Hot Showers

[360scout]

G'day , I'm just trying to work out what to do about having a hot shower when camping , as i get older cold showers aren't quite appealing as they used to be .
what type of hot water systems are you blokes using?
I'm thinking along the lines of making my own lpg system anyone made their own?
I don't want to do the heat exchanger on the vehicle thing , don't really want the 4bee sitting there idling while the team has a shower.
I'm open to any other suggestions.
Cheers Andrew

[dirtygq]

mate i have had the primus shower(in blue box)....no good always broke down. then had the one that is on a tripod and also found it was too touchy ,now have the hot water on demand and are rapped (although was replaced under warranty) the glind hot water system did not get hot enough in my vehicle.

[GQMac]

Try the coleman hot water on demand water heater. (http://www.colemanaustralia.com.au/templates/coleman_content_products.aspx?productCode=2300A700 XA&categoryID=1186&parentCategory=1171) Went on a trip with a mate who had one. Very convenient, enable you to have a cuppa anytime. It only cost $60 more than the primus unit. I was very impressed and will be getting one soon.

[p38arover]

The Coleman HWOD is on special this week at KMart.

Ron

[brooksy]

I have 2 of those solar water bags that hold 20L they are about $8 each. Leave them in the sun all day & they are normally TOO hot. I just pour in about half a bucket & use the primus unit that runs off the cig lighter & I bought a shower/toilet tent. Haven't had a problem. The only thing is keep the shower head out of the sand as it can clog the holes in the shower head (thanks kids :rolleyes: ).


brooksy

[Jeeps]

I like the idea of The Rain Man:

http://www.2daloo.com/rain_man_fully_extended.jpg

Apparently after you fill it up (16L) you can heat it next to a fire or on a stove for 10 mins or less until the thermometer on the side tells you when it's warm enough, then pump it up to pressurise it, then it apparently can give you up to a 12 minute shower

"If you like the water beating on your body, then this is the shower for you.
The pressure can be regulated by the number of pumps and by tilting the showerhead up or down. "

[brooksy]

I like the idea of The Rain Man:

http://www.2daloo.com/rain_man_fully_extended.jpg

Apparently after you fill it up (16L) you can heat it next to a fire or on a stove for 10 mins or less until the thermometer on the side tells you when it's warm enough, then pump it up to pressurise it, then it apparently can give you up to a 12 minute shower

"If you like the water beating on your body, then this is the shower for you.
The pressure can be regulated by the number of pumps and by tilting the showerhead up or down. "


Looks great, does it collapse down to leave basically the size of the bottle for packing purposes. How much are they??


brooksy

[Jeeps]

Folded up:

http://www.2daloo.com/rain_man_packed_up.jpg

http://www.2daloo.com/camp_shower.htm

[lambsy]

just get a 20L tin bucket and a $15 cigie lighter powered pump from super cheap and put 15L of water in the bucket and put it on the fire/camp stove, sit back have a beer and then enjoy a steaming hot shower when the temp suits your particular preference.

(before anyone says anthing - i too thought the solder would melt out of a tin bucket but as long as there is water in the bucket it is all good)

[campdog]

I had the primus in a blue box and sold it because it wasnt getting used.
Primus have a system out now similar to the coleman, saw it at aussie disposals for $299 and really compacyt and easy to use, runs off car battery anf gas bottle . looks good .
We now just heat a bucket of water and used a 12v shower unit.

[eldo]

get one of those pressure sparayers for your garden 9 litres i think and put some warm water in pump her up and your away, i just thought that up after seeing the post above "rain man"

[Corindi]

just get a 20L tin bucket and a $15 cigie lighter powered pump from super cheap and put 15L of water in the bucket and put it on the fire/camp stove, sit back have a beer and then enjoy a steaming hot shower when the temp suits your particular preference.

(before anyone says anthing - i too thought the solder would melt out of a tin bucket but as long as there is water in the bucket it is all good)
Works for me too. The only prob is the initial wait but you get used to putting it on early, oh and fire bans.

[Jeeps]

get one of those pressure sparayers for your garden 9 litres i think and put some warm water in pump her up and your away, i just thought that up after seeing the post above "rain man"

A mate of mine said the same thing and i said 'well go on then' but he couldn't be bothered :) The rain man comes purpose designed with a telescopic arm, thermometer, an adjustable showerhead and the ability to heat the water while it's in the shower. I don't have one but it looks like a great product plus they have spare parts available on their website if needed.

cheers

[360scout]

Thanks for the input fellas , has no one had a go at making one either with gas to heat it or the ones we used to use on stock camps we heated them with a cup of kero ,from memory they used to have a chimney encased in an outer pipe that was filled with water?

[Muckinhell]

Iv been thinking of going the coiled copper piping placed in a fire then pump your water through recycling it till it gets warm enoupgh, then using same cheapo pump to shower with, as written up in 4wd monthly there a while ago. or like how i do it at the moment is with a huge, must be 5 litre kettle on fire/stove and solar shower combined. we get 6-8 people showered out of one solar shower and that kettle nd fresh cold water. and the kettle is great for lotsa cuppa's in the morn plus left over water for washing up etc etc

PS, the Rain mans are $350 by the way

[eldo]

hmm i went out today and purchased a few things for easter trip, one of them was a solar shower for $6.99 from the wharehouse.. bargain i reckon

[SAT44N]

I went down to Boots in Penrith as listed on the rain man website as a seller and they didnt know anything about it. I might have to get on to the seller direct me thinks.

