Kreese,
Thanks for actually paying attention to this old build thread. I mean to update it but was looking for a special occasion to do it, maybe the 6th year anniversary...
I love the shower but you have to understand the size. Ours is 36" wide and it works for us since we're both relatively small, size matters here.
There is absolutely nothing like feeling truly clean on the road. We have learned to use the soap sponges (see the post immediately before yours) to lather up and then rinse off completely in the shower. Having hot water for the shower makes all the difference. If you use the "hot plate" option make sure you get the high engine idle option.
The shower space is also the bathroom where the Thetford Curve toilet resides so it does do double duty, we also store items in there while driving.
I think your need to visit depends on you. I can't speak to the way the shop is run now but when I did my build things got kind of wonky pretty quickly so felt I needed to visit more often than most have shown. Sportsmobile themselves said that my build was only the second one to have issues like mine did in anyone's memory and I tend to believe them.
I love Charlie and he's as solid today as when we drove him out of the building into the world of adventure.
The van has been solid and still drives like a car. I would definitely look for aftermarket shocks if Sportsmobile or Mercedes hasn't addressed use by people like us who don't need the commercial delivery capacity and don't care about ride. But even that is highly dependent on your build and its weight.
Good luck!
Chumley