New Trailers and Showers

Sad that a toy hauler was built without a shower surround. In my toy hauler, I used the shower a LOT, due to riding my motorcycle in dust condition and being totally dirt covered after riding.
Mine was a 2003 model, and didn't have a surround. I wiped down the vinyl covered walls after every shower.

A toy hauler has the probability of being an RV that the shower gets used a lot more than in other RVs, so it's sad that the manufacturers don't see that concept and put a surround in all their toy haulers.

It all comes down to cost cutting.

Like many have stated, it seems to be common thing for them to cut costs by not putting in a surround. Our last (used)camper did not have one but I would not use the shower until I installed one. They aren't that expensive and they aren't too bad to install but, to me it showed a lack of quality in the camper and it was another project.

We can rationalize the shower walls are probably just fine with the probable continuous vinyl surface. The top, bottom and corners benefit from sealing. It is always a good idea anyway, to power-ventilate steamy shower areas to expel excess vapor and help dry standing water droplets and damp cloths that will mildew. It's a matter of science.

Vinyl already has a low dry water vapor permeability rating(1) which makes it even more resistant to condensed (liquid) shower water droplets. RV vinyl walls are as close as we come to a stick house polypropylene sheet humidity barrier, thereby resisting unwanted interior RV humidity from accumulating inside RV camper wall cavities in cool weather. What's the difference if water is resisted by gel coat or vinyl plastics? In reality, even polyester resin gel coat tub bases/surrounds are more permeable than epoxy resin coatings or polyethylene sheet.

In addition I think the factory vinyl wallboard used in RV's uses a less organic adhesive than the glue applied to stick home wall coverings and that helps prevent mildew for any vapor breach. These vinyl-covered RV panels are also seamless from edge to edge which means there are no gaps as long as the shower bay uses whole boards and is undamaged. Again, the top, bottom and corners benefit from sealing.

Wes


(1)The permeability reasoning is that dry water vapor consists of rather small molecules of one oxygen and two tiny hydrogen atoms, so it migrates through the smallest perforations of membranes. Purposeful examples are Goretex clothing and Tyvek house wrap. Dry vapor escapes from both, perspiration in Goretex, interior home humidity in Tyvek. Neither allows wet water penetration however, because the conjoined wet molecules are larger. Dry water vapor is also smaller and lighter than ordinary double-atom air molecules (99% of air is O2 & N2) which is why humidity is always higher near ceilings, and earthen water vapor evaporation ascends until it condenses into tiny water droplets to form clouds. Further condensing forms larger, heavier droplets which become rain and fall.

I suppose it could be a cost cutting measure but the particular trailer im looking at is a Toy Hauler with separate garage. In the garage are two couches and a drop down electric bed. The bed is valued as a $2300 option. Heck if I was going to cut costs I would go there instead of a $100 shower surround?

I like pretty much everything about the trailer mostly the price. I don't think I will let the fact that it does not have a surround affect if I buy it or not. I can add a surround if I think it needs it. I found a one piece surround made by lippert for a little over $100.

1L243 wrote:
I looked at a couple of 2017 Trailers recently and noticed that the showers don't have a surround on them. The walls in the shower look just like the walls in the trailer....What's up with that?

It's very common, and nothing new.

Some trailers have them, some don't.

I won't own one without.

When I was shopping for baby sized trailers, multiple brands didn't have a shower surround. The only ones I found that do (in a 17 bunkhouse model) were the Coachman Clipper and Forest River Viking.

For whatever it is worth, we have had two trailers with "vinyl wallpaper" shower stalls, and we take about 180 showers a year in them. (Two people for 90 nights a year.) . So far, knock on vinyl, no problem at all. I did seal the corner trim with silicone, though.

3oaks wrote:

Atlee wrote:
For me it's just cheap penny pinching. That's a trailer that would be crossed off my list as soon as I saw it.

It would be immediately crossed off our list as well.

Although apparently people who do own trailers with that type of shower walls don't seam to have a problem with them. Still it wouldn't do for me.

As long as the seam of the wallpaper doesn't leak.

Our 2010 Dutchmen has a one piece tub/shower insert, completely water proof. It is difficult to believe these are not standard.

I have bought several trailers over the years and none of them were perfect. It seems like a funny place to save a few bucks. I found a couple of Mod threads on the interweb where surrounds were installed in similar showers for around $100. I think if I go this route I will just add the surround. Mostly just to keep things clean...

Like Bud here he did a great job!
https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/29011838/gotomsg/29012875.cfm#29012875

What you say is true. However, I would not want to go fix something that should have been included at the factory. Also, if a manufacturer is pinching pennies WRT the Tub/shower surround, then I strongly suspect they are pinching pennies in other areas that will rule out getting that particular trailer.

SoundGuy wrote:

Atlee wrote:
For me it's just cheap penny pinching. That's a trailer that would be crossed off my list as soon as I saw it.

Of course it's cost control on the part of the manufacturer but if any trailer otherwise fits one's needs automatically "crossing it off one's list" would indeed be silly since it's so easy to simply add a surround yourself.