Shower Options in a Van | VAN LIFE TIPS | Van Life Shower

When thinking about living full time in a van, one of the factors you will want to consider is “how am I going to shower?”

We’re covering the top shower options in van that include indoor and outdoor showers. We’ll even talk about some of the pros and cons of each option so you can figure out which van life shower will fit your lifestyle the best.

Outdoor Showers & Solar Showers

When it comes to an outdoor shower for a van, keep in mind you will need to find a place where you can actually shower outside. This might mean you need to get comfortable with showering outside in a swimsuit in a public place.

Road Shower

The road shower is a type of solar shower that is mounted on the roof of your van. This outdoor shower for van life is a way to have more water for your shower - it comes in a small (4 gallon), medium (7 gallon) and large (10 gallon) version.

Pros:

  • Comes in a small (4 gallon), medium (7 gallon) and large (10 gallon) version

  • Enough water to shower multiple times

  • Does not need electricity to heat the water

  • Simple to DIY and build your own version at home

Cons:

  • Will have to find a place to shower outside

  • Takes up space on the roof

  • Hard to fill - must climb on the roof to access the fill valve

  • Pretty pricey running about $500

Shower Bag

Similar to the Road Shower, these solar shower bags are heated by the sun. Keep in mind you’ll need to leave this shower bag outside for a few hours to heat the water prior to use.

Pros:

  • Very affordable only about $30

  • Doesn’t take up extra space - easily breaks down and stores when not in use

  • Does not need electricity to heat the water

Cons:

  • Must leave the bag outside in the sun for hours prior to use

  • Will have to find a place to shower outside


Big Kahuna 12 volt Portable Shower

The Big Kahuna is a portable shower has a heating coil that runs off of 12 volt power. It comes in three different sizes - 4.7, 8 and 13 gallon.

Pros:

  • Affordable only about $150

  • Doesn’t take up much space - easily portable

  • Has a heating coil so there’s no need to rely on the sun

Cons:

  • Will have to find a place to shower outside

  • Not a very large capacity

  • Seems to be prone to breakage/problems

Shower Inside a Van

Now we may be a little biased when it comes to having a shower in a van - we haven’t built a van that hasn’t had a shower yet!

The biggest question to ask yourself is this…

Can you imagine having a house without a shower?

If you’re used to showering every day in the comfort of your own home, then you may want to consider adding a shower inside your van. This gives you the option to strip down and get clean in the comfort of your own home on wheels without having to find somewhere to shower outside with on-goers looking at you.

Pros:

  • shower in the privacy of your own “home”

  • much more water capacity inside your van - 20-40 gallons is typical

  • no extra set up required

Cons:

  • Much more costly - need more battery power, 3000 watt inverter, water heater, etc

  • More interior plumbing

  • Takes up interior space

After living in a van for almost two years, we can honestly say our experience was so great largely in part to the fact that we had a shower in our van. Though it takes up interior space, it was completely worth it to us.

Hopefully this helped you weigh some of the pros and cons for yourself to decide on what shower is best for van life.

Wondering if a bathroom is really worth it? Check out this blog post for more.

Looking for info on how to waterproof a bathroom? Click here!