[dirtygq]

i have the hot water on demand but would love to cut a stainless keg with a tap and make a stand to go over fire but not too close so it can stay there without burning holes in it.

[nqgu]

Try the coleman hot water on demand water heater. (http://www.colemanaustralia.com.au/templates/coleman_content_products.aspx?productCode=2300A700 XA&categoryID=1186&parentCategory=1171) Went on a trip with a mate who had one. Very convenient, enable you to have a cuppa anytime. It only cost $60 more than the primus unit. I was very impressed and will be getting one soon.

The coleman doesn't get anywhere near hot enough for a cuppa. I am taking mine back...very unhappy...several people tried mine and all unhappy with he temperature for beverages...great for a shower though.

[Mikes F250]

even though i'm yet to go down the lazy man's road of a "off the shelf" hot water system, i remember the good ole days in the scouts, where the H/W system comprised of a 20L drum rigged up with copper pipe coils that sat in the fire. also used 20L drums for camp ovens. In the army they have "chufers" (heats up garbage bin size of water), which are fed by petrol, name comes from the sound of petrol dripping down to the burner, of course there not the safest thing around.....then there called bangers

[Jeeps]

I'm a wealth of camp showers today, here's another way of heating water :)

Hotwater Service - 20 litre, $44

"The simple yet ingenious Hillbilly campfire hot water service is a great way to provide all the hot water needs of the camp for dishwashing, showers and so on. Placed on the ground next to your campfire filled with cold water it takes little time to warm. As hot water is required simply pour cold water into the unit through the funnel on the lid, the cold water is directed to the base of the tank displacing an equal volume of hot water from the outlet spout at the top of the unit. Your water stays free of ash, the tank remains full at all times and is inherently stable."

http://www.campingwithhillbilly.com/hotwater.jpg
http://www.campingwithhillbilly.com/hillbilly%20hot%20water%20in%20use.jpg

http://www.campingwithhillbilly.com/products.htm

[Harb]

The coleman doesn't get anywhere near hot enough for a cuppa. I am taking mine back...very unhappy...several people tried mine and all unhappy with he temperature for beverages...great for a shower though.

Have you tried recycling the water through it twice ?
Sometimes they have a hard time bringing the water up to coffee temp from dead cold, but second time round it is hot......

cheers

[Harb]

I'm a wealth of camp showers today, here's another way of heating water :)

Hotwater Service - 20 litre, $44

"The simple yet ingenious Hillbilly campfire hot water service is a great way to provide all the hot water needs of the camp for dishwashing, showers and so on. Placed on the ground next to your campfire filled with cold water it takes little time to warm. As hot water is required simply pour cold water into the unit through the funnel on the lid, the cold water is directed to the base of the tank displacing an equal volume of hot water from the outlet spout at the top of the unit. Your water stays free of ash, the tank remains full at all times and is inherently stable."



http://www.campingwithhillbilly.com/hotwater.jpg
http://www.campingwithhillbilly.com/hillbilly%20hot%20water%20in%20use.jpg

http://www.campingwithhillbilly.com/products.htm

Looks like the old "donkey" in the laundry when I was a kid...:)

[Jeeps]

hehehe ingenious and simple :)

[dirtygq]

The coleman doesn't get anywhere near hot enough for a cuppa. I am taking mine back...very unhappy...several people tried mine and all unhappy with he temperature for beverages...great for a shower though.if you push the temp control knob in and turn it clockwise and hold it it gets very hot (it is like that for safety)

[danbbode87]

How much r those rainman things?

[Marc 1]

even though i'm yet to go down the lazy man's road of a "off the shelf" hot water system, i remember the good ole days in the scouts, where the H/W system comprised of a 20L drum rigged up with copper pipe coils that sat in the fire. also used 20L drums for camp ovens. In the army they have "chufers" (heats up garbage bin size of water), which are fed by petrol, name comes from the sound of petrol dripping down to the burner, of course there not the safest thing around.....then there called bangers

Plenty of fun to be had by sneaking down at 3.00am to open the tap on the choofa to fill the bottom with fuel, cook comes along at 4.00am to light it and hey presto, a huge 'boom', bucket loads of shouted profanity, cook with no eyebrows, and the crash of the smokestack segments returning to earth from somewhere near orbit! Ah, what a great start to the morning (if you're not the cook):D

[rumpig]

at fraser island we use a instantanious gas hot water system like what you find in a modern caravan. we use a sand spear to pump the water into a 20ltr bucket with a 14ltr/min pump, we then use a smaller pump (think 9ltr/min) to pump out of the bucket and through the hot water system through a full on shower setup. basically you step into the shower and turn the tap on just like being at home, the heat is controlled by the gas heater with 2 knobs for more heat or water.
we use 2 pumps because the one pump wasn't capable of drawing the water out of the spear and pumping it through the hot water system at the right speed, to fast for one and to slow for the other, so hence 2 pumps and the excess water in the bucket just overflows and drains back into the sand.

[360scout]

at fraser island we use a instantanious gas hot water system like what you find in a modern caravan. we use a sand spear to pump the water into a 20ltr bucket with a 14ltr/min pump, we then use a smaller pump (think 9ltr/min) to pump out of the bucket and through the hot water system through a full on shower setup. basically you step into the shower and turn the tap on just like being at home, the heat is controlled by the gas heater with 2 knobs for more heat or water.
we use 2 pumps because the one pump wasn't capable of drawing the water out of the spear and pumping it through the hot water system at the right speed, to fast for one and to slow for the other, so hence 2 pumps and the excess water in the bucket just overflows and drains back into the sand.

