Caravan showers, time to make them optional ?

[Lutz]

I think there is also a case for differentiating between a layout that provides facilities for having a shower in the existing washroom and one with a dedicated shower cubicle. In the case of the latter, deletion of the separate shower would provide masses of extra storage space or partial use of this space for a larger fridge. Maybe those that use their caravan predominantly in warmer climes only would prefer such an arrangement.

 

[JTQ]

10 minutes ago, Lutz said:

I think there is also a case for differentiating between a layout that provides facilities for having a shower in the existing washroom and one with a dedicated shower cubicle. In the case of the latter, deletion of the separate shower would provide masses of extra storage space or partial use of this space for a larger fridge. Maybe those that use their caravan predominantly in warmer climes only would prefer such an arrangement.

 

 

Indeed, there is a very good case in differentiating between the two.  

 

The former usually uses the loo cubical and can be as lightweight as the addition of a curtain and rail plus a hose and head on the faucet  with a drain hole in the floor.

Those not wanting that option can remove all and leave the plug in the hole, impacting near zero on the total cost they paid for a feature they did not want.

A very different case to buying a van designed with a free standing shower when that was not wanted; a situation that I would think ought to be self evident when looking for suitable models?

[Guest]

The fact that this is not offered by most manufacturers is probably a clue.

[svimes]

15 hours ago, Lutz said:

I think there is also a case for differentiating between a layout that provides facilities for having a shower in the existing washroom and one with a dedicated shower cubicle. In the case of the latter, deletion of the separate shower would provide masses of extra storage space or partial use of this space for a larger fridge. Maybe those that use their caravan predominantly in warmer climes only would prefer such an arrangement.

 

 

Indeed. Our washroom is amidships and it has a dedicated shower.

 

Deleting the shower would immediately make the kitchen more usable as it is the biggest constriction in that part of the van.  

 

The space would, in the simplest case, move the wardrobe further to the back, adding to the lounge and would make a great dresser / storage unit, ideal for the TV.

 

The van could be made slightly shorter by moving the fridge to the shower location and removing the difference between the two. The kitchen would gain surface space and storage as the same time.

 

But we like having a shower.

[Durbanite]

I am wondering whether the caravans that Swift produce for the South Africa market have a shower or not?  I doubt if they would have an inside kitchen.

[JCloughie]

5 hours ago, AJGalaxy2012 said:

The fact that this is not offered by most manufacturers is probably a clue.

 

Given that over many years the industry has been slated as being outdated, old fashioned, slow to adapt, poor customer relationships, etc.  I don’t see the clue.

 

Regarding the shower cubicle though.  I agree with most of your thoughts on the subject except that people might want to save on the purchase price, don’t think that’s been mentioned in this thread.  Also weight saving.  If a cupboard option was given it would probably be the opposite and for rear washrooms might add instability if the cupboard is overloaded.

 

Personally I want all the things that manufacturers put in with the exception of the radio.  But I think it would be nice and good for their sales, if manufacturers offered an option list to new customers.

 

John

[Durbanite]

1 minute ago, JCloughie said:

Given that over many years the industry has been slated as being outdated, old fashioned, slow to adapt, poor customer relationships, etc.  I don’t see the clue.

John

You could be wrong as every now and then we get the marketing blurb that "they have listened" to their customers and then introduced something no one wanted.   Supermarkets and the C C did the same!  Always makes me smile when they trot out that bit of marketing blurb.   

[Stevan]

3 hours ago, Durbanite said:

You could be wrong as every now and then we get the marketing blurb that "they have listened" to their customers and then introduced something no one wanted.   Supermarkets and the C C did the same!  Always makes me smile when they trot out that bit of marketing blurb.   

It means that they have listened to one customer, pity he was not representative of the majority!

[shipbroker]

Just been reminded that,about 7 or 8 years ago a friend,who spent much of his year abroad, ordered a bespoke 'van,we think a Vanmaster.

He requested that there shouldn't be an inside shower,just a cloakroom but he wanted an external shower with its' own door. ..which he got. A year after he returned home and said that as he always used site facilities he wanted the external shower converting into a wardrobe. .............

 

Two years later the 'van was sold and the price diminished down to a normal production level sales strata. ..why? 'cos it didn't have a shower.   

 

geoff

 

[Lutz]

That reminds me of a car that I once had on loan. It had the optional high performance engine, automatic transmission, a sunroof, metallic paint, but no electric windows and no remote door locks or alloy wheels - a really weird combination, but perfectly possible over here on the Continent where everything is ordered separately and there are few packages.  I can only imagine that whoever ordered the car originally made a mistake.

 

Edited February 4, 2019 by Lutz

[Woodie106]

In all the years we owned our Bailey senator wyoming I used the onboard shower precisely never. As said it was used to store the aquaroll etc. It wasn't that it wasn't a decent size, it was just that like many I prefered to use the site facilities.  

Being that it was an end bathroom, had it not been there we would have had an extra 4 foot or so living space, not that it was a small van or we really lacked space, but for us it was an un-used extra that we could have managed without given the option. It's not just a few inches extra space, it's a whole extra room on that van so would make a considerable difference to the whole van layout.   It would be a bespoke layout & one that would not appeal to all, but why not give the option to  those who really don't want or use one? 

As has been  said, our caravan producers are slow to change or innovate, but with cad now widely used and caravans I'm sure being modular in design on the screen, to take out the shower module shouldn't  really be a challenge.  

As far as resale values go, it may make the van more niche & therefore reduce residuals, but that's something  the people who first order will have to  build in to their own finances when ordering.  

[TenStar]

When looking for my current car (a second hand purchase) I knew which model I wanted, I also had a 'must have' list of what would have been options. Any car that did not have the desired options was instantly discounted. The options in the second hand market usually don't add much to the value effectively being written off by the original buyer. They do make the car more desirable so a well optioned car will sell faster.

