TOILETS
DO YOU NEED ONE IN THE VAN?
There are several different ways to go about how you do your business on the road. When camping the easiest way is to walk away from your site, dig a hole with a shovel (this is the most compact option) and go. This is super common in the van world and nothing to be embarrassed about (read LNT best practices). However, you obviously need an option for when you’re parked in lots or stealth camping. I definitely believe having some way of going inside of your van is a must. the day will come where you just… gotta go. Plus having a number one option is a literal requirement for those middle of the night times, ya know. This simple, functional Thetford toilet is what I have and my highest recommendation.
A lot of people go with the easiest and most budget- friendly option: the bottle method. You can obviously use any bottle, but I just like that this one makes it easier for women or anyone not wanting to have to focus on some serious aiming. It’s not nearly as easy as it sounds.. especially in the middle of the night. So if you’re planning on going with this method, I recommend going with a bottle like this that has a funnel of some kind to prevent any risk of a mess.
My toilet of choice is the portable Thetford toilet! They are so easy to use and to clean. The top half and bottom half are basically separate pieces. You do your business and then pull the lever, which releases the waste into the lower half. You will need to put a little deodorizer in whenever you clean it out as well! They come in 2.5 gallon and 5 gallon so you have options on size. I have the 2.5 gallon and empty it about once a week. I will admit that even having this toilet, number two is still typically done at the gym, gas station, or wherever I slept. But when emergency arises, I have somewhere to go. When this happens, I line the toilet with a trash bag, go in that and toss it asap.
I’ve only really seen one composting toilet on the road which is the infamous Nature’s Head. Honestly, everyone I’ve ever known LOVES this toilet. You can do all the number ones and number twos you want. It requires very little work. So it’s certainly convenient. The downside is the cost which is about $1,000. I’ve never met anyone who said that the money wasn’t worth it.. But you gotta have the budget for this one. I feel okay without it but lots of people really want the ability to do everything in the van as conveniently as possible. You can also find various videos and instructions on how to try and DIY your own urine diversion toilet as well if you want to make one for a lower cost.
SHOWERS
DO YOU NEED ONE IN THE VAN?
If there’s anything you can get away with not having inside your van, it’s a shower. You may think that’s odd because you’re accustomed to having one in your current home. However, there are several options to showering on the road that won’t require the effort and money of building one in the conversion. I have a solar shower that I hang up in the back of my van that allows me to shower outside. I don’t have a shower curtain but you can easily get one and DIY a system to hang that up as well for privacy.
Just like the toilets though, you know what you’re comfortable with and what you’ll want. So we’ll go over all your options.
GYM MEMBERSHIPS
The most common option for showering on the road is to sign up at a gym chain and shower using their facilities. There are several gyms that have locations all around the country, but Planet Fitness seems to be the van favorite because of the cost being only $20 a month and the fact that they have locations absolutely everywhere. It’s extremely rare for me to be in any town and type in “Planet Fitness near me” into maps and not have one within 20 minutes.
Also at least half the time that I pull into a PF while traveling, there is another van in the parking lot most likely utilizing the showers as well. So it basically doubles as a way to make friends.
Even with a gym membership, you still want some type of option to shower with your van. My solar shower was really inexpensive and you can make the water hot by leaving it out in the sun for a few hours. I’ve been camping a lot lately so I’ve actually been using this frequently and I still love it. Such an easy option for when you’re out camping or far away from any gyms. As mentioned earlier, you can set up a way of hanging a shower curtain easily if you want privacy for this option. I don’t typically camp near others so I haven’t needed this. Anyway, solar showers 10/10. Big fan.
Electric showers are pretty solid as well because they’re also inexpensive and easy to use. These are different than the solar shower because they have actual water pressure. Most of them require you to plug into the cigarette 12V in order to use and then you simply push a button while others have a rechargeable battery so you don’t have to mess with plugging in while showering.
How they work: You would have a collapsible bucket at your feet that you fill with water and place one end of the device in, and then suction your shower head to the window (suction piece comes with) and then shower with water pressure! I went with the solar shower because I think it’s easier but my good friend, Henry swears by his electric version.
The Roadshower is basically a fancy solar shower. You mount them to the roof of the van and the hose comes down when you need to shower and locks back into place afterwards. The nice thing about Roadshower is that the material on the outside is really good at heating up the water during the day. So late afternoon or evening, you can have a real hot shower with solid water pressure as well. They are definitely more expensive than the bag solar showers but if you want a shower that doesn’t take up space inside, Roadshower is your best option. I will admit that my friend, Katie has this though and is not a huge fan for various reasons. Do with that what you will.
BUILT- IN SHOWER
My personal opinion on building a shower in the conversion is to only consider it if you have the extended version (i.e. the 170″ wheelbase Sprinter) of your van. It takes up quite a bit of a space with not only the physical shower but also the plumbing and water heating system. With a built- in shower, you will need to refill 20+ gallons of water after using it which will be a bigger pain than you may think. The previous options are honestly sufficient ways of showering on the road without having to deal with all of that.
However, some people still know they definitely want a shower in the van because they look amazing and can be really convenient (obviously). You need a shower at night and aren’t near a gym? You would never have to worry about it. I do not have a shower in mine so I recommend checking out 40 Hours of Freedom on Youtube to see how they did theirs and what the end product looks like.
We prefer to have a more spacious feel to our van so we opted not to put in a wet room. But showering indoors was still a priority for me. So, we put in a recessed shower pan and a drain in our entry floor and use a pop-up shower stall. No nasty curtains clinging to your legs. The shower head and hose attaches to the kitchen faucet. It’s super fast, clean and easy to pop up. Plus, we get the use of the water heater too.
If you’re extremely athletic like we are and getting filthy dirty every day then a shower is a necessity. That being said 20 gallons of water won’t last long. That’s why we have been researching a new concept called a Loop or Recirculating Shower. It uses only 4-5 gallons of water and you can take an endless shower. Just swap out the water every few weeks or so whatever you’re comfortable with. I sure wish there was more information on this type of shower so we can get all the information we need before trying to install one in our conversion. I’ll keep researching. Jim
I have seen a shower with removable wood slat shelves used for storage when the space is not being used as a shower. That would be ideal for us if the “wet room” housed a composting toilet as well. I have that tucked away in my “can build” file! I think it’s great for those who may have a bit of doubt about dedicating the space solely for a shower.
I’m glad you put up this website for newbie or wanna be van dwellers. Having a built in shower cabinet helps the transition from house to van RV, and if it does not get much use it can always be used as a closet, as seen with “Wild by the Mile” van dweller – she uses it to store her bulky mattress topper, and still has the option to use it as an indoor shower.