Smallest room in the house

[ronnietucker]

The toilet it in my 22ft boat is small, but adequate for the toilet that's in there, but I'd like to add a makeshift shower.

I don't have running warm water, so I'm thinking of using a pump pressure washer spray that you'd see in Screwfix. I say pressure washer, but it's nothing major. I could fill it with warm water and use it as a shower. BUT... it's how to try and incorporate it into my tiny bathroom without flooding the place, or getting it damp.

My toilet is like this:

I've no idea what is under the flooring or the step that the toilet sits on. And I really don't want to rip the step out as it's quite well in there and the flooring goes under it. The door to the toilet is a folding door. The toilet is, as you'd imagine, standalone and completely removable. The highest part of the ceiling is just an inch above my head, and that's the roof of the boat. Can't change that!

I was thinking of, basically, covering the place in overlapping lino, plenty of silicon sealant on any joints, and have a basin on the floor to catch any water. That way I could sit on the pan while having a shower.

Any of your good selves have a better, easier, solution? I'm looking for a quick fix that doesn't involve ripping everything apart.  

[mrsmelly]

My first boat didn't have running water but a shower made from one of those hand pumped weed killer spray jobbies with the spray head bent over and tacked to the shower bulkhead. Very crude but we just filled with hotish water and it did the job until I Modernised.

[ronnietucker]

1 minute ago, mrsmelly said:

My first boat didn't have running water but a shower made from one of those hand pumped weed killer spray jobbies with the spray head bent over and tacked to the shower bulkhead. Very crude but we just filled with hotish water and it did the job until I Modernised.

That's exactly my (Macguyver) plan.  

[dccruiser]

I had the same on a 27ft nauticus, put a paloma in was like heaven! instant hot water within seconds

 

Rick

[mrsmelly]

4 minutes ago, dccruiser said:

I had the same on a 27ft nauticus, put a paloma in was like heaven! instant hot water within seconds

 

Rick

Yep. First narrowboat I had with the hand pump shower I fitted a rinnai and a water pump it werr fandabidozi

[jocave]

Same in my Viking ,the shower is lined in the pvc panels that were cut to size,water is supplied from a paloma , the drain is taken care of by a whale gulper, head room is a bit of an issue but its fine for the shorter person (the wife) but its better than no shower, i did remove the step the toilet sat on to make more room,you do have to remember to remove the loo roll first though, pretty sure I have a picture, I'll try and dig it out.

Edited December 27, 2017 by jocave

[jocave]

I have managed to get another 3 inches after removing the step since that picture was taken

Headroom is about 5,8 now

[ronnietucker]

I'm more, uh, 'vertically challenged' so the top of my head just clears the ceiling in my toilet.

But... the way I see it: if I need more room then I can sit on the throne. Probably what you should do too!  

[jocave]

Yeah why not ,number two and a shower at the same time, it saves a lot of time 

[ronnietucker]

Just now, jocave said:

Yeah why not ,number two and a shower at the same time, it saves a lot of time 

'multi-tasking'   

[jocave]

Have you got anymore pictures of the boat since you purchased it?? Been following your adventure from the start.

[ronnietucker]

3 minutes ago, jocave said:

Have you got anymore pictures of the boat since you purchased it?? Been following your adventure from the start.

I've put a couple of entries into the 'Cruise Diary' section of the forum:

I'll add another entry once I get the bathroom sorted out. My current thinking is to keep the walls as is and put some vinyl flooring down and make sure the step (the toilet is on) runs towards the floor just a touch. I can then put a basin on the floor to catch any water.

[jocave]

Sounds like a plan,,has it ever had a shower installed? or are starting from scratch??.

[dccruiser]

52 minutes ago, jocave said:

I have managed to get another 3 inches after removing the step since that picture was taken

Headroom is about 5,8 now

cant see the problem! whip the loo out and you could have a party in there  

 

[jocave]

Its better than it looks now, been using it regularly for the last few months , the second hand water heater is doing a great job, and the gulper pumps out the water faster than it comes in so happy days

[ronnietucker]

13 hours ago, jocave said:

Sounds like a plan,,has it ever had a shower installed? or are starting from scratch??.

No, it's never had a shower. Just going from the small toilet space that I have.

I'm not going install water heaters, or pumps. Keeping it simple and easy.   

[W+T]

Hi there, bit of a job to get it all fitted and fine as you will are aware of the damp and drain problem. I am on with the same task on my cruiser but i have the benefit of when i refitted the boat i made the heads a lot bigger than the usual cruiser heads are.

