Outdoor Shower Systems for Van Builds

Why Should You Add an Outdoor Shower to Your Van?

An outdoor shower keeps sand, mud, and saltwater out of your van. It's also the most practical way to rinse off after surfing, hiking, or a day at the beach without using your interior shower (if you even have one). Many van lifers find they use the outdoor shower more than any indoor setup because it's faster, easier to clean up, and doesn't add humidity inside.

The setup can be as simple as a pressurized garden sprayer or as refined as a plumbed hot-water system with a dedicated showerhead. What works best depends on how often you'll use it, whether you want hot water, and how your plumbing is configured.

Should You Get Hot or Cold Water for Your Van Shower?

Cold-Water-Only Showers

The simplest outdoor shower taps into your freshwater system and runs unheated water through an exterior showerhead. No extra equipment, no propane, no waiting. This works well in warm climates and for quick rinse-offs. In Southern California, your water tank sitting in a warm van often reaches a tolerable temperature on its own.

Tankless Water Heaters

A propane tankless water heater (Camplux, Girard, or similar) gives you hot water on demand. Water flows through a heat exchanger when you turn on the showerhead — no storage tank to preheat, no waiting. These units mount on the exterior or inside a cabinet and connect to your existing freshwater plumbing.

Tankless heaters are the most popular option we install for outdoor showers. They use a small amount of propane, provide consistent hot water, and work regardless of sun conditions. The tradeoff is cost ($200-$600 for the unit) and the need for propane plumbing. For a full breakdown, see our water heating guide.

Solar Shower Bags

A solar shower bag (the classic black bag you hang from your roof rack) absorbs sunlight and heats 3-5 gallons of water over a few hours. They're cheap ($10-$30), require no plumbing, and work anywhere with sun. The downsides: limited water volume, inconsistent heating depending on weather, and low water pressure since they're gravity-fed. They work well as a backup or for very simple setups.

Where Should You Mount an Outdoor Shower on a Van?

Rear Door Mount

The most popular location. A showerhead and valve mount on the inside of one rear door or on the body panel near the rear doors. When you open the doors, they swing out and create a natural wind screen and partial privacy enclosure on two sides. You stand behind the van with the doors open and shower in a semi-enclosed space.

Rear door mounting works well because plumbing lines run easily along the van's underside to the back. It keeps the shower away from your living space entrance (the sliding door), so you can rinse off without tracking water through the interior.

Side Panel Mount

A side-mounted shower installs near the sliding door or on the opposite side panel. This is less common but useful if your rear is dedicated to a bike rack, spare tire, or storage. Side mounting gives you a different workflow — you shower next to the van rather than behind it.

The tradeoff is less natural privacy (no doors to swing open as wind screens) and potentially more complex plumbing routing depending on your layout.

Portable/Detachable

Some builders use a quick-connect fitting that lets you attach a shower hose to an exterior water port. The showerhead stores inside the van and clips onto the exterior port when you need it. This avoids permanent exterior mounting and keeps the van's exterior clean. It's a good middle ground between a fully plumbed outdoor shower and a standalone portable unit.

Do You Need a Privacy Enclosure for an Outdoor Van Shower?

In remote camping spots, privacy isn't usually an issue. But at campgrounds, trailheads, or anywhere with other people around, you'll want some kind of enclosure. Common options:

• Pop-up shower tent: A freestanding tent that sets up in 30 seconds. Lightweight, portable, and provides full privacy. Stores small when collapsed. ($30-$80)
• Magnetic shower curtain: A curtain with magnets that attaches directly to your van's metal body. Quick to deploy, no permanent hardware. Works best on the rear or side panel.
• Roof rack curtain: A curtain or tarp that hangs from your roof rack and drapes down, creating a shower stall along the side or rear of the van. Can be paired with the open rear doors for a more enclosed space.
• Retractable awning enclosure: If you have a side awning, some setups include drop-down walls that create a semi-private shower area underneath the awning.

How Does an Outdoor Shower Connect to Your Van's Plumbing?

An outdoor shower ties into your van's existing freshwater plumbing. A T-fitting splits your water line — one branch goes to your interior faucet and the other runs to the exterior showerhead. If you're adding hot water, the line runs through your water heater first, then to the exterior valve.

We use PEX tubing for most plumbing runs because it's flexible, freeze-resistant, and easy to route through tight spaces. The exterior connection gets a shut-off valve so you can winterize the outdoor line separately if needed.

Grey water from the outdoor shower drains onto the ground (no grey tank connection needed for an exterior shower). If you're in a campground with specific drainage rules, a simple catch basin underneath works.

How Do You Conserve Water with an Outdoor Van Shower?

Outdoor showers can drain your freshwater tank quickly if you're not paying attention. A few habits that make a difference:

• Navy shower method: Wet yourself down (30 seconds), turn off water, soap up, then rinse (30-60 seconds). Total: 2-3 gallons instead of 5+.
• Low-flow showerhead: A 1.0-1.5 GPM showerhead cuts water use in half compared to a standard 2.5 GPM head.
• Shut-off valve at the showerhead: A valve right at the head lets you pause flow without adjusting your water heater or pump. Quick on, quick off.
• Bucket rinse for feet: Keep a small bucket outside for foot rinsing instead of firing up the shower for sandy feet.

What Outdoor Shower Setup Do We Recommend?

For most van builds, we install a rear-door-mounted pressurized shower with a tankless propane water heater. This gives you hot water on demand, good water pressure, and the natural privacy of the open rear doors. The plumbing ties into your existing freshwater system with a simple T-fitting, and the whole setup adds minimal weight and complexity.

If you're building on a tighter budget or want the simplest possible setup, a cold-water pressurized shower with a quick-connect fitting works well. You can always add a water heater later without reworking the plumbing.