We use our van for quite a bit of activities, therefore a shower has been an absolute must-have in our build. After a long and dusty day on the dirtbike or even just walking around urban areas, there’s no way we’d be comfortable going to bed without a quick shower. Sprinter vans, especially 144s, have very little space for a built-in bathroom with a shower. That’s why, in our build, we kept ours portable. Our portable shower has always worked great for us but we’ve been improving over the years.
Until now, our shower pan setup consisted of a collapsible pet pool with a DIY drain on the bottom that slips into a “floory hole” in our van’s floor. Our funk and biodegradable soap gets washed away into Mother Nature just as it would with an outdoor shower. For a shower curtain, the Xplr Outfitters collapsible shower has been super easy to set up and stow away.
Our Indoor Portable Shower Before Upgrades
Click for more info about our original shower build and setup.
I suppose you can call this
Indoor Portable Van Shower 3.0!
New and Improved Collapsible Van Shower Pan
Now for the upgrade! Xplr Outfitters contacted me to review something new and exciting. They developed a sturdy and durable, yet foldable, shower pan! It features a thick waterproof liner on the inside and a nice, heavy-duty outer fabric. They can make it with a drain or without. I had them put a capped drain in the corner because that’s where our floor drain is when our shower is set up. I may add a small extension on the drain for some added insurance so that it stays in the floor drain. It folds up nice and flat and even has a handy storage strap with a clip. I found out it also fits in our shower storage bag too. I also love that it is square (the same shape and size as our large collapsible shower). And the best feature of all is the fact that it has magnets in the corners. See and read more about the new shower enclosure below!
“Stay Put” Collapsible Shower
The new collapsible shower enclosure has metal tabs sewn in the corners so it stays wide at the bottom and in the corners. It has the same 4 mounting tabs at the top of each wall, therefore it’s easy to put up just about anywhere. We clip ours to the L track pucks on the ceiling with some carabiners. The shower also has a soap pocket and double zipper which come in handy. The ripstop material dries out quickly especially if you fold it inside out and hang it outside on a side mirror, but since it collapses so small it can also be set aside in the van.
Xplr Outfitters
I want to thank Xplr Outfitters, a longtime sponsor of this blog and my projects, for the opportunity to review another great product! Their quality is top notch and now I have peace of mind knowing the shower pan is much more puncture resistant and will hold up to the elements for years to come. If you are interested in a shower enclosure or collapsible shower pan, reach out to them on their website and they will get you all set up! They also make amazing window covers and more!
http://xplroutfitters.com/accessories.html
Water System and Water Heater Update
As for the rest of our system, it is still working great! The 4-gallon Bosch electric water heater has been working amazingly and it heats a tank of water with no issues in a matter of 10-15 minutes. Our 300ah LiFeP04 battery doesn’t even care about the load and the 2500-watt inverter handles it with ease. Connecting the extended shower hose and “on/off shower head” is quick and easy. We loop the hose through the front carabiner and it holds it perfectly at the top of the shower enclosure. There’s no need to mount it anywhere. These are quickie showers we’re taking, even though our 20-gallon water tank would allow for some rather nice, semi-long hot showers.
