Owner guides
Motorhome bathroom guide
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One of the big pluses of motorhomes as road trip vehicles is that there’s enough space to install a bathroom! For those who need their shower every day or who aim to camp off-grid and away from campsites, a functioning bathroom on board is a major bonus. But what type should you have, and how should it fit into the motorhome’s overall layout? From wet to dry, sink to shower, here’s all you need to know about motorhome bathrooms.
Motorhome bathroom types
Like standard homes, motorhome bathrooms will usually contain a toilet, shower and sink and can come in all sorts of styles. But also like homes, there are two main bathroom types – wet and dry:
Wet bathroom
A “wet” bathroom or wetroom is one where the shower is open-plan rather than in a cubicle, so that the shower and toilet/sink are all in one open space. This is the simplest way to install a bathroom in a motorhome and works well for all motorhome types. And as you’re not installing a shower cubicle, costs are lower.
But these types of bathrooms aren’t for everyone. Unless you’re also installing a grab rail, the wet floor means a wet bathroom won’t be the best option for a motorhome with elderly or less mobile guests.
Pros
Easy to install as no shower cubicle is needed
Costs less than a dry bathroom
Cons
Needs wiped down after use as water gets on walls and surfaces
Not great for less mobile travellers as the floor can be slippery
Useful wet bathroom products
Dry bathroom
A “dry” bathroom is what most people picture when they think of a bathroom – a shower enclosed in a cubicle, to keep water off the toilet, sink, walls and surfaces. This is the most common type of shower in motorhomes (and elsewhere), so it’ll be easy to find this type of bathroom if that’s the one you want. But as it needs a shower cubicle, it’s more work to install.
Pros
Likely to be already installed if you’re buying a motorhome new or secondhand
Common type of bathroom, so parts are easy and affordable to source
Cons
Higher cost and fitting time than a wet bathroom
Will need strong sealant/waterproofing around the shower cubicle
Useful dry bathroom products
Shower tray, £161.34
Shower waterproofing kit, £49.48
Motorhome bathroom drainage
Now it’s time to consider the lovely topic of motorhome bathroom drainage! Your bathroom needs to be connected to two water drainage systems – the grey water tank and the black water tank.
Grey water is for the used water from your sink and shower, while black water holds toilet waste. A campsite is the easiest way to dispose of both: look for sites with disposal for both.
As ourmotorhome conversion tips guide points out, room for water tanks is an essential part of your motorhome planning, so make sure you’ve sorted this before installing any part of your bathroom.
Learn how to fill a motorhome water tank.
Showers for a motorhome bathroom
Whether you opt for a wet or dry bathroom, you’ll need to decide where the shower will go and to buy the basic components of hose, shower head and fittings. You’ll also need to add a shower tray and cubicle if installing a dry bathroom. Luckily there’s plenty of choice for all types of motorhome showers, including ones for outdoors!
Self-contained shower cubicle
Also known as a shower pod, these are the standard “box” style showers you see in many homes, where the shower is fully enclosed. They can be placed in the corner of a motorhome bathroom, or both lengthwise and widthwise – it’s up to you.
Quadrant shower
A quadrant shower is one with a curved outer edge, to allow for extra floor space. These are great space savers and can be fitted in a corner of the bathroom for even more floor room.
Three-sided shower cubicle
Similar to a pod shower but with one side open. You can add a shower curtain here, or go for a sliding or bi-fold door.
Step shower
To save on floor space, another option is a step shower, where the shower space is raised, as in Zefiro above.
Outdoor shower
Outdoor showers tend to be more of a campervan than motorhome thing, but they’re a great addition if you’re travelling in summer! Either of these two should see you sorted:
Sinks for a motorhome bathroom
Whichever type of sink you pick for your motorhome bathroom, it obviously needs to be plumbed into the grey water system. After that practicality, the sky’s the limit for styles and materials! See ourcampervan sink ideas for inspiration on van kitchen sinks – many of the tips there will work for motorhomes and for bathrooms too.
Corner sink
A corner sink is probably the most effective space saver you can have in a motorhome bathroom, particularly if you combine it with a storage unit like in Moto moto above.
Raised vanity unit sink
A sink with a vanity unit underneath, or a sink with a vanity unit attached, is a top pick for motorhome bathrooms: look for a raised style with a niche space below for the bathroom bin or to store towels.
Drop sink
A drop-in or top-mount sink drops into a customised hole in a bathroom unit, as in Silver above.
Drop-in sink, £136.58
Countertop sink
Don’t want to cut into your bathroom counter – or want to add a counter in a surface like marble or stone? Consider a countertop sink like in Bumblebee above, available for hire in Surrey.
Other motorhome sink ideas
Toilets for a motorhome bathroom
Even if you decide not to install a working shower in your motorhome, you’ll certainly need to fit a toilet!
Motorhome bathroom toilets come in two types – portable and fixed. Portable toilets are obviously easier to fit and use than fixed toilets, but aren’t as convenient and might not be a great pick if you’re travelling with small children!
Fixed toilets, which will use the motorhome water system to flush, come in different styles of waste disposal – standard/gravity flush, or vacuum/macerator.
Portable toilet
The most basic motorhome toilet is a camping toilet like a Porta-Potti, which doesn’t need to be plumbed into the motorhome water system. Also known as a cassette toilet, these are made of sturdy plastic and are emptied by removing the bottom section of the toilet to empty in a chemical disposal point. These types of toilets are cost-effective and convenient; however, their finite capacity means they’re not necessarily the best option for lengthy trips off-grid.
The two main brands in the UK are Thetford and Dometic, which both also make their own brand of toilet chemicals in blue and pink. Blue goes into the cassette to help prevent smells, while pink is diluted with water to use for flushing. Don’t use bleach or other non-recommended chemicals in your cassette toilet as these can erode the toilet material.
An even simpler option is a basic portable toilet without a cassette, which you just lift and empty into a chemical waste disposal when needed.
Fixed toilet – standard/gravity flush
A gravity flush toilet is the same style as you’ll see in most houses. Some smaller models for motorhomes use a plastic foot pedal to flush, but most use a stainless steel handle at the top, the same as domestic toilets. Look for marine or maritime toilets to source the widest range – if it’ll suit a boat, chances are it’ll suit a motorhome (but of course, double check the product manual!).
Gravity flush toilet, £271
Fixed toilet – vacuum/macerator
If a toilet doesn’t use a gravity flush, it’s likely to use a vacuum or macerator.
A macerator toilet uses electricity to macerate or grind toilet waste, particularly handy for motorhomes and other road trip vehicles as there’s little to no chance of clogs building up in the black water system or tank. A vacuum toilet also uses electricity, this time for a suction-style flush.
Note that some styles of macerator toilet don’t cope well with toilet paper, so you’ll need a bathroom bin too. And you should never flush cleaning wipes or baby wipes, as these can get caught in the macerator blades.
Macerator toilet, £129
Setting up the right bathroom for your motorhome
Whether toilets, showers, sinks, vanity units or shelving, there’s lots of choice for motorhome bathrooms. Installing a modern bathroom is an easy way to make your motorhome attractive to potential renters, so you can start to make your costs back. It’s easy to hire a motorhome for your own fact-finding holiday too – browse ourUK motorhomes for hire with shower and toilet!
Finally, check out ourmotorhome interior ideas and motorhome storage ideas for more bathroom tips! Our motorhome conversion tips is a step-by-step guide to converting your own motorhome. We've even put together a guide on how to sanitize a motorhome water tank so that you can be confident in your water supply's cleanliness!
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