One of the advantages of camper vans is their compact size. Many camper vans are small enough to fit into a parking spot. But with the small size, many people ask, “Can you put a bathroom in a camper van?”
A full bathroom will definitely fit into a long (170″) wheel-base camper van. These vans are nearly 22 feet long. The shorter wheel-base van will fit a bathroom, but you may have to compromise space for other amenities, like a kitchen. Another consideration is the height of the van.
Here we’ll look at some ways to can add a bathroom to your van.
Rear Bath
If you want a large bathroom, the rear of the camper van is your best bet.
Nook Vans
You can use either the whole rear end, like this Nook Van, or just a portion.
Surfers and snowboarders were the inspiration for this van. With a large rear bathroom, you can easily move around. That means taking off your wetsuit or getting out of a wet snowsuit is a breeze.
Plus, you can get warm fast in the shower with the on-demand hot water heater. And, with a 30-gallon water tank, you can take a long shower! Nook has plans for a recirculating shower in late 2022.
This bathroom is completely waterproof. Nook touts the room as an “Activity Spa” that you can use as a bathroom as well as a gear garage. The floor of the bathroom is at an angle for good drainage. This is something to take into consideration when building your own van.
And let’s not forget the toilet. In this build, Nook decided on a dry flush toilet. The dry flush toilet is portable – set it and forget it. Well, mostly. If you’d like to discover what the toilet options are for your build, read the article that I wrote.
You can learn a lot by looking at the floorplan of the Nook. This van is built on the smaller 144″ Mercedes Sprinter wheelbase, but still has everything you need.
It has a compact kitchen and sleeping area. The kitchen has a countertop that opens to reveal a 10″ deep sink. The faucet pops up for quick use. An induction stove is conveniently stored in a drawer close by. This, along with the covered sink, allows for plenty of counter space.
The 3 Cu/ft refrigerator pulls out from under the kitchen counter. It includes a small pull-out freezer. Nook says that it fits 30 cans – just in case you’re thirsty.
When the bed is in the couch position, the handy Lagun table can be maneuvered into position for eating or working on your laptop. When you’re ready for bed, simply swing the Lagun table out of the way.
Thor Dazzle 2LB
Another example of a rear wet bath is the Thor Dazzle 2LB. This bath is smaller than the Nook, but gives you an idea of how you can utilize the rear space for a bathroom. Instead of using the whole rear for a bath, the Dazzle 2LB adds an adjoining wardrobe. This makes great use of space by creating more storage.
The Dazzle is built on a Ram Promaster Chassis. This chassis has a 159-inch wheelbase, so a little longer than the Nook.
They do a good job of making a comfortable sleeping space and kitchen. Especially since the van is only a little over 21 feet long.
The Dazzle has a plummed toilet. Plumbing makes a van build more complicated, in my opinion. But I’m just here to discuss the options.
The toilet has a 13.5-gallon black water tank. This is fairly ample for a van this size. It also has a 27-gallon freshwater tank and a 13-gallon greywater tank. The 2.46 on-demand water heater assures that you won’t be taking a cold shower.
Ultimate Toys
Another example of a rear bath is the Ultimate Toys Ultimate Cruiser. This camper van has an ample rear bath with storage. Again, the fact that this van is on a 144″ Mercedes Chassis is a testament to a good design.
Mid-Section Bath
The mid-section bath is the most common inside bathroom location. Because of this, there are some off-the-shelf bathrooms to choose from. The great thing about these bathrooms is that they are fairly simple to install. And, the manufacturer has done much of the work for you.
Vanland
Vanland sells a complete interior cabinet kit, which includes a mid-section bath. This system, an Infinity Vans cabinetry set, is for a 170″ Sprinter van.
Vanwife Components
Vanwife Components sells a 24″ x 24″ Aluminum Shower Closet. This is much less expensive than purchasing a whole cabinet kit. It’s designed to fit in a Sprinter.
It’s a lightweight, aluminum, powder-coated shower enclosure. The kit is relatively easy to install.
It’s a little pricy, but probably worth it if you’re not Bob the Builder. You’ll still need to purchase all the components as this is just an enclosure. And of course, you’ll have to buy a toilet. There is not a lot of extra room, so choose your toilet carefully. A smaller toilet will work better in this space.
Of course, you can also build your own mid-section bathroom in your van. While visiting the Adventure Van Expo, I saw many beautiful mid-section bathrooms.
Curtain-Style Bath
Next to an outdoor bathroom, a curtain-style bath is probably the easiest to install. One advantage of this style is that it takes up far less room than other interior bathrooms. A disadvantage is that you’ll have to remove your portable toilet or store it in a different location. This is especially true when the shower is in use.
One of the really slick and easy-to-install curtain-type showers that I have seen is The Tetravan Shower. This shower has a unique pull-down design that folds up very compactly.
It comes with a magnetic shower curtain that holds tight to the bottom of the shower pan. It also includes a shower head, shower head mount, hose, mixer valve, and drain. The curtain suspends from the ceiling with simple hooks.
Another option is to purchase a portable shower base and a shower curtain. You’ll still need a hole for the water to drain. However, this option takes up very little room and easily stows away.
Outdoor Bath
Of all the types of baths, the outdoor bath is the easiest to install. Basically, you just need a shower sprayer and a curtain. Since the water drains outside, a drain and grey water tank are not necessary. Of course, you’ll need a water tank and a heater.
For this type of build, any water storage container will work with a portable water heater like the Mr. Heater BOSS-XW18 Basecamp Battery Operated Shower System. This portable shower system has a pump, a battery to operate the pump and a heating element that runs on propane.
Conclusion
Building a van with a bathroom can be a daunting task. I hope these designs have inspired you to build the van of your dreams. Happy trails!