Shower pump in my Rav 4.....

dmx11523 · Jun 14, 2023

Hello folks,

I have a '22 Rav4 XSE Hybrid. It's a small RV for me when I go on road trips.... Latex foam mattress in the back has been great and everything else stores on the Thule roof rack and now I want to install a shower.....

I'm hoping someone can comment on if I'm ok power draw wise and if you see anything that might be an issue here....something I'm not considering.

My idea is this... A Shurflo pump (it draws this much power below..)

Voltage: 12 VDC Dimensions: 7.84" X 5.00" X 4.62" Amps: 3.0 (6.0 Max. Amps)....

These pumps are what you'll find in the average RV, I'm pretty sure the draw won't hurt anything in my Toyota but I don't know really.

I intend to mount the pump in rear fender area where the 12v battery is....or spare tire area to avoid leaks hitting the battery area....(haven't worked out the mount yet but behind the plastics or the floor is a must)

(Once pump is mounted, connect to hoses which hit the plastic/floor and then female quick connect adapters, mounted professionally in the plastic so it looks nice/clean.
Maybe exterior in the bumper/rear end if I can find the right metal in/outputs similar to what you'd see on a boat/RV.

I'll have intake hose for river/buckets/13 gallon tank on hitch carrier.. and the outlet will be a shower nozzle with a simple quick connect hose fitting on the bottom.
Hot water while nice isn't important in the months/places I'll be using this usually. If it becomes something I want, can run it thru a propane heater that aren't too expensive at some point.
The main concern here is running the pump off of the car battery and I'll probably need too much water for how I like to shower.
I'll have engine "on" whenever using it but I don't want to be using this thing and meanwhile I'm frying my electrical system drawing too much over time.

It's a bit pricey getting the fittings/hoses/pump and so on but will look clean/neat and provide the gallon per minute flow I'm looking for. The amazon hand held showers while workable are a bit light on water use for my liking.
Joolca shower system is plan B for this but I'd like to avoid having the space used by lugging it around.

Thanks for the time reading and any input.

B D · Jun 14, 2023

Treat the install like any major addition, properly fused, proper wire gauge appropriate to the power required, and a proper ground wire returning to the negative battery terminal, not a frame/body ground.
Good luck going-through your firewalls grommets that your wiring harness passes through!

dmx11523 · Jun 15, 2023

B D said:
Treat the install like any major addition, properly fused, proper wire guage appropriate to the power required, and a proper ground wire returning to the negative battery terminal, not a frame/body ground.
Good luck going-through your firewalls grommets that your wiring harness passes through!

The battery is directly below/to the right of the area where I expect the pump to go so it should be nice and easy to ground right on the battery and keep the wire run short and sweet. Nice clean look. Why would a body/frame ground not be ok?
I only ask because as a child, my subwoofer amps always went to the body/frame and curious why that wouldn't be ok?
The battery is in the rear of this vehicle so I don't think I need to run thru the firewall. I imagine it's going to be a real nightmare of a job if I have to drill out hose connection to get to the bumper but I might have a body shop do it so it's properly cut open and painted/protected right.

Dr. Dyno · Jun 15, 2023

The RV pump will work just fine (as one does in my truck camper).
The power draw isn't continuous since the pump cycles just often enough to maintain pressure.
Also no worries about wiring since 16 AWG would be more than adequate. And grounding to the car's frame would be okay too, but why not go the the battery since it's so close.
Since you'll have a on/off switch be sure to add a fuse in series, maybe 10A.

dmx11523 · Jun 23, 2023

Dr. Dyno said:
The RV pump will work just fine (as one does in my truck camper).
The power draw isn't continuous since the pump cycles just often enough to maintain pressure.
Also no worries about wiring since 16 AWG would be more than adequate. And grounding to the car's frame would be okay too, but why not go the the battery since it's so close.
Since you'll have a on/off switch be sure to add a fuse in series, maybe 10A.

Thank you for reply. Still working out some odds and ends before I get at it but sounds like it shouldn't be a problem.
Currently reading up / testing which pump will handle this with the amount of flow I want and fooling around in back trying to feel out where I can mount this stuff.
Preferably not in the spare tire area but behind the plastics by the 12v battery is the plan.

