It varies from motorhome to motorhome, but generally, a small boiler or water heater is installed. The water heats up (taking roughly 10-20 minutes) before providing hot water for you to shower with.
The time it takes for the water to heat up varies depending on the size of your motorhome and the water heater or boiler installed. Typically, larger and more powerful heaters or boilers will take less time and provide more water.
Once the water has been used, you will need to wait again or fill the heater up to get more hot water. It can be an issue for some motorhome users, so quick showers are essential!
The shower works just like your home shower does, although it will probably be considerably smaller. The shower tends to be a small cubicle or square with a curtain around it.
Depending on the motorhome, the showerhead itself will be quite small but should produce a powerful blast of water. Again this depends on your motorhome and if you have made any improvements to it. Some larger motorhomes will have full-sized showers in, but these tend to be more expensive.
The shower will operate like yours at home. You will turn the shower on, control the shower temperature, and turn it off when you are done. Many motorhome users will turn the water off while applying soap or shampoo to themselves to conserve hot water.
There will be a drain at the bottom of the shower that holds the water from the shower. You will need to empty your drain regularly to avoid overflowing and potentially damaging any electrical wiring in your motorhome. You will also need to regularly clean your shower as you would with one in your home.
There will likely be hair and residue from the products used at the bottom of the shower or in the drain too. For those with short hair, this shouldn’t be much of an issue, but you will need to be mindful of where that hair is going if you have long hair or shave in the shower and be ready to fish out some clumps of hair!
You must clean these and remove any hair to avoid a blocked drain later on.
Are motorhome showers any good?
Generally speaking, yes, motorhome showers are good. It depends on the motorhome you have, but most users and owners are surprised by the power of the shower.
You can usually expect a powerful blast of hot water, especially if it’s the first shower, that will allow you to clean your body and blast through any grease or products in your hair.
The downside of motorhome showers tends to be their size. Understandably, they are a lot smaller than showers at home and can feel quite cramped at times. You will either have a small cube or a shower with a curtain, typically filling a small square of your bathroom, or being a separate room in your RV.
The shower in your motorhome usually has good pressure, but again, this is determined by the size of your water heater or boiler. Some showers will be the same size as yours at home and provide fantastic pressure; others will not.
You can get larger showers, but they usually come in larger motorhomes with large price tags.
When purchasing your motorhome, it’s worth asking about the shower and having a good look at the bathroom to check that it’s fit for your purpose. It’s usually a welcome addition, and provided you are realistic about it, you can enjoy a nice and hot shower.
These showers are good, but generally, you wouldn’t spend too long in them. Instead, you will want to be quick and keep the shower at a functional level. You deal with limited power and water compared to being at home, meaning your usual 45-minute shower concert is best left at home.
How long can you shower in an RV?
Ideally, you don’t want to be in your shower for more than a few minutes. It will depend on how much water you have in your RV, but a quick 5-10 minute shower is best here.
Treat the shower in your RV like the one you would have at a campsite or festival. This isn’t the space for a soul-cleansing shower or an hour-long pamper.
Instead, you want to wash, rinse off any products, and get out, especially if a few of you are waiting for the water. You will be able to shower as long as your water heater holds out in an RV. It’s worth noting your water capacity to help work out how long you can shower in your RV.
If more than one of you needs to shower, you should make them as quick as possible to ensure enough water for the other person to shower. It’s worth switching the water off when soaping up, too, so you can save as much water as possible!
Not only is this better for the planet, but it ensures that you conserve your hot water and only use it when you need to.
It can be a bit of a culture shock for some RV users, but after a few showers like this, it will feel like second nature! If you are undertaking a weekend trip, maybe pack some dry shampoo and see how you get off.
It can save water, and the time it takes to dry your hair too! Some users might opt not to wash their hair, too, saving on time and preventing your drain from being clogged with hair (just like mine usually is).
If you have a larger RV with a larger water tank or boiler, then you might be able to shower for longer as you will have more water to go around. You could shower for ten minutes or just over and still have water left for others.
It’s best to judge it based on your RVs water capacity to avoid leaving someone with a cold water shower!
