How much space are you willing to give up for extra comfort?

crazycal · 03-05-2007, 01:03 PM

How much space are you willing to give up to have a full sized tub and shower or a toilet area with some room? I have a friend that has a big 5th wheel. I hate using his bathroom. You can't turn around in it without hitting something. While his shower is not the kind that doubles for a toilet, I think I would want something bigger. I understand that if you have a smaller bus, wasting/using space might not be a luxury that you have. But if you had a 40 foot bus, would you put in a full size bath and shower? How about a w/c (never understood why they called it that)? I thought I would put this out there before I put in a full sized setup. Someone might point something out that I had not thought of.

lapeer20m · 03-05-2007, 01:06 PM

i think full size is a good idea

crazycal · 03-05-2007, 01:12 PM

That coming from someone with a hot tub in their bus. Just kidding.

the_experience03 · 03-05-2007, 05:19 PM

Height is the bigger issue for me. I'd need an Elliott Naess skyscraper roof lift to fit my 6'5" body in a shower and still have the showerhead above me. I'd rather sit down and have the shower over my head than have a tall shower with a head that shoots at my chest. I had enough of that during away games for high school football where we ended up in the girls locker room of a school built in 1930 by the CCC.

crazycal · 03-05-2007, 05:38 PM

I'm only 5'8", so height won't be as much of an issue. I don't know if I would put it lengthwise down the side of the bus or at a right angle. That would allow me to put the shower head towards the middle of the bus for more height. Someone suggested putting a woodstove in the middle of the bus(isle) on the other site. You could put your shower in the middle of the bus like the woodstove. That would give you a few more inches. I thought that was a real swell idea.

the_experience03 · 03-05-2007, 06:04 PM

I have a shower room in my bus, but currently it is unfinished and full of WVO filtering equipment. I'm thinking I'm going to end up doing like a lot of the newer slide in campers I've seen do. They have a platform outside the folds out with walls the fold up for an external shower. I could do the same just about anywhere on the bus. I would like to be able to reclaim the water into a greywater tank just because I don't like the idea of a very wet campsite, but I think I can make something work. I don't do much winter camping anyway (none, actually) so the temperatures wouldn't be much of a concern. Even if I did do a lot of winter camping....the cold would just encourage quicker showers!

Demonknight · 03-05-2007, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Someone suggested putting a woodstove in the middle of the bus(isle) on the other site.

someone suggested that here as well....don't remember anyone agreeing with him.

GoneCamping · 03-05-2007, 08:01 PM

I made the bathroom in mine a little bigger than what is in my TT, I knew it needed to be bigger than what I had. The shower too is a little bigger, but at 32x32 it is not huge.

I gave up having a dinette so that I could put in extra kitchen counter, and a Euro recliner... I do have a small table like device that is going in the emergency exit area....stool seating for one!!

I gave a up few things in order to come up with more kitchen. My TT has a 5' counter, and the sink & stove take up most of that 5'.... I have only a few inches areound each of them for actual counter top. The bus by contrast will have 9' of counter, with 5' actual counter space....finally, a place to put the coffee maker and the toaster!!

Elliot Naess · 03-05-2007, 10:03 PM

I've bought a 36" x 36" one-piece fiberglass shower stall for Millicent. I had a 32x32
in my "practice bus", and I was real glad when I broke it while trying to remove it.

I've already mocked up the bathroom and made sure there is good space for getting
dressed and so forth. Big priority for me. I hate banging into things while pulling a
shirt over my head or stooping to pull my pants on. So uncivilized.

Of course, I cannot fathom why anybody would want to NOT raise the roof!

Oh; Water Closet.

boojiewoojie · 03-05-2007, 10:29 PM

I had a corner shower in a 5th wheel once. It was pretty roomy. 'Course I have 5 children now so I have no idea how we're gonna do it. And my wife is insisting on a washer/dryer. With the water we will use I guess boondocking is out of the question. Actually, maybe we'll always camp in a forest wherever we go and set up a portapotty for the kids under a tree somewhere...

captainkf · 03-05-2007, 10:50 PM

I have a 36" fiberglass shower stall and a toilet in a small room in my bus, and having the privacy and space is great. I am not sure a bathtub is going to work well however. It could be a challenge to make enough hot water to fill it, and that is alot of space. Although that is one of the joys of building your own bus and creating it's layout, you get to chose.

-Richard

crazycal · 03-06-2007, 01:57 AM

To boojiewoojie. Check out the floor plan named 3 bunks. If you used a couch with a fold out bed for you and the mrs. and 3 bunks with two beds, that would give you an extra bed. Why stop at 5, you could have one more bambino and be like the Brady Bunch.

http://www.evolutioncustomcoach.com/flr ... rplans.htm

Les Lampman · 03-06-2007, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazycal

How much space are you willing to give up to have a full sized tub and shower or a toilet area with some room? I have a friend that has a big 5th wheel. I hate using his bathroom. You can't turn around in it without hitting something. While his shower is not the kind that doubles for a toilet, I think I would want something bigger. I understand that if you have a smaller bus, wasting/using space might not be a luxury that you have. But if you had a 40 foot bus, would you put in a full size bath and shower? How about a w/c (never understood why they called it that)? I thought I would put this out there before I put in a full sized setup. Someone might point something out that I had not thought of.

I didn't quite get to a full-sized house tub but did decide on a large RV tub (46"): [larger image here]

I tried getting the tub lengthwise on one side but I couldn't make it work quite as well with the wheelwells where they are.

I don't see the issue being space; in this length bus it's not a hard thing to accomplish (edit: unless you're doing something special like a rear garage as Elliot is). The issue for me is water and heated water; a 6 to 10 gallon water heater isn't going to make it happen. So the compromise was only using the tub/shower as a shower when city water isn't available and installing a propane-fired instant water heater (so far the Precision RV 500) so that my wife will enjoy a hot bath (whatever keeps her happy keeps my happy to...it's worth the extra effort to me).

One of the joys of doing a conversion is getting to do the interior your way. Ideas here are just that...ideas, and not meant to be "the way others should do it".

Jarlaxle · 03-19-2007, 08:47 AM

I have a full-height shower & a non-raised roof.

How? I went the other way--I sunk the shower about 8". IIRC, I have an oddball 32x36" shower. It drains with a small 12v electric pump (essentially, a boat bilge pump).

crazycal · 03-19-2007, 09:13 AM

Sinking the shower is a great idea. What does IIRC mean? I see it all the time and can't figure it out.

Jarlaxle · 03-19-2007, 09:16 AM

Well, IIRC, it means:

If
I
Remember
Correctly.

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