Also determining if I want to go with Glind heat exchanger maybe vs just a pump and a tank. I'm almost tempted to find an RV place that does this type of work and see if they'll just do the work

Widgets · Jun 23, 2023

I would suggest looking for a variable flow pump. My old RV had a fixed flow pump, so it was either on or off. If I had a faucet open slightly for a slow flow, the pump would pressurize the Iines and shut off. The faucet would slowly bleed off the pressure with dwindling flow, then the pump would come on again. My next RV had a variable flow speed that was regulated to match the demand, so much better. I don't know if all pumps are variable speed these days, but it is something to look into.

An accumulator tank can mitigate the cycling of a fixed flow pump by allowing more water usage between pump operation, but a variable flow pump is a more elegant solution.

dmx11523 · Jun 23, 2023

dmx11523 said:
Thank you for reply. Still working out some odds and ends before I get at it but sounds like it shouldn't be a problem.
Currently reading up / testing which pump will handle this with the amount of flow I want and fooling around in back trying to feel out where I can mount this stuff.
Preferably not in the spare tire area but behind the plastics by the 12v battery is the plan.

Also determining if I want to go with Glind heat exchanger maybe vs just a pump and a tank. I'm almost tempted to find an RV place that does this type of work and see if they'll just do the work

Widgets said:
I would suggest looking for a variable flow pump. My old RV had a fixed flow pump, so it was either on or off. If I had a faucet open slightly for a slow flow, the pump would pressurize the Iines and shut off. The faucet would slowly bleed off the pressure with dwindling flow, then the pump would come on again. My next RV had a variable flow speed that was regulated to match the demand, so much better. I don't know if all pumps are variable speed these days, but it is something to look into.

An accumulator tank can mitigate the cycling of a fixed flow pump by allowing more water usage between pump operation, but a variable flow pump is a more elegant solution.

Thank you for the input. I'm definitely getting a small tank that sureflo sells with the pump, a little kit w/ the filter too. Variable flow speed sounds like something I need to look at on the pump too.
It sounds much more ideal and what I'm looking for.

Choosing a pump seem a bit complicated regarding model numbers and features. Variable flow, 1.5-3.5+ gallons a minute, some are consistent duty vs light use (5 min on, 15 off type thing), the right power source, filters, tanks...all kinds of things I had no idea about. Learning a lot with this little project.
Who knew a shower on the road would be such an ordeal.

I think I have the pump and plumbing figured out. I have a few pumps in mind on my list now but will need to check for variable flow. Mounting it will be interesting. It's on a plastic board but that needs to be screwed into something, so I'll be gluing something in I suspect.

Also determining if I buy a Joolca hot water shower thing without the pump (theirs is too low powered and not needed since it will be installed already) or get a Glind heat exchanger so I can have hot water. Showering without heat isn't ideal. Solar heating is an option but means mid or late day showers. Right when I should be out doing things.

Glind system is minimally $500-$700 I'm figuring with installation. Joolca is about $300 w/ no pump.
I can't find much about it in America *(it's Australian)...who can install it has been an issue.
Most places I've asked around me have no interest in the liability of installing a product I order and bring them. Haven't found a shop willing to install yet. They don't really understand what it is in my last few asks.
It requires tapping into the vehicle's coolant lines. It's concerning for whatever reason. It just seems dangerous though why? It's just hose connections. Concerning I could blow up my engine with a leak. Highly unlikely but what if the piping in the Glind fail is my main concern. Unlikely, but I don't know much about them beyond the Youtube stuff. No failures I've found during google searches.

My plan for water source would be a 10-20 gallon tank on my hitch carrier... or straight in the lake if I can get close enough. Though typically that won't be happening in my experience wandering around America/MI. I'm in parking lots often & rest stops, not often "campgrounds.

also a pricey but availible option is flat water tank under my mattress but that makes putting seats up less likely which I would like ability to do or rear seat footwell tanks are availible. $180-$250ish.

