Shower size, should I care

[GaryMo]

After years of wanting we are finally in the position look at purchasing a campervan, it's a pity the world has gone made

I think we have a good idea of what we want, a 6.36m van conversion, with longitudinal beds at the back, with storage underneath and with Auto transmission. We have had a look around and think Globalcar or Malibu can will be ideal. But I've got hung up on the size of the shower, I'm quite a big bloke and I find some of the showers are akin to vertical coffins, I can't move, no way can I bend and reach my feet. In my mind being able to wash my feet is a in a major positive.

So should I not worry about it? or can people recommend van conversion with larger then average showers (note very happy about combined toilet and shower areas, we don't want separate areas)

Thanks

 

[GaryMo]

it's a pity the world has gone made

That should be mad

 

[Vanderek]

Someone once wrote on here....you spend 8 minutes in the shower and 8 hours in bed....so consider your priorities

 

[Tombola]

You'll do well to find a big shower in a small van.
I'm a big bloke I dive in the shower and have one of them shower heads the has a push button. I soap up my feet..WITH my feet and then jet em off...

Better bed space is more important to me than shower space...
Just don't drop the soap

 

[Conal]

Yes you should. We have had three campervans/motorhomes. The first, a medium Fifer had a reasonable shower but you couldn’t manoeuvre in it. In the second, a ‘93 Talbot, the shower was too small to use. The third is an Autotrail Delaware. The shower in this is only a little bigger than the Fifer’s was but, most importantly, it faces the toilet, and the toilet door opens out to close the area off from the lounge. There is a folding door that, when pulls across, gives a suite. So, if you drop the soap or want to spread out when drying, the shower door folds back giving a large useable space.
many motorhomes and caravans have rear bathrooms which are effectively a suite.

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[GaryMo]

You'll do well to find a big shower in a small van.
I'm a big bloke I dive in the shower and have one of them shower heads the has a push button. I soap up my feet..WITH my feet and then jet em off...

Better bed space is more important to me than shower space...
Just don't drop the soap

Thanks for the reply. In the 6.36m vans the beds are all long enough, so the compromise is either storage or in the case of the global car the shower comes into the corridor.

 

[GaryMo]

Yes you should. We have had three campervans/motorhomes. The first, a medium Fifer had a reasonable shower but you couldn’t manoeuvre in it. In the second, a ‘93 Talbot, the shower was too small to use. The third is an Autotrail Delaware. The shower in this is only a little bigger than the Fifer’s was but, most importantly, it faces the toilet, and the toilet door opens out to close the area off from the lounge. There is a folding door that, when pulls across, gives a suite. So, if you drop the soap or want to spread out when drying, the shower door folds back giving a large useable space.
many motorhomes and caravans have rear bathrooms which are effectively a suite.

Thanks for the reply. The Globalcar campscout we are looking at has a shower/toilet area which extends over the corridor. The positive is that it has a large shower, but you can get wet feet going to bed

 

[Spriddler]

I always have to psyche myself up to use mine. The floor area is a bit larger than a telephone kiosk (remember them?) and I'm only 5' 6" and nine and a half stone dripping wet. I hate it, plus the squeegeeing and drying the floor and walls, but needs must.
The spray-head pressure is not as good as at home and I do like the sort of pressure that pins me to the wall.

 

[Landy Andy]

Shower was important to me at 6’3” so ended up with a 7.2mtr van.

 

[hja]

We have a Globecar Summit Prime 640. We dismissed the ones with shower across the corridor because it effectively trapped the other person either in bed or in living end, but couldn't even make a cup of tea! So ours has a swing wall, keeping loo dry, no curtains. We both manage, I'm 5ft 5 and quite large, & not very flexible, OH is just short of 6ft, bit thinner. Shower not quite as large as Autosleeper Broadway we had, but a compromise to get the rest that the Globecar offered - fixed rear single beds, garage.
When we first got a m/h we went from a 2 berth caravan that had a rear "dressing room", which we did, and still do, miss. Again all about priorities and compromises.
We really like our van, and use the shower even when on sites with showers. Obviously you need to stand in the shower in the van on the showroom floor, and shut the door etc, and see how much movement space you have.

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[mapman]

When we ordered our motorhome before COVID we expected to mainly use campsites with toilets an showers. Our priorities in choosing the vehicle were decent beds and good storage. We assumed we would only use the shower occasionally when on aires or similar stop overs. However during the pandemic we have had to use our own facilities on a regular basis and using the shower, and to a lesser extent the toilet has been a squeeze. So if you intend to not use campsites with toilet blocks I would suggest you look carefully at how easy it is to move around when using your own. We did look at the Globescout and I was impressed with their solution of using the corridor but it did not have the storage we wanted.

