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Subject Topic: Fitting a shower and toilet to a caravan
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Personnavyeyelash
11/5/2017 at 7:40pm
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Hi, I've been reading a few other posts on this forum and as I have NO CLUE I thought it might be best to make my own post so people can tell me what to do. It's best to speak to me as if I'm an alien from outer space and don't know what anything is.

For example wha the heck is a Whale socket and what does it do? I know it's a pressure switch but I don't understand why you would need one?

My caravan is very old and we did it up last year, it's basically just clean dry and has beds at the mo (not even got 12v sorted yet!) and this year we are adding some luxuries, like water! haha

It currently has a porta potti in the "bathroom" and a fold up sink - I hate how it looks.

I would like to install a wet room and a kitchen sink. The problem being hot water and water storage. We don't have a tank.

Can someone talk me trough the process of what stuff we would need, what brands are best etc.

A water roller came with the caravan and there is an internal pump but we have never used it. I don't even really know how you would actually get the water out of the roller? I guess a submersible pump?

In terms of the wet room, would the ability to heat water cost a bomb and take up loads of space? I'm hoary with just boiling a kettle and using the sun to hear water, I just don't get how to then get that water to come out of a shower!

Any help would be fantastic! Thanks so much.


PersonJohn4703
11/5/2017 at 8:54pm
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For hot water you need a hot water tank, Truma do them, try caravan breakers for a second hand one instead of spending a lot on a new one. The main problem is that they need either 230volt electric or gas to heat the water and you need to know what you are doing to connect either of them (I realise you might be well able to do this but anted to include the warning).
There are two basic ways of getting water to flow. 1 Have a micro switch in every tap so as the tap is turned on the switch turns on the pump.    2 Have pressure operated switch in the water supply, when any tap is turned on the pressure switch turns on the pump.


-------------
We camped for years. In 2019 we bought an Elddis Avante 454. We like it as it is short (6.9m) and fits in our driveway and has a fixed bed.
We had 127 nights away in the caravan in 2023.


PersonOpensauce
11/5/2017 at 9:28pm
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If it's an old basic caravan it's probably not suited to the upgrades you mention. You would be better off looking at eBay & getting hold of a better specced cheapie say 1990s that already has water heater & built in cassette toilet with shower. It may need a fair bit of work but the parts will already be there.

If you source the parts you want for your existing caravan secondhand from breakers they may be on their last legs anyway & buying the bits new will cost several £100s.

Otherwise save yourself money & work & keep your caravan much as it is. There is something to be said for simplicity. I find that works for me. I don't use water heater or pump in mine. A can of water works fine.


Personnavyeyelash
11/5/2017 at 9:28pm
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Thanks John, I'm guessing a hot eater tank would need to be onboard? I couldn't do the gas myself, my husband could, but i wouldn't let him! I'm funny about gas. My dad is a retired Corgi do he could do it.

In terms of pumper water to a shower head, hoes the tank need to be stored quite high to help with the flow?


Personnavyeyelash
11/5/2017 at 9:30pm
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Open sauce I'm not against a really simple set up, I am happy filling a jerry can with hot water form a kettle! I just don't "get" how you then get the water out of the jerry can and into the shower head?! Could a pump pump water to shower head height from the floor for example?


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PersonJohn4703
11/5/2017 at 9:34pm
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Quote: Originally posted by navyeyelash on 11/5/2017
In terms of pumped water to a shower head, does the tank need to be stored quite high to help with the flow?


No, the pump is powerful enough to get water from a container on the ground to the shower head.

-------------
We camped for years. In 2019 we bought an Elddis Avante 454. We like it as it is short (6.9m) and fits in our driveway and has a fixed bed.
We had 127 nights away in the caravan in 2023.


Personnavyeyelash
11/5/2017 at 9:42pm
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Quote: No, the pump is powerful enough to get water from a container on the ground to the shower head.

Great, thanks John. So could I, in theory, bear with me as I won't know the technical terms.

Connect a shower head to the internal wall, then somehow connect this to a water container outside that contains warm water (either from a solar shower or the kettle).

