Bathrooms in Caravans & Motorhomes

Bathrooms in Caravans & Motorhomes

Author
Discussion

Chrisgr31

Original Poster:

13,488 posts

256 months

Tuesday 19th June 2012
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I was wondering whether to make this a poll, but couldnt decide how to get the questions to work!

Our caravan is really old and has no hot water, the "bathroom" is tiny with shower basin toilet so as a result is used for washing hands, or night time wee visits only by wife and daughter although I always go to the onsite block.

However we are considering changing our van and that gives rise to the choice of a small bathroom or a large one.

So what do you all do? How many stay at sites without an onsite block? If you do, do you have a large or small bathroom? If you stay at sites with an onsite block do you use the facilities in your unit or those in the block? What size is your bathroom etc

Bill

52,836 posts

256 months

Tuesday 19th June 2012
quotequote all
Good question, and one I've been vaguely thinking about since borrowing a motorhome last month.

We used the shower for storage and drying clothes, and the bog for SWMBO and our eldest in the night. One thing that did seem like a very good idea, but we didn't use, was the heated external shower for rinsing feet etc.

LouD86

3,279 posts

154 months

Tuesday 19th June 2012
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We rarely use sites, so no shower blocks and facilities etc. We went for an end bathroom, much larger bathroom, separate shower, makes life a lot more pleasant!

Superficial

753 posts

175 months

Tuesday 19th June 2012
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I holiday in my parents vans and both have end bathrooms - wouldn't be able to live with a side bathroom now. The bathroom becomes a space where you can get changed or ready to head out in privacy, definitely doesn't feel like a waste of space. Plus, in the smaller van the wardrobe is in the bathroom so the actual living space isn't cluttered up with big cupboards.

nagsheadwarrior

2,781 posts

180 months

Tuesday 19th June 2012
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Not a helpfull answer but with our punters at work its almost exactly a 50/50 split with the pattern being that the older customer tends not to use at least the shower in the van but the younger newer buyers normally do.

I Think its down to how you camp,if its allways on sites then small bathroom will do but lots of wild camping needs a bigger bathroom or at least one with a seperate shower.

Garlick

40,601 posts

241 months

Wednesday 20th June 2012
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Always seek an end bathroom with seperate shower. The only thing I use the on site facilities for is, well, number 2's.

We have a 'caravan shower' to save water too, so wet yourself then water off, lather then water back on to rinse. This method means less fills/ emptying of the aquaroll.

Never use the block again smile

Meeja

8,289 posts

249 months

Wednesday 20th June 2012
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Garlick said:
Always seek an end bathroom with seperate shower. The only thing I use the on site facilities for is, well, number 2's.

We have a 'caravan shower' to save water too, so wet yourself then water off, lather then water back on to rinse. This method means less fills/ emptying of the aquaroll.

Never use the block again smile
Makes it less busy for the "tenters"!



Bill

52,836 posts

256 months

Wednesday 20th June 2012
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scratchchin Given a choice between a large decently hot, powerful shower 100 yards away or and intermittent dribble in a coffin sized box I'll take the walk biggrin

Admittedly not all facilities are that great but all the ones we used in France recently were better than the motorhome option.

Tyre Smoke

23,018 posts

262 months

Thursday 21st June 2012
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First things, first. What are you going to use the van for? Are you a 'site' camper mainly or do you like using Certified Locations with no facilities, etc?

We had a Bailey Senator with a massive end bathroom, because that's what she wanted. It turned out that we only ever used the loo (wee only!) and each of us only ever used the shower once each in seven years of ownership. We tend to use Caravan club sites, or those with 'good' facilities so there really is no need for a big bathroom. We have P/x'd the Senator for a Sterling Amethyst. The Amethyst has a fixed bed, which suited us better and the smallest toilet/shower I have ever seen. But it suits us perfectly. Should we wish to shower in the van we can, but in all honesty having just come back from Le Mans, it was fine for three hulking great blokes, loads of room.

My advice would be to decide where you are going to use the van most and then look at a few. A caravan is always going to be a compromise, but the skill is minimising your discomfort by that compromise.

Gaspode

4,167 posts

197 months

Friday 29th June 2012
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LouD86 said:
We rarely use sites, so no shower blocks and facilities etc. We went for an end bathroom, much larger bathroom, separate shower, makes life a lot more pleasant!
Although we tend to use sites with shower blocks, we went for an end bathroom with separate shower and toilet, and I'm very glad we did so. After last weekend in Northumberland, we were especially grateful - the shower makes an excellent drying area for wet coats, jeans and walking boots.