Shower?

[ma23peas]

My husband and I are trying to decide on TT's....we have three children ages 11, 8 & 7 that we homeschool and would love to take "school" trips across the US to historic sites and fun spots while they're young.

We just bought a Toyota Tundra Double Cab v-8...and it's towing capability is 6800...so for weight I think we're okay with room to spare.

I walked through a TM yesterday and was VERY IMPRESSED! The only drawback was the shower set-up....does the shower curtain not stick to you as you move around and try to wash? Have any of you come up with alternative options that might make bathing a bit less cumbersome?

Granted, my kids could probably do just fine with the outdoor shower handler and a good shampoo but I'd like an all over clean after trekking all day. Did this pose any issues with any of you? Thanks a bunch!

Tara

[rsalejandro]

The curtain does make you feel very cramped, but there are many people that have made modifcations that help. Do a search on shower curtain.

[wwjam]

We did Hal's modification for the shower. We hung a soap dispenser, and took some of the bulk out of the shower curtain. It was some work but well worth it, I love having it the way it is now. I do worry a little about the walls getting wet, but that would only happen if it seeped through the fabric itself.

Jo Ann

[Doug W.]

I modified my shower curtain and I am fairly large and it is not bad. You will want to do the stuff in this thread: http://www.trailmanorowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3223. I modified mine similar to this. I could not find the parts he used, but created my own shower head holder and shampoo despenser. It is on the back wall as suggested. I also added a plastic coated wire shower organizer on the wall by the middle of the TM. It will hold three or four bottles of shampoo or bodywash if somebody does not like what we have. It has a bar soap holder and two wash cloth holders at the bottom.

[ma23peas]

Thanks! I'll check out those threads....I tried to use the Search feature earlier and my computer just sat there looking as if I were nuts. Maybe there were too many folks using it then...thanks for the links to the threads! I've looked at over 15 TT's inside and out and more than 35 on the net...when I walked into the TM I thought "Wow! They really KNOW my family!" But when I walked into the shower I kind of did an "uh-oh" they overlooked something...after 23 years building these things you'd think an engineer would think of an improvement...glad to see the users have! :)
Thanks!!!
Tara

[Magdefrau]

TM bathroom--toliet and sink and shower. How do you possilble rate them. Well, I know! My 14 year old daughter gave the thumbs up. And that is a Gold medal performance by TM designers. If I was really tall and really big, I,m 5'11' and 205lbs, it would not work. My wife is not small, it work good for her. Rotation through the bathroom showers for the four of us with hot water tank on propane takes One hour thirty minutes. I don't know why but the showere curtain works great, no water on the floor and it does not stick on my skin or get in my way. Understand it's tight, got to organize soap/shampoo and wash rag; and I have to be quick the hot water will run out rather fast. We have not had a smell problem. It's a nice cottage to living in out traveling. Ask me in three weeks as we will have returned from a fourteen day outing.

[PopBeavers]

If I was really tall and really big, I,m 5'11' and 205lbs, it would not work.
I'm 5 11 and 5/8 (used to be 5 11 3/4) and weigh 220. I have used the shower a couple of times. I found it to be adequate in size. Not generous, but adequate. I used it with no hookups. Had to use the pump.

If we are at a campground with public showers I use those. They have a bigger water heater than I do. And a lot more elbow room.

I have plans to add a sprayer to the kitchen sink. Sometimes DW will settle for just washing her hair. She knelt on the bathroom floor and leaned over the tub once while I sprayed the water on her head. It was tough getting back up with bad knees. If it is warm enough she can use the outside shower to wash her hair.

[B_and_D]

DH is 6'3" and loves our TM shower. He says that he can stand up straight and use the shower (I just asked him). We switched to "commercial" fabric shower curtains, and cut them off a bit. They billow out better than vinyl curtains and don't cling to us. Ours came with sewn-in weights at the bottom that keep the bottoms in the tub. You can do various things to keep them close to the solid walls; just read the posts on this board and use your imagination.

The shower also has the blessings of our 18 yo daughter (long hair, loves 20 min showers at home) and me.

We do often take advantage of the showers at campgrounds when they are available, but sometimes it's much nicer to take a shower in your very own TM, even though it is a bit cramped, compared to your home bathroom. Especially good when there is a huge line for the showers...and you want to check out and leave.

After all, look at what you'll be towing! How big is the TM, closed down, compared to your master bath? And there are 2 to 3 beds, and a kitchen. There have got to be some trade-offs if you want good gas mileage and the ability to tow without a huge TV. I look at these people who haul these huge 5th wheels around, and just shake my head...I'm sure that they enjoy them, but they're not for us.

[Doug W.]

Do the new trailer still come with vinyl shower curtains? I bought a used 2005 and it came with the fabric shower curtains. No weights and to long, so I fitted it to the shower and added weights. I did it slightly different than in the link I posted above. Neither the wife or I are great seamstresses. I will post pic of my setup this weekend to give people additional ideas. I did make a mistake when sewing. The opening closes the wrong way, but there is enough overlap that it does not leak. I was not going to remove the velcro and sew it on again.

[genesc]

I found out that if you have the shower curtain seam facing outside, it tends to keep the bottom of the shower curtain cleaner. In other words, the soil will not collect in the seam. When washing the shower curtain with detergent and bleach, it cleans very well and looks new again.