 

Caravan with NO shower = move on.

[Steamdrivenandy]

We run a campervan, without a shower, but it does have a proper Thetford swivel toilet on board.  As most campervans don't have either toilet or shower, this makes our van more desirable in the campervan market, but if you go a bit bigger, where a shower is a normal part of the kit in the van, then ours would lose out.. 

[Guest]

9 hours ago, Woodie106 said:

It's not just a few inches extra space, it's a whole extra room on that van so would make a considerable difference to the whole van layout.   It would be a bespoke layout & one that would not appeal to all, but why not give the option to  those who really don't want or use one? 

 

It would be a few inches assuming it was only the shower you're taking out, you save about 3. 5 sq ft, on a 7'6" wide caravan that's around 6" on the length.

[svimes]

47 minutes ago, AJGalaxy2012 said:

It would be a few inches assuming it was only the shower you're taking out, you save about 3. 5 sq ft, on a 7'6" wide caravan that's around 6" on the length.

 

Surely the saving is anywhere between 0cm and the full width of the shower, depending on the flexibility of the layout?

[Borussia 1900]

12 hours ago, Lutz said:

That reminds me of a car that I once had on loan. It had the optional high performance engine, automatic transmission, a sunroof, metallic paint, but no electric windows and no remote door locks or alloy wheels - a really weird combination, but perfectly possible over here on the Continent where everything is ordered separately and there are few packages.  I can only imagine that whoever ordered the car originally made a mistake.

 

That is true if you buy a German car but not with other brands. We always tend to buy Japanese cars, my Pajero is the range topping model and today my Mrs is signing on the dotted line for her new range topping Suzuki Vitara, both come as a model 'package' apart from metallic paint and a tow bar they are both 'fully loaded' without the need to spend time/money going through an options list.

We've hired/owned loads of different caravans over the years, only 1 (a Sterkerman) had a shower, we never used it.  

[Guest]

1 hour ago, svimes said:

 

Surely the saving is anywhere between 0cm and the full width of the shower, depending on the flexibility of the layout?

Woodie was talking about a Wyoming where the shower is in the corner of the rear washroom. Removing it and shortening the caravan by its footprint area would have resulted in 6” shorter caravan or 6” more space inside.

[svimes]

3 hours ago, AJGalaxy2012 said:

Woodie was talking about a Wyoming where the shower is in the corner of the rear washroom. Removing it and shortening the caravan by its footprint area would have resulted in 6” shorter caravan or 6” more space inside.

Wouldn't that require quite a change to the layout?

[Lutz]

5 hours ago, Borussia 1900 said:

That is true if you buy a German car but not with other brands. We always tend to buy Japanese cars, my Pajero is the range topping model and today my Mrs is signing on the dotted line for her new range topping Suzuki Vitara, both come as a model 'package' apart from metallic paint and a tow bar they are both 'fully loaded' without the need to spend time/money going through an options list.

We've hired/owned loads of different caravans over the years, only 1 (a Sterkerman) had a shower, we never used it.  

 

That's why I don't buy an import. I only want to pay for those things that I want and not for things I don't. If I don't have that freedom I might just as well buy used.

[Stevan]

8 minutes ago, Lutz said:

 

That's why I don't buy an import. I only want to pay for those things that I want and not for things I don't. If I don't have that freedom I might just as well buy used.

The problem with that approach is that a package deal enables dealers to keep a stock available for quick delivery and is, in many cases, cheaper to make than a base model with options.

[Steamdrivenandy]

Just thinking of the current advertising by Vauxhall for the Corsa Griffin. They're laying great emphasis that it comes with loads of extras as standard, whilst by inference denigrating alternatives that require option purchases to get the same spec. Their market research has presumably told them that their potential buyers don't like the cost option route. The same possibly applies to a lot of UK buyers of caravans.

[Stevan]

9 minutes ago, Steamdrivenandy said:

Just thinking of the current advertising by Vauxhall for the Corsa Griffin. They're laying great emphasis that it comes with loads of extras as standard, whilst by inference denigrating alternatives that require option purchases to get the same spec. Their market research has presumably told them that their potential buyers don't like the cost option route. The same possibly applies to a lot of UK buyers of caravans.

That has long been the case with many of what could be called the "bargain brands". You get a choice of a few different packages but very few options within each package. If (say) you want climate control instead of just A/C then you have to have the larger engine and built in sat nav. Often there are no manufacturer options at all, other than paint colour with the only options being dealer options, frequently used by dealers as sweeteners for a sale "sign now and I will throw in mats and flaps".

[clarkey1984]

With ours being a 1990 van, the shower tray was severely cracked, so after careful removal and application of fibreglass matting held the crack together for all of about 2 days (we didnt use the shower during this time) i removed it and just overboarded that section of the floor so everything was the same height, i then removed the associated pipework and bracketry, blanking pipes off where needed, and did away with the worse than useless hand basin / sink type affair that sat above the toilet too as that was also unnecessary, although i appreciate that nobody would want to be hacking bits out and modding a newer van in this way,

[Janine00]

On ‎01‎/‎02‎/‎2019 at 08:21, Stevan said:

A bit like some cars which have huge options lists but others have very few options but loads of standard kit.

Interesting that the shower option is just for the "shower head and curtain"! The tray must be part of the standard build.

 

Having read up on Eriba's prior to finding this site yesterday, would have to agree.....    gonna have to be the 'cheaper option' for me as I will soon be living off a pension only!    Great thread though - thanks.  ;-p

 

[Sidetops]

We tend to camp off-grid a lot, and would rather use CL's than main sites. A good sized washroom with a shower is one of our most important buying decisions. Even on sites with facilities we tend to use our own facilities.