Now thats more like it ,sounds like a bloody good setup may be a bit of overkill for me the minister for war & finance & the 2 kids.
chasing something along those lines but.how bulky is the hot water part of your setup?

[nqgu]

I have the Helton heat exchanger running off the engine.

http://forum.australia4wd.com/uploads/1174387276/med_gallery_974_690_21855.jpg

Very reasonable price and easy to set up and made in QLD.


http://www.helton.com.au/

[THOMO.IN.A.GQ]

I have a heat exchange in my engine bay. I run the heater hose through it which warms it up.

A bilge pump draws water from a bucket, through the heat exchange, then out a gardening sprinkler thingy (like a shower rose). the thermatic control is the heater control inside the vehicle. (ie heater on full = more hot radiator water in the exchange).

Will get some photos when daylight.

Its also great for washing the dog at home.....

[nqgu]

Have you tried recycling the water through it twice ?
Sometimes they have a hard time bringing the water up to coffee temp from dead cold, but second time round it is hot......

cheers

I recycled it until the overtemp light came on...all people who tried coffee made with it said it was too cold including me. I returned it today and got a refund.

[nqgu]

I'm a wealth of camp showers today, here's another way of heating water :)

Hotwater Service - 20 litre, $44

"The simple yet ingenious Hillbilly campfire hot water service is a great way to provide all the hot water needs of the camp for dishwashing, showers and so on. Placed on the ground next to your campfire filled with cold water it takes little time to warm. As hot water is required simply pour cold water into the unit through the funnel on the lid, the cold water is directed to the base of the tank displacing an equal volume of hot water from the outlet spout at the top of the unit. Your water stays free of ash, the tank remains full at all times and is inherently stable."

http://www.campingwithhillbilly.com/hotwater.jpg
http://www.campingwithhillbilly.com/hillbilly%20hot%20water%20in%20use.jpg

http://www.campingwithhillbilly.com/products.htm

The only problem is you have to have enough water to fill it each night...not really practical in the Simmo for example. OK for Fraser or the Cape or somewhere like that.

[bucketofbolts]

i have a twine set up, works brillant, heaps of pressure, using abit of water, about 9ltrs per minute,

cheers ray

[Jeeps]

How much r those rainman things?

About $250 i think

[dirtygq]

I recycled it until the overtemp light came on...all people who tried coffee made with it said it was too cold including me. I returned it today and got a refund.you must have got a dud,because when i hold the push the knob and turn clockwise it hot enough for any cup of coffee
90 degrees i think from memory.

[Redback]

I had the Helton vehicle shower in my previous vehicle and it worked very well, but because of the way the cooling system works in the TD5, it never got hot enough, so i sold it and got this.
BOSCH gas hotwater system.
http://www.4wdlinks.com.au/albums/bazzar/Burralow_019.sized.jpg

Baz.

[pantheas18_hj47]

bloody hell baz thats impressive. What did that cost you to set up?

[Jeeps]

Does that LPG system work ok in such an enclosed location?

[Redback]

bloody hell baz thats impressive. What did that cost you to set up?

$375 it was a factory second from Camec at Ingalburn

Does that LPG system work ok in such an enclosed location?


The section is open, it's inside the camper and that section is the access to the bed.

Here's the walkin section before i installed it
http://www.4wdlinks.com.au/albums/bazzar/Victoria04a_314.sized.jpg

Baz.

[rumpig]

Now thats more like it ,sounds like a bloody good setup may be a bit of overkill for me the minister for war & finance & the 2 kids.
chasing something along those lines but.how bulky is the hot water part of your setup?trying to find the photos of the setup we took at xmas time.if i find them i will try and post them.
at a guess (it's the sister inlaws, so it's at her place), about 500mm high x 300mm wide x 125mm deep. if i find the photos i will look for a name of the unit so you can checkout a website.
it's pretty similar to the one baz posted in his reply.

[REDROCKET]

Got a glind hot water system in my kroozer unlimited hot water from cold to just under boiling controlable by the on dash heater control and got a 70l water tank in it too which i can hook up to the pump or just draw it from a bucket :p :D Can't live without it now!

[gordonk2004]

We have a coleman and it failed for the second time last weekend, The pump just doesn;t start, last time the pump was replaced under warranty, this time they are going to replace the whole unit as apparently there was a fault with the early ones, which sounds similar yet somehow more polite to the wording i used when i tried to have a shower on Teewah beach!! :mad:
Looks i will have a new coleman for sale soon. They are great honest!! :rolleyes:
I am looking at getting a helton www.helton.com.au (http://www.helton.com.au) as a replacement
Anyone have any experience with this brand :confused:

[gordonk2004]

I have the Helton heat exchanger running off the engine.

Very reasonable price and easy to set up and made in QLD.


http://www.helton.com.au/

Oops , i missed your email in my last post asking about heltons :o

Obviously you are happy with it

[Redback]

Oops , i missed your email in my last post asking about heltons :o

Obviously you are happy with it

The Helton is brilliant, although some of the newer Turbo Diesels have had trouble with the Heat exchanger vehicle showers (ie) TD5 Disco, 3.0l Patrol, it's something to do with the cooling systems in these vehicles.

Baz.

[gottafit5]

As Thommo in a GQ will agree to, the water pump can also be used as a bilge pump in the car when you're stuck in a bog hole!