The plan right now is to just pump water off of the hitch carrier.
This keeps it out of the vehicle, leaks aren't as much of a concern and easy to fill/replace.
Roof top is not an option and dangerous in my opinion.

I've been digging around boating and RV worlds online to find an in and output quick connect fittings as the last unsolved part.
In my mind a perfect solution would be female quick connect I can just plug intake hose and a 6 foot shower hose/head for output.
Installed in bumper hopefully but that means it must look nice and have screw on cover and not look like some aftermarket trash. I want to be as factory looking as possible.
If not that, inside the right panel by the battery will be the next spot.
Also considering under the hood if I go w/ heat exchanger option as the run of hose won't be long but that is a little less than ideal. Hood up will attract attention from people looking to help.
They'll drive over and ask if I need help and that's the last thing I want if I'm trying to squeeze in a shower semi hidden or at least not super obvious.
I have been in some of the most remote areas of America and never fails, you will run into someone. Specially if trying to poop or take a shower. They will appear precisely at the worst time too. Never fails.

Widgets · Jun 23, 2023

You could always go low tech.

Widgets · Jun 23, 2023

Do you have a tow hitch with a wiring harness? You could go completely external and use the tow wiring for power. The pump and tank on a cart to wheel it over to a water source and fill up. The cart could also be powered from a 12v jump pack, just remember to recharge after use.

dmx11523 · Jun 23, 2023

Widgets said:
Do you have a tow hitch with a wiring harness? You could go completely external and use the tow wiring for power. The pump and tank on a cart to wheel it over to a water source and fill up. The cart could also be powered from a 12v jump pack, just remember to recharge after use.

Widgets said:
You could always go low tech.

This guy already cost me $50,000 lol.
His website is what got me started on this SUV camping, Been a great time but buying a new XSE was a bit of a ding to the wallet. Tint, roof box, hitch, blah blah blah...it's ridiculous now but I'm very mobile and could live in this thing very comfortably almost. The bed/mattress is amazing. lol. While low tech works....and good for many situations. It's not ideal with a woman on trips with me as they can't wash hair really.
It's also a hassle for much more then just rinsing off sweat after a hike. To really wash up, you need more.

dmx11523 · Jun 23, 2023

Widgets said:
Do you have a tow hitch with a wiring harness? You could go completely external and use the tow wiring for power. The pump and tank on a cart to wheel it over to a water source and fill up. The cart could also be powered from a 12v jump pack, just remember to recharge after use.

I haven't installed the wiring yet but next few weeks yes it'll be wired.
I haven't even considered external pump idea because they're not waterproof so I can't exactly mount on the hitch carrier and let road grime/rain get it but now that you said that it makes me open my mind to the idea of maybe slapping it all on a board that I can have in my Thule roof rack and just bring bring it down same as I'd have to do with the hoses/shower head, connect power as needed as well as quick connect hoses.
Not as nice looking but would def accomplish getting water pumped out of a shower head and I can make it fancy. I'm not going to screw it to a 2x4 thats for sure.

I wish I could just buy an electrical heating element and use that hitch wiring to power element in the tank and have reasonable warm water after a bit of a drive/engine running.
Sadly it seems the amount of power that would require is too much for the non prime Hybrid.

I have a $25 amazon chinese crappy pump and shower that works but it's cold water as no heating yet. Just using bucket and the flow is not enough for me. I want stronger and ideally all installed in the car so it's always ready and looks proper but external mount on board could be an idea I need to consider more.
I think I'm going to order all the pump parts and get a feel for how much room it actually requires and a little hands on might help solve mounting for me. .

Widgets · Jun 23, 2023

dmx11523 said:
I wish I could just buy an electrical heating element and use that hitch wiring to power element in the tank and have reasonable warm water after a bit of a drive/engine running.
Sadly it seems the amount of power that would require is too much for the non prime Hybrid.

As a kid I remember my parents having a 12v percolator to make a few cups of coffee going down the road. It was powered from the cigarette lighter (12v power port), but it was a fairly small vessel to heat.