I guess the hose for the shower would have to go out of the floor and under the caravan and then drop into a container with a pump? And then I need some sort of switch in the shower room that would turn on the pump?

Obviously the walls and floor and everything else would need to be made waterproof and then I'd need a pipe to carry away the waste. It's more the mechanics of getting water to the shower and to the sinks that are confusing me!

Thanks again :)


PersonOpensauce
11/5/2017 at 9:47pm
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If you want a shower in your caravan you have to do a proper job.. It's a massive job really. New parts expensive. You have to ask yourself if it's not more cost effective just to buy an already fully equipped caravan?

What caravan do you have year make model size?


Personnavyeyelash
11/5/2017 at 9:55pm
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It's an 1978 eccles topaz. I was hoping to do something like this: https://youtu.be/C6UOA9c7L4g

But I can't have the pump or the container in the shower room as I have children who are likely to pull it over!

Edited to add: I'm also not sure how safe that switch is?

Post last edited on 11/05/2017 22:02:50


PersonOpensauce
11/5/2017 at 10:05pm
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Your best bet would to be to look at a more modern caravan with shower to see how it all works. Then you would get an idea of how it works & the work involved.


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Personnavyeyelash
11/5/2017 at 10:28pm
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My in laws have a new more modern caravan with a heater but I'm still not sure how it all works :( My father in law is a bit of a bodger too so I'm never sure if his set up is quite right!


Personnavyeyelash
12/5/2017 at 12:13am
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Also is this a foot pump and an electric pump? It's already in the caravan for the kitchen taps :)

https://ibb.co/euM9wQ


Personchrisn7
12/5/2017 at 12:56am
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I feel your enthusiasm for this, but this is all going to be a great deal of work plus the cost of new and secondhand components. You're are unlikely to recoup the costs in the short term so would have to plan on keeping it. There is some risk of spending all your free time fixing this van instead of actually enjoying it...

It would surely be better to add whatever budget you plan for the work to the sale of the existing, and acquire a newer van that meets your needs.


PersonJohn4703
12/5/2017 at 9:26am
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Quote: Originally posted by navyeyelash on 11/5/2017
It's an 1978 eccles topaz. I was hoping to do something like this: https://youtu.be/C6UOA9c7L4g
But I can't have the pump or the container in the shower room as I have children who are likely to pull it over!
Edited to add: I'm also not sure how safe that switch is?
Post last edited on 11/05/2017 22:02:50


That is an interesting video. I'd not worry about danger from the switch as it is 12 volt so not lethal but I'd use a switch that is made for outside use.   Something like this one
It will be a lot of work but 40 years ago I bought a cheap old caravan and spent hours working on it and it was very satisfying getting it the way we wanted it.

-------------
We camped for years. In 2019 we bought an Elddis Avante 454. We like it as it is short (6.9m) and fits in our driveway and has a fixed bed.
We had 127 nights away in the caravan in 2023.


PersonJohnnie Boy
12/5/2017 at 10:31am
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If you really want a shower you could use a pressurised garden sprayer, providing you have a tray to collect the water and a shower curtain to protect the walls.
Kettle of hot water adjust temperature with cold, pump it up and hang the head on a hook or velcro to the wall.

Basic but cheap and would do the job.


Personnavver
12/5/2017 at 8:38pm
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Normally a pump fits in the outside water roller or aquaroll as we call them. This pump plugs into the side of the van via an all in one water and electric connection. When you switch on a tap the pump is switched on via either the microswitch set up in the taps or a pressure switch.

The pump then pumps pressurised water through all the internal pipes coming out of whichever tap is open.

A tee piece is fitted in the water pipe near where it enters the van. this connects to a water heater normally located under a seat. They store 10 to 15 litres of water which is heated by either electric or gas or sometimes just gas or electric only.

Modern vans have mixer taps like you have at home so setting it in the middle somewhere will give you a flow of hot and cold mixed to the right temperature.

If one of these taps is connected to the shower bingo, start singing.



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