Date: Mon, 6 Feb 2023 17:21:04 +0000
Reply-To: Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Subject: Re: Vanagon Hot Shower on Demand
In-Reply-To: <CA+9-MNs_-rmorkz03HgrOY=fGWREibN2P_vuhyQjUkmbax-DNg@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Correct. Mud pit is no fun. So, down the road, I empty RubberMaid container with grey water on the side of the road. That's it. Also, I don't use biodegradable soap and shampoos, just the normal stuff. As far as Northern California camping spots....man, that is a tough commodity. Year around. Hence, I use the Vanagon Hot Shower On Demand solution, and camp nearby at some McDonalds or Starbucks. BTW....the bathrooms in those facilities are excellently clean. And the Wi-Fi.....equally marvelous. Also, I am an excellent "stealth" camper. I have honed those skills over 40 years.
On Monday, February 6, 2023 at 08:46:40 AM PST, Pete Sicilia <pete@coffeepot.org> wrote:
To clarify my question a bit... I was both looking at preventing a big mud
pit and looking for a solution that works at a state campground. I carry
biodegradable soaps :)
I'd also love to know if folks have preferred "camping al fresco" spots in
Northern California that are reachable w/o syncro capabilities.
On Mon, Feb 6, 2023, 6:20 AM ddbjorkman@verizon.net <ddbjorkman@verizon.net>
wrote:
> Grey water, with an environmentally friendly soap does no harm. I just
> pick a somewhat sloped ground, put down a ground cloth so we are not
> standing in a mudpuddle and let it run off. Many of the places we use it
> could use a bit more water in the ground.
>
> Dave B,
> the Boston one
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Pete Sicilia <pete@COFFEEPOT.ORG>
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Sent: Sun, Feb 5, 2023 9:29 pm
> Subject: Re: [VANAGON] Vanagon Hot Shower on Demand
>
> What do you all do with the grey water? Do you catch it and do something
> with it... or just let it drain into the ground/mud?
>
> On Sun, Feb 5, 2023 at 5:47 PM Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@sbcglobal.net>
> wrote:
>
> > For me, it was an evolution. It all started with me and my cousin doing
> > Mountain Bike riding in the western Sierras in the early 90's. Sure, we
> > got all sweaty. No fun getting into sleeping bag after all that. I
> > figured....there has got to be a better way. I thought...all you need
> is a
> > metal vessel....fill it with water...heat up on Coleman stove; and, add
> > some kind of propulsion unit to aggressively force hot water through some
> > plastic tubing and into a shower nozzle. And I exactly did that! It
> > worked perfectly. Except, I chose a steel 5 gallon gas tank, which of
> > course rusted like crazy. Also, I chose a 12VDC submersible pump from
> > Grainger; problem with that....it was intended for intermittent use; it
> > rusted and froze. I rethunk. So next attempt was an aluminum 20 quart
> > stock pot from Costco, and a 12VDC Marine Bilge pump, I started with 800
> > GPH unit, but have moved up to 1100 GPH pump. Oh my! All systems are go
> > now! Then I got the crazy idea of using Vanagon to source hot water. I
> > deleted Rear Heater long ago; I used the plumbing and fittings,
> including a
> > 20 foot piece of 1/4" copper tubing, wrapped around a paint spray can to
> > form a heat exchanger device inside of Aluminum stock pot. I used a
> simple
> > Ball Valve to turn on/off flow to copper tubing; this involved a
> companion
> > to run back and turn it off and on. I used a standard BBQ grill
> > thermometer from Walmart to monitor temperature; I used old wiring from
> > rear heater to make this happen. Readout on dash. Next, I lost my
> > companion to run back and turn Ball Valve off and on. So, via Amazon, I
> > got one of those motorized valves, and I found a switch (old Rear Window
> > defogger switch) which fit the 3rd unused position on dashboard; yes,
> with
> > a tip of switch, hot engine coolant goes into copper tubing, heating up
> > water in Stock Pot, all monitored by BBQ Thermometer. Oh...you want to
> get
> > even more crazy?!! Using 3D Solidworks, I came up with a delightful
> design
> > of a Shower Curtain, like a giant funnel into a RubberMaid plastic bin.
> I
> > know at this point, all you guys are collapsing in fatigue! I hear ya.
> > If I were reading this thing, I would have given up by Sentence #2. Yes,
> > it was a 30 year process. It was filled with errors. But now....I
> > wouldn't leave home without it. Absolutely...there are easier solutions
> to
> > the Hot Water Shower issue. But mine is the finest.
> > And of course, I can do it the old school way...pot of water on Coleman
> > stove...in the middle of nowhere....it's so fun to see your breath in the
> > cold morning air....and you are as clean as a whistle!
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
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