 

[davidbaldam]

Hi and welcome to FUN.

 

[GaryMo]

We have a Globecar Summit Prime 640. We dismissed the ones with shower across the corridor because it effectively trapped the other person either in bed or in living end, but couldn't even make a cup of tea! So ours has a swing wall, keeping loo dry, no curtains. We both manage, I'm 5ft 5 and quite large, & not very flexible, OH is just short of 6ft, bit thinner. Shower not quite as large as Autosleeper Broadway we had, but a compromise to get the rest that the Globecar offered - fixed rear single beds, garage.
When we first got a m/h we went from a 2 berth caravan that had a rear "dressing room", which we did, and still do, miss. Again all about priorities and compromises.
We really like our van, and use the shower even when on sites with showers. Obviously you need to stand in the shower in the van on the showroom floor, and shut the door etc, and see how much movement space you have.

Thanks for the reply, I think we would prefer not to have the shower across the corridor for the reasons you say. We haven't managed to see the Summit Prime, nowhere seems to have one on display, from the pictures I've seen they look nice.

I didn't realise the Globalcars had the swing wall, I've seen one is a Swift Adria, but it made the shower area too small for me.

This will be our first motorhome and in many respects now is not the time to buy, but I do have a chance of a Campscout elegance 640, but with the shower over the corridor, having originally wanting one of these I'm now not so sure

 

[Usually confused.]

We have the Malibu and the shower is supposedly largest in class as the toilet can be swung away to create more space. Once you’ve attached the plastic panels that protect various bits you do have a reasonable space to shower but, and let’s face it, it’ll always be a compromise in a van that size. The roof window means that the shower head is attached to the wall so the water comes at you horizontally rather than down on you and I find myself holding the shower head to get to my bits rather than letting the shower do it’s work.

I‘ve hired an Adria supreme version before with the movable wall and the Malibu definitely has a bit more space.

You do have to be realistic in what you’re trying to achieve in vans like these. It will be a compromise but it’s perfectly possible to have a quick shower with just a few swear words as you bang your elbow yet again or drop your soap and have to contort yourself into positions a Chinese acrobat would be proud of in order to retrieve it.

Malibu is a great van though.

 

[GaryMo]

When we ordered our motorhome before COVID we expected to mainly use campsites with toilets an showers. Our priorities in choosing the vehicle were decent beds and good storage. We assumed we would only use the shower occasionally when on aires or similar stop overs. However during the pandemic we have had to use our own facilities on a regular basis and using the shower, and to a lesser extent the toilet has been a squeeze. So if you intend to not use campsites with toilet blocks I would suggest you look carefully at how easy it is to move around when using your own. We did look at the Globescout and I was impressed with their solution of using the corridor but it did not have the storage we wanted.

We are looking at campscout 640, but in that the storage is minimal, the only hanging space is under the bed. Having said that, I like the idea of rolling up clothes and never worrying about ironing, after all we will be on holiday

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[Jev88]

American RV, you might even get a mini bath....

 

[GaryMo]

American RV, you might even get a mini bath....

I may be able to fit in the shower, but the RV won't fit the roads

 

[Jev88]

I may be able to fit in the shower, but the RV won't fit the roads

We get along okay.

 

[EuroTrotters]

Someone once wrote on here....you spend 8 minutes in the shower and 8 hours in bed....so consider your priorities

I think the OP is suggesting his larger build may not fit in said shower

 

[Minxy]

Thanks for the reply. The Globalcar campscout we are looking at has a shower/toilet area which extends over the corridor. The positive is that it has a large shower, but you can get wet feet going to bed

We've had a couple of Globecars with the shower in the centre and it was extremely spacious but if you want more space you can easily push the shower curtain back more into the toilet area for more elbow room (might have to put a longer/wider shower curtain in though but it would still work fine). You don't get wet feet as they come with a board which goes over the shower tray to form the 'floor'.

We are looking at campscout 640, but in that the storage is minimal, the only hanging space is under the bed. Having said that, I like the idea of rolling up clothes and never worrying about ironing, after all we will be on holiday

Ah yes, they changed it on the later models, I also believe they put the boiler under the dinette seat too. This might give you some ideas of what you can do storage etc wise:

Globecar Campscout Info

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[cmcardle75]

After years of wanting we are finally in the position look at purchasing a campervan, it's a pity the world has gone made

I think we have a good idea of what we want, a 6.36m van conversion, with longitudinal beds at the back, with storage underneath and with Auto transmission. We have had a look around and think Globalcar or Malibu can will be ideal. But I've got hung up on the size of the shower, I'm quite a big bloke and I find some of the showers are akin to vertical coffins, I can't move, no way can I bend and reach my feet. In my mind being able to wash my feet is a in a major positive.