[ma23peas]

Now that is just plain smart thinking!!! I never thought to use the seam on the outside...it makes sense...I've always hated cleaning out those seams that I usually just throw them out and buy a new one...now I know to reverse it!!! Thanks!
Tara

[sir1doc]

well, 6'4" and 275 here. Use the shower with no problems. camped 4 nights in the 90's with DW and 3 kids. two showers a day for me and no complaints. It's a bit tricky and like the wife says planning goes a long way. use the tips from others here. the tip I use is I took my factory shower curtain down, bought some nice heavy ones trimmed to fit the walls and used the table cloth holders to secure to the top of the walls. I use an expandable rod with another curtain across the tub entrance. When in the tub ya slide the rod out towards the toilet for extra elbow room, and when ya get out ya slide it well into the tub to let it dry. again more elbow room on the bathroom side. I am able to wash, dry and change clothes inside the bathroom. however at 6'4" I need to sit on the toilet to comb my hair cause the brush hits the light and the mirror is too low. haha can't have everything.

[Papa Bear]

What works for me is the use of white PVC piping. I had a bunch left over from a landscaping project and made a frame with it. It sits on top of the tub just low enough so I don't trip on it going out. I used a 3 way elbow to give myself a gap at the bottom along the tub. There's no need for glue it since its fit is usually snug. The shower curtain is tucked just underneath the frame and is prevented from sticking to you as you shower. So far it's still working.

[rdmoreno]

We have had our tm for a little over a year and mainly camp in parks that have showers and toilets. I am 6'4" and weigh over 300 lbs and I have taken at least 10 showers in the tm. It is a little tight but I don't have any problems. I have more problems trying to get dressed in the bathroom so I usually do most of my dressing in the hall in front of the bed. As others have said the key is being prepared when you go in. I should also mention that we have not made any changes to our shower and the curtain does not stick.

[Doug W.]

Here are the pictures of my shower mods.

Shower1.jpg, I liked the velcro on the walls to hold it open as suggested by Hal. The shower dries faster if it is open llike this.

Shower2.jpg, I decided to just put the shower curtain on top of the faucet instead of cutting holes in it. When done showering, I pull it away from the wall and let it hang down to dry better. Also note that I made the front and back curtain different lengths before sewing them together. I also did not taper it at the corners as suggested by Hal.

Shower3.jpg, the wire rack I got at Ace hardware that will hold three or four bottles of shampoo or body wash. At the bottom is a wash cloth holder on each side and a soap holder in the middle.

Shower4.jpg, the shower head holder and shampoo dispenser I made based on Hal's suggestions. I could not find the parts he used locally, so I found some that would work at Ace hardware again.

Shower5, jpg, The shampoo dispenser had two parts. The actual dispenser and a mounting plate for it to screw onto the wall. I took the over the door towel/hanging clothes holder on the right and broke off the the long wire piece off. I epoxied mounting plate to the over the door hanger piece. I used a shower head holder that screws onto the wall if you add handheld shower heads. I knew to get it as we have one to hold the handheld shower head on a deverter valve that lets us use the handheld head to wash the dog or the normal shower head for our showers. I epoxied it to the shampoo dispenser after sanding the back of it to fit the curve of the shampoo dispenser.

[commodor47]

Jeri modified our shower in order to make more room and set up a simple hands free shower holder. She removed one of the shower curtains and the towel bar. Using a paper template (heavy paper used to cover picnic tables) Jeri cut out a piece of 4 ml clear plastic to cover the two shower walls (back wall near the bed and the sidewall along the hallway to just beyond the toilet paper holder). The plastic was cut out as one piece and easily tucked up against the wall corner. Some extra was left where the back shower wall meets the trailer wall. The plastic is secured by small strips of Velcro attached to the top of the folding bathroom walls. There is no need to remove the plastic when folding down the bathroom walls. The remaining shower curtain is secured to the plastic using plastic clothes pins (when taking a shower). The bottom of the shower curtain can be tucked up above the faucets for easy access. Depending on use, the plastic lining the folding shower walls can be changed once a year. The hands free shower adapter is made from two metal over the door hooks strapped around a shower head holder (similar to the one just above the tub).

Here is the link to the photos:

https://get.google.com/albumarchive/108252879068745988688/album/AF1QipMwxQmUunIvaM7_2RmIfVOdEoM28oRr5p-hcaX5

Dick

[B_and_D]

That is a good idea about using the plastic for the rear wall and the hall side. I can see how it would fold down easily, and also be easy to set up. We hardly ever use that towel bar above the bath, so that wouldn't be missed!

Thanks for posting this.

D

[shunter917]

That's a great mod! Very clever.

[BobRederick]

Dick & Jeri,

I was looking at this with interest, but Bonnie thinks it will invite mold to grow behind the plastic, especially in damp climates. So keep an eye on that. The curtains supplied by TM are woven and can breathe to let moisture out from behind the curtain. Would this idea work using the TM curtain material? Just attach it same as you did the mylar.

[commodor47]

Bob,

You bring up two interesting questions. As to mold forming behind the plastic: as long as there are no holes in the plastic so that moisture can infiltrate, the area should remain mold free. We do most of our long term camping in dry climates, which also helps. The other note is that the plastic is wiped down after the last person has taken a shower, which also helps to control moisture. Although hard to discern in the photos, the plastic does hang free of the walls, thus allowing for air movement between the plastic and the wall which should help to prevent mold. The vent fan (located at the base of the tub) is another effective way to control moisture in the bathroom. I don't think the shower curtains will work in this situation. The curtains eventually allow water to "wick" through to anything that is in contact with the back of the curtain (much like canvas). Since the plastic is transparent, it will be easy to keep an eye out for mold formation.

We've used the plastic (not the same piece) for two camping seasons and so far there have been no issues with mold. We will post any problems with the plastic modification.

Thanks for bringing your concerns to our attention.