$100 DIY Portable Outdoor, Solar Heated, and Pressurized ABS Shower for Outdoor Life & Camping

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In this video, we share one of our little peace of happiness in outdoor life with our DIY budget outdoor shower. We’ve been looking at the Yakima Road Shower and it was a little out of our budget so we decided to DIY our own camping shower. With some research, we were able to build two different designs using ABS piping.
CAUTION: ABS is not rated for high pressure. Build and use at your own risk!
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links that support this channel. This means if you click on the link and/or purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.
ALL MATERIALS USED:
15 Amp 10 in. Sliding Compound Miter Saw with LED (home depot) - fave.co/3frHwoR
Ryobi Power Drill (Home Depot) - fave.co/3hxQN1r
3/8" Drill Bit from Ryobi Titanium Drill Bit 22-PC Kit (home depot) - fave.co/3wfBdvp
All-Purpose ABS, CPVC, PVC Cement
Home Depot - fave.co/2RjKioh
Lowes (Ours) - fave.co/3whv4Pq
PVC/ABS Transition Cement
Home Depot (similar) - fave.co/3ozbE5R
Lowes (Ours) - fave.co/2T17yYD
4-in x 10-ft ABS DWV Pipe
Home Depot (Ours) - fave.co/3oqkG5f
Lowes - fave.co/2S91YmE
4-in x 2-ft ABS DWV Pipe
Home Depot (Ours) - fave.co/2RrL6aB
Lowes - fave.co/3wfMJHg
4-IN ABS CAP
Home Depot (Ours) - fave.co/3frHMnP
Lowes - fave.co/3frRJSi
4 in. PVC DWV Hub x Hub x FIPT Test Tee
Home Depot (Ours) - fave.co/3v0tml5
4-in x 4-in x 2-in Dia Schedule 40 Wye 45 Degree Angle
Home Depot - fave.co/2S2Dds3
Lowes (Ours) - fave.co/3bxA6iz
4-in x 4-in Dia Schedule 40 Spigot Cleanout Female Adapter
Home Depot - fave.co/3bBSvuS
Lowes (Ours) - fave.co/3yhTwBY
4-in x 4-in Dia Schedule 40 Plug (recessed)
Home Depot (ABS) - fave.co/3fpMJxv
Lowes (PVC - Ours) - fave.co/3yfgpGh
4-in x 4-in Dia Schedule 40 Plug (w/nub)
Home Depot - fave.co/3fpn9J6
Lowes (Ours) - fave.co/3osRQB8
2-in x 3/4-in dia Bushing PVC Fitting
Home Depot - couldn’t find with inside thread.
Lowes (Ours) - fave.co/2S2QUYb
3/4-in MNPT Brass Multi Turn Hose Bibb
Home Depot - fave.co/3u2Kx45
Lowes (Ours) - fave.co/3eVvk0s
7-Pattern Pattern Nozzle
Home Depot - fave.co/3uYqCF5
Lowes (Ours) - fave.co/3v2wlte
5/8-in x 6-ft Female and Male Leader Hose
Home Depot - fave.co/3bxeRO0
Lowes (Ours) - fave.co/3u1do90
0.6-in x 43-ft Plumber's Tape
Home Depot - fave.co/3ozVb1q
Lowes (Ours) - fave.co/33TNzgD
JB Weld Clear Weld
Home Depot - fave.co/3tZGB4r
Round U Bolt, Zinc plated,1/2" x 4-1/2" x 7"
Amazon - amzn.to/3hwvbCi
Tubeless Tire Valve, 1-¼”(Optional, if you don’t want to pressurize)
amzn.to/2RUKdqM
Digital Car Tire Inflator (Optional, if you don’t want to pressurize)
Amazon - amzn.to/3bs4JpJ
Flat Black General Purpose Spray Paint (Optional, we just used whatever we had)
Home Depot - fave.co/3ylhQTz
Lowes - fave.co/3yu5uZx
VIDEO EDITING
Intro/Subscribe/Outro Created in Canva - partner.canva.com/gbOMOA
Edited In Black Magic Design: DaVinci Resolve 17
Sound effects obtained from www.zapsplat.com
Background Music from KZbin Studio Audio Library
DISCLAIMER: I am not a financial advisor, banker, broker, real estate agent, construction contractor, etc. Please consult a professional. You are reading and following advice at your own risk. Please use safety precautions when performing a DIY project and using building materials or products and read and follow the manufacturer’s directions for products and tools you use.

