Why we love having a shower in our converted van
There are so many different van build possibilities out there. We all have different preferences and lifestyles! When Sean and I were designing Hermes, several people recommended not including a wet bath… but we trusted ourselves and went for it.
And I am glad we did.
Here’s why I have not once regretted having a shower in our van!
We can get clean anywhere
Even if we’re camped on remote land hours away from the nearest town. Or in a Walmart lot late at night after an endless day of driving. Or parallel parked in town before going to dinner. No driving, Googling, or detailed planning ahead required. This is a huge asset for a self-proclaimed neat freak like me.
We can rinse more frequently
If we were always going to a gym or travel stop for a shower, we’d have to consider logistics like:
packing up our campsite
hitting places during open hours
having quarters if payment was required
talking to attendants
carrying our belongings in and out
wearing shower shoes in a shared space
and so on
While none of these things are huge deals (definitely “first world” problems to the highest degree) they would be enough to make me want to do the whole process less often. I particularly love taking quick hot rinses before bed—especially if we get sweaty during the day—and appreciate that our in-van shower makes that easy!
We can bathe our dog on the go
We don’t bathe Scout often to avoid drying out her skin, and we’re lucky she’s got a nice low maintenance heeler coat. That said: I do love having a space where we can easily wash her if needed, right in our house. We have been on some muddy muddy muddy hikes… and who knows what random gross things we might encounter on public land.
Since Scout can still get stressed out in new environments, many wash stations in pet stores aren’t the best option. (Plus those sorts of shops usually have a fee, and we’d have to scope them out ahead of time.)
We have the comfort of our own space
Shared locker rooms aren’t a big deal—and I know we could handle a public pet store dog wash station without too much hassle if required—but I’m ultimately a huge fan of the freedom to sing loudly, spread out my stuff, and otherwise not worry about running into anybody else.
Common questions about having a shower in our van
If we have to go into town to fill up with water anyway… what’s the advantage of a shower in the van (versus just using a gym or travel stop)?
Flexibility!
First: Our fresh water tank holds 30 gallons. We only wash our hair once or twice a week. (Update 2024: This frequency has drastically decreased.) Most times we use our shower it’s just for a quick rinse, which takes around 1-3 gallons based on our shower head flow rate. So even with dishes, drinking water, and the shower, we get plenty of use between each water fill up! We can easily go off grid for more than a week.
Second: Most places we stay actually don’t have any sort of shower facility nearby. Many primitive National Park campgrounds are far from towns, for example—and it’s the same with lots of public land (national forest or BLM) spots. Like I talked about in the first section of this article, I love the freedom to rinse no matter where we’re parked, without having to plan ahead, take down camp, and drive somewhere first. Some people care less, but it’s a huge advantage for my personal preferences. (I hate getting into bed sweaty. Even a short rinse can do wonders and lets us go longer between washing our sheets.)
How often do we use our van shower?
Probably every few days on average at least for a short rinse.
Does the space feel too small?
Thankfully it does not! (Though if we were much taller I could see it being an issue… but that wouldn’t be limited to the shower. That would just be living in the van in general )
I was worried about our bathroom size at first because I have a history of claustrophobic experiences. But our extendable shower rod gives us more usable space than the cabinet alone, especially around our heads. This is why we went with a curtain and rod setup as opposed to one of the popular self-cleaning sliding doors!
We always move our toilet out of the cabinet before we stand in it so we have ample floor room, and I can go through a whole shower without hitting the wall once. I might slouch a little while rinsing my hair—but that’s about the extent of the squeeze.
Was it hard to fit the shower in our van? Did we have to sacrifice anything else for it?
Not for us! We prioritized a shower from the get go and never felt like it was a choice between “shower” or “something else we really wanted” in our build. We have more storage space than we need—there’s a lot of extra room under our bed even with Scout’s crate there—and don’t personally mind the floor-to-ceiling cabinet. (I actually kind of like that the storage on either side of our van give the main kitchen area and the bed some natural separation.)
Ultimately: Everyone’s experience and preferences are different. For me and Sean? Including an in-van shower was definitely 100% the right choice.