As your RV is your second home when on the road or on a camping site. It must be equipped with the most effective and efficient device that you will use when you need to freshen up yourself after breaking lots of sweat in doing your camping activities or accumulated dust from the road. The best RV showerhead is the one to help you with this.
There are RV owners who considered RVs as modern hotels that are on wheels. To make your RV to be fully-equipped and modern you should have the best RV showerhead to complete your setup. Having the best shower head in your RV, for sure you’ll have the most exciting and enjoyable shower experience every time you take a bath. And every time you take a shower using the device, you’ll be relaxed. Ultimately, you will be freshened up and be ready for another journey ahead of you.
This guide aims to help you find the RV showerhead that will fit liking and handle your RV needs. It will start off by introducing to you the basics of RV showerheads. You’ll learn the different types of showerheads, which deliver different shower experiences. And you’ll know the features that you should look for in choosing the best RV showerhead for you. And you’ll be informed, which are the best brands that offer the highest quality, and the most reliable shower heads for RV.
Also, in this guide, we’ve included a list of the best RV showerheads from some of the best shower head brands. Each product has been reviewed for you to have insights about them, the features it offers you and what benefits you can get. The list will help find the one that you can use in your RV.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RV SHOWER HEADS
WHAT IS AN RV SHOWER HEAD?
An RV showerhead is the handheld device that is used when you need to freshen up in the shower cabin of your RV. The shower head will be connected with the plumbing system of your RV that will supply it with water. The shower head and the water supplier are linked by a flexible hose.
An RV showerhead is a versatile device that gives you lots of ways you can freshen up yourself. Using the showerhead every time you take a shower in your shower cabin will give you a sense of comfort and convenience in doing so. You will enjoy taking a shower with it.
The best models of shower heads will come with adjustable water pressure and water spray pattern. You should take note that these features of RV shower heads are also present in traditional shower head units. In order for you to have the perfect showerhead in your RV, you have to look for these features when buying one.
Taking a shower with a shower head will make it easier for you to clean and rinse every part of your body without putting yourself in an awkward or even in an uncomfortable position.
Most shower heads are specifically made to have the ability to conserve water and at the same time provide you water sprays that flow at an optimal rate. And most of the time, buying a shower head will include a flexible hose.
These flexible hoses won’t give you a hard time taking a shower as they make it easy for you to aim the shower head to the part of your body that you want to rinse with water. And these hoses won’t fill much of your RV shower cabin.
Having this information about RV showerheads will take you a step closer to find the best one for your RV that will give you the most satisfying shower experience.
THE BENEFITS YOU CAN GET FROM HAVING A SHOWER HEAD IN YOUR RV
Installing a high-quality shower head in your RV is the wisest decision you can have. With the showerhead, a lot of benefits you can get from it aside from providing you with a classy, enjoyable and complete shower experience in your RV.
So, here are some of the benefits you can get from having an RV shower head.
YOU CAN CONSERVE ENERGY AND WATER
In general, RV showerheads provide you with a calming and relaxing shower experience. Aside from that, a high-quality shower head will also help you save a significant amount of water and energy. As taking a shower makes you relax and get calm, it might give you extended shower time.
An average of 5 minutes shower-time will consume water about 15 to 25 gallons. In 10 minutes, that would be around 40 gallons of water, which is a lot. Even so, by using a shower head when taking a shower, the water consumption will reduce in a significant number. You won’t be wasting water and energy anymore when you have it in your RV.
In addition, the shower head will greatly reduce the flow of water and then spread it out evenly for you to use. Your overhead tank wouldn’t be pumping much more water anymore to supply the shower head as it doesn’t need much of it. And with this ability, it will help you to save a lot of energy.
The modern version of these shower heads will conserve more water than the previous ones. It can save approximately 30 percent up to 40 percent of water than the average-sized pipes which work non-stop for some period of time.
IT IS USER-FRIENDLY
In general, shower heads are user-friendly. This is done so that it will be easy for you to use it and for your convenience. You won’t be spending much time figuring out how it works and how you can use it.
Most of the time, shower heads come with simplistic designs so that it will be easy for you to install it and use it after that. This is true, especially for the latest version of shower heads that are available on the market today.
EASY TO WASH WITH
With shower head; it will be now easy for you to reach and rinse off with water some part of your body which normally difficult to reach. You won’t have to struggle or position yourself in an awkward position just to rinse off the soap from your body, especially the shampoo or conditioner from your head. This is also best done with a handheld type of shower head.
