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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ก.ค. 2016
- After using the shower for 6 years now, I can say that this is the best camping gear I have made. We use it every trip and it is still going strong with no problems at all. Here is my response to the most frequent questions I receive about the build.
ABS VS PVC
I used ABS ( acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) pipe and not PVC (polyvinyl chloride). I used this for several reasons. ABS is much more resistant to impact, it is cell core meaning it will hold the heat better, it is more readily available in my region, easier to assemble (no primer required) and it is cheaper (up to half price) than PVC.
FILLING AND USAGE.
It is best to slightly elevate the front of the tank when filling and using the shower. This way, air does not get trapped at the drain end, reducing the capacity. It only needs to be 1 or 2 degrees elevated. This could be done by parking slightly uphill or using a thicker foam block on the front.
ALWAYS TRAVEL WITH THE TANK FULL OR EMPTY
Any partially filled tank will act like a water hammer when you hit the brakes. This could launch your shower like a missile, which would not be good. A full tank is similar to a solid mass, nothing will shift inside when braking hard. So, fIll the tank right to the brim and do not travel with a partially filled tank.
PRESSURE RANGE.
I pressurize the tank to 30 psi and shut off the compressor. When the pressure drops to 10 psi, I turn it back on and pressurize to 30 psi. 10 psi is still ample pressure for a shower. An upgrade from what I have would be a compressor with auto shut-off.
PRESSURE VS. VOLUME.
Water does NOT compress. As a result, if the tank is filled to the brim there is no room for air. Thus, the pressure will drop immediately from 30 psi and you will have to turn the compressor back on. As the water is used, the volume of space available to fill with compressed air increases. By the time you reach half a tank, you can go to empty on one recharge.
FILLER SEAL
The 2-inch filler cap has a silicone seal that prevents air from leaking out through that joint. I used a LESSO 2 In. ABS Male Plug MIPT which comes with the gasket.
PRIVACY SCREEN
We use a pop-up shower shelter right up against the side of our truck. We just route the hose over the top. We stand in a big Rubbermaid container to catch most of the water so that we do not have a wet and muddy mess. www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B015...
TEE INSTEAD OF HUB
You could use a 4” x 4” x 2” Tee instead of drilling the 2 “ Hub directly into the pipe It would add a bit of weight, and cost and not look as neat, but it will work just as well
DRAIN AND AIR VALVE PLACEMENT
I put both the drain and the air valve on the same end to protect the air valve from being damaged if the end was to hit something. Plus this allows me to store the tank vertically on the front end when not in use.
ABS SOLVENT CEMENT IS NOT GLUE.
The parts are not glued together, they are chemically welded using solvent cement. This literally metals the ABS pieces together. If done correctly, the joint is stronger than the pipe itself.
HAND PUMP
It would be very difficult to pressurize the tank with a hand (i.e. bicycle tire) pump. The volume of the tank is greater than the volume of a typical car tire. How long would it take to inflate a car tire this way?
GRAVITY FLOW.
You cannot use this mounted on the roof of your vehicle and expect gravity to generate the necessary pressure. Water pressure from gravity alone is called "head" and is measured in units of distance. 1 PSI = 28 inches of head. That is, if the spray nozzle is 28 inches below the tank, you will get 1 PSI. Assuming you are standing up and are at normal height and the nozzle is also at head height, you will get next to zero pressure.
THREADED SPIGOT
Before threading the spigot (Drain) into the end cap, I heated the brass threads up with a propane torch. This slightly melted the ABS and made threading it in very easy. Once cold, it formed a perfect seal.
CONTINUOUS USE
We do not have the spray nozzle on other than for initial wetting and then rinsing. This is key to preserving water and how two of us can have showers and still have water left in the tank.
For information or to contact me about my videos, I can be reached at camerasutra.ca - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
You should consider doing instructional videos for anything and everything, because you sir are awesome! and I have watched literally thousands of videos for instructional purposes and have never enjoyed such an easy to understand and well done straight to the point video............every second was worth watching, you just became my all time favorite!
Thank you for the kind words. It is very much appreciated.
Ditto!!! Brilliant and thank you for taking the time to educate the masses. This shall soon find a place on top of my Tahoe for our beach trips here in Florida.
Cheers!
Seriously. its straight forward, edited well ,and easy to watch. Thank you. I echo the above sentiments
Perfect voice for it too!!!
Johnny Todd Yes being an Instructor also You Are Good!
