Want to replace shower with shower/sauna/deep tub...

[cannesdo]

I've been on the road for 12 years now I stopped moving the last two. I may or may not travel again. I'd like to use a portable hot water unit (something that heats the water as it flows out of the hose) to create thigh-high tub for one in the footprint of my current shower --or-- a sauna shower combo...or maybe all three.

Any thoughts? Weight would be an issue. Is there any way to build it with wood? wood? Maybe remove the base entirely and build a rectangular shower/sauna in its place? Or keep the base only and build a wood surround for the outer walls? Maybe I could lighten the load enough to compensate. My rig has space for a washer which I don't have and that's pretty heavy. ?

Gonna make this happen. At the very least I need either a soaking tub or a sauna. If I had to choose I think I'd choose the former over the latter. And that would probably be the most lightweight option. How do I add a portable water heater and would I remove my old one? Where would it go? Inside or outside? No idea. It's chilly on the Oregon Coast in the winter and I'm determined to build it...has anyone ever tackled anything similar?

My current shower is a corner unit with three sides. I think I'd like to remove that and make it rectangular. Or have the existing glass cut to accommodate a tub base which is higher than the existing base. I'm completely removed my shower before and replaced it with different glass so that's not a problem. Best case is a Japanese style deepish tub (I'm 5'7" 120) with a wooden surround. Could be large glass sections on top but I'd like the supports to be wooden also. What kind of wood/treatment can survive the water?

>Thanks much...

[AllegroD]

cannesdo wrote:
If my rig is supposed to carry the weight of a washer and I don't have one I would think it could handle at least a tub.

Not true. "I would think" may cause you big problems. A WD combo only holds 7-16 gals. How many gas does your tub hold. One gallon of water weighs 8.345 pounds.

As others are posting, your floor may not be properly reinforced under the current shower.

[CFerguson]

On Demand water heater should be a relatively easy install. You could even just add one in the wet room if you wanted to leave the original one hooked up.

[Bill_Satellite]

mgirardo wrote:
I've seen Tiny Homes with Japanese soaking tubs like free_radical linked to. One would certainly fit in place of the Shower Stall in all the RVs we've owned.

You can replace your current water heater with an On-Demand Water Heater. They will provide more hot water than a standard RV water heater.

-Michael

The construction work that I have seen on tiny homes makes me believe that their floors are substantially better built than an RV. There is no under floor storage in a tiny home so the floor is directly on the trailer frame and it likely also much better lumber.

[mgirardo]

I've seen Tiny Homes with Japanese soaking tubs like free_radical linked to. One would certainly fit in place of the Shower Stall in all the RVs we've owned.

You can replace your current water heater with an On-Demand Water Heater. They will provide more hot water than a standard RV water heater.

-Michael

[MrWizard]

It's not the weight of the tub, that would bother me
Is the weight of all the water, when the tub is full
I would think the soaking tub, holds more water
Check the construction of the floor
Make sure it can support that much weight, you may have to reinforce the floor

[Bill_Satellite]

I doubt the existing floor would support that kind of weight in such a small space. You will just have to add some support to ensure you don't end up sitting under the RV!
I would suggest that you just need to replace your current water heater with an on-demand water heater which will provide unlimited amounts of hot water to the RV limited only by your propane supply.

[free_radical]

If youre handy why not make your own

https://youtu.be/wTLJT4MYfFE

[cannesdo]

I don't want a regular tub. I want a soaking tub which is more vertical. They're common in Greek hotels. Water comes up to your neck. It will fit in the current space. Toilet has it's own room. If my rig is supposed to carry the weight of a washer and I don't have one I would think it could handle at least a tub. I could step in and out and don't plan to sell my rig and if I'd just have to find owners who like that. It's not worth that much at this point and I plan to keep it as my home base if I live overseas. I've taken good care of it.

Where does the portable water heater go?

[Bill_Satellite]

It can while it's parked!

[AllegroD]

Can your 5vr (2001 Alpenlite Stonecreek)handle the weight?

[Bill_Satellite]

There are a number or RV's with tubs so that's not really any kind of an issue other than trying to determine is there is room for such a thing. You might have do some serious research to find a tub that will fit the space but it's certainly doable. If all the room you currently have is the space the shower occupies then finding the additional space might be your biggest challenge. The toilet can be moved (make a plumbing plan first!) and a vanity can be moved or reduced in size.
It's just going to take a bit of planning but if that's what you want, and you have the budget for it, that's what you should get.

[wildtoad]

Seems like knowing where the OP is going to park it would be useful info. If an outside sauna would work might depend on where he is. Otherwise replacing an RV shower with a deep tub will be interesting.

[DougE]

What you need is a pickup for a tow vehicle, a sheet of plastic, a propane burner and a bucket.
Line the pickup bed with the plastic. Partially fill with water and bring up to temperature by adding water from a bucket heated over the burner. Sit inside and then use the bucket to pour water over your head. 🙂

[wanderingaimles]

Never tried that, but if your location can be made workable a portable hot tub could work, especially if you had a toyhauler.
Portable hot tubs