Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 09-23-2016, 10:33 PM   #1
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Kent, WA (Seattle)
Posts: 414
Year: 1987
Engine: 6.9L Diesel
Shower Pan/Base Installation & general shower discussion

Hi All,

So I am getting very close to my subfloor installation, and like the idea of not insulating beneath my shower to gain an extra inch of headspace (if that makes sense). I also like the idea of having the showerpan an inch lower on the off chance I make my bathroom a wet bath (which probably won't happen).

That said, I wanted to discuss shower pan/base installation. From what I understand residential shower pans generally have a concrete shower subfloor beneath the shower pan. (correct me if I'm wrong), is that something necessary in a Skoolie as well? Otherwise is there something else I should use as a filler between the showerpan and the floor?

Below I have some links for anyone else (or future searches) which could be of guidance.

Shower Stall Build

bathtub subfloor

Honorable Mentions

Jazty's DIY shower Pan

Camel Bus's Shower Pan Install (may you recover well)

TAOLIK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2016, 11:28 PM   #2
Skoolie
 
rossfree's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Fairfield Bay, Arkansas
Posts: 163
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Chevy
Chassis: Ward?
Engine: 8.2 liter ?
Rated Cap: 24 Passenger
i chose to make my own shower pan. That might not be the conventional way but I'm pleased with it so thought I'd share.

I took flat 1/16" thick, 4 x 8' shower wall liner and cut it to be a flat pattern of the shower pan. Then I made a hot-wire table and heated the plastic where I wanted to bend it. In my case I bent three 4" flanges up to make a three-sided pan and glued it to the walls with shower wall adhesive. It came out great!

Before I installed it I cut about twenty five or so 20" wedges out of composite wood (plastic wood) and glued them side by side to the floor to lean the pan towards the drain. The drain side the pan sat directly on the metal floor of the bus. I'm sure it will be cold there for feet in winter but this is an RV (camper) and I don't really care. I wanted as much height as I could keep too.

The shower wall was made from the same material as the pan, overlapping as needed. The whole shower came out slick. I'm currently building a composting toilet to finish the bathroom.

My two cents! Best of luck!

Ross
rossfree is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-24-2016, 09:11 AM   #3
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,758
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
another thouyght I had was using a secondary HVAC drain pan.. they come in many smaller and unusual sizes not typically found in regular showers.. they are durable and yet plyable enough that bus flexing wont crack them when they are super cold.

-Christopher
cadillackid is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-24-2016, 06:53 PM   #4
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Kent, WA (Seattle)
Posts: 414
Year: 1987
Engine: 6.9L Diesel
Thanks for your input guys! I bought myself a fiberglass 32"x34" shower pan off craigy's awhile ago so I am more just figuring out what I need to put between that and the floor. After reading through some more threads, I think I may go ahead and just put the pan above the subfloor anyway. Would linning the bottom with wood and spraying it with greatfoam be a reasonable base for it? I'm a little intimidated by using cement in the bus.

Rossfree: do you have any pictures of your drain pan you made?

Cadillac that's good food for thought. I'm assuming such a drain pan would be stainles steel? It would certainly provide a cool masculine aesthetic if you combined them with some corrugated metal walls or something.
TAOLIK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-24-2016, 06:57 PM   #5
Bus Crazy
 
milkmania's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Oklahoma aka "God's blind spot"
Posts: 2,446
Year: 1989
Coachwork: 1853FC International/Navistar
Chassis: 35' Retired Air Force Ambulance
Engine: DT466, MT643
Rated Cap: 6 souls and a driver
Great stuff foam would still have flex to it, even after cured
__________________
I once complained I had no shoes....
Until I met a man with no feet
milkmania is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-24-2016, 07:07 PM   #6
Bus Geek
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Columbus Ohio
Posts: 18,758
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Carpenter
Chassis: International 3800
Engine: DTA360 / MT643
Rated Cap: 7 Row Handicap
Quote:
Originally Posted by TAOLIK View Post
Thanks for your input guys! I bought myself a fiberglass 32"x34" shower pan off craigy's awhile ago so I am more just figuring out what I need to put between that and the floor. After reading through some more threads, I think I may go ahead and just put the pan above the subfloor anyway. Would linning the bottom with wood and spraying it with greatfoam be a reasonable base for it? I'm a little intimidated by using cement in the bus.

Rossfree: do you have any pictures of your drain pan you made?

Cadillac that's good food for thought. I'm assuming such a drain pan would be stainles steel? It would certainly provide a cool masculine aesthetic if you combined them with some corrugated metal walls or something.
they are plastic (ABS).. though I think you may be able to get metal ones... metal ones are usually just galvanized .. these are secondary so they only see water when the unit malfunctions.