[BMKal]

Some good suggestions here. Now what would REALLY help some of us trying to decide which way to go with hot showers would be some photos of the said showers in active use - preferably with young bikini clad (or unclad) attractive females highlighting the finer points of using these showers. :D

[Harb]

Some good suggestions here. Now what would REALLY help some of us trying to decide which way to go with hot showers would be some photos of the said showers in active use - preferably with young bikini clad (or unclad) attractive females highlighting the finer points of using these showers. :D


http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/7977/showerel3.gif


lika dis you mean.............

[BMKal]

Looks great Harb - but what brand shower is she using ??????

[Harb]

Dunno, I will go and have a look when I get home.......http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/8507/b5df4e3ec6c94dee7669c82pe9.gif

[geko104]

here is a pic of my hot water service, its a beer keg with a stainless tube running down the center so when cold water gets poured in the top it forces the hot water up to where the tap is. We have one rule with it and that is if you take a bucket out you put a bucket back in. On one occasion i got 20 showers out of it in one night and was still quite hot(was a big group of us), Just have to add cold water to the bucket if nessasary. I originally had a ball valve as a tap but found it to be too dangerous to use because the hot water either came out too fast or not at all so have replaced it with a conventional tap. The keg has 5 small "steam holes" drilled into the top for the preasure to be released. We use it for washing up and showers only and just boil the billy for cuppas. I have also added a removeable swing out hot plate and grill. Yes i know its bulky and takes a bit to fill but i wouldnt be without it, it gives unlimited hot water when required and only cost me about 40bux to build. When the camp trip is over i just turn it around and open the tap to put out the campfire and use a couple more buckets if necesssary. I will soon add a boat style bilge pump to drop in the river where we are camping and fill it by hose. you wouldnt want one of these where water is scarce but for the vic high country or along the murray river its just brilliant.

http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u286/geko104/keg.jpg

[Harb]

thats really neato.................

One question............why a tap at all??
Wouldn't just a spout do, as you don't need to turn it off................the cold water just displaces the hot stuff as you pour the cold in.....or am I missing something?

Such as....

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/1878/firebuckettp2.jpg

With no valve at all on the tap

[YOYO]

Wouldn't the hot water line be above the tap line HARB. I'm not really sure either as i am in the process of getting one and don't know what system to build or buy

[Harb]

The way it would work is.......
you would fill it up with water, then after it heats up you would pour cold water into the pipe at the top.......that cold water would push or displace the hot water out of the outlet.......because hot water rises to the top it would come out the outlet while the cold stayed at the bottom to get reheated.....

There would be no hot water above the tap line.......sorry my dodgy drawing...fixed....:)

[geko104]

You got it in a not shell harb thats exactly how it works, a tap is good because water expands when heated (hence overflow bottles on car cooling systems) so a tap keeps the level at a usable. I'd also doubt the safety without a tap cos expanding hot water pi@#$ing out of of a hole could be dangerous if little kids about. Also having a tap there also guarantees that the users get at least a bucket of hot water.

[geko104]

also the hot plate can be set at 2 levels in the pic its at the high level

[Chriso]

I don't know why you dont go for the heat exchanger type of unit. there is no need to have the engine running when showering, in fact I found that by heating the water by recycling a 20 litre jerry through the exchanger, (whilst running the engine of course)my water was good for a nice hot shower in about 10 minutes.
I found the heat exchanger types of units to be absolutely fantastic. Mine is a secon hand twine or glind that was handed down to me by my Father-in-law.
The advantages of heat exchange is that you don't carry compressed LPG (which I dont trust), you don't need a fire (like at a lot of campsites where you are not allowed) and you dont have to rely on the sun. As long as your vehicle can run, you will have hot water.
I had toyed with the idea of building a 12 volt water heater; however, I don't think it would be a viable option and as a result took the easy option of the heat exchanger.
Watched a young digger light a Choofer once with too much fuel in the ring...up it went, blew the chimberly off and engulfed his melon in a flash of orange flame. When I recovered enough from my fits of laughter to render assistance the only injury he suferred was both his eyebrows were AWOL and a large dent in his ego.:D

[rumpig]

Now thats more like it ,sounds like a bloody good setup may be a bit of overkill for me the minister for war & finance & the 2 kids.
chasing something along those lines but.how bulky is the hot water part of your setup?
was at the inlaws over easter and had a look at their gas heater unit, couldn't find a brand on it (probably on the back) as the unit was bolted to a board for mounting on 2 star pickets. they said they got it off ebay brand new for about $250, had a look on ebay and the thing i found looks exactly like theirs but theirs only says 6L on the front (as in 6 ltrs/min.) instead of the brand name. the one i found was a MAREY RV tankless gas water heater, which does 5 ltrs / min. if you keep searching you might find the same one as they have, but it's pretty much exactly the same as this one that i found made by MAREYS.

[territorian1]

I use one of those metal hand showers for the bathroom. It has a hook to hang off the roofrack. I connected a small bilge pump up to it. I runs off the aux. battery. The +ve wire runs to a female plug end (really just a connector) that hangs off the roofrack near the hook. The -ve has a small alligator clip and goes on any earth. Just boil the billy, Put the water in a bucket with some cold to make temp. you want, drop the bilge pump in and enjoy your shower - and the best scenery of any shower in Aus. I also have a rubber mat to stand on (one of the square ones with square holes that they use to join together for standing on in industry - you can cut it down if you think it's too big). Also you know exactly how much water you're using which can be important in many areas. The shower just packs away in the bucket.

