i’ve posted about this before, but now have a new angle on it…

i want something similar to this set up (although without the tyre), but still be able to transport bikes AND close the rack (the system below does allow you to add the bike carrying bit, but you then cannot close the rack when a canister is mounted):

so i was thinking of mounting brackets to the underside of the tracks that hold the wheels so that it is out of the way of the bikes (can still carry 4 bikes) and is still accessible with bikes mounted. this is my rack (oo-err!):

was thinking of using a canister such as this:

the canister would be mounted upside down (so that the lid is always at the lowest point) with a water-stop thingy (mounted through the lid) from a garden hose connector such as this:

this way using more hose & connectors we can connect a simple shower head and have warm(ish) water to shower and rinse off with.

my problem is finding suitable brackets. Terranger do have a mounting plate, but it wouldn’t take a canister up-side down and costs a whopping 239€:

at the moment i’m thinking either roofing brackets bolted to the tracks or finding some angled steel and cutting slots in it for straps. all a bit Heath Robinson.

can anyone come up with a decent solution?

ideas welcome!

Not answering your question but … being as the weight of the water (and wheel?) are at the bottom of the tailgate you might have to up the power of your gas struts to cope with the extra weight.

you’re right… this Terranger co. do sell uprated gas struts that will happily lift and hold the tailgate with four bikes on it, however you need two people hanging off the tailgate to get it to close.

my solution is brute force and a pole that i’ve stuck a bracket on to the end of. that bracket slots into the latch on the tailgate. now that is very Heath Robinson, but it works. 🙂

Rig a tube to act as a siphon, then your jerrycan can go the normal way up.

Bump.

Is this so you can have a solar shower? I’d suggest you test run for a while. In my experience in the UK it’s not hot enough to ever be anything other than a short grim experience.

If you’re considering spending that kind of money on half a solution have you considered completely rethinking the problem?

A Jerry can of water and a kampa portable pumped gas heated shower would be about the same cost as that bracket and you could keep them in a plastic box in the boot.

Or stick the water reservoir on the roof where (a) it will catch more rays and (b) gravity

You need a solar shower to be either pumped or above your head height to work. Solar showers in the UK are not going to give you much more than a cupful of lukewarm water.

we’re in germany and plan on spending most of our time in the south of europe. we’ve pop top roof, so water up top isn’t that accessible…. i don’t plan on spending 240€ on a pump…..

work with me, people… work with me,,..! 🙂

A Hozelock shower. Amazon £25 but can sometimes be had for around £20
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hozelock-Ltd-4140A0000-Porta-Shower/dp/B001ULCILM

A shower tent for around £25 http://www.charliesdirect.co.uk/kampa-loo-loo-toilet-tent?gclid=Cj0KEQjw6cCuBRCh4KrGoJ6LoboBEiQAwzYsdCcrrhcpOoCirddAeUBdCn-t3PaegXeD9m7TsSUhUqgaAk7z8P8HAQ

And a black bin bag or camping stove to heat the water. It seems a much more simple and versatile solution.

Ok, point taken but it’s not high enough. I have a high top van and can hang it from the board rack, even then it’s nothing more than a drizzle.

Ok then, second try to convince you. Stick to the black canister of that’s how hot you want the water and use a 12v submersible pump, they’re under £20 and flow enough to shower. Could be bodged onto an eBay cigar lighter extension or a 12v socket in the back of the van?

James (veteran of 4 different VW campers without showers.)

Also, you know the standard house pump shower, that’s 12v, if you see one at the tip grab it. They’ll empty a Jerry can in a minute but useful things to have.

The VW California has an outdoor pumped shower as an option off the internal water tank. Its cold though….and a new van as well.

You’d have to get a few hours of direct sunlight on the can to get it warm. If the bike rack is being used, then it will mostly be in the shade. If the van is parked up, then it might get a couple of hours of sunlight and then sit in the shade.
If you can get water to flow uphill, then you could shower with it. So you need to get lower than the can or pump it to have a shower.

@ NZcol… i can think of nothing worse than having a California…. 🙂

@ tootall… the canister would be above my head when the tailgate is up as it is attached to the rack. don’t need a massive flow of water to have a rinse off after a ride/being in the sea.

just looking for a way of attaching the rck without it looking like bodge job.

email Jed at Campervan culture, he loves a challenge, he’s been involved with attaching all sorts of things to the back of camper vans.