You can just freely bring and aim the shower head to the part of your body that you want to hit with water. You can move it from one part of your body to the other which can thoroughly rinse it.
THEY ARE VERSATILE
Most shower heads can be used to meet your preferences. For those shower heads that belong to the handheld category, you can use them either as a detachable or a wall mounted shower head. Other shower heads can be used with an extended reach to satisfy your needs. You can just reattach them after use by your hand or both hands if requires you to.
CONVERSION HARD AND CHLORINATED WATER
There are some shower heads for RV that come with an extra fitting or even a filter. This feature greatly improves your shower experience by making it even safer than before, you will surely enjoy your bath time a lot.
Those RV shower heads that come with a water filter are a lot safer to use as it will prevent harmful chemicals and bacterial from directly getting into your body. The flow of water will first pass through the filter before it comes out of the shower head and hit your body. The filter will also convert chlorinated water or hard water into a much safer water to use.
PROVIDES YOU WITH A THERAPEUTIC EXPERIENCE
Shower heads generally give you a relaxing and calming bath time experience. But there are some types of shower heads that can provide you with a therapeutic experience with taking a shower.
These shower heads have the ability to revolve around your body while water falls down slowly to your body and at the same time messages your whole body as it rinses it with water.
HOW DOES THE SHOWER HEAD WORK?
How an RV showerhead work is closely the same as how residential or household showerhead works. Most shower heads for RV consume much fewer amounts of water that a residential shower head. And they provide you with pressurized water when taking a shower.
The pressurized water flow doesn’t take much water while still providing you with a clean and fulfilling shower experience. There are some brands of RV water heads that belong to the high-pressure category. Even if it is categorized that way, the water flow is not too much that would take a lot from your RV water supply.
A shut-off valve is the most common feature that most RV shower heads have. The feature gives shower heads the ability to conserve water. You can just press the shut-off valve to stop in an instant the flow of water, which makes it conserve water. It is also easier to press the valve than turning a valve to stop the water flow in which will let some water to flow unnecessarily.
There is a version of the shower head that has the form of a wand aside from the fixed version. And most of the time, it comes in the wand version which is easier to use in which it can reach, and you can aim to most of your body parts to clean it and rinse with water.
Summing it up, RV showerheads work by effectively providing you with enough water flow so that you can thoroughly cleanse and rinse your body. You can even adjust the flow of water according to your preferences. And best of all, it does these things without consuming many amounts of water.
HOW TO INSTALL OR REPLACE A SHOWER HEAD IN YOUR RV?
The installation or replacement process of an RV showerhead isn’t that complicated to do. You can even do it by yourself without breaking any sweat. All you have to do is to familiarize the steps involved in the process of installing or replacing an RV showerhead.
Here are the steps that you can follow to successfully install or replace an existing RV shower head.
- The first thing to do, you should find the shower faucet’s access points. If you have difficulty if locating them, check the manual for their location. This will guide you to find their exact location.
- Shut off the water supply when you have successfully located the access points.
- The next thing to do is to drill some holes in the shower stall. As an alternative to drilling holes in your in the shower cabin, you can just use the double-sided tape that is included in the product kit.
For replacement of an existing RV shower head, just remove the old shower head and use the existing holes in the shower stall and mount the shower holder.
- Fix the shower head holder on the wall by screwing it tight with the holes that you have drilled (for new installation).
- Make sure that you put the O-rings at the end of the hose. The O-rings will prevent leaks from happening.
- Then, attach the shower head to the hose.
For a proper installation or replacement of the RV shower head, make sure to check the manual and follow the installation process indicated. Different brands and different types may differ in the installation process.
DOES IT SAVE WATER?
An RV showerhead saves a lot of water. It provides you with evenly pressurized water when taking a bath. As you rinse your body with water using the shower head, the device uses a lesser amount of water thanks to the water pressure it provides.
Having an RV shower head can also help you save money aside from saving water. A regular shower will consume water with an average of 3.8 gallons in just a minute, and an average shower-time would take about 8 minutes. This is already a lot of water use, but with a water-saving ability, the numbers will be greatly reduced thus saving more water and at the same time-saving money paying for the water.