[360scout]

was at the inlaws over easter and had a look at their gas heater unit, couldn't find a brand on it (probably on the back) as the unit was bolted to a board for mounting on 2 star pickets. they said they got it off ebay brand new for about $250, had a look on ebay and the thing i found looks exactly like theirs but theirs only says 6L on the front (as in 6 ltrs/min.) instead of the brand name. the one i found was a MAREY RV tankless gas water heater, which does 5 ltrs / min. if you keep searching you might find the same one as they have, but it's pretty much exactly the same as this one that i found made by MAREYS.

thanks for the reply rumpig , def. a good set up I think it's just a bit bulky for our trips trying to keep the weight down the missus wants to bring every thing including the microwave!!! I 'd be just happy swagg'n it but a hot shower is bloody good , I'm thinking heat exchanger type just cause it's compact, & just preheat 20 or so litres when you pull up in the afternoon!

[matt h]

I installed a Glind Hot water system. Have photos of installation as well.

http://www.4wdmonthly.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=26766

[Johnnojack]

I made a copper coil to go in the fire, hook it up to the 12V shower pump after removing the shower head and attaching pieces of hose to each end of copper, recirculate back into 20 l bucket. In 5 minutes you have water hot enough for shower. All fits in bucket with room to spare for shower tarp. Need fire tho
Johnno Jack

[101 Ron]

some of the oldest ideas are the best.
For years I have used a ex army canvas bucket with a large copper shower head.
It takes no room when collapsed and is very good due to the large head on water usesage.
I always have a billy going when camping so the water heating side of it is not a problem.
If you go this way it must be the old army canvas shower bucket ( hard to find ) as the copy cat items are useless due to the smaller shower head or rose.
The only requirement is a rope and a tree branch to raise and lower the bucket.
Do not over look this old idea.........I works extremely well......dont knock it untill you have tried it.
I have a coleman hot water on demand with every accessory and it works good too.
The vehicle mounted systems are good when fitted correctly........
All these other systems work......but the old canvas bucket lasts longer and is cheaper when you can find them,weights nothing,tranfers easily to different vehicles,,,,,,,,,,and most importantly gives a great shower using less water.
I find supplying the water is the greatest hassle in having a bush shower.....not heating the water.
Even if you are near a creek you still have to pump or carry the water.
Regards Ron

[bj42turbo]

We have a plastic bucket and at the bottom and very top 2 hoses come out which connect to a copper coil placed in the fire. No pump needed as it starts to pump by it self hot water in the bucket through the top hose. Only have a 10 litre bucket at the moment takes about 15 mins to become hot!. going to try a 20 litre bucket soon. We then just use a cheap 12v pump shower thing bought from Supacrap Auto

Dazz

[Pratty]

We use a canvas bag with a big copper head, works well and agreed it takes very little room. Nothing better than having a hot shower after a couple of days without.

Best thing is it did not cost a thing, my parent had it and they don't camp anymore (as they are too old) so acquired it for nothing!!!:)

[Landcruiser]

wow some of you blokes seem to be livin the life lol,
When we go Caravaning, we have the Jayco Heritage so not much needs to be done there.

But when were in a a tent (only with the mates, as the folks HATE the tents now lol), The old bag and the nozzle trick comes through And its still great, leave in the sun, and splash yaself hehe,

JAke

[GOIN BUSH]

another vote for the canvas bucket shower its all we use,they hold heaps of water so you get a nice long shower.they fold down to nothing,simple and easy:)

[rumpig]

found the pictures of our shower setup on fraser, remember that we go for a 2 week stay so we don't mind loosing the first day to getting there and setting up camp.
not uncommon for us to have about a dozen people at camp, so we like to have a proper shower setup.
the second photo shows the bucket we pump into from the sand spear using a bigger pump then the one we use to pump through the gas hotwater system. we kept killing pumps trying to get a pump the right size to do both jobs (pump out of spear and then through the hotwater system, they prefer different flow rates), now we use a bigger pump to fill the bucket and excess overflows and goes back into the sand, and a smaller pump then pumps out of the bucket and into the shower setup.

[landcrusier ute]

gotta love a hot shower we are using a gas type system and it works great like the old school showers with the boiler

[orejap]

G'day , I'm just trying to work out what to do about having a hot shower when camping , as i get older cold showers aren't quite appealing as they used to be .
what type of hot water systems are you blokes using?
I'm thinking along the lines of making my own lpg system anyone made their own?
I don't want to do the heat exchanger on the vehicle thing , don't really want the 4bee sitting there idling while the team has a shower.
I'm open to any other suggestions.
Cheers Andrew

I used a 20 litre plastic drum with the plastic tap in the bottom & screw on/off lid on top. Into the screw on lid drill a hole that will fit a tubeless tyre valve (In the old days is was a 3/8" hole) Mix your water up to shower temp ( heat your water up either by the fire or on a gas stove) Place your shower water into the drum (the water is nice and hot because you have heated it and placed into the drum) Run a garden hose from the plastic tap off the bottom tap on plastic drum. Use a air compressor to pressurised the plastic drum through the T/less valve Release the tap at bottom of drum (if you are clever you can fit another tap or like device at shower head end) pressure in drum forces water out under pressure. If you are really good, you can shampoo, conditioner, shave & wash in under 5 minutes for total use of about 17- 17 ltrs of water. Everyone can heat up the water to their own liking. Hope this helps

[orejap]

thats really neato.................