[@1mw4tch1ng]

when cementing two PVC or ABS together it is best when possible to twist a quarter of a turn to squeeze out any air bubble in the joint.

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

That's a good suggestion and makes sense!

[@SideHustleAddict]

Awesome DIY project guys ❤️❤️👍

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Thanks Van!!

[@liefdeitch5668]

Good job you guys! I can’t wait to try it out.

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Thank you! Have fun building yours!

[@PennsylvaniaDualSport]

Plan on making one of these for the top of my Outback Wilderness. It would only be used once or twice a year when we camp at our clubs enduro race for a few days in the middle of no where. There’s water access to this will work out “swimmingly” 😂. Thanks for the DIY!

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Love the look of the Outback Wilderness! A road shower definitely would give it a nice look. Thanks for watching and good luck!

[@shep6123]

Did a good job I like it I’ve been want make one of those for a long long long time haven’t done it yet but I enjoy watching you guys so making it though thank you and God bless and hope you guys have fun with that. Be free and enjoy the outdoors God gave us the beautiful outdoors. God is good.

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Thank you for the support!

[@windowswashbasin]

Great demo. Thanks

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Thank you for watching!

[@HappyRockOffroad]

I'll try this design, thanks

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

I like it because it can be used under pressure or gravity fed. Let me know how it turns out! Good luck.

[@epfdiogo6614]

I love your workbench do you have a video on how to build it ? And also your pvc shower is a great idea 👏

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Thanks!! We actually don't have a video of the workbench. It was before we decided to film our DIYs. One day we'll have to make a version 2 of the bench. The portable road shower was a fun little project. Thanks for watching!

[@wisdomsquare28]

Thank you!

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

You're welcome!

[@Lmiller201]

A simpler way to install a air valve is to use a tire valve for mag rims. They slip in and have a nut on the back and are solid. Another is go to a plumbing store and get a snifter vavle. Its an air vavle with a 1/4 npt thread. They are for adding air to a bladder pressure tank. They can also be found at places like tracttor supply

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Those are great suggestions! Thanks

[@marciabrainard9837]

Great build……

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Thanks! It certainly was fun building it!

[@s10stocker2881]

I like it, simple, cheap. Instead of a rubber valve stem, I would use a bolt in, no silicone needed to seal.

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

That's a great idea! Just need to buy the correct one to avoid any rusting since it might get in contact with water.

[@robpivato4227]

So Terrific!!! Nice work great explainations!!! Why not jus use the same end cap for the clean out side? Thank you!

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Materials were limited at the time.

[@oeff7744]

Two smarter options y'all have different from others on you tube is the Y to attach hose bibb and combining PVC fittings to the ABS and use of the cement specific for this 👍

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

A proper seal is a must! So it is important to use the right materials. Thanks for watching!

[@williammaxfizimfvtrabajove120]

good job....

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Thank you! Cheers! I hope you found the video helpful.

[@RyanNash20]

I'm kinda tempted to put a pressure gauge on some sealed abs filled with water, set up a camera to record the gauge, then connect to an air compressor and exit the blast zone until I hear something blow up. Check the recording to see what psi the failure point was. Or maybe get a long hose and pressurize up to 50psi, leave for 30 minutes, increase by 10psi, wait 30 minutes, etc until it fails. See what psi it finally bursts. I wanna make one of these and it seems like a fun experiment, plus it will give you a realistic idea of what kinda pressure it can handle

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

That would be a fun experiment to watch. Just be careful!

[@RyanNash20]

@Little Peace Of Happiness I've got some uninhabited land and some brick walls to hide behind 🫡 if it comes to fruition I'll record it

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

I would love to watch it!

[@Lmiller201]

FYI, residential water pressure is 30-60 psi, so if you maintain that, you'll have plenty of pressure. Pvc is rated for 150-200psi But adding in a pressure gauge is a great idea though. It will ensure you dont over pressure and also let you know when to top off the pressure before you are completely out or as an indicator that you might have a pressure leak

[@rudyfisher7660]

If you would've got the stainless steel bolt in one that has the nut on the outside with the warm river wash on the inside and on the outside and then put it in there. You wouldn't have to worry about it. It's been a lot easier.