A small heater could over time heat up a decent volume of water. It depends upon the drive time, the ambient temperature, the solar radiation (assuming a black vessel to collect heat), etc.

dmx11523 · Jun 23, 2023

Widgets said:
As a kid I remember my parents having a 12v percolator to make a few cups of coffee going down the road. It was powered from the cigarette lighter (12v power port), but it was a fairly small vessel to heat.

A small heater could over time heat up a decent volume of water. It depends upon the drive time, the ambient temperature, the solar radiation (assuming a black vessel to collect heat), etc.

I’m looking at 10 gallons roughly in a tank. Too much strain on the electrical system and too long from the little I gathered online.
2000-4000 watts it would take to run in any reasonable time frame. Based on some crazy Alaskan guy YouTube channel.
I’m on road may till October usually. Michigan weather primarily. 60-80s.

Glind heat exchanger seems most ideal but pricey and not thrilled about coolant lines being tapped. Joolca shower system is a waste of space in my limited roof rack but a good balance of cost and accomplish heated water.
Probably will end up with that mainly due to getting heat exchanger installed. Can’t find a shop willing just yet

FKHeath · Jun 24, 2023

Widgets said:
Do you have a tow hitch with a wiring harness? You could go completely external and use the tow wiring for power.

The four prong trailer wire harness does not have 12 volts (ground, tail, left turn, right turn). Only the 7 pin has 12 volts.

dmx11523 · Jul 31, 2023

Ended up buying Joolca System. Can't find anyone willing to install the Glind Heat exchanger I originally wanted.
Regarding the Rav 4... There is plenty of room to mount the pump on either side behind the plastic panels in back.

Opened the rear plastics up for hitch wiring and the pump fits well on both sides but went non battery side just incase of a leak and a bit more room to work though harder to get into it.

3M makes a strong "velcro" type stuff to attach it. Also, metal and plastic zip ties and it's now mounted behind the rear plastics.

Might be overboard but used some work out mat rubber in between to dial down the vibrations. Seems pretty sturdy at this point.

Hose runs under plastic and into area by the spare tire. Now if a shower is needed....attach quick connect hose by lifting up the floor, drop blue hose into water source (Currently jug from walmart)(also could go from lake, bigger tanks or directly to the hose if availible).(sand filter at the end is skinny enough for a milk jug opening).
The other smaller hose has shower head. I just use rubber coated magnet on side of car for now to hold it up but could also hook on tree branch or whatever else.

I'm in the Michigan climate.....If you allow the water to sit in the tank and the sun warms it up, it gets pretty comfortable for a shower in the summer outside with no heat source. Very easy and fast. Just connect hose to water source, connect shower head to other quick connect and you're showering and it feels great after a bike ride or sweaty hike/walk, camping whatever.

If you want to take shower with hot water or wash dishes...early in morning or late at night, connect the propane heater (small tanks work) and now you have hot water but that involved unpacking the heater and connecting propane, it's a little more involved.

hybridcamper828 · Aug 28, 2023

Widgets said:
As a kid I remember my parents having a 12v percolator to make a few cups of coffee going down the road. It was powered from the cigarette lighter (12v power port), but it was a fairly small vessel to heat.

A small heater could over time heat up a decent volume of water. It depends upon the drive time, the ambient temperature, the solar radiation (assuming a black vessel to collect heat), etc.

I’ve thought about this too, but paired with an insulated cooler as the “tank” to retain heat mounted on swing hitch carrier chuck box.

This guy has a swing hitch camp box with power from his Prius.

dmx11523 · Nov 21, 2023

hybridcamper828 said:
I’ve thought about this too, but paired with an insulated cooler as the “tank” to retain heat mounted on swing hitch carrier chuck box.

This guy has a swing hitch camp box with power from his Prius.

I love the swing out. Would love it if I could find one for my SUV affordable enough...
I didn't think hitch can handle that weight but I guess it can if Prius doing it.
I just use regular harbor freight aluminum hitch carrier and a plastic bin from home Depot. Carry all my junk and water if needed.

Long trips I use Thule roof box too.

Probably getting a 3.5x5 trailer soon and putting bins on that. Bars across for roof box and bike's. Kayaks. Whatever. My mobile home away from home basically ha.

Shower pump in my Rav 4.....

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