One question............why a tap at all??
Wouldn't just a spout do, as you don't need to turn it off................the cold water just displaces the hot stuff as you pour the cold in.....or am I missing something?

Such as....

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/1878/firebuckettp2.jpg

With no valve at all on the tap

I have had one of these for years & I think I am up to mark 5 model. I have made mine out of Gal and it is rectangular (hoodies rules of the bush number 6 "Square & rectangle stores & packs better than round." I also have a screw on/off spout which stores on a clip on top of the HWS when travelling. Just screw it onto the front when setting up.:thumb:

[Slunnie]

I had the primus in a blue box and sold it because it wasnt getting used.
Primus have a system out now similar to the coleman, saw it at aussie disposals for $299 and really compacyt and easy to use, runs off car battery anf gas bottle . looks good .
We now just heat a bucket of water and used a 12v shower unit.

I have an old style one of these, and we use them at work also during "camps" which are all new style - a little more user friendly. These are excellent, efficient and don't use much water. Great units!

[Slunnie]

i have the hot water on demand but would love to cut a stainless keg with a tap and make a stand to go over fire but not too close so it can stay there without burning holes in it.

We have done something similar also. We have cut a hole in the top of the keg to put water into, and then welded a plate near the bottom of the keg and put a brass tap through this. The keg then sits on bricks and we run a ring burner underneath it. Good setup, not gas efficient and it will burn whatever its sitting on, so they need a heat proof mat or something underneath.

[Slunnie]

We use a similar thing to these also. :)
http://www.campingwithhillbilly.com/hotwater.jpg

Except we use a 44gal drum layed over and over the fire suspended with star pickets. A funnel on the top (which is the side of the drum) to fill and a bent pipe in the end which screws into the normal hole that would be in the top of the drum if it were standing up. When the boys want hot water they twist the bent bit of pipe down and the water flows, then twist it back up to turn the tap off.

[muddy 1]

i built a hot water systerm by using 3 meters of copper pipe cost about$11, a couple of meters of garden hose $2 brass quick release hose fittings and a marine bilge pump $25 also a 7 amp gel cell battery and 4mm wires a toggle switch and a 20 liter bucket with lid to store it in. go to plumping shop get copper pipe and take brass quick fittings with u get them to attach to pipe and bend into coil. so quick fittings clip of pipes and stay on hose, do to both ends of pipe ,garden hose lenght is your choice attach one hose to bilge pump and wire up pump to battery with toggle switch so u can turn it on and off. fill bucket with water,put pump in water ,coil in fire and turn on pump, water will recycle from bucket throw pump around coil back through hose to bucket let it do this till water is as hot as u like then pull out hose and fit shower head and enjoy u can run it of car batt or by a cigaret lighter charger for gel cell for about $5. this set up can by adjusted to suit long hoses and wires ,bigger bilge pump we use it ever camping trip even in the snow no problem and it is cheap

[vcbb]

we purchased a stainless steel bucket (used for fishing etc. and fits camp oven for storage) and we heat the water over the fire. Everything we do has to have several uses

[pantheas18_hj47]

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320114473526&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=011

anyone used these?

[Marc 1]

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320114473526&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=011

anyone used these?

Brilliant! But where I camp the local gum trees don't supply two phase 240v! The power consumption of these puppies really means mains only - caravan parks etc. Either that or a 3.5kva gennie and that's for the smallest one - that's a pretty big load to cart around for water heating.

[pantheas18_hj47]

i guess i am looking at a triple deep cycle agm for my truck and not staying in the one place for long periods of time so with an invertor i thought i could get away with it.

[Marc 1]

i guess i am looking at a triple deep cycle agm for my truck and not staying in the one place for long periods of time so with an invertor i thought i could get away with it.

Last time I looked you'd be hard pressed finding a 3000w continuous inverter that runs off 12 volt. When you get to these types of ratings they are usually 24 or 48 Volt. If you did find one then 3.3kw would be pulling around 310 amps (assuming 91% efficiency) - you'd need a fairly massive battery to be able to supply that amount of current without the voltage falling so far that it would trigger the vow voltage cutout.

I am usually a one eyed solar/battery/inverter supporter but trust me on this - if you are seriously considering then you'll need a gennie.

Just found the inverter you'd need (so they do make one in 12v) $2799 for a decent quality modified sine wave unit. - It weighs 10kg by itself, and the cables won't be light either. Or suprisingly, found a Projecta brand one on ebay for $850 delivered. Still believe its impractical on battery. cabling, installation, fuzing, and better (AGM's would be well suited to this role) batteries would still put this option as a big dollar one. Also, recharging these batteries will be extemely problematic without installing a substantially larger alternator or a second dedicated battery charging alternator. Still think a gennie would be best. Or one of those Coleman thingies for $300, and with the change some solar panels for around the campsite.

Heating water or air is always energy intensive, even in house sized solar setups where batteries can be sized appropriately, gas is the preferred choice for heating, cooking and hot water.

[Patrolman Pat]

The coleman doesn't get anywhere near hot enough for a cuppa. I am taking mine back...very unhappy...several people tried mine and all unhappy with he temperature for beverages...great for a shower though.

Although they advertise that they can be used for hot beverages the max temp is 71C which is nowhere near enough for a coffee IMO. I work on tea and coffee boilers occaisionally and less than 94C causes complaints.
I use my HWOD for washing dishes and showers etc and it's great for that, crap for making a cuppa though.

