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Post by WindDancer on Apr 5, 2014 10:56:18 GMT
Does anyone use the solar shower, and what do you think of them? Periodically I think of getting one, but not sure if they are as good as I imagine. I gather they need a very secure mounting point, as just one consideration.
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Post by WindDancer on Apr 5, 2014 11:06:19 GMT
I've been looking at youtube videos and liked this one. So far I have not found the water gun online, but I like her idea. What I love most is the way she has done her van out, very homely and inviting The jars at the start of the video are an excellent idea, so many uses for something like that, but I'd probably have sweets in them too www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LKbNlj8W-8
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Post by kangooroo on Apr 5, 2014 11:28:12 GMT
I used a solar shower between the rear doors of my Kangoo. It was OK. Heaving 20 litres/kg of water onto the roof was no mean feat and filling in situ from mineral water bottles isn't particularly convenient either but left in the sun all day, it does warm up and produces a rudimentary shower. Don't expect it to work for hair-washing though: the 20l provides just about enough to get it wet but nothing more!
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Post by outtolunch on Apr 5, 2014 12:20:03 GMT
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Post by edina on Apr 5, 2014 12:38:31 GMT
We’ve got a £7.00 5ltr garden sprayer from Wilkies; I've cut the handle down to a few inches so the control is near the spray head. Half litre of hot and half litre of cold water gives a good shower (and there is rather a lot of me!). Left out side in good sunshine it will get hot enough to shower with.
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Post by kangooroo on Apr 5, 2014 12:50:32 GMT
I've also had a go with a sprayer which worked quite well outdoors but not inside my small van. The only problem I haven't managed to find a solution for is hair-washing. How does everyone manage this? A series of buckets for head-dunking?!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2014 13:17:49 GMT
I use solar shower bags for heating water - it got hot enough to wash greasy pots in last summer. I put them outside on the ground (keep moving them to keep them facing the sun) when parked up or have one on dashboard whilst driving. I also picked up some black flexible plastic 1L drinks bottles for £1 each at Poundstretcher and have about 4 of them on the dashboard for washing and washing up with - once the water is warm (usually by early afternoon) I empty it into a big pump action flask to use at night.
I've tried hanging the solar shower bags off my roof rack which works well but the weight makes it difficult unless there's someone around to help. I've got a pulley and am thinking about some kind of pulley system for them using old climbing rope - something to investigate this summer.
I got a 12 v shower as per Outtolunch's post - it's very good, long cable, used it outside van last summer with the solar shower hot water in a bucket. Have now got a big enough tarpaulin to rig up over and drop down across the open back doors to make a private outside shower cubicle.
I also picked up a small pressure spray (5L maybe) from a discount store for a couple of pounds, not used it yet but thought it would come in useful for strip washes and dirty dogs.
Re hairwashing - that's why I now have it braided, no need to wash it for months on end, it's a godsend, and no messing around each night trying to get knots out of it from the wind. On the downside it does take about 6 hours to redo it every 4 - 5 weeks but I sit down with a few good films to watch and do it over a couple of days (using different colour bands to colour code which has been redone). It's amazing how much hair comes out with each rebraiding but I no longer have hair clogged plugs at home. And it's kept my hair in great condition - I just snip off the split ends when I rebraid it. Mine is nearly waist length now and so washing and drying it would take a good couple of hours each time, I could leave it to dry naturally in the summer but not in the winter, and it can take 24 -36 hours to dry naturally if plaited or tied up when wet. Once I go properly grey I'll get it cut but till then, whilst it's still got good natural colour I want to see how long I can get it. Dry shampoo can postpone washing to about once a week but it does leave your hair looking a bit lifeless and feeling a bit claggy with dust.
I now understand why permanent travellers with long hair often have dreadlocks - the wind and the practical difficulties of washing make it an easy solution.
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Post by ross on Apr 6, 2014 19:42:29 GMT
We regularly use the black bag type each summer in France, and over an afternoon water heats up to 40 degC plus. Then, usually decant into a bucket (& mixed with kettle water if necessary) for head dunking, or have a 12v pump shower which works a treat, with a fair bit of power. The bag off the roof shower only gives a feeble flow, not so impressive. We have a Master van, and my technique for getting on the roof is to put full heavy bag onto ledge at bottom of windscreen (outside), and then with a rope tied to Handel of bag & looped around front rail of roof rack, it can be easily pulled / slid up the windscreen onto the flat of the roof. Safe to leave there during the day, and no problem if the bag bursts or leaks. It's a very cheap outlay for hearing water for free.
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Post by Alec on Apr 6, 2014 20:48:17 GMT
Currently have Hozelock Porta Shower, Wickes 73 ltr. Black Tub, two plastic shower curtains and hooks. In summer shall use Ross' technique with black Ortlieb bags left over from my motorcycle days for heating water. Alec.
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Post by seanrua on Apr 7, 2014 21:15:54 GMT
I'm afraid I'm in the bucket brigade. Have any of ye been to Asia and seen or tried the old dip and splash methods? These were very common in Thailand, Malaysia, Viet nam, Phillipines, Indonesia in my day.
We used to use half a coconut shell for the dipper, but any container wil do ( cup, small saucepan, etc). The idea is you use a small bit of water to wet the body; soap up; wash/rinse off. Of course it stems from washing in the river, so shortage of water and worrying about splashing all over the place are not considerations. But in confined dry spaces, we have to use the old buckets and plastic basin or bath, or, a kiddie's inflatable paddling pool thing. You can sit or crouch in this and splash away with the dipper. One thing about having to carry water is that you soon learn to use it sparingly. The main thing ( besides getting clean) is to keep the water supply clean. Those buckets have not to be polluted. That's why you use the dipper.
sean rua.
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Post by campervanannie on Apr 8, 2014 11:39:25 GMT
We use a solar shower but only for getting the water warmed up and then its a strip wash it just saves having to boil kettles we also use it to clean the dogs paws. We just put it on the roof of our T4 and its ready when we need it
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Post by tbear on May 7, 2014 19:07:44 GMT
We have solar and 12volt one but find a watering can by for the fastest and easiest You need a "friend" to help for it to work really well but it is possible to manage on your own. The watering can is great for fetching water in the fist place as well.
Richard
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Post by rod on May 7, 2014 21:43:49 GMT
As Ross says, a 12v pump is pretty powerful.I have a submersible 12v pump, coupled with a 'normal' showerhead its plenty powerful.I started off trying to warm up the water in one of the 25l tanks with kettles of hot water added.Not hot enough.Ive now got one empty 25l container set up with the 12v pump piped into the permanent shower cubicle.I ran a pipe to the mt tank to allow filling it with solar heated water , which we will heat from portable bottles on the dashboard, and fill the mt tank through the filler tube.I mounted the tube through a hole in the draining board, so any spillage while filling will go into the sink. I tried it recently on a sunny/rainy day and the water heated quite well.
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