His voice is as smooth as Canadian Maple Syrup
🤣
🤣
That is the highest compliment possible.
Lmao😂
It's like Bob Ross wow!!
I just used my road-shower to help put out a brush-fire on the side of the road. The cops look very confused.
Super small brush fire or very large road shower. Great work putting out the fire.
Probably no one will see this comment but here goes. Living on a sailboat I used saltwater for showers. Just add a little Downy clothes softener to the salt water and *presto* water you can shower with.... adjusts the ph and works like a charm.... no more salty skin...
I did not know that. Excellent tip.
hmm. just be careful since now it's known that those fabric softeners kill a mans testosterone and raises the estrogen... besides if in a boat you must have a septic tank, downy is not good for it. you may try 1 cup of white vinegar. why haven't you put a filter. OLE!
i never leave comments, but you're a dang good DIY video maker. I wish all videos were this thorough and easy to follow. A+, bro. A freaking +
Thank you for the kind words. I hope it helps you with your DIY build if you decide to make one.
EXCELLENT! It's so refreshing to see a video without loud music, no BS wandering commentary and profanity. It was clear, concise and very professionally done. Understandable instructions, and even text backup .
1. I want one 2. You SHOULD do instructional videos, I agree with the many others who've said that. Thanks, great job!
Did I miss where you mentioned where to get that air compressor?
If not, would you provide a link? Thx.
Thank you for the very kind words. Glad you found it helpful. No get down to your workshop and build one!
I already had the compressor and keep it in my truck to inflate tires. It has really come down in price I see. Here is the link below. It is a Viair 00088 88P. DO NOT go cheap on the compressor. It will fail you when you need it most (inflating an actual flat tire). This one hooks direct to the battery as it can draw 12 Amps. Any of the cheap ones that plug into your cigarette lighter accessory plug will blow the fuse and then you are in trouble. Also, this is reasonably quiet, fantastic build quality, long power leads and even longer hose.
www.amazon.com/Viair-00088-88P-Portable-Compressor/dp/B005ASY23I/
I agree with not cheating out. To be sure that I understand, you hook the compressor to the valve stem and the spray hose to male pipe output?
Sorry if I'm being dense.
That is correct. NOTE: as the tank is 100% full of water, there is no room for compressed air. As such, for the first few sprays, the pressure wil drop from 30psi to 10psi in a few seconds. As the water drains, air capacity increases. As such, after about a minute, you probably don't need to cycle the compressor at all. I find that I can let it drop to 10psi without any noticeably pressure drop. Also, remember I am using a 3/8" water hose for a reason, it restricts flow and holds lower volume. I am also using a a sprayer with a shower setting, also conserving water. And finally, we spray only to rinse. bathing is done without a constant stream. Only spry when needed.
very well spoken, and very detailed on instructions, you should do that as a job. Every all the details and the way the movie was put together I give it a 5 star!!
Thank yo for you kind words. Glad you enjoyed it and I hope it gives you some ideas to built your own.
You sir are an absolute genius! I hope you don't mind, I will copy you. For me this will be really great installed on the roof racks of the canopy on my truck. I have been looking for ideas when I found your video. Mine will be used to simply wash up at work or wash off muddy boots after work. Thanks for posting the awesome video!!
This is a very clever solution. I love that you put your DIY skills into frugality.
This is one of the most creative and useful ideas that I have ever seen! The quality of you design video recording and editing is fantastic! I'm going to plan on making one of these for my family for our camping outings. Thanks so much for sharing and keep things like this coming!
Thank you RIchard for your kind words. If you have any questions about your build, please post your questions here and I will be happy to help you out. There are lots of additional tips I have answered in the comments, but they can be hard to drill through, so I do not mind answering them again if need be.
Thank you! Following your tutorial I had now a shower,our family uses to rinse off sand, after a fun day at the beach!
I remembered seeing this 3 years ago, & now 5 years later. I found it again...next time I am home, i will attempt to build one for me & my next camping trip.
Amazing idea! Thank you for taking the time and effort to share this.
I lived with my dad in a camper van in the 80's for 4 months As he worked in Northern Ontario as a bricklayer..Having power was a welcome But We mostly had to think of ways of doing things Dad Would spark up the hibachi style fire And set a large pot of water on to boiling Then mix that half to a half bucket of cold water And it came out warm You would splash alitte on you Dunk your head in And soap up And take a cup and rinse off And towel off ..There was nothing better than waking up and Dad had musky cooking in the cast iron skillet fresh from the French river
This solar powered roof I wish he could of seen
great video. enjoyed it thoroughly. As a side note though does anyone else think this guy's voice is ideal for reading a thriller in a podcast?