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

There are definitely better setups out there. Good idea 💡

[@mikes9364]

Love the design! I’m currently in the process of building my outdoor shower. I spoke with people at Home Depot and they said 30PSI isn’t too much…though I’m still a bit scared with how many ppl make that argument of ABS not being meant to be pressurized. Have you had any issues with your ABS pipe pressuring to 30PSI? It’s annoying because my local hardware stores have 4” PVC Schedule 40 but the normal 4” fittings don’t fit and told me I need to go to a plumbers store.

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Thanks for watching! I haven't gone up to 30 psi as 20 psi was plenty. Why go higher if it isn't necessary? Also, these aren't rated for pressure. I had to do some mix and matching across a few hardware stores to make this set up work. Good luck!

[@TheDIYLaboratory]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@paratrooperz1]

i am thinking to make an 7 ft long 8 inch diameter schedule 80 set up with a small 2 ft x 4 in attached chamber for the air because the lower chamber will be water the upper chamber pressurized air i plan to jb weld all fittings so i can put about 80 PSI and maybe use a truck tire pressure monitor valve so i can connect it to an app and see the pressure and hope i can find a clear plastic cap i can use as a water level viewer then i can attach my inflatable SUP pump to auto kick off at 80 and on at 50psi this should hold about 15+ gallons

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

That is a great idea. With the technology available today, you can make it a smart shower where you can monitor pressure and water levels. That sounds exciting to build!

[@robpivato4227]

Please cariify what psi you got it to for the 1st spray ! So cool!

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

I usually go no more than 20 psi and that is plenty!

[@judydevega9910]

They are both great ideas. Thank you for sharing ❤

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Thank you! Hopefully it sparks new ideas as well!

[@jdell6250]

think I will try this and wondering if a simple temp and pressure gauge could be added? - schedule 40 is very expensive now

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

You certainly can add a simple temp and pressure gauge. Just make sure it doesn't leak. Its nice the valve is a tire stem value so an air pressure pen works well

[@toddware2430]

Great video! The ABS to PVC transition cement products all seem to say they're for non-pressure applications. Do you travel often with your shower system and how has it held up? Thanks!

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

You are right. A lot of these materials state "not for pressure" or some similar language. I don't keep it under pressure, only when needed. I don't keep it attached year round either. I've had to do small epoxy support at one joint (likely due to poor gluing).

[@cliffmorgan31]

For those 2 big caps, go to a swimming pool store and get a small tube of waterproof lubricant which will help seal it and lubricate it to make R&R easier/smoother. Good stuff. Skip the Teflon tape, it is a hassle compared to the lubricant sealer.

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Thanks for the tip! Does the lubricant sealer hold well?

[@cliffmorgan31]

@@littlepeaceofhappiness - Holds a bit better than Vaseline since it is non-set but a bit sticky. I, and others, use it on their pools as a coarse thread sealer.

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Knowledge drop!

[@cliffmorgan31]

@@littlepeaceofhappiness Get some, and tell me what you think… Magic Lube by Aladdin is one brand. Several others.

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

On the next project!

[@garykreutzer1239]

ABS is rated at 230 psi according to APEX a major pipe manufacturer. I wouldn't worry about even 50 lbs on a system. At 50 psi you would have redundancy rate of about 5:1. That would meet even NASA standards. Most NASA systems have a RR of 2:1-3.5:1.

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Great information! This particular set up was a mixture of ABS and PVC, so that would be slightly different, no?

[@brofessormex]

No damn say you'd need to go higher than 40 psi

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

There shouldn't be any need to go above 40 psi.

[@EpisodeZach]

Do you need the air compressor hooked up to maintain that pressure? Or can you just set the PSI once and it will stay until the water is empty?

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

If your seals are perfect, it should maintain the pressure on the inside. As you use the water, the pressure will also decrease. I haven't tested how long it stays pressurized but generally long enough to use for a shower

[@jtzr1]

Awesome you are wearing eye protection. But don't forget about your hearing protection...

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

We actually bought ear protection after this video lol 😆

[@philrazzi7782]

Now that it has been 2 years, how many times have you hit your head on those bolts? Also, note... high pressure is VERY dangerous. Those pipes can explode if you put too much pressure in there. 7lbs can blow a radiator up so.....

