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Old 08-29-2013, 09:41 AM   #21
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Re: Road Shower upgrade prototype

Quote:
Originally Posted by tonyvoudy
mpfreivald,

I love what you put together! Great stuff! Questions for you:

With the portable air tank filled, how long does it take to empty the water tank? (Trying to calculate how many quick showers one could potentially get)

I also assume that with your new setup, you run out of water long before you run out of air in your tank right?

-tv
How long it runs depends on which nozzle output you select: on "full" you get about 3 min, on "shower" about 4, on "mist" I expect you'd double that but I haven't tested it. Those are continuous flow, not "camp shower" style.

Water runs out before air, even if the air and water tanks were filled weeks before use.

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Old 08-30-2013, 08:30 AM   #22
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Re: Road Shower upgrade prototype

This is fascinating, but I'm thinking of a simpler setup and wondering what you guys think. My idea is a black ABS tube with a quick release water inlet and on/off valve at the top of one end and an outlet at the bottom of the other end. I will drop a length of hose from the outlet with a push on/pull off shower head from a deceased solar shower I have. I plan to crack the inlet valve when it's time for a shower and hoping gravity will give me a decent shower. It will be traveling from 6 or so feet up on top of the PH so I figured that would be plenty for a decent shower. In my experience a solar shower hung just above your head gives you one so I figured the additional distance would help the flow. I will have a side ladder by then so it won't really be a problem to climb up and fill or crack the valve before the PH is raised.

Thoughts?
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Old 08-30-2013, 08:37 AM   #23
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Re: Road Shower upgrade prototype

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Originally Posted by 86Scotty
This is fascinating, but I'm thinking of a simpler setup and wondering what you guys think. My idea is a black ABS tube with a quick release water inlet and on/off valve at the top of one end and an outlet at the bottom of the other end. I will drop a length of hose from the outlet with a push on/pull off shower head from a deceased solar shower I have. I plan to crack the inlet valve when it's time for a shower and hoping gravity will give me a decent shower. It will be traveling from 6 or so feet up on top of the PH so I figured that would be plenty for a decent shower. In my experience a solar shower hung just above your head gives you one so I figured the additional distance would help the flow. I will have a side ladder by then so it won't really be a problem to climb up and fill or crack the valve before the PH is raised.

Thoughts?
I like a bit of pressure for washing stuff, dogs, and people off; and I'm not sure gravity feed would be as effective. But strictly for showers it is probably fine.

Keep in mind though that my SMB-lite hasn't even arrived yet, so I really don't know what I am talking about even as a market of one.
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Old 08-30-2013, 12:27 PM   #24
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Re: Road Shower upgrade prototype

Consider that the problem with tubes like ABS is that unless completely full the water doesn't contact the hot part of the tube. Plan accordingly.

Second, just drill a hole somewhere in it, insert a tire valve, and wrench it down. Use a bike pump to add pressure and you won't need gravity. You could even use the tube vertically, say attached to ladder.
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Old 08-30-2013, 01:48 PM   #25
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Re: Road Shower upgrade prototype

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Consider that the problem with tubes like ABS is that unless completely full the water doesn't contact the hot part of the tube. Plan accordingly.

Second, just drill a hole somewhere in it, insert a tire valve, and wrench it down. Use a bike pump to add pressure and you won't need gravity. You could even use the tube vertically, say attached to ladder.
That is basically the design of the commercial Road Shower, other than the material (aluminum) of the tank -- the design I found unsatisfactory. What I found is that pressurizing it with a bike pump creates good flow for a rather short period of time - how long depends on how full the water tank is when you pressurize it, but it can be for less than 30 seconds or so in some situations. Furthermore, the schrader valve / bike pump arrangement makes gravity feed nonfunctional -- you have to vent the tank on top for gravity feed to work, so gravity feed and pressurized tank are mutually exclusive.

That was the motivation for my mod: that the stock road shower wasn't particularly good for either pressurized flow or gravity feed.

I just wanted the equivalent of a portable garden hose I could grab, turn on, and use to wash off muddy stuff, people, and dogs. (Solar heating is basically a bonus, for my usage). This does that.
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Old 08-30-2013, 05:47 PM   #26
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Re: Road Shower upgrade prototype

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Originally Posted by rob_gendreau
Consider that the problem with tubes like ABS is that unless completely full the water doesn't contact the hot part of the tube. Plan accordingly.
Very good point. Ideally I would refill this immediately after it is emptied (in the evening at a campsite or the next morning as soon as we found a water hose). In the summer heat I would think it would get pretty warm over the course of a day whether in direct sunlight or not, full or not, etc. I have an Aquatainer mounted under my rear bumper and it gets pretty warm when traveling. I'm not sure how much of that heat is absorbed from the road and underside of the vehicle though.
I think the schrader valve idea would be out for the reason stated above. Once the pressure is gone, you wouldn't even have a vent. I'm going to experiment with this in the next week or two. I'll take some pics and spread the word.

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Old 08-31-2013, 03:47 AM   #27
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Re: Road Shower upgrade prototype

Wouldn't an RV style waterpump at the outlet, plus a cord (I know you don't want electrical) be much more compact and efficient?

I mean sure you get the cord, but it's smaller and you don't need external air to pump up.

Just a thought, I like the mod way better than the stock road shower.
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Old 08-31-2013, 10:54 AM   #28
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Re: Road Shower upgrade prototype

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Originally Posted by jage
Wouldn't an RV style waterpump at the outlet, plus a cord (I know you don't want electrical) be much more compact and efficient?

I mean sure you get the cord, but it's smaller and you don't need external air to pump up.

Just a thought, I like the mod way better than the stock road shower.
Yeah or that Zodi battery operated shower pump is a cheap solution at 35 bucks
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Old 08-31-2013, 01:29 PM   #29
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Re: Road Shower upgrade prototype

What air you need depends on your hose and nozzle; he mentioned something the size of a solar shower, and if you have some headspace for air I bet you'd get more than 30 seconds. On the LC jerry can I fitted I get more than that, but righto, YMMV. I also have a simple vent; forgot to mention that. If you've got it on the top, use gravity; if on the ground, air.

Or just use the HF bug sprayer: it's got a pump, vent, hose, etc and only costs $10. Probably less than the ABS.
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Old 08-31-2013, 02:12 PM   #30
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Re: Road Shower upgrade prototype

I'd definitely be interested in a report if someone tries an electric pump - especially battery - solution. I just did what I was comfortable doing, fairly confident I'd get the results I wanted, and I don't claim it is an optimal solution along any particular dimensions. I'm having a hard time picturing washing mud off a Bernese mountain dog with a bug sprayer, but it certainly would be cheap to try.
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