TV golf play-by-play commentator.
I do! :-)
I'm making one for my van and for my SUV just to leave up there and have this is awesome what a great how to thank you for putting in the work on the measurements
Thank you for providing this video and details on how and what you used to build this solar shower. I found my weekend project.
I am very glad you found it helpful. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Awesome idea and great build for such a basic necessity as a decent warm/hot SHOWER! Thank you for the idea and such an amazing end product!
Thank you. Glad you found it useful.
That's an awesome idea! And great video production. Thanks for sharing👍
This is the best instructional RV video I have seen. It is done very well. No useless babble. Direct instructions. Clear presentation. And, the dude has a professional sounding voice.
Thank you for your kind words. I have another version filled with my babble. It's on my how to NOT make a TH-cam video channel! :-) . If you decide to build one yourself and have any questions, please contact me.
What`s better than a great idea ? A great idea shared . Thank you for sharing .
great video, no fluff, straight to the point. thank you!
Simple, yet affective. A lot of camping supply companies could take notes on this video. Good work
Been waiting for a long time to build a simple, inexpensive and practical RV water heater, this is FANTASTIC.. thank you.
This is the best instructional diy video I have ever seen! You are gifted! Thank you!
Thank you for the kind words.
Literally the best DIY instructional video ever made! Awesome job!
Thank you. I hope you found it useful.
outstanding !!!! I've been wanting to build something like this for high country fishing trips where we can't get our 5th wheel into. thanks for showing this.
Your video moves at a very nice pace. Thanks for this.
Thank you.
I was searching for a single use fishing rod carrier design. And now I have a dual use water heater, fishing rod carrier design. I’ll put the water fittings on one end, and a fully removable end cap on the other. Depending on my predicament, I’ll run hot water, or travel with rods inside the tube.
That was an amazing video, you explained the problem, you described your rationale for choosing your solution, you described all the parts and included tips about assembly and finally showed the equipment in use - a truely impressive video
Thank you for your kind words. I am glad you enjoyed it and hopefully it helps you build your own.
❤❤❤ I LOVE YOU! Thank you... THE TIME SPENT ( yours ) with your maple syrup , so smooth explanatory
steps has help me tremendously.❤❤ Boom!
I love well done and clearly described diy Projects like this, It inspires me to try it. Thanks for taking the time to make the video.
This was the best instructional video I have ever seen. Thank you for such an informative video. Exactly what I was searching for.
Thank you for the kind words. It is much appreciated. Now get those tools working and build yourself a shower.
Focused, well conceived produced and edited. Rare. Thanks
I am glad you liked it. Thank you for your kind words. It is very much appreciated.
One of the best instructional video's I have ever seen. Your explanation, voice, and video quality are great...as was the great idea itself..thank you!
Thank you for your kind words. it is greatly appreciated.
Nice work. Hits a bunch of design criteria.
Well done.
5 and a half minutes of actual useful information! 👍
Best off grid shower I've seen to. Epic vid
A great video kept it simple and explained it without getting off topic or talking to long
B.B thanks you man I could never ask for more!!. In Tucson, Arizona with, so much sun I combined two of your system together and now I got plenty hot water in my kitchen + shower. I add hot water pressure valve incase it gets too hot. I also empty the system if it will freeze (in the few only cold day of the South West winter). Now everything is HONKY DORY and works great.
Thanks for the ideas and straight forward directions - I like the use of the foam blocks
You did an outstanding job on your project and your Video, greatly appreciated 👏
Awesome! I just saw the ad for the other tank and flipped about the $500 price tag also.. I knew I could make one of these too!!
Thanks for the kind words Now get out there and get building your own one!
Very nice setup. Thanks for sharing and providing the details as well.
amazingly well done. great video, very well laid out and the info/reasons were given at just the right speed. Thanks for the video.
Thank you for your kind comments.
Good video ! As a plumber , I like the idea . I know pools , in the 70s and 80s used the same concept , black poly pipe , to heat up the pool . Again Awesome job and video .
Absolutely amazing instructional video. I was on the edge of ordering 1 of those overpriced aluminum tubes when I found your video. I built mine today for a total of $48USD without the foam blocks yet. I have a small adventure trailer and this is EXACTLY what I wanted for that setup. Thx, Jeff
Glad you liked it. Let me know how you make out with yours or if you can think of any mods that would improve it.