6-2424L - DiversiTech 6-2424L - 24" x 24" A/C Secondary Condensate Drain Pan

-Christopher
cadillackid is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2016, 12:15 PM   #7
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 722
Year: 1998
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: TC2000 RE
Engine: 8.3l Cummins
Rated Cap: 78
The shower pan I have has a support grid that directs all the force to the floor. I set it on a layer of gray rubber shower pan liner sheet. It seems pretty solid.
aaronsb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2016, 12:25 PM   #8
Bus Crazy
 
turf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Colorado
Posts: 2,356
Year: 1993
Coachwork: bluebird
Engine: 5.9 Cummins, Allison AT1545
Rated Cap: 2
i set my shower like a home with cement dollups to support the pan. its worked out great.

if i ever had to redo it, i think the shower would pop out easily. but its held very solid since the install. im a big guy and don't want it flexing.



__________________
.
Turfmobile Build Thread
turf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2016, 12:40 PM   #9
Bus Crazy
 
milkmania's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Oklahoma aka "God's blind spot"
Posts: 2,446
Year: 1989
Coachwork: 1853FC International/Navistar
Chassis: 35' Retired Air Force Ambulance
Engine: DT466, MT643
Rated Cap: 6 souls and a driver
Saving up for my Bootz Industries 30x60 porcelain over steel pan from Home Depot.... Bigger than I had planned for, but they don't make smaller... So, I'm making it work and should be getting it next payday
No mortar required

__________________
I once complained I had no shoes....
Until I met a man with no feet
milkmania is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2016, 12:45 PM   #10
Bus Crazy
 
milkmania's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Oklahoma aka "God's blind spot"
Posts: 2,446
Year: 1989
Coachwork: 1853FC International/Navistar
Chassis: 35' Retired Air Force Ambulance
Engine: DT466, MT643
Rated Cap: 6 souls and a driver
Quote:
Originally Posted by turf View Post

if i ever had to redo it, i think the shower would pop out easily. but its held very solid since the install. im a big guy and don't want it flexing.
I bet a layer of moisture barrier plastic between the cement & pan would make removal easier... And just have 3 or 4 dollops in the corners un-sheeted... But I'd think it would pop up easily anyway.
__________________
I once complained I had no shoes....
Until I met a man with no feet
milkmania is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2016, 01:40 PM   #11
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Kent, WA (Seattle)
Posts: 414
Year: 1987
Engine: 6.9L Diesel
Quote:
Originally Posted by cadillackid View Post
they are plastic (ABS).. though I think you may be able to get metal ones... metal ones are usually just galvanized .. these are secondary so they only see water when the unit malfunctions.

6-2424L - DiversiTech 6-2424L - 24" x 24" A/C Secondary Condensate Drain Pan

-Christopher
Thank you! That looks decent, and is cheap! Plastic makes sense as far as water proofing goes too.

Quote:
Originally Posted by aaronsb View Post
The shower pan I have has a support grid that directs all the force to the floor. I set it on a layer of gray rubber shower pan liner sheet. It seems pretty solid.
Awesome! Thank you Aaron, that's a great vocabulary word I learned today. I'll probably get myself some liner sheet later this week to play around with.

Quote:
Originally Posted by turf View Post
i set my shower like a home with cement dollups to support the pan. its worked out great.

if i ever had to redo it, i think the shower would pop out easily. but its held very solid since the install. im a big guy and don't want it flexing.



Turf! Thank you for your picture-contributions! I actually have your bookmobile thread open a few tabs to my left as my primary reference for showers in skoolies. It's super cool to see process pictures after all my imagination-visualizations of your work I was doing last night. You make the process look extremely simple to the point that I feel comfortable doing it now. Also with redo's in mind, it makes a lot of sense to cement over wood rather than the bus floor. Perhaps I'm justifying unecessarily but your dollup method makes sense as far as bus flex goes as well.