So should I not worry about it? or can people recommend van conversion with larger then average showers (note very happy about combined toilet and shower areas, we don't want separate areas)

Thanks

As a self build, I literally sized our shower cubicle as the smallest that I could physically fit inside with the door closed. It is way smaller than any commercial converter would dare suggest. There's no way I'm picking the soap off the floor. This compromise is to increase the living space for the 99.8% of the time I'm not in the shower. I guess if I had a specific thing for washing my feet, I could stand outside, with the appropriate foot inside the cubicle. However, I dont, so I won't.

 

[buntyb]

We've had a couple of Globecars with the shower in the centre and it was extremely spacious but if you want more space you can easily push the shower curtain back more into the toilet area for more elbow room (might have to put a longer/wider shower curtain in though but it would still work fine). You don't get wet feet as they come with a board which goes over the shower tray to form the 'floor'.


Ah yes, they changed it on the later models, I also believe they put the boiler under the dinette seat too. This might give you some ideas of what you can do storage etc wise:

Globecar Campscout Info

As Minxy Girl suggested, a wider shower curtain makes a difference. We used one in our last van and used beach towel pegs to pin it back so that you had more room and stop it from sticking to you. We purchased the wider shower curtain from Dunelm. Also, you can still get soap on a rope

 

[Monkeynuts2215]

After years of wanting we are finally in the position look at purchasing a campervan, it's a pity the world has gone made

I think we have a good idea of what we want, a 6.36m van conversion, with longitudinal beds at the back, with storage underneath and with Auto transmission. We have had a look around and think Globalcar or Malibu can will be ideal. But I've got hung up on the size of the shower, I'm quite a big bloke and I find some of the showers are akin to vertical coffins, I can't move, no way can I bend and reach my feet. In my mind being able to wash my feet is a in a major positive.

So should I not worry about it? or can people recommend van conversion with larger then average showers (note very happy about combined toilet and shower areas, we don't want separate areas)

Thanks

Google Harbour creek motorhomes check out there stock. There very helpful and friendly you can have a list of questions and they will answer them.

 

[Mick Kennedy]

Our shower is snug to say the least, but it has those footstep thingies in it that you can place your feet on to reach them. Also, you might consider a bathbrush that would extend your reach to help you scrub your feet. Another trick is to to keep two bars of soap in the shower, so if you drop one, the other is available. Works for me.

 

[grasscutter]

It’s worth considering if you will shower everyday. This may be contentious to some but I know an awful lot of motorhomers who have a really good strip wash on many days. This saves water if you are off grid and also saves a lot of wiping down in a combined shower toilet.
If everything else in the van works for you it maybe worth a compromise.
The perfect Van doesn’t exist

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[Don Campbell]

Thanks for the reply. The Globalcar campscout we are looking at has a shower/toilet area which extends over the corridor. The positive is that it has a large shower, but you can get wet feet going to bed

The only thing I would criticise the Campscout shower arrangement for is the way the folding doors restrict the passageway a bit more than others. We are not big so it's not a problem, but as you say you are a big bloke it's worth mentioning. If it's not a problem the Campscout is a superb combination of sleeping area and storage, particularly if you get rid of the gas bottles and get an underslung tank fitted. Take a shower in the morning if you are worried about wet feet, but it's easy to mop up afterwards and with the covering board down after showering you won't have wet feet unless you are a really adventurous showerer - the mind boggles!

 

[GirlyVanGirly]

It’s worth considering if you will shower everyday. This may be contentious to some but I know an awful lot of motorhomers who have a really good strip wash on many days. This saves water if you are off grid and also saves a lot of wiping down in a combined shower toilet.
If everything else in the van works for you it maybe worth a compromise.
The perfect Van doesn’t exist

We have had the van Elddis Autoquest CV20 since 7th June, not braved the shower yet, and I am only 5'2" size 12!! If no site showers are available a good supply of flannels and wet wipes do the job!

 

[Littlewheels]

if you drop the soap

drop your soap and have to contort

There's no way I'm picking the soap off the floor.

you can still get soap on a rope

Another trick is to to keep two bars of soap in the shower,

It’s like living in the Dark Ages on here! hasn't anyone heard of shower gel

 

[Potty]

It’s like living in the Dark Ages on here! hasn't anyone heard of shower gel

Stopped using shower gel a couple of years ago. A bar of soap lasts a lot longer than a bottle of gel and no plastic bottles to dispose of.

 

[Garry - June]

Shower in our Frankia is huge compared to most...I'm 6'4" and we virtually fulltime so it was a vital component to have.... but then our van is 8.4m and cost a lot.... the smaller you go the less room to fit things in and as with everything you get what you pay for...