Longtime lurker - new member with questions

[ctb]

MaxD, our shower is in the back/drivers side...it is a shower shell w/toilet...we have used the shower many many times, but haven't used the toilet once (yet,lol) Luckily my wife and i are short (5'2",5'8"), it is a bit cramped (roof/penthouse rail is a bit in the way) BUT, we quite enjoy having to do the shower assist with each other...one holds the sprayer standing outside the shower while the other soaps up...it actually saves hot water b/c of the control. If you are going to be by yourself mostly (what a great romantic camping trip though for a significant other lol) you'll figure out a hanger etc... I will search my pics to see if I have a clear pic...OK, bst I could do w/o me actually being in the shower and no-one wants to see that...lol This is with the top down, behind TV, then cabinet/furnace THEN the shower cabinet/stall...two piece swing out door with a shower curtain that snaps on both sides (shower door side, window side) whole interior is waterproof material...water tank, pump, inverter, house batteries under gaucho (couch), water heater under sink (sink has the cover on it in this pic...nest to stove top)...I love the walk thorough style I have, but the living room style is very cool too!

[1der]

Showers:
Electric water heater - only if you are plugging in, have desire to run a generator, or are up for a larger solar panel and customized DC heating element for a 3 to 4 gal water heater.

Propane or diesel are easier for heating water but have their own cons primarily in freezing weather.

Indoor showers - hot = moisture. Really well thought out ventilation is critical.

Our rig is setup so our inside tanks (hot and cold) provide for outdoor hot water showering when convenient . We do hot water sponge bath inside. I am not a fan of the roof mounted Road Showers.

20 gals of water inside storage is a nice amount year round. It can be supplemented with other temporary storage containers, solar bag showers, etc. if needed which would primarily be summertime. The inside 20 gals can be stored in two or more linked tanks, it does not have to be one tank. Make sure your water tanks are easily filled. Many times a hose is NOT available and water has to be transported and poured into the tanks.

Quick on-off trigger nozzles are excellent for water conservation.

4wd - even though rarely used it is something I would not be without for our rig. Most use has been winter driving for ski trips. Most enjoyable use so far has been getting way off the beaten path in Baja or in the Sierras.

[bitburger]

I had a new e350 built by SMB and I recently purchased a 2017 Transit cargo which I'll convert myself.
While they are really different animals, the biggest downside(my perspective) to the Transit is clearance. Even with 4wd and a lift kit from Quadvan, it isn't as rugged nor does it have great clearance.

Like others, I would recommend 20+ G of water inside with an attachment for an outdoor shower. As an intermediate step, the pressurized bag solar showers seem to get good reviews.

Good luck on the buy and build. There are plenty of great DIY resources on Youtube and others.

[Adh2636]

Our sportsmobile has an indoor shower accessory as well as three outdoor quick connects for outdoor showering. Hot water tank keeps it warm and with over 30 gallons of water, take as many as you want. Bonus: comes with a trailer for your boat and wet gear. It’s for sale in the member classifieds but not sure how to link you. Contact with questions. Adh2636@gmail.com.

[Vanimal]

Traveling to Baja for 40 + years including pre-running for several races I would say no on the 4x4 "IF" you are taking the traveled back trails of the locals which are extremely plentiful. "HOWEVER" in a round up summary of what Geoff stated, 4x4 is not needed till you need it. Yes lsd will get you thru alot and the winch will help thru the rest but 4x4 will get you thru what the winch can and more. Inmy early Baja days (1979 and forward) in a 2wd pickup I took a surf turn off la quota route called "Sal si puedes". For those who do not speak spanish it means "leave or get out if you can"! I tried to get back up the rock riddled hard packed road at 3am, no one around. With nothing to winch to on the sides and the road too hard to put a deadman the winch would have been useless, not that I had a winch or even afford one at 17 years old. I starting to destroy my tires so I took my time dropped it to 2nd and just was patient. 2 hours later I conquered the 150 foot section. This same incident occurred here in the states near Barstow Ca.
In conclusion to your 2nd question in what you would like to do, 4x4 or not? You could look at my lesson as Hey you got out, but what if you don't?

[OurayMark]

When I had a 2wd Econoline adventure van, there were times when I definitely wished I had 4wd.

Since I switched to a 4wd van, I have never had times when I wished I had only 2wd.

[hein]

Regarding wet gear. You might consider a rear door mounted locker for that. You probably don't want wet gear drying in your van due to all the humidity it will produce. We often put our wetsuits in our wet bath/shower but always hang them on a rack attached to the outside the rear door when not driving.



All the best,
Hein
DIYvan
541 490 5098

[Vanimal]

Originally Posted by OurayMark

When I had a 2wd Econoline adventure van, there were times when I definitely wished I had 4wd.

Since I switched to a 4wd van, I have never had times when I wished I had only 2wd.

LOL! Yes sir peace of mind!

[maxdepth]

Originally Posted by bitburger

I had a new e350 built by SMB and I recently purchased a 2017 Transit cargo which I'll convert myself.
While they are really different animals, the biggest downside(my perspective) to the Transit is clearance. Even with 4wd and a lift kit from Quadvan, it isn't as rugged nor does it have great clearance.

Like others, I would recommend 20+ G of water inside with an attachment for an outdoor shower. As an intermediate step, the pressurized bag solar showers seem to get good reviews.

Good luck on the buy and build. There are plenty of great DIY resources on Youtube and others.

This is basically where my head/budget is at - either building out an e-series van or an older transit and potentially converting it to 4x4. Do you mind sharing how much quadvan wants for the transit 4x4 conversion? Thank you

[maxdepth]

Thanks for all the replys here! The wet gear question is on my mind - an outdoor drying rack is a must, an outdoor locker is another good idea.