I have a much better idea of how to go about my next few steps now!
TAOLIK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2016, 01:55 PM   #12
Bus Crazy
 
turf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Colorado
Posts: 2,356
Year: 1993
Coachwork: bluebird
Engine: 5.9 Cummins, Allison AT1545
Rated Cap: 2
there is nothing wrong with my shower pan. the hard part of the shower for me were the walls and ceiling. the edge of the shower against the plywood walls was bad and made for a hard time to cover a smooth wall.

i wish i had installed some cement backer board and gone with tile. or the schluter kerdi system of waterproofing plywood and the tile.

the transition to the roof material is awkard too. either there is a seam between the wall and roof, or you have to try and make a single piece that bends.

im fine with the pan and toilet, they have held up well. my shoddy FRP walls is my sore spot. i think that shower has only been used twice since its been finished.

i havent had any flex problems, i wouldnt hesitate to use tile.
__________________
.
Turfmobile Build Thread
turf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2016, 03:52 PM   #13
Bus Crazy
 
milkmania's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Oklahoma aka "God's blind spot"
Posts: 2,446
Year: 1989
Coachwork: 1853FC International/Navistar
Chassis: 35' Retired Air Force Ambulance
Engine: DT466, MT643
Rated Cap: 6 souls and a driver
I think this is the route in going to take for my t&g cedar shower...

The right wall will also be the external wall of my bedroom pocket door.

Along the curved roofline, I'm going to fasten thin 2" strips of sheet metal to back of 1/2 plywood, then I'm going to gorilla glue & flush screw the plywood/sheet metal to the curved roofline, making furring strips to air nail the cedar strips to the furring strips in 3 locations (left, center, & right), then my cedar end walls will butt up against my back wall & roof, locking it all in.

Mock-up:


__________________
I once complained I had no shoes....
Until I met a man with no feet
milkmania is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2016, 04:40 PM   #14
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Kent, WA (Seattle)
Posts: 414
Year: 1987
Engine: 6.9L Diesel
Milkmania, I forgot to comment on your shower pan, but a huge pan like that will be awesome after you make space for it. I can totally imagine that pan turning the bathroom of my bus into more of a wetroom. I look forward to seeing more of your progress pictures!
TAOLIK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-25-2016, 11:48 PM   #15
Bus Crazy
 
milkmania's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Oklahoma aka "God's blind spot"
Posts: 2,446
Year: 1989
Coachwork: 1853FC International/Navistar
Chassis: 35' Retired Air Force Ambulance
Engine: DT466, MT643
Rated Cap: 6 souls and a driver
Couldn't stand it.... Went to Home Depot this evening and picked up (1 1/2" x 3/4" pvc plank) and 1" brad nails.

The pvc plank conforms to the curved roofline perfectly!
And the 1/2" x 6" t&g cedar and pvc accepts the brads without problems!

If the wood screws flush mount into the pvc without problems, I've got it made!
__________________
I once complained I had no shoes....
Until I met a man with no feet
milkmania is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2016, 10:54 AM   #16
Skoolie
 
rossfree's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Fairfield Bay, Arkansas
Posts: 163
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Chevy
Chassis: Ward?
Engine: 8.2 liter ?
Rated Cap: 24 Passenger
Let's see if this link works. If it does I'll post more pics.

Ross

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3...ndFbGlQTHQ0MDA
rossfree is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2016, 11:07 AM   #17
Skoolie
 
rossfree's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Fairfield Bay, Arkansas
Posts: 163
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Chevy
Chassis: Ward?
Engine: 8.2 liter ?
Rated Cap: 24 Passenger
The following link shows how I slanted the shower pan towards the drain.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3...29JaTMyUndxSVU
rossfree is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2016, 11:26 AM   #18
Skoolie
 
rossfree's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Fairfield Bay, Arkansas
Posts: 163
Year: 1990
Coachwork: Chevy
Chassis: Ward?
Engine: 8.2 liter ?
Rated Cap: 24 Passenger
The benefit of making my showe pan was not loosing any height in the shower and it was inexpensive. But it won't be as finished looking as store bought and there is NO insulation between the metal floor and the plastic near the drain side. I'm sure I will hear that from my wife later.

I made the wedges on my table saw out of 1" thick composit "wood". It shouldn't rot if it gets a little wet (not that it should ever get wet!). It's glued to the floor with construction adhesive. Nice firm base for the thin shower pan. I'm very please with how it came out!

Ross
rossfree is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2016, 01:34 PM   #19
Mini-Skoolie
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: North CT
Posts: 52
Year: 1996
Chassis: B600, 545 Allison Auto
Engine: Cummings Dimple Block 12Cyl.
Rated Cap: 70
Hi Guys

Very nice ideas?
I have one question re the plumbing of the shower into the Grey tank.

How do you do it?

Thank you
Howard
HJS26 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-26-2016, 05:56 PM   #20
Bus Nut
 
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Kent, WA (Seattle)
Posts: 414
Year: 1987
Engine: 6.9L Diesel
Milkmania: Take lots of pictures and report back!

Ross: That looks awesome, I really like how your drain spans the entire width of your pan. What kind of material did you use for the pan itself?
TAOLIK is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:55 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.