Does installing a steam room in your bus make sense?

[CompLexxx]

Hey guys, I love taking steam baths and ice baths after the gym and want to incorporate them in my bus build we are preparing in a few months. The ice bath part is easy with a freezer or ice machine but for the steam bath part I was wondering if it made sense or if the humidity would prove to be too much of a problem or is there a work around for this? Anyone ever done this before?

[Sehnsucht]

Anything is possible. The first obstacles that come to my mind is the humidity factor but also the energy factor. It will require a substantial amount of energy from whatever energy source to heat the volume of water necessary to fill the room so the smaller the space the better from an operating cost standpoint. The humidity factor can probably be mitigated with adequate vapor barrier and insulation during its use but once you open the door or after use that heat and humidity is still going to need to go somewhere. Now if you're clever engineering it you can probably cycle part of the room air into the living space at a reasonable pace to help warm and humidify for comfort as well as regain some of that expensive heat bath energy cost. Furnaces like to dry out the interior environment as they heat so if you've already created humidity might as well put it to use!

[mhaisten]

Just go to the Gulf coast and close all the windows.

[cadillackid]

how hot does a steam room get? a diesel coolant heater and you spray a fine mist of distilled water on the coils which creates steam?



getting rid of the humidity would be easy.. have the steam room vented with an in / out.. tyou open the roof vent and turn on the fan to kill off the humidity when you are done steaming.. theoretically you could have your ice-tub in the same room as either pulling in outside air or A/C'd air when you are done using the steam would be pretty easy..



you would obviously want the room well insulated and sealed good unless you are going to ventilate the rest of the bus to some extent while using the steam.. ..


I would want vapor barrier and of course you'll want some source of outside air open a little so you cabn breathe

[CompLexxx]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

how hot does a steam room get?

Around 110 to 120F.

I have heard that humidity in buses are a big problem if it gets caught in walls, so I'm guessing I have to make sure it's sealed very well and put a ventilator in the bathroom. The steam room will be in shower to save space.

I prefer to have it more humid inside, the question is how much is too humid for a bus?

And for the question about it using power, it would probably only be used when hooked up to our water and electricity on our land or on a camp site. Although it could still be run in the woods with a genny, but I don't plan on doing that often.

[John 321]

If I was going to do it, maybe use a steam cabinet? They were popular when I was a kid. Just google steam cabinet and look at the images.

[sportyrick]

There is a guy on here that put a hot tub in several of his, he even had one on hyd cylinders and raised it through the roof. How much work do you want to put into it? I'd keep it away from the bus walls, in the isle with plenty of ventilation.

[CompLexxx]

Originally Posted by John 321

If I was going to do it, maybe use a steam cabinet? They were popular when I was a kid. Just google steam cabinet and look at the images.

They seem to be priced pretty high though, I'm sure I could build one for much much cheaper, but I'll check out the concepts for some ideas, thanks!

[turf]

with a 50a shore connection, i'd install a steam generator from a bathroom supply place

[LargeMargeInBaja]

Originally Posted by mhaisten

Just go to the Gulf coast and close all the windows.

.
a)
This makes sense to me.
Traveling to a preferred climate is rumored to be an advantage of mobile living...
.
b)
About that permanent built-in replacement for going to the gym...
Let's work through my thinking using our words, OK?
.
I like simple.
Fact is, I think simpler is better.
.
I also like smaller.
I think smaller is generally lighter, generally offers better fuel economy, and is generally easier to drive and park.
.
I like multiple uses from one tool or appliance.
For example, a can-opener without a bottle-opener means I need a separate tool to open bottles, a separate place to store it, a separate category to manage it, an extra column in my inventory sheet, thusly and so.
.
I like a clean work-space.
I pull a tool from its cubby, use it, slide it back into its cubby.
For example, although I owned a restaurant business for ten years and love the artistry of cooking, a dedicated galley occupying much of my visual and visceral environment would test my patience... with a tendency to harsh my mellow.
I use a kitchen area thirty minutes out of twenty-four hours, why have it out all the rest of the time?
.
Your steam-room concept is intriguing.
I wonder if a similar experience could be achieved using a body-bag instead of a permanent structure?
Pull your steam-bag from its cubby, zip in, perspire to your hearts content, store it back in its cubby.
.
Or how about a heated mitt?
Plug it in, scrub vigorously.
.
If you have access to an amiable partner, get a pair of mitts, one for each of you.
Heck, get four partners with eight mitts... and get to doing.
.
I know I would.