[baglimit2002]

just get a 20L tin bucket and a $15 cigie lighter powered pump from super cheap and put 15L of water in the bucket and put it on the fire/camp stove, sit back have a beer and then enjoy a steaming hot shower when the temp suits your particular preference.

(before anyone says anthing - i too thought the solder would melt out of a tin bucket but as long as there is water in the bucket it is all good)

Yep, thats all I use 10/20litre bucket and a pump from super cheap bucket on hot coals and in notime later shower/ hot water also can use a old cooking oil tin --Andy

[Roadwarrior]

Some people I used to go to Landcruiser Park with used the copper coil idea piped via a galvanised garbage bin. cold water draws from the bottom and the copper pipe coils sit in the fire and draws heat water back into the top of the bin. No pump necessary, just let simple physics do the work. Each time you take out a bucket of water you replace it with more water into the bin and we used to shower a group of twenty odd people over a one hour period. (no..not all at the same time!). Only draw back is you have to carry a bloody garbage bin and all the piping with you. Bit impractical for my liking.

[GOIN BUSH]

Yep, thats all I use 10/20litre bucket and a pump from super cheap bucket on hot coals and in notime later shower/ hot water also can use a old cooking oil tin --Andy
yeah guys thats what we use a 20 ltr oil drum,simple,easy and cheap.:thumb:

[Tired Triton]

Mmmm, trying to be inventive here, but has anyone thought of fitting up a system in their car where a hot water pipe runs along an exhaust pipe for the heat exchange, and is pumped into an insulated hot water tank??

[crazynut]

i have a colman hot water on demand love it wont eva turn back just set up and turn the dial to what eva temp u like evan make a cuppa from it all i suggest is get youself a o water carring container with a large lid (like a brewers drum ) cause the pump is slightly to large to go in most gerry cans and the silly bag they supply is shit good luck on your choice hey even the misses loves it i love it more cause once she knows how to operate it you have plenty of time for a beer

[KUSTOM V840]

Hi Guys,

I have been looking at all sorts of ideas and all on here but still trying to decide. I am leaning toward the HWOD at the moment. I hve also been thinking of a unit like on the kimberly kampers, the diesel hot water system. Does anyone know who makes these systems or ones similar? I have googled it and can't seem to find anything similar. I will call Kimberly today and see if they would sell me a unit etc but I doubt it!

Cheers, Troy

[01Rod]

It could be a Webasto heater system.
Webasto Australia Coolant Heaters for the Motorhome (http://www.webasto.com.au/am/en/am_rv_heaters_969.html)

Rod

[KUSTOM V840]

It could be a Webasto heater system.
Webasto Australia Coolant Heaters for the Motorhome (http://www.webasto.com.au/am/en/am_rv_heaters_969.html)

Rod

Cheers Rod, had a look at their website. Just not sure if its diesel or not. It says its 12/24V. They look the goods but! I have dropped them an email for price etc so I will see how I get on and post the response up here for anyone else.

Troy.

[KUSTOM V840]

Thanks to 01Rod I have had a look at this system. The full set up is about $2k, but I will call them and see what the smallest basic system will be. I would love to set this up in my camper as a permanent system.

Thermo Top C Heating System

The power heater – for a heating duration of 60 minutes and permanent heating.
Specifications Thermo Top C
Weight (kg) 3.2
Max. heating duration (Minutes) 60
Heat output (kW) full/partial 5.2/2.6
Fuel consumption (kg/h) max. per full heating phase appr. 0.3 / 0.6
Power consumption (W) full/partial 32/22
Variable Heat Output 8,600 to 17,200 Btu/h Parking ventilation (optional) +
Dimensions (mm; LxWxH) 214x106x168

Controls
Thermo Top C
24 Hour, 3 Event Digital Timer
or
Remote control
http://www.webasto.com.au/am/graphics/products_heaters_tt-c_campaign2003_art_252x173.jpg

[steveandviv]

Well I would like to add my 2 cents worth. We now use a Primus system. It was mentioned earlier in the thread that it did not work to well and stock standard I agree. The thermal coupling needs to be in place for safety but this means that if the water you use is to hot then the system shuts off thinking it’s to hot. What we did was replace the pump with a Witworth Marine pump and increased the water flow rate. It now works in any situation as well as being able to draw water from a fair distance away. The extra pressure is also welcome and after taking a few mates away (and their wifes) we got the thumbs up (At first the ‘Mates’ thought it very much a wank but soon changed their minds)

We also have the Coleman system for washing the dishes etc. In addition, while I do think it gets hot enough for a shower (but not a cuppa) even with the knob pushed in I would bother try to shoer with it.

One point yo consider is while there is no real issue with running the 4WD to use a heat exchanger often people use the added thought that you can recharge your battery while idling, not so. The voltage needed by the regulator to increase the magnetic resistance in the alternator needs a few more revs than idling. So do not us that as an added extra, so to speak.

So all in all we really like the Primus with the new pump.

[bennyy]

Mmmm, trying to be inventive here, but has anyone thought of fitting up a system in their car where a hot water pipe runs along an exhaust pipe for the heat exchange, and is pumped into an insulated hot water tank??

