VAN CONVERSION BATHROOM DETAILS
VAN CONVERSION BATHROOM BUILD DETAILS
Wondering how and why we built a bathroom into our Sprinter van? We’ll share the details about how we fit a shower and toilet in our van in this blog post.
SHOWER TILE
On this van, we really wanted to use real tile. We went back and forth on the decision and ultimately went for it due to the superior waterproofing benefits.
One of the ONLY reasons we went with tile on this build is because we used a lightweight foam backer board instead of heavy hardy board. The tile adds about 125 pounds total.
If you are using a heavy cement backer board, we do not recommend using tile due to the extra weight.
Before we tiled, we used this Hydro Ban Foam Backer Board. From there, we painted on a layer of Red Gard directly onto the foam backer board as well as used the Red Gard tape to create a waterproof membrane. After that, we used pre-mixed mortar to stick the white subway tiles to the wall. Lastly, we used a gray grout to finish off the project.
HOW TO WATERPROOF YOUR VAN SHOWER
SHOWER DOOR
We both agreed we wanted a private bathroom with a door so we could have some privacy. We absolutely love this self-cleaning shower door by Nautilus. A little pricey but worth it! Takes 2-3 weeks to ship because they are custom made.
SHOWER FAUCET
We opted for the black and white theme in our bathroom, so here are all the items that brought the look together in our van’s shower.
SHOWER PAN
For us, having a shower in our van was on the “must” list. There’s nothing like taking a hot shower before bed to clean off, or take a cold shower when it’s 80+ degrees out to cool off. We absolutely love our shower and wouldn’t change it ever!
This 24" x 32" Rectangular Right Handed Drain Shower Pan is the perfect size for a van bathroom.
TOILET
One of the things you’ll need to figure out, is what kind of toilet you want to have. We’ve heard from several vanlifers who have a cassette toilet that they absolutely hate it. Cassette toilets often stink and you have to empty them often, which sometimes means carrying the #1 and #2 to a public toilet.
Because of that reason, we decided on this Urine Diverting Toilet. We plumed it directly to a holding tank underneath the van so we never have to see or touch the tank. It’s easy to empty at any dump site.