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Haven't hit my head yet. Pressurized anything should always require caution. So far no real issues.

[@PinoyOverlanders]

May inknow what is the lenght of cross bar?

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

They are 62" in length

[@Redfishdaddy]

How many gallons of water does it hold. I have almost the exact tube, mine is white pvc, but I used it to haul fishing rods, now I want to convert it for a shower! Thanks for the idea.

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

It holds approximately 4.5 gallons.

[@garykreutzer1239]

.65 gal/ft. My 20' holds 13 gallons.

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Wow that is a lot. That's over 100 pounds of water. Awesome.

[@garykreutzer1239]

Much easier to just add a tee above the drain valve. 3/4-1/4 bushing and screw in the schrader valve. BOOM! I sell plumbing for a living. Deal with these type projects every day. Im going for a 13 gallon 5' square design on my van, plumbed into the vans sink and shower hose.

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Do you mean for pressuring the unit? I've have seen square designs as well. Those look fun compared to linear ones.

[@jonathankuhn2180]

can you explain more and maybe direct me to links?

[@roamingnomadoutdoors2554]

Do you having any problems having a good seal on the 4 inch fill cap when refilling and are you putting teflon tape every time, the reason I’m asking I struggle with the fill cap to get a good seal. Takes a lot of muscle but then i am put at least 35 psi when i am ready to use the show.

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Hi, yes, I some times have troubles with it. I have used pipe wrench to tighten it. I would look into a screw on cap with a gasket so there won't be a continued use of Teflon tape. That would be the next design if I were to build another road shower.

[@roamingnomadoutdoors2554]

@@littlepeaceofhappiness i am in the process in building another one, but I’ll be using another method by installing 1 1/2” shut off valve and using a reducer to a 3/4” take hose to fill, it has its pros & cons but i feel it’s a way less struggle to get a good seal. Thanks for replying . Tag

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

The struggle is getting a good seal!

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

That's a great idea! Anything to make things easier.

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Simple and straightforward

[@ronnjerremy5796]

Looks like its dripping

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Yea, it was. 😅.

[@lookitzdan1lo]

Awesome vid y’all, How much gallons can this hold?

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Thanks for watching! It holds about 4.5 gallons.

[@garykreutzer1239]

.65 gals/ft. My 20' square holds 13 gallons.

[@terryroberts2451]

You could get away with only 2 U bolts if you "staggered' one of thread in front one thread in back of roof rack. And...... make a plywood wrench for square cap. Cut a 7" disk with a 3" square hole.

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

That is an interesting idea. Have you done that? Is it pretty stable and secure?

[@jufalucian2762]

Hello from UK! How long is the pipe?

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Hi There!! Thanks for watching our video! The long end is 5 ft and the short end is 1ft, so a total of 6ft. It should be based on the length of your car.

[@000207poosh]

Version 1

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

It's a good one and works well!

[@jimpeterson952]

just curious how many gallons of water does this hold

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Around 4.5 gallons

[@robertmccullough2981]

Get a metal valve stem

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

I didn't think about that. That's a good idea.

[@jasonthompson3964]

It leaked on first pressurization?

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

It may have. I went through and put more sealant around certain areas just to be sure.

[@XTGALLARDO]

How many times can you shower with this??

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

It really depends on how much water you put in and how much water you use. It holds about 4.5 gallons of water. You could squeeze 2-4 quick showers.

[@macdorfingfyrslf]

How did u hest it

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

How did we heat it? Its painted black so the sun will do that. I haven't measured how hot it will get though.

[@dalepynenberg607]

Thanks for posting this video. Unfortunately, you forgot to use primer on the pipes before you glued them together, which is a crucial step to prevent them from leaking.

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Yes, primer would definitely help!

[@iadr71]

normally I wouldn't bother to comment, BUT why are you using PVC fittings? I get using ABS for solar heating aspect, regardless of potable concerns, which MEH, you can get all ABS fittings, I'm fairly sure that your local home depot MASTER PLUMBER helped you with this, but they did you no favors. and FYI ABS glue is BLACK NOT milky white. I'm glad to see DIYers posting their designs, i have been considering several of my own concepts for my vehicle so I'm always looking for other ideas, but once you have the design you want, MAYBE ask an ACTUAL professional for input on HOW TO advice. There are A LOT of us out here that will be happy to lend our knowledge for free.

