Shower and toilet

Submitted: Saturday, Sep 13, 2003 at 07:57
ThreadID: 120113 Views:2669 Replies:5 FollowUps:0
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Are we the only BTers to not want a shower and toilet? We think that not having to clean showers and toilets is one of the joys of travelling. Is there a BT owner out there who wishes they had not bothered with them or are we lone voices in the wilderness? We are considering just an external shower arrangement. Comments please.
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Reply By: Noosa Fox - Saturday, Sep 13, 2003 at 07:59

Saturday, Sep 13, 2003 at 07:59
We have a shower/toilet and use it all the time even when in caravan parks. It takes 5 minutes to wipe the shower over when you have finished and that is a small price to pay for the convenience of being able to get out of bed and go to toilet, (the older you get the more often you have to make the journey) and in the morning when everyone else is getting dressed to go out in the cold and walk over to shower block, we just stay in the warm van, have shower and get dressed in the comfort of our own home. An outside shower is not a big advantage apart from internal room, as it is still outside in the cold and you don't have a nice clean floor to step out onto. Some say that they have an outside shower to wash beach sand off, but the internal shower drains directly outside so I don't see any real disadvantage with it. The friends that we went away with recently changed from an 18' shower van to a 16' outside shower only van, and rather than use the outside shower in cold desert weather opted to just have a wash down. Whenever they found a shower in a town that they could use then they used it. They wished that they still had an 18' shower van. Brian
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AnswerID: 559611

Reply By: Deleted User - Saturday, Sep 13, 2003 at 08:00

Saturday, Sep 13, 2003 at 08:00
We initially thought long and hard about shower as BB (before BT) we were canvas tent campers for 20 years. I can honestly say though that in 0-5 deg temps, only an hour or so from Bris in June, 350 metres from cold shower block ...... a CD playing in the van (softly) ... van at 24 deg .... steaming hot water .... showering and dressing was EASY for four !!! I am now converted ........... the only concession in my dream 20ft would be a shower built for two ..... OOooohhhh ! Too much information !!!!! [dontdropthesoapgrin] Anthony Explore this Great Land ... Do it Easy ... Tow a Bushtracker
AnswerID: 559612

Reply By: Deleted User - Saturday, Sep 13, 2003 at 08:01

Saturday, Sep 13, 2003 at 08:01
Hello 2excampers, We have a shower and toilet in a 14' van. The toilet is more than convenient, it helps keep the bush clean. Nothing worse than wads of paper behind every bush and tree. Also had the unpleasant experience of being bitten by a large centipede (on the foot) during a nocturnal stroll. We only use the shower when we are stopped on the side of the road or because of lousy weather.Normally we heat the water in a ten litre billy over the campfire and use it in a solar shower. It is east to erect a screen if modesty is important. I personally delight in a shower outside, dry off and then be warmed by the campfire. A solar shower hooked up over a tree or the back of the van is low cost ($10-20), little weight or bulk and is versatile (use while living out of the van or camping away. Hope to see you on the road sometime John and Sandra
AnswerID: 559613

Reply By: Deleted User - Saturday, Sep 13, 2003 at 08:02

Saturday, Sep 13, 2003 at 08:02
Re inside shower/toilet.

Our own experiences with our OKA (3.6 metres interior length only!) over eight years and 150,000 km is that an outside shower/toilet is fine if one spends most of the time in warm places (which we do)- but is a real pain if its cold and raining.

We do not bother with a modesty curtain as we also spend most of our time deep in the bush. Even in National Parks it is usually possible to angle the vehicle to obtain privacy.

But whilst we've found it is possible to do without inside
facilities, the choice was dictated by that 3.6 metres! On the whole we'd prefer to have an inside arrangement as long as it did not occupy too much space.

If interested to see how this can be done, have a look at Rob Gray's website (www.robgray.com.au)
describing his extraordinary off-road machine.

If you trawl around his site (a National Archive) looking at plans and pix you'll see how the commodious bath (!) shower,. toilet, large wash basin etc -fold up into a space so small that it's not obvious that there's a loo there at all - yet from personal experience when Rob and his wife stayed with us, it is totally practicable and readily accessible - and it's huge!.

I have some reservations about the vehicle as a whole in that I believe it's far too big and heavy for off-road travel, but it is an absolute masterpiece of clever design and construction. It's well worth looking at if designing a BT interior!
Collyn Rivers
AnswerID: 559614

Reply By: Deleted User - Saturday, Sep 13, 2003 at 08:03

Saturday, Sep 13, 2003 at 08:03
Would appear re-sale much better with internals. Luck Griff
AnswerID: 559615

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