Portable Gas Heated Shower for Camping

Hunting fishing tourism survival 19 001 0

Relaxing outdoors in tents or using a cramped motorhome, you can only dream of a hot shower. Usually tourists use a suspended container of water, which is heated by the sun, but it is warm only in the afternoon and until the evening. An excellent solution to the problem of lack of hot water while camping is to use a homemade shower based on a propane flow-through heater and pump. This device is expensive in terms of materials, but its presence makes outdoor recreation truly comfortable.

Basic materials:

flow-through propane heater;
12V pump with built-in pressure switch;
shower head with lock and flexible hose;
garden hose;
gas hose;
propane tank;
gas reducer;
cigarette lighter plug with a cord of the required length;
adapters from heater outputs to garden and gas hoses;
clamps;
fumlenta.

The main elements of the system are a flow-through heater and a 12V self-priming pump with a pressure switch. These units must be compatible with each other. Typically, budget 12V water pumps produce 5 l/min, which is quite enough.For such a pump, a water heater with a minimum capacity of up to 5 l/min is selected. Such columns are capable of operating even at a water flow pressure of 0.15 bar, so connecting a mini pump is not dangerous for them.

Assembling a portable shower

The manufacture of the shower must begin with the assembly of the T-shaped frame. It can be made from plywood, as in the photo.

First, the water heater is hung on the frame. The column has mounting holes, so there are no difficulties with connection. Since gas and water will be supplied from the rear, 2 holes need to be made in the frame for supplying hoses.

Depending on the diameter of the necks of the standard water inlet and outlet, as well as the factory fittings, adapters with a nipple for a garden hose are selected.

A watering can is installed at the outlet of the water heater.

A short hose is connected to the inlet of the column and goes to the outlet of the pump attached to the back of the frame. Another piece of hose is placed on the water intake of the pump. Its end will be immersed in any container of water or river. Ideally, it wouldn’t hurt to install check valves on the water. All connections are tightened with clamps, and fum tape is pre-wound onto the threads.

A gas hose is also connected to the propane supply on the heater using a suitable adapter. It connects to a reducer screwed onto the cylinder.
A wire with a plug for the cigarette lighter is clamped into the pump terminals. If necessary, you can additionally purchase an extension cord for it.

How to use the shower

To use the shower, you need to connect a filled propane cylinder to it, and lower the intake hose from the pump into a container of water. After this, the pump power plug is installed in the cigarette lighter.The pump operates for a few seconds, increasing water pressure in the system. After this, you need to open the gas supply from the cylinder. Next, the burner on the column is ignited and the minimum heating temperature is set.
After opening the shut-off valve on the shower head, the pressure in the system drops, so the relay starts the pump. The moving flow leads to the complete ignition of the heating chamber of the water heater, and the water passing through it is heated. You can then use the adjustment wheel on the dispenser to add heat to get a hotter stream. If the watering can is closed, the pump will turn off, combustion in the water heater chamber will stop and only the flame on the burner will remain.