If i was doing the job on your boat i would line the walls out and seal the floor and fit drain. easy bit lol. For a basic shower how about a water tank/collaspable tank

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5L-Collapsible-Water-Container-Camping-Festival-Carrier-1-Gallon-Collapsable/122628904106?hash=item1c8d4094aa:g:1UsAAOSwPK5ZgfDx

 

or the like of that

 

and a water pump

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-Water-Pump-High-Pressure-Self-Priming-Caravan-Camping-Boat-Booster-Shower-UK/222760148978?hash=item33dd8a1ff2:g:E0kAAOSwyi9aN3V5

 

shower head

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lever-Shower-Head-Osculati-/253194947305?_trksid=p2385738.m4383.l4275.c10

 

 

and fill that with warm water, to pump the water i would get a small 12v pump to a small shower head and sit on the carzy to have the shower. 

Mite be a bit etch towards what you want but then you can have a good size water tank and no need to faff with it. just plug and play jobbie.

 

 

 

[W+T]

I know you dont want pumps for an easier way you may as well go with these types and a water carrier

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-Car-Plug-Portable-Shower-System-For-Caravan-Camping-Festivals-Hiking-Boat/142469727226?epid=23007670925&hash=item212bdb83fa:g:gGoAAOSwWCdZkn-Z

or even easier 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20-L-5Gallon-Solar-Camping-Shower-Portable-Outdoor-Camping-Hiking-PVC-Water-Bag/381306159031?_trkparms=aid%3D555019%26algo%3DPL.BANDIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20151005190705%26meid%3Ddc7547a23ab948cf9a4d531917eeccd7%26pid%3D100506%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26&_trksid=p2045573.c100506.m3226

 

Edited December 28, 2017 by W+T

[ronnietucker]

Thanks for the tips @W+T

I'll maybe go with the 12V portable shower head and pump idea as I have a useless light in the toilet that I could change to a 12V socket.

Getting the water on me is the easy bit. It's trying to not flood the boat, or get it damp that's the worry.

I can't easily rip up the floor to put in a drain, which is a problem, hence my idea of using a basin beside the step to collect the water in.

I may well have to bite the bullet and just rip up the toilet step and hope to God I can rebuild/replace it later. That would give me access to the floor and able to fit a drain. Well, assuming I can tap into the drain that comes from the sink.  

[MaggieMay]

20 hours ago, ronnietucker said:

Any of your good selves have a better, easier, solution? I'm looking for a quick fix that doesn't involve ripping everything apart.  

Is there room on the floor in front of the toilet to have a tubtrug wide enough to stand in to collect the water?

And something like this to hang a shower curtain that could end up inside the tubtrug?  I accept that it might cling to you at times, but if you want to have a shower in a tiny space ....  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HOME-Circular-Shower-Rail-Chrome-Finish-From-the-Official-Argos-Shop-on-ebay/331179856206?hash=item4d1bdb914e:g:Q28AAOSwBt5ZMA7h

W+T has just posted links to camping showers that I was looking for. It depends whether you have a suitable 12v socket for the powered ones.

[ronnietucker]

The tubtrug (which I'd never heard of before) seems idea if it was square. I could put it in front of the toilet to catch water.

[W+T]

Have you seen these portable showers, no need for external power source

. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Andes-Outdoor-Portable-Rechargeable-Camping-Caravan-Festival-Shower/202067517382?epid=2275594101&hash=item2f0c299fc6:g:CkIAAOSwPzhaM~Gf

 

I cant think of a way to drain the water out with out a shower tray to collect it and then pump it out with maybe these under the floor

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/High-Quality-Boat-Marine-Shower-Sump-Pump-Drain-Kit-System-12v-750-GPH-U3D3/252982447495?epid=562599391&hash=item3ae6edcd87:g:3dMAAOSw8d5ZOqGV

 

Fit that under an access hatch/bilge access outside the loo door.  

 

cheaper than a whale gulper unless you get a real cheapo type. just make sure it can run dry. 

 

If you can seal the edges of your shower floor then can you not just drill out for a drain. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BOAT-SHOWER-SINK-90-DEGREE-SHALLOW-FIT-DRAIN-19mm-HOSE-FOR-KITCHEN-AND-SINKS/292113853199?hash=item440357ab0f:g:BZAAAOSw-7RVCX~e

 

or smaller

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Shower-Strainer-Drain-19-mm-Osculati/253194944840?epid=2231596763&hash=item3af3984148:g:F~QAAOSwUaNZ2CK~

you may need another access from the cabin side so you can clean it out at times, hair n wot not. 

[ronnietucker]

I did think of making a square frame to put a basin in. On top would be a piece of flooring with the drain draining to the basin. But then the sides of the new floor wouldn't be sealed.

Curses!   

[W+T]

bit confused as to how it will drain upwards to the basin?

[ronnietucker]

47 minutes ago, W+T said:

bit confused as to how it will drain upwards to the basin?

The basin would be below the 'false' floor. So: floor with drain, below that is the basin, and below that is the current floor.

The down side, as I said, would be that there's no watertight seal between the false floor and the walls as the false floor would need to be removable to empty the basin.