RV showers – yours or the campground’s?

A Woman's View

September 23, 2009

What do you use your shower for? Showering? Or is it a storage area or a place for the ktty litter box or laundry basket?
Garden-type RV shower

When you are staying in an RV park do you still use your own shower? Or do you use the park’s showers? If so, what does it depend on?

Some RVers feel very strongly about this; they only use their own shower. Reasons mentioned are sanitation, why have a nice shower and not use it, and privacy. Others enjoy an RV park shower where you can let the water run continuously instead of taking the usual RV-Navy shower.

In the ‘89 Pace Arrow I began traveling with, the shower was the typical square tub – too small to actually bathe in. We ended up putting the laundry basket there and sometimes water jugs that might tip while traveling. It meant taking them out when showering. When we worked at a national park and had to wear uniforms, we put in an adjustable closet pole to hang our uniforms. We had access to nice showers so usually used them. If not, it meant shifting them all to the bed before showering, but it kept our uniforms accessible and from getting wrinkled. When not working, uniforms were stored under the bed.

George and I also traveled in a Lance Camper. The shower area was separate, unlike some small RVs where the whole bathroom, toilet and all, becomes the shower area. However, the Lance shower was still too small for a tall person so we used the showers in RV parks.

Newer RVs may have a garden shower instead with a door that opens and closes. They are more spacious but are harder to use for hanging clothes or for the cat’s litter box. A laundry basket or other items, though, do fit. We use our garden shower in the New Horizon much of the time – just for showering. It has a ten gallon water heater, which is quite a bit of hot water. However, if we are in a park with only water and electric and have to dump on our way out, we will often use the facilities in the park. And, sometimes I feel like a nice long shower, so, if the park showers are clean and come close to a “10,” I’ll use them instead.

RV park showers
Showers in an RV park run the gamut from a “1” to a “10.” A “ten” shower area has

an enclosed and separate room with lock for each shower
raised barrier and full shower curtain or door between shower and changing area
a separate changing area with at least three hooks and a bench
soap dishes or hanger for shampoo and soap
a raised wooden floor to change on
a strong stream of hot water that doesn’t run out or turn cold when someone else uses the restroom
iron-free water
several showers so you don’t feel rushed
and, most of all, is clean. Often there is a squeegee and antibacterial shower spray to wipe it down.
Plus main bathroom has mirror, counter and GFI-protected circuit for hair dryer or razor.

On our trip to Alaska and back, we gave high ratings to showers at the Diamond M Ranch RV Park in Soldotna, Alaska and Cottonwood RV Park on Kluane Lake in the Yukon.

A shower down at the other end of the scale, in addition to missing the above, costs extra money (and turns off between quarters) and is not clean. And, of course, they run anywhere in between the two extremes.

A shower kit or bag for carrying your bath items makes using a campground shower much easier. We have chartreuse bags we received at a wedding that we use to carry shampoo, etc. A robe, if you don’t mind walking across the park in it, is easier than carrying a change of clothes or worrying that one of your clothing items will fall on the wet floor. A pair of crocs or flip flops is also essential.

How about you?
Where do you stand on this? Do you use your own shower, the RV park’s or a combination? Let us know. Do you have other items that make an RV park shower a “10″ or a “1?” Let’s hear from you. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak