Just like food, cleanliness is a vital necessity of humans. Even if you’re living in a caravan, either static or touring, you have to shower to maintain good hygiene. But, not sure how to shower in a caravan? Then this post is for you.
You can shower in a caravan without affecting your caravan’s lifetime. Most people assume that showing in the caravan can damage its build, which is surely not true. Water used in the shower won’t do any harm to your caravan with regular cleaning.
But, yeah! The way you do things can surely affect how your caravan will look after few years. So, let’s find out the best way to shower in a caravan without affecting your caravan.
How To Install A Shower In A Caravan
First of all, we need to decide whether you’re installing a shower in a static caravan or a touring caravan, the process is pretty much the same for both but will have some minor variations. Here is a step-by-step process of how can you do it yourself:
Prepare The Area
Before you start installing the shower, you need to prepare the area. It includes removing the old shower and checking plumbing connections.
Make Necessary Repairs Or Adjustments
Mostly, a damaged shower or one leaking water, or the incorrect plumbing connections can badly affect your bathroom walls and flooring. It will consequently damage your caravan if not repaired.
Gather The Required Materials And Tools
When you have all the necessary tools and equipment, the process can go smoothly without any frustration or delay. Therefore, you must have the following materials and tools before installing a shower in a caravan:
• New shower pan or stall with installation guide
• A cordless power drill and drill bits
• Measuring tape
• Framing square
• Screwdrivers
• Pliers
• Pencil or other marking tools
• Carpenters level
• Masking tape
Read The Instructions Carefully
Make some time and read the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. Ensure that you understand everything before you proceed further. It will help you get the same warranty as mentioned by the manufacturer after correct installation.
Set The Shower Pan
Once you’re sure that you have everything you need and understand every instruction, you can start the installation process. Follow the manufacturer’s guide to properly connect the drain line and opening in the shower pan.
With the help of the carpenters level, adjust the shower pan to level it. If the levelling is not done right, your shower will not drain water properly.
Test The Installation
Before you end the process of installation, test the fitting. Check the showerhead, water connections, and drain. If anything is not fitted properly, take time to correct the errors.
Caulk And Seal
Once you’ve checked everything and no modifications are required, it’s time to caulk and seal everything. During this, particularly observe that there should be no holes or openings in the shower pan.
Caulk and seal the screw heads that work as a connection between the stubs and subfloor. Don’t forget to caulk the edge of the shower pan where it is connected to the subfloor of your caravan. Now, your shower is ready to use.
Tips for Showering in A Static or Touring Caravan
You must acknowledge and follow the tips below for a hassle-free showering experience in both static or touring caravan:
Don’t keep Waste Water In The Shower
Talk to a dealer or a local plumber, and they will tell you many stories of cracked shower trays. And the primary reason that you’ll hear from them will be storing waste water in the shower while traveling.
So, you should never do this if you love your caravan and don’t want to spend money repairing the damage.
How to Shower In A Caravan – How To Maintain A Caravan Shower
Carry Enough Water
You know how frequently you need to shower. Even if you don’t shower often, you should always carry an additional water tank, if you can, to avoid any water shortage issues and potential damage to your shower by it running dry.
Temperature Settings
In caravans, you have limited hot water tank capacity. Therefore, it is recommended to set your water temperature to the hottest and add the cold water to achieve the right temperature for a shower. It will help you save hot water for as long as possible.
Check The Water Pressure
You’re not always blessed with the right water pressure in a caravan initially. You have to check the water pressure yourself or ask a plumber to get the water pressure that won’t make showering in the caravan a nightmare for you.
How To Keep Your Caravan Shower Clean
You can enjoy a shower in your caravan until it is clean. It’s also vital if you want your shower to last for a long time. To clean your shower, you can vinegar, which is an inexpensive disinfectant.
You can use vinegar with baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, as an effective cleaning formula. Sprinkle baking soda on your shower and your bathroom floor. Then spray white vinegar to create a cleaning solution.
Use a non-abrasive sponge to rub and clean the bathroom and shower. As a precaution, make sure you wear rubber gloves while working with vinegar as it can irritate your hands.
When you’re satisfied with the cleaning and all the deposited debris has been washed away, rinse the cleaning solution with clean water.
You can repeat this process whenever you feel the need.
Summary
Caravans are extreme adventure and fun unless they don’t interfere with your hygiene. One of the primary requirements of most caravan owners is a good working shower.
Well, you can enjoy a shower in a caravan. For that, you need first to install it yourself or get it installed by an experienced person. If you want to do it yourself, follow the step-by-step process mentioned in this post for a proper installation.
To avoid unforeseen situations, you must follow some tips that will not let anything affect your shower badly. You should never travel with wastes and water in the shower.
Ensure that you have an additional water tank so you don’t run out of water in the middle of a shower. Water temperature and water pressure should also be adjusted.
With the right and timely cleaning routine, you can maintain the build of your caravan and shower for a long time.