Great job on the video. Thanks for making and sharing it. I have been wanting to build something like this for a while now.
you're the man. I've been kicking around the same idea for a while getting ready to get to it myself
Absolute Genius - Safe, Simple, Effective, Low Cost, Durable and Easy To build - Thanks so Much ! - See you at the beach
Thank you for your kind words. It is much appreciated.
This man can narrate my life.
Great job and great of you to take the time to share. Good on you!
Great tutorial as i seen a few around and wondered how to make them....This is now one of my projects
Very well done! Thank you for sharing!
I really appreciate this video, sir. It's very clear and concise. It was also mildly humorous, reading through the comments from people with apparently little reading comprehension or listening skills, continue to refer to PVC. The internet is a wonderful thing if you just put a little effort into it.
Thanks Don for your kind words. Glad you enjoyed the video. It does indeed require some resterinat on my part when responding to some comments, as you have probably surmised. However, I want to help anyone who wants to learn more about building one of their own, so I reply to every question... Even the ones that ask me where I bought the PVC pipe! :-)
This is a three year old video and is still relevant today! Thank you for doing this vid. I, like you, have not been impressed with the "solar showers" that are on the market. This will be a very welcomed addition to my vehicle.
Glad you found it helpful. If you have any questions about the build, parts, or operation, just let me know.
Truly one of the 100% worthy videos on TH-cam. Well done!
Thank you so much. I am glad you found it useful.
Thanks for your video. I made the same thing with the following changes (improvements): 1. I installed a 60 psi pressure relieve valve instead of the radiator drain plug. 2. I made it in 3 sections, and installed 2 plate with holes (where the sections meet) to stop the water hammer action when not completely filled. 3. I used thick rubber pad brought from Harbor Freight to mount it.
ge gary ... I think you are talking about the water sloshing back and forth while driving, not actually a water hammer. That would be a baffle system and commonly used on tank trucks.
@@rupe53 yes, 2 baffles with many small holes to stop water from rushing to the front when braking and the back when accelerating, helps a lot.
That makes a lot of sense, was worried about that as well. Don't need a torpedo on my roof. What kind of place with small holes are you referring to? A shower drain type plate?
@@nickohdub ... you have the right idea, but the drain plate may have too many holes and allow the water to move too fast.
Followed this... and it’s perfect. Thank you so much. Amazing instructional video.
Oh, I love it! I was going to buy the commercial one and was "saving up" for it next summer, but a good search brought me here. All the best from AB :-)
Lots of instructional videos on youtube, but few like this one I will use. Friday we are expecting rain, so I will be heading into town and picking up my ABS pipe.
Wow, This just saved me over $400. Thanks, dude.
You sir are a genius. I'm def doing this project with my dad
Glad you liked it. Please let me know how yours makes out, or if yo have any questions I can help you with.
I've been looking to add an individual outdoor shower to my travel trailer. For when I'm boondocking. This seems like the answer to my needs. Thanks for sharing.
The roof of a travel trailer will give you a lot more room to expand this design.
Great video for a simple DYI project! Thanks for sharing -Kyle
Excellent Tutorial,Thanks for taking the time . . . .
Your welcome. Glad you liked it.
Thanks for taking the time to share this. I have a very low income, a small disability, live in a cabin/caravan off-grid. My bathroom is very cold in winter and has only rain water for handwashing. Brrrr. This is probably going on my roof asap. I have a small 12 volt pump ready to help me feed it. Mine wont be pressurised it will be enough with gravity. I will be feeding 70% max volume in, and leaving a small top valve open for when temp drops below zero to try to prevent cracking. I will probably cover it over with a perspex box or even bubble wrap to see if it still works
Glad you found it useful.
Well done sir, this will certainly come in handy at some point in my life.
That's pretty sweet. I'm going to be living in a 40 foot Teton 5th wheel soon. I'll build a water heater like yours and never pay utility companies for crappy water. Thanks for your idea and video.
11/30/18 - after viewing more than a dozen videos on this topic, you are above and beyond, (with model and data) any others. Thank you for the concise and complete presentation. The spreadsheet was particularly helpful as I am more interested in volume than speed. Aka: where quality and quantity merge. Thank you.
LP
Thanks Larry. Your viewing and comments are much appreciated.
you just became my new hero.
I'm glad you did all the math, I sure as hell wouldn't have figured that all out. Nice job.
