumps
the cheap one is real easy to hook hoses to.
 

JMF

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Apr 19, 2018
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114
Location
ND

This would make a pretty good all in one unit if money isn't a concern.
 

2rocky

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Jun 21, 2012
Messages
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Location
Nor Cal
A trail ride group I go with has rigged up a shower/bar trailer that has an electric pump and instant water heater. My feeling is the more simple, the less parts to break.

A DIY setup with an instant water heater and pump is going to cost you nearly as much as some of the ready to go camp showers. The hardest part has been keeping the pilot light going on the instant water heater. Make sure you have that shielded from the wind. If you are going to do a DIY system, I'd recommend having a re-circulate branch on the shower to save water while the line water works through.

The RV guys have the whole thing figured out. might be worth looking at Camping World for parts.
 
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Firehole Hunter

Firehole Hunter

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Jun 1, 2017
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223
Location
Atlanta area

This would make a pretty good all in one unit if money isn't a concern.

Money is not a problem but don't want to throw it away. Zodi is what I have been using for the last couple of years and heating the water on the stove in a turkey fryer, then using their pump to wash off. Coleman before that. I just saw that Zodi quit selling the pump that ran on 4-D batteries. Seem like everyone is going to the rechargeable lithium batteries which I don't like. The Zodi pump would fail after a couple of seasons or more and I want something a little bit more reliable. Hence, I going to go with the water pump, 12V marine battery, a Tritan propane water heater and a rubber trash can to hold the water supply until called upon. Just picked up a water heater to keep my water supply from freezing in the mountain air at 8-9k feet.
 
OP
Firehole Hunter

Firehole Hunter

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jun 1, 2017
Messages
223
Location
Atlanta area

This would make a pretty good all in one unit if money isn't a concern.

Money is not a problem but don't want to throw it away. Zodi is what I have been using for the last couple of years and heating the water on the stove in a turkey fryer, then using their pump to wash off. Coleman before that. I just saw that Zodi quit selling the pump that ran on 4-D batteries. Seem like everyone is going to the rechargeable lithium batteries which I don't like. The Zodi pump would fail after a couple of seasons or more and I want something a little bit more reliable. Hence, I going to go with the water pump, 12V marine battery, a Tritan propane water heater and a rubber trash can to hold the water supply until called upon. Just picked up a water heater to keep my water supply from freezing in the mountain air at 8-9k feet.
 
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