The water-saving feature of a showerhead is ideal during dry camping as there will be a limited supply of water and water consumption should be managed properly. A high-quality RV showerhead is a great help for in your RV adventures. It is also a lifesaver.
USING A REGULAR SHOWER HEAD IN YOUR RV
You can use a regular shower head in your RV if you like, but it is not highly recommended as it is impractical to use in your RV due to the fact that it doesn’t come to a water saver feature.
Just buy the other types of shower heads, especially those types that are designed to be used in an RV. They offer more features and abilities that a regular shower head doesn’t have. And your adventure with your RV will be more enjoyable when you use the best type of RV shower heads.
LEAKY RV SHOWER HEAD TROUBLESHOOTING
There are three common reasons for a leaky shower head.
AGE
This first common reason for the leaking is the age of your RV shower head. Over time your shower will age, and its structural integrity will weaken, which will cause the leak. And this will also signal you that the old one should now retire and replace it with a new one.
CRACK
Cracks may appear to your RV showerheads and this may cause some leaking. You can easily track the crack by letting the water flow in a slow manner through the shower head and then shine a light on it.
You may need to detach the RV shower head from the shower so that you can thoroughly inspect the inner parts of the device. In doing this, you can easily trace the exact crack.
POOR INSTALLATION
The other reason is caused by a poor and faulty installation of the RV shower head. Generally, you are required to use a plumber’s tape in order to create and bonding agent for the pipe and the showerhead itself, and it would seal them together and will prevent water from leaking.
The plumber’s tape is really useful in the installation process of an RV shower head. If you have noticed that the leak comes the joint between the shower head and the pipe, you detach them and remove the old time from the pipe thread.
You should replace the tape with a new one and join the pipe and the shower head again. Make sure that this time they are tightly sealed to prevent future leaks. This will resolve the leaking problem in your shower head.
UNCLOGGING AND CLEANING A SHOWER HEAD
An RV showerhead will continue to provide you the most relaxing and calming shower experience you can have. In turn, you should clean it regularly and at times unclog it.
To clean or unclog your shower head you can follow these few simple steps.
- First, get a strong and big plastic bag. Make sure that it is big enough to accommodate your RV shower head.
- Mix a 1/3 cup of baking soda and a cup of vinegar in the plastic bag.
Mixing the two ingredients will form a strong cleaning agent. The acid in the vinegar will react well to the chemical present in the baking soda which is sodium bicarbonate.
The baking soda will react and might bubble up when you mix it with vinegar. To avoid getting messy, it is best to do it in the sink.
- In this step, you need a rubber band that will be used to secure the plastic bag that will be placed over the shower head.
Make sure that your cleaning agent covers the whole shower head. And leave it like that overnight.
- The next day, remove the plastic bag from the shower head and use water to remove the cleaning solution from the shower head.
- Allow the water to flow freely from the shower head for about a minute to remove any cleaning solution that might be left behind.
Once you have done this, you can now use it once more. And this time you’ll have a more refreshing shower time as the show flow is now cleaner than ever and free from any clog.
WHAT DOES A GMP STAND FOR AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
GPM stands for “gallons per minute.” This is the unit of measure of how many gallons of water that flows out from your shower head. In general, RVs have a limited supply of water, so in buying an RV showerhead you should make sure to check its GMP.
You should know that the higher the GMP of the shower head, the higher the amount of water it requires that will consume more water from your RV water supply tank.
Take note, you should not buy those RV shower heads that have a GMP higher than 2.0.
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SHOWER HEADS
In the market today, there are a lot of varying types of RV shower heads that can provide you with the best shower experience that you would like to have. Knowing the different types of this tool will definitely help you find the one that can best suit your shower needs.
Here are the types of RV shower heads that are commonly used by RV owners.
WALL MOUNT
This is the most common type of RV showerhead used in RV. This is a favorite choice most RV owners as it is cost-efficient. This type is easier to use and at the same time requires less maintenance.
With this type of RV showerhead, you can have different water spray styles that you will surely enjoy when you take a shower as it offers you different spray options. Each spray style will ensure that you have the best shower experience, but you can always select that one option which will satisfy you the most.
And you should take note that this type of showerhead should be fixed to the wall of your RV shower cabin, as the name suggests. You might not like the setup of this type as might be inconvenient for you to use, but this setup works for some RV owners.