Thank you for the kind words. Glad it was of some help.
I saw a guy in Phoenix with one of these. I immediately understood what it was. Genius!
Yeah the narrator needs to be making more videos.
Fit Form and Function
I need to make more showers AND more videos!
Hey mate just wanted to let you know I've done it and it's all working! Thanks again, awesome idea and I've saved $600 compared to commercial products with the same purpose
Awesome! Well done. I hope yo get lots of use out of it this summer. If you run into any issues using it, let me know.
Great idea! Excellent video and voice, clear and easy to understand.
I’m thinking a bus could carry a longer pipe and more enjoyable shower. I’ll need that for my hair.
Big hair = Big pipe! :-)
you crafty Canadian! Thank you for sharing this. And thank you for making such a clear and easy to follow video.
Tell me you got skills without telling me you got skills! 😮 Well broken down and explained!
Well done Batman!!
I built something like this last year but with one additional component I took a bicycle inner tube and inflated it, and put it inside the tube before sealing it up. this bladder compresses as you fill the water heater with air. and allows the water to flow for a much longer period of time without constantly running the compressor.
That is a very interesting modification I will have to explore. Downside would of course be loss of capacity.
One thing I have started doing is to drain off some water before I start the compressor. This provides a void that the initial compressed air can occupy. Thus eliminating those immediate cycling of the compressor that your solution solves. I shower standing in big Rubbermaid container so the water is not lost.
Awesome! Thanks for putting this together. Very helpful
Good and simple system. I like the final detail. H2OT, neat.
Thank you sir! I had the same exact idea just moments ago. I found the same aluminum system from Yakima and the price was outrageous. I immediately thought about black PVC. Your system is exactly what I had in mind. Thank you for doing all the research. Now I know what volume each pipe diameter can provide. Love the mounts too... I didn't get that far. Thank you again!!
Glad you found it helpful. Note: that I used ABS and not PVC pipe.
DO NOT use PVC, it can be dangerous if it breaks with a lot of air in it.
Nicely done!
Literally have no need to build this, but it was so soothing to listen to!
epic idea! love it.. clean and simple... and so is the video.. and the voiceover is ridiculously smooth... sounds like an Attenborough type documentary👍👍👌👌🤘
Cool video and great end result!! The only thing I would suggest would be to use an elbow on one end of the pipe with a threaded cap on it - this would be easier than having to use a hole saw to drill the fill point and it would also remove any potential issues for pressure failure at the join where you drilled the hole. Great job man!!!
GIVE THIS MAN AN AWARD.
fantastic video, adding this to my element by next summer for sure.
Awesome Idea, Awesome Video. You have a knack for this. Good Job.
Great build..
I go camping and i build one myself but i used 2 tubes and also put an aluminium plate under the 2 tubes to get more out of the sun's heat works well.
Also i bought a compressor with a psi auto ajust so i put it at 40 psi and as the shower is used it automatically starts up to keep psi at 40 until no water is left.
I was thinking of trying instead of tubes someting like a propane tank that can be high presure with 10 gal or more if not to big.
Nice, gonna make me one as well. Thinking of using 6” ABS
Awesome idea and very well documented and explained! Thank you
(It looks like 221 people are unhappy that you didn't build it for them.)
Ha Ha! Yes it is strange how people hit thumbs down on peoples efforts. i suspect most can barely use the computer in their Mom's basement, let alone operate a power tool.
I was planning to build something similar for my rig. You did a great job I’ll be using this idea along with mine for sure!
Really nice ! I'm gonna try this for the top of my tiny house.
You could easily make it much larger for a tiny house rooftop. I am thinking that a spool of flexible smaller diameter ABS pipe would be cheaper than the rigid pipe. Just leave it in a spool. A simple volumetric calculation to determine capacity would be helpful to start.
@@ImaginetMedia Great idea.
Great voice!! Super calm.. pretty cool video i am making one for sure!!
Awesome! Thank you!
Brilliant idea friend. Well thought out and well engineered. Well done....
Very nice design and parts choice! Thank you!
man! your voice is so relaxing!
Brilliant.. thank you ... and, as a European, one hugely appreciates your quietly voiced presentation. ;-)
Thank you. I am glad you liked it. Also note, I am typing this reply as quietly as I can.
Very cool idea, i plan to start making one tomorrow for my rig! thank you
Excellent. I just restified a 50 year old camper trailer (7x15) and this is a great idea, possibly 2 or 3 pipes. Stay safe