Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

Lots of folks including myself spent lots of time and effort to install water heater, maybe one could save some money here ?

The last few weeks I have tried cold showers, I would guess around 70 deg. Now the first few times was sort of chilling cold, but after a few tries it's not really that bad.

I start by washing my hair, then one arm, another arm, then one leg, then another and last the main body. It's really only the first minute thats sorta cold , after a while it's not too bad

Now I'm not saying ice water from Lake Michigan at 28F....sucked from under the ice, but maybe water from your tank ?

Any others ever try this ? If I get a chance I'll try to measure the exact water temp and report back.

There are several options for hot showers that don't involve hot water tanks.
1) Heat some water on the stove, and mix with Room Temp water
2) Solar shower ( black bags warmed by the sun), these can work well on a sunny day, even if its chilly out.
3) Tankless water heater. For under 150$, you can get one that will give you a decent shower, but you need propane and a water pressure source ( water pump)

As for room temp showers. I've done it on a hot day, when the cooler water would be refreshing, but on a colder night I could be unhealthy.
Tom

I'll stick with my 6 gal water heater. Life is too short to take cold showers any more. Yes 70deg is cold to me. And if firing up the heater is just too much of a problem, then heating the water on the stove and using my modified garden sprayer will work well with Navy type showers. Or maybe just skip it all together.

I took enough cold showers as a much younger man bumming around Europe. Money then had to buy food, gasoline to travel or hot water. Somehow the hot water lost out over food and gasoline back then. No thank you today.

Not gonna happen.

I've got a 6 gallon Suburban hot water tank. When it's not working I have a Zodi camp shower. If that fails, I would go without a shower and use handy-wipes. Although if my "cold" water was 70 degrees, that wouldn't be too bad I guess. Right now the temperature of my trailer water tank is about 35F , which is at least warmer than the outside temp of 27F.

I like a room temperature shower on a hot day.
I find it refreshing and a great way to cool off after hitting the trails.
When you don't want to do the solar thing(time consuming). The pot of water on the stove (when eating) and mixing is the low cost option.

With a cargo trailer One could mount 4" plastic pipe(Painted black)on the roof. With a small shower pump to fill and shower. You could fill from a bucket from the ground with the shower pump in the morning. It would be ready in the evening. The plastic pipe would be caped on the ends with a air coupler under it(for filling and draining) and a air vent on top.

I have my Triton 5L on-demand hot water heater. Yes, it requires a pump, but those can be had for about $20. It requires propane, but that is probably already in construct of the camper right? Last thing you need is an enclosure (assuming it is outside). I built mine from the remains of an EZ up canopy. It is now a 3' x3' x 7' outdoor, collapsible room/shower/toilet. I like showers of a nice temperature and 75 or below isn't going to make it for me. Stopped doing that when I quit sailing long distance.

:-)

dave

A cold shower? Why not just go with self-flagellation?

These work great: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010DK ... ge_o02_s00 $14?



They cost $15 and are well worth $45. Grab a thermometer, throw a gallon of water on your stove and heat it to 108ºF. Bingo.

Tony

You are the last guy I would have ever suspected of trying to save a little by not heating a few gallons of water. To answer the question, hell no! If I'm showering, its gonna be hot, as hot as I can stand, just hot enough to be really hot, but not burn. Hotter the better. If I can't shower hot, then I'll use plan B, which is sponging/wiping down, but still with warm/hot cloths!

Two years ago I was outside Bishop CA about 8,000 feet up in the Sierra Mountains on a crisp October morning. I had a pot of water on the stove and was standing in mountain shade and watching the sunlight slowly move across the valley towards me. There were bits of snow here and there on the ground and I figured by the time I was done the sun would be upon me. So standing there in my birthday suit I proceed to sponge hot water on myself followed by a quick soaping up. Just as I was about to begin rinsing off 4 motorcycles burst over the ridge about 100 feet away. I had nowhere to hide and they flew by so fast all I remember is 4 thumbs up as they rode past.

Getting back to the subject I used to boogie board in the Pacific till my lips were blue and this was in the middle of the summer. The first time I had to take a cold shower I thought no big deal, you are used to this. No, nothing could ever get me used to taking a cold shower, there is no easy way to do it, either suffer in little increments as you attempt to do one part of your body and then the next or either just jump in and get it over with. I honestly do not believe there is any good way to take a cold shower. I have on occasion stepped under a small waterfall that was snow melt to attempt to clean up using biodegradable soap. It was pure torture and the only saving grace was the warm sunlight awaiting me when done.

Lol gone fishing

Well my trailer shower is filled with junk and I left my 2 propane tanks at home.

I'm remodeling a rental and the power was turned off. In texas you buy power from 100 different providers for mostly 3-12 month contracts. So I could get power but it would cost me about $150 for a short contract.

Because of the solar trailer I got plenty free juice , but water heater require 5500 watts, a little more then I got.

Option 2 can go to the beach 3 miles away and buy a 4 min hot shower for 4 quarters, for 4 minutes, extra minutes for another quarter.free cold showers are also available 24/7.

So I just tried the home cold shower first and while a little unplesent the first time around I have gotten quite used to it after a few week or so. Today was a little colder as I washed some clothes first & that used the water from the water heater.

The water resting in the water heater is much warmer then straight from the ground.

But I can report that a Honda 2000EU will run a standard washing machine no problem , I was a little worried the spinning drum motor would exceed 13.3 amps , but it worked great.

Thanks for following

Cheers OTTCT

Well following all your advice I tried to enjoy the hot camping shower.

First I can say the shower is not to clean, the floor was ICE COLD and I got frost bite on my feet
next i inserted 4 quarters into the coin slot and it took min 2 minutes to get even luke warm, like 90 maybe
The other problem was water flow was only 1 GPM......
so after 6 minutes and $1.50 i got my 4 min 100F shower

so thats my experience folks !!!

Cheers OTTCT

OTTCT: Try a KOA campground, or a truck stop with showers. Both get more use and more maintenance from the owners/managers. Clean and hot. Some of the truck stops I use in Montana have nicer, newer, cleaner, roomier showers than my house! A maintenance/maid person goes in after every shower. I never liked the coin-op deals. Pay the $5 or $10 and take a long hot one.