The system ive got installed on me GU is a bit like that...Flowjet under bonnet shower...cold water gets sucked up from one end, goes through a heat transfer, then pumped out the other end at a comfortable 40-50deg. Stand in a babies wadding pool and urve got a chance of a long hot shower and ur not wasting water at all, and u can choose where to dump it so as u dont contaminate the rivers or creeks. The only catch is that u need the engine running to get the heat transfer

[twitch]

G'day all, use a system similar to above, flowjet pump into heat exchanger, control temp with inside heat control with the vehicle running. Have an inlet and outlet under the front bar with nylex hose couplings. Click hose onto inlet, use whatever water source you have ( bucket, 20 litre drum, creek), flojet pumps water into heat exchanger, click nylex shower head onto outlet.....instant shower....

Also use the coleman HWOD, have you guys tried turning and holding the knob full anticlockwise for hotter water ? Seems to work for us, also use the LPG adapter and also the water regulator for taps.

Hillbilly make a " choofer, a 20 litre drum with a funnel in the top and a spout out the side at the top. Fill it up with water, place on fire and let it boil ( ours stays on the fire all the time) When you want water for say a brew, tip on 1 cup of cold water into the funnel at the top, cold water travels down to the bottom and pushs hot water up.....Whatever you tip in the top you get out of the spout BOILING hot.....1 cup COLD will be 1 cup HOT.

Twitch.

[A-U-2]

Keep It Simple Silly shower method consists of one five litre weed sprayer. After using a primus gas shower apparatus and all the fumbling around with switches and truck motors outside the shower tent, then enduring hot then cold showers in the middle of winter, we gave it up and tried the weed sprayer. With excellent results. Husband cut down the wand part, as it was a cheapie and wasn't adjustable, fill with water from billy or solar shower bag. Voila! instant hot shower for three adults using only 4.5 litres for all three of us, as opposed to 5 litres each, which seemed to dribble out of the shower head during soap up time. Whoever got the second and third shower slot got a sauna like shower tent, which was lovely during our cold snap three weeks ago. The two females present also managed to wash their hair when necessary. As we have to take all the water we need into our campsites, this cut down on wastage too! Females can set this up themselves and take showers any time of day. Only set back was too hot water melted the seal in knob of on/off trigger. I fixed that with application of soft tape around thread, no more problem.
Water sprayer can also be used to clean windscreen when it's too dusty to see through, dirty feet before bed or dishes after dinner or the dog if he's rolled in something nasty. It's much lighter than all that other mechanical stuff too.
Happy tracks,
OzeSheila.

[geko104]

Keep It Simple Silly shower method consists of one five litre weed sprayer. After using a primus gas shower apparatus and all the fumbling around with switches and truck motors outside the shower tent, then enduring hot then cold showers in the middle of winter, we gave it up and tried the weed sprayer. With excellent results. Husband cut down the wand part, as it was a cheapie and wasn't adjustable, fill with water from billy or solar shower bag. Voila! instant hot shower for three adults using only 4.5 litres for all three of us, as opposed to 5 litres each, which seemed to dribble out of the shower head during soap up time. Whoever got the second and third shower slot got a sauna like shower tent, which was lovely during our cold snap three weeks ago. The two females present also managed to wash their hair when necessary. As we have to take all the water we need into our campsites, this cut down on wastage too! Females can set this up themselves and take showers any time of day. Only set back was too hot water melted the seal in knob of on/off trigger. I fixed that with application of soft tape around thread, no more problem.
Water sprayer can also be used to clean windscreen when it's too dusty to see through, dirty feet before bed or dishes after dinner or the dog if he's rolled in something nasty. It's much lighter than all that other mechanical stuff too.
Happy tracks,
OzeSheila.

Thats a fantastic idea, no battries or wires no gas to stuff around with i really like my keg (Seen eairler in this thread) for heating the water with the added advantage of using it as a hotplate but the weed sprayer is so basic so practical and so simple im going to get me one, will be a great addition to my ct

[harding.1970]

i have glind and love it fantastic... a mate has a copper pipe curled in a coil and throw's in the fire fitted with 12v pump also fantastic but 1 third the price of my glind.

[iMusty]

OK 5 pages of responses and I jumped them all so forgive me if I re-post.

I made my own continuous running hot water supply using a 12 volt pump, a continuous gas water heater from a house and it works by flicking ONE switch.

It took ages to design and get it 'right' but now its done it is easy to duplicate.

ring me on 0400 362 382 for all the details.

[Johnnojack]

geko, good ideas. Here's another use for that sprayer, When travelling in spinefex country use as fire extinguisher if unlucky enough to get fire underneath around exhaust. Best tho to stop frequently and use wire hook to remove built up spinifex, as these fires can be almost impossible to put out.

Imusty you have the perfect shower unit but isnt it a bit big and heavy?
Johnnojack

[T-Rat]

My new rain man came last week it worked just outstanding so easy its just a no fuss item.Me and my wife both showered on one tank.
Had a hard time finding one but got one in the end :waycool:
Anybody thinking of getting one of these units you will not regret it.



Rat

[Tojo_Patto]

We have been using the Primus shower for years, the one with the pump and shower head in a bag. Boil the billy and fill up a butchers tub, that is used to pack other gear in saving space, with the desired temperature water flick the switch stand in the tub and you can shower for as long as you want or until the water gets cold. Great for if yoou have little ones bath them in the tub first then top up the hot water for yourself.

[chikoroll]

Folded up:

http://www.2daloo.com/rain_man_packed_up.jpg

Camping shower. The RainMan hot camp shower (http://www.2daloo.com/camp_shower.htm)

$350
hmm how would this tackle rust?
do you reckon it would be worth it to grab a water based fire extinguisher and just modify the outputs? (i'm not sure on the pressures or temperatures these can handle, or of the metal they are made of)