Posted 2010-06-16 10:44 AM (#121204) Subject: location of shower
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Posts: 504
I am planning to put a weekend package in an older steel trailer with a 4' short wall. The three-foot door is on the curb side and starts at the slant wall. I continue to read a lot here as it's such an informative site.
I don't have a door between the horse area and the dressing room. I do have an escape door at the first stall, and double doors on back. I have considered putting a door between the dressing room and the horse area, but the space between the supports is only about 22 inches and I haven't found any pre-made doors that narrow, though I've looked at the sites named here. I don't think I'm up to moving the supports and would be more receptive to making a door than moving the supports, but I'm not sure about doing that either.
Any thoughts and ideas on the plusses and minuses of putting the shower in the horse area vs. the dressing room itself? I'll probably keep this trailer for a long time and will use it to go to some events and do some camping. For gray water, I'll probably use one of those portable gray water tanks, unless feedback from here suggests a differnet option. I tend to not like the idea of a permanently-affixed tank on the bottom as some terrain/roads that I drive on might be rough.
Posted 2010-06-16 10:53 AM (#121205 - in reply to #121204) Subject: RE: location of shower
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Posts: 504
Perhaps I should describe my idea a little more fully here and see if some of you want to give feedback on it. I have a Coleman Water on Demand and have found it to be pretty nice. I was thinking of using that for the water in the sink and shower. I would have a place designed for it to sit securely (but removeable) on the counter to run into a sink. The shower will be nearby so that the controls can be accessed through a small shower window. I would then also have three addition hoses that run to each horse area to provide water to each horse stall. The water tank would be directly under the sink so that the pump would simply drop into the water tank.
Posted 2010-06-16 11:42 AM (#121210 - in reply to #121204) Subject: RE: location of shower
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I have another question in this part of the planning. When setting up the system for bringing the electricity in and the propane in from the outside presumably under the gooseneck, how far from the electricity should the propane line be?
I was thinking of having the electric come in over the counter so that it would not be in contact with any wood or paneling. This would be on the front on the the street side at the gooseneck (bulkhead?) wall. The outside would be under the gooseneck and the inside would be over the counter. I could move that so that it is on the actual side of the trailer if having the propane and the electicity is a problem.
Posted 2010-06-16 12:30 PM (#121216 - in reply to #121204) Subject: RE: location of shower
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Posts: 342
Location: Ohio
We have a portable on demand hot water supply as well and use the cowboy shower just as you describe..first stall..no pass through door, although it would be very nice to have one. We use the 'mini' escape door.
We just let the "gray water" run out the back of the trailer...For the sink, we just use a bucket.
Our clean water is in a 50 gallon food grade barrel with a 12v pump hooked to it...
Posted 2010-06-16 5:06 PM (#121234 - in reply to #121204) Subject: RE: location of shower
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Posts: 322
Location: Fort Madison, Iowa
I had someone build a shower kit for me since all the premade ones wouldn't fit in the area I needed, most being too big. It's in the slant corner where I had a closet with a door and he made a stainless steel bottom that fit the corner and it came up about 6 inches high on the walls.
Then he put over that the type of paneling that a person would use in a shower that's water proof on the walls and ceiling. I have a drain hole that has a pipe attached to drain away the water towards the center of the trailer.
I then put up a shower curtain to cover the doorway. He then was nice enough to build another closet next to it. The custom built shower kit works well and is cheaper than buying a new one. I also bought a hand held shower head that you can turn it off and on at the handle. Works nice to save on water while you soap up. It's nice to use in a dry camp when I use the water sparingly.
Posted 2010-06-17 9:06 AM (#121257 - in reply to #121204) Subject: RE: location of shower
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Posts: 342
Location: Ohio
Do I ever wish it was inside? Not really. I'm sure my wife would answer differently. For as little as we camp primitively, this is perfect as far as I am concerned. I like having the wide open space in the camper. I don't like feeling cramped up, especially on rainy days.
The only thing I don't like is the little "porta-potty." It can get gross to empty and clean. That would be the only reason I would put a shower/toilet combo in the camper. Fortunately, most places we go for more than a day or 2 have bath houses and electric hook up. We then just use the water for cleaning dishes or whatever else.
Posted 2010-06-19 10:36 PM (#121326 - in reply to #121204) Subject: RE: location of shower
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Posts: 504
Thanks for the answers. I don't know that I care that the shower is in the horse area so may at least try that option. I am still going back and forth, but maybe the only way to truly resolve it is to try it a couple of ways before I get to the point of having to have made the decision.
It's interesting to have a custom made shower rather than having to work with a standard sized one.