HANDHELD
It is the best type of RV showerhead as an alternative to the wall-mounted type of showerhead. Unlike the wall-mounted type that is fixed to the wall of the shower room, this type of RV showerhead is just connected to a flexible hose. It will be easy for you to take a shower as you can just easily aim the part of your body you want the water to hit, which can be normally done with the wall-mounted type.
As the showerhead is linked to a flexible hose, you can easily manipulate it and point it to reach the areas of your body that is normally difficult to reach with the other types of showerheads. You can now easily rinse off that soap from some part of your body that is normally difficult to reach.
This type of showerhead is handy to use that you can even use it easily to bathe your small children if you have or your pets. And the best of all, this type even works for both short and tall people without any problem.
BODY SPRAY
This type of RV showerhead is closely the same as the wall-mounted type. But instead of one showerhead like the wall mounted, this one requires multiple shower spray heads that you can position at the different levels and parts of your body.
It sprays water simultaneously to the different parts of your body that you have specified upon setting up this type in your RV shower-cabin. It will give you a span like an experience you when you use it to take a shower.
In addition, as it requires multiple showerheads; it is customizable. You can install different body spray heads of your liking in each level that you have positioned to aim at your body.
RAIN SYSTEM
This type of showerhead will bring you a constant and steady flow of water that is directly above you. It mimics how the rain falls. It comes with a wide diameter of the head and provides light pressure of the water that makes the flow even and at the same time gives you a feeling of relaxation.
When using this type of showerhead, you won’t have to move a lot anymore in order for your whole body to be hit by the water and to rinse off the soap. It is already covered by the wide diameter of its head that covers all parts of your body.
This type also includes an extended shower handle so that you will be just in place, directly below the head when you have to adjust the flow of water or to turn it on/off completely.
CEILING MOUNT
This is a luxurious type of showerhead, which also has excellent performance. It is an ideal choice for those RV owners who don’t have problems with money and like to spoil themselves with luxurious things in their RV. The ceiling-mounted RV showerhead will bring a trendy look in your RV.
This type must be fixed to the ceiling of your RV shower room, and it will provide an even flow of water when you use it. This type needs special plumbing that requires you to shell out a lot of money for its installation; you should take note of that.
REGULAR SHOWER-HEADS VS HANDHELD
Between the two, the handheld type of RV showerhead is much better than the other. A regular showerhead is not that practical to have in your RV. No matter what position or adjust the angle of the showerhead, it would be as effective and efficient as the handheld showerhead.
You can benefit more from a handheld type of showerhead. Even if it functions closely from the regular shower head, but it gives you more features that the regular one doesn’t have. And what makes the handheld showerhead even better than a regular showerhead, the handheld one is easier to use.
With the handheld showerhead, you wouldn’t have to place yourself in an uncomfortable position just to rinse off some soap in parts of your body that is difficult to reach. You can just place and aim the handheld shower to your body, then rinse it off with water.
Also, a handheld shower is versatile in nature as you can use it in various options. You can use it to bathe your pets or your small children. It can be used to clean your bathroom as well. These can be done with the regular showerhead as it is normally fixed against the wall.
To put it simply, the handheld showerhead offers more features than of a regular showerhead. You can also use a handheld shower in different options.
SOME OF THE BEST SHOWER-HEAD BRANDS
There is a tight competition that exists within the world of showerheads. A lot of showerheads in the market today are readily available, and most of them come with the highest quality and excellent performance to uphold the brand’s reputation.
So here are some of the brands that reliable and produces the best-quality RV showerheads.
- Oxygenics
A popular brand of RV Showerhead that you can just easily find in the market today. The brand is famous for using the Oxygenics Technology, which is the brands own trademark. This technology helps to boost the water pressure of the showerhead.
- Dura Faucet
- Camco
- ETL
- Aqua Elegante
All the brands listed above focused to provide you with the highest quality RV showerheads than you can find in the market today. Also, you can browse through the products of each brand in the review section in this guide.
CONCLUSION
With the right RV showerhead, you will have an important contributor in having the best adventure of camping with your RV. After a very long day when you take a shower, with the RV showerhead, you’ll be rejuvenated. Then, you’ll be up for more adventure.
Just make sure you consider all the things you need to look for the best RV showerhead. Select the type that will surely suit your needs and at the same time satisfies your taste. Having the best showerhead in your RV will make your adventure more enjoyable, and it will make you feel more at home in your RV.