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Hey there, sadly, my home improvement store did not have all ABS materials for the design I wanted. So I substituted with PVC and used transition glue for the appropriate materials. So far, its held nicely and has had no issues. It was a fun little project and still function as intended. How would you change my process? Thanks for watching!

[@lastmanxa]

its leaking

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

It was but has been fixed. 😅

[@antrax4429]

Minute 22:37 it’s leaking 🤷🏿‍♂️

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Yup. Lol. Probably poor application of sealant in combination of too high of PSI at that time.

[@antrax4429]

@@littlepeaceofhappiness I am not professional, but I recommend you to use ONLY PVC (white PIPE) if you’re going to put pressure on it, because ABC (black pipe) it’s for drain only and they don’t use pressure 👍

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

It was material that was readily available at the time, and is being used at low pressures. Caution should always be exercised if pressurized anything. Good tip!

[@dalepynenberg607]

He forgot to use primer, which could have caused the issue.

[@bodywisebodywise1822]

I'm not sure why you would use abs pipe which can't be used for emergency water it none potable. For it to be potable water it has to be ALL pvc.

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

It's used strictly for showering.

[@marcushennings9513]

There's plenty of uses for non potable water to conserve potable water especially if off grid, showering, cleaning game blood and if really in a bad situation in a vehicle radiator.

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

This is true. So many different uses

[@bornas5831]

As you said it yourself, I don’t believe you can pressurize ABS pipes. It even says on the pipe: “Not for pressure”. This also explains why they are cheaper than PVC. If that vessel bursts it can be really dangerous, you should have probably made a note of that in your DIY video.

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Yup, these aren't meant to be pressurized, and if doing so, use caution. This version was built so that you can also use gravity albeit slower. Thanks for the comment!

[@micaelaiphys]

A pressure release valve would assist in making this 1,000% safer. Not too expensive and you should get yourself a step bit and die and tap kit.

[@bornas5831]

@@micaelaiphys It wouldn't. Pressure release valve determines at what pressure the safety valve would activate to let excess air out. In which scenario there would be pressure built up in the vessel in the first place. AGAIN, the ABS pipe is not pressure rated, and is simply intended to "guide" the flow (such as sewage). That does not mean it will burst as soon as you pressurize it, but it would be fair to say that you are taking a big risk by doing so. I built my shower tank out of Schedule 40 PVC which is RATED for 180 PSI. Although I have already installed a pressure release valve on it, I have not needed to put anything more than 60 PSI worth of air in it.

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Still, 60 PSI is a lot of pressure for a road shower. Must feel great!

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

My auto inflator does a pretty good job, but yes, a pressure release valve is a good idea.

[@doraexplora9046]

You didn't sand the plastic before spray painting it. All that paint will flake off in about a year. Since it's been two years since this vid. I bet you're had to redo it.

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

I haven't had to but I haven't gotten to use it as much as I would like either.

[@doraexplora9046]

@@littlepeaceofhappiness I should have said "because of the sun". However, if you park it indoors all the time, it's less of an issue. I know three people that did not prepare the plastic before [painting on to have it peel off and flake fairly quickly. However, these are 4WD that are always outside.

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Ah yes, that is true. With any painting, proper preparation is a must for it to be long lasting.

[@99600F4]

You don’t use primer? Correct cement is useless if you don’t prime or at least clean the joint with acetone first. 🤦‍♂️

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Wasn't a suggestion that was made. Definitely would be needed if strictly PVC piping with any plumbing. If it helps, it certainly doesn't hurt.

[@99600F4]

@@littlepeaceofhappiness your pressurizing it. Sounds dangerous when not properly joined. Good luck.

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Yes, it is being pressurized. That being said, any poor joints will leak water; however, under the configuration of this set up, there hasn't been any issues.

[@99600F4]

Yep seems like you know it all.. good luck

[@Trotskers]

lol 20 minutes of a dude cementing pvc together

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Ya!

[@TheChris1500]

please stop, abs is only rated for 5 psi that pipe will blow up in blisters of blastic. abs is rated for standing water only

[@littlepeaceofhappiness]

Thank you for your comment. Absolutely, the build technically isn't rated for high pressures. This is noted and that builders should do so at their own risk.