When making a circle, it's best to cut shortish pieces (about 500mm) bend slightly and connect another short piece. If your shower curtain rail is going to be about half the size of you rear door, you'll probably need about six sections. Trying to bend one pice into a circle will cause it to 'crumple'. Same thing happens with metal unless using a plumber's spring. Making a square one is much easier but will make the curtain a little harder to draw unless you you use one curtain per edge. The tubing is cheap and a roll at Crazy Clints (now called the Warehouse and similar names) is cheaper than Bunnings. Where ever you buy it, it will be cheaper to buy the tubing off a roll and the connecters singly rather than buying it all in a 'kit' form..
-- Edited by Keith19837 on Tuesday 3rd of July 2012 07:49:31 PM
The following is fitted in my Mazda T3500. Above the side door, there is a shower rail. The shower curtain hooks onto it. The bottom step has several holes drilled in it. A bucket of warm water placed on the second step, plus a 12volt pump and hose with a shower head on. Hook up the curtain, hook the shower outlet on the rail, pull the curtain around you, and hit the switch on the pump. Instant shower. Yes, the water does run out through the holes in the floor. Sometimes I will put a bucket under it. No, it doesn't make a muddy mess if I don't. I have a mat that covers the holes in the step once I have finished and dried myself. It is adviseable to lock the door. Best to have the door covered if it is plain glass. Sure beats a shower tent.
Not sure what a Mazda T3500 looks like so can't visialise just where you would be standing and how much room you would have. Has given me an idea the back door on my van which lifts up could be fitted with a shower rail too and the same thing set up at the back. Great idea.
Oh I see Sheba, So pipes is standing between the outer door and the shower curtain on the bottom step, so no water goes back into the van? I'm going to look into getting a towel rail put on my back door. I can see how that would work too.
oops, should have been a shower rail, not a towel rail.
Just a thought. You could try a bit of micro hose (black tubing used for sprinkler systems) bend that to a circle (or square) using the connector bits, attach with some spring clips then put your curtain 360 degrees around you. Once you've used this cheap trial and got the shape/size right, you could then get something more substantial made up. For what it's worth.
I have also seen pics of a rail around the sliding door of a whizz bang with a shower curtain set up. Even a bucket of warm water and a cup gives a pretty good wash after soaping up. Showering with a hiace has been really difficult for me. I love hearing ideas.
Certainly got me thinking too Beth. Will definitely go for the back door lift up. Perfect spot for it. I have a good solid step at the back and its out of the way for the rest of my outdoor living.
My former sister-in-law had a fly screen made to fit at the back of their car. It was a twin cab ute with canopy, and she used to prepare food on the back tray. so this net would cover it all to keep the flies away from the food.
This was way before you could buy those things. Worked a treat.
In my Mazda T3500 I had a fold down step that sat on the second step but gave me more space and a flat base to stand on and then I had a hinged board above the door that held the shower curtain.
To have a shower I closed the bifold doors and then let the false floor (ali sheet) down and then dropped the top board and then pulled the shower curtain around me. Used the 12v shower with the base in a bucket and the water just ran out the step.
The false floor was also a secondary security unit as when it was down there was no way anyone could open the door from the outside, not that I ever had to use it for this.
When on my own I used a blue tarp (If I was not sure if any one would come into the spot ) hung from the awning arms, and then showered outside. Never had any kangaroo or bird come up and tell me off so I assume they did not care.
Regards Brian
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11 Mtr house Boat based at Mannum hoping to travel up the Murray as far as I can get then drift back again
In our young days of camping in one spot, say the beach, we'd wrap a blue tarp around a couple of small trees, and hook up one of those black solar showers on a branch. Also had one for the loo, which was a deep hole with a holey chair over and when finished, we'd spread a little dirt or sand.
When at a big family reunion on a property out west, a cousin came and bored big holes with his tractor for the 'dump point' for our porta loos.
I did some tenting when I was younger, used a bucket and facecloth with some hot water added which I had heated on the portable gas bottle ring in a saucepan.
I would only dress in a pair of undies (or bathers) with a towel handy standing outside my hatch back on a rubber mat. This was done at night in a camping spot well away from any others if they were there using the car as a privacy shield, although usually pitch black. Keep your car between you and any other vehicles around in case they start up and put their headlights on.
Wash all over, and if safe to do so drop the dacks or bathers and do the below the belt parts and even give the underdacks a bit of a wash when your finished (after you dress) in the bucket too. Towel is there to grab if someone appears out of the dark (usually they would have a torch anyway, so you would see them coming and cover up).
If doing your hair etc before you dry off you can rinse in the remaining water and tip the remaining water in bucket over you.
-- Edited by Cropper on Tuesday 10th of July 2012 11:21:15 AM
