What Is An RV Shower Toilet Combo?

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The fact that space is a luxury on recreational vehicles means RV manufacturers always search for new space-saving measures. Many interesting contraptions surface as a result but regarding the amount of space that may be saved, few could match the RV shower toilet combo

Compared to separate showers and toilets, shower toilet combos for camper occupy much less space in total while still allow RVers to take care of their business. Needless to say, RV shower toilet combos come in handy on small recreational vehicles with little space to spare. By equipping your rig with a shower toilet combo unit, you should be able to conserve free space in the interior. That is a big plus if you want to optimize space inside your RV before exploring the outdoors. 

What Is An RV Shower Toilet Combo?

To put it plainly, a RV shower toilet combo is a combination of everything camper owners need in bathrooms including a shower and a toilet. In RV shower toilet combos, toilets sit inside the showers so water would go all over the place when people turn on the showers. Hence, a number of RVing enthusiasts know shower toilet combos under another name: RV wet baths. Shower toilet combos appear on various vehicles but they tend to be common sights on rigs with limited space: pop-up campers, teardrop travel trailers, …

Most shower toilet combos incorporate molded plastic with walls curving into the floor to facilitate the flow of water. Aside from that, to minimize the odds of leakage, it’s natural for shower toilet combos to feature sealants around the edges. Owing to water splashes, shower toilet combos tuck away toilet paper so they don’t end up wet after RVers take a shower. It’s worth pointing out that shower toilet combos rarely offer floor-to-ceiling privacy and quite a few only make provision for shower curtains. 

shower toilet combo unit

How Do RV Shower Toilet Combos Work?

Despite sharing the same space, showers and toilets in shower toilet combos don’t use the same drain. Usually, water from the showers would go through the drain that connects to the grey water tank. In case you don’t know, the grey water tank is also the destination of water that drops down the sinks. As for the toilets of shower toilet combos, water going through them should end up in the black water tank. 

Note: If your shower toilet combos integrate a cassette toilet, water is going to go to the cassette. With cassette toilets, you have to drain the cassette instead of the black water tank when the time comes. 

Pros And Cons Of An RV Shower Toilet Combo?

Different models have different characteristics but once it comes to the pluses and minuses of the RV shower toilet combo, you must memorize the followings

Pros

  • Space-saving: It’s possible to squeeze a shower and a toilet inside recreational vehicles but the space they take up is not little. Depending on the size of your rig, you may need to give up certain things to include a shower and a toilet. If you do away with the separate shower and toilet in favor of a RV shower toilet combo, you make space for other stuff. At the very least, with more space to move around, your level of comfort on the road is going to increase. 
  • Maintenance is a cinch: Slim and sleek, a RV toilet shower combo require less time to clean than full-size showers and toilets. In most of the cases, all you have to do is wipe the unit with a towel to remove dirt, debris, grime, etc. Interestingly, since the standard finish of toilet shower combos is white, it’s a breeze to notice dirty spots. Overall, if you outfit your RV with a toilet shower combo, you could spend more time enjoying yourself and less time on maintenance of facilities. 
  • Something is better than nothing: It’s safe to say that toilet shower combo still falls behind separate showers and toilets in several regards. Nonetheless, having a RV all-in-one bathroom unit with limited functions onboard is a superior alternative to having no shower and toilet at all. Your rig is simply too small to accommodate a shower and a toilet separately? Then you won’t regret adding a RV shower toilet combo to your vehicle. 
camper shower toilet combo

Cons 

  • Splashing: No matter how many precautions you take, splashing is inevitable when you use the shower of your shower toilet combo. Because of that, if you leave your belongings out in the open, there is a good chance that they will get wet. Moreover, the proximity between the shower and the toilet means your feet tend to get wet as you use the toilet. That would lead to a number of issues during the colder months of the year. 
  • Constriction: Shower toilet combo for RV help conserve space but they don’t exactly provide campers owners with much space to work with. Thus, if you have a big build, you may feel a bit cramped inside a camper shower toilet combo
  • Storage is less than ideal: As they emphasize space preservation, manufacturers of shower toilet combos for RV often consider storage to be of little importance. That is why the majority of models cannot accommodate the number of toiletries their users need. 

When Should We Use RV Shower Toilet Combos?

Different people have different preferences so the RV community is at odds about situations when a camper shower toilet combination would prove useful. However, in the case that you want to get your money’s worth, you should give these hints a look.

  • Take travel style into account: You spend a lot of time in RV parks which let you make use of their showers and toilets? Then there is no need to add a RV shower toilet combo to your rig at all costs. On the other hand, if you enjoy off-roading, it’s beneficial to install a shower toilet combo. By equipping your rig with a shower toilet combo, you could stay clean and answer the call of nature while exploring the outdoors. 
  • Think about the interior space: For recreational vehicles with plenty of space in the interior, it’s not a bad idea to install a shower and a toilet separately. That being said, if your rig lacks the kind of space that full-size showers and toilets require, you should go for a RV shower toilet combo. 
  • Keep comfort in mind: Assuming that you tolerate constriction, water splashes, lack of storage and alike, you won’t have a hard time using shower toilet combos. Still, if you feel that a RV shower toilet combo may influence your level of comfort in a negative way, refrain from using it. 

RV Shower Toilet Combo Usage Tips

all in one bathroom unit
  • Dry the unit after use: With all the water splashes, it’s wise to dry the shower toilet combo following each time you shower. By doing so, you could avoid a multitude of troubles from wet feet to water damage on the road. To dry a RV shower toilet combo, you should add a squeegee to your travel inventory to remove water from surfaces. Also, it’s strongly recommended that you place a rug with rubber back on the floor of the unit outside of use for protection.
  • Be wary of damages: A typical RV shower toilet sink combo isn’t prone to damage but it would break if exposed to too much abuse. Since using broken units increases the risk of water damages as time passes by, you must be vigilant. For minor damages, it’s a good idea to cover them in strips of Eternabond tape to keep water out. Nonetheless, if the extent of damages is extensive, play it safe and just replace the unit altogether. 
  • Designate a cabinet for toiletries: Many shower toilet combos for recreational vehicles come with integral storage for toilet paper but that is it. As a result, it’s convenient to have a cabinet dedicated to the storage of toiletries on your RV. Such a cabinet is going to let you prevent toiletries from getting while allowing you to access toiletries at a moment’s notice. You could set up the toiletry cabinet anywhere you like but for the ease of convenience, prioritize locations within the proximity of your shower toilet combination. 
  • Turn on the ventilation fan: moisture always accompanies water which is why shower toilet combos release a large amount of moisture into the surroundings when people use them. Hence, to stop moisture from accumulating in the interior of your RV,  keep the ventilation fan on during and after shower times. With the fan pulling out moisture, you don’t have to worry too much about moisture damages in the outdoors. For good measure, depending on the situation, you should open windows and doors of your rig to improve air circulation. 
  • Do the sudsy things first: Regarding the order of things to do in the shower, it’s all about individual liking. However, to facilitate drainage, it’s suggested that you do the sudsy things first before washing everything down with water.
About Peter Wade

Peter Wade is a co-ordinator and writer at www.RVTalk.net. His hobbies are coffee, RV camping and photography. He now enjoys exploring the U.S. by RV with his two dogs. After obtaining a MA degree in Public Relations and Journalism, he had 8 years of experience working for the R&D Department of Outdoorsy. Peter provides a unique look and insightful knowledge about the RV lifestyle, and fills his blog with everything from RV camping guides to reviews about necessary RV accessories. If you are an RV enthusiast and want to get the most-updated trends of the RV industry, Peter’s articles are the must-visit contents.

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