Anyone install a DIY solar shower onto Yakima surf rack?
I hate the way these look but thinking it could be installed only for trips?
Anyone?
Not sure why you specify a yakima surf rack, but why not use the extrusion? I guess you could use a yakima cross bar too. I have not done mine yet, so maybe this post will be lame. My idea is to fashion an arm that has a place to hang my shower bag. The arm ideally will be removable from the extrusion so I can stow it in the truck, have some angle to give it some height, and a hook for the shower bag. I’ve thought about a hula hoop or pvc attached to the extrusion for attaching a shower curtain. Honestly, the Downey bottle has been the easiest over the years. Currently I use a 1 gallon sprayer bottle from home depot. Both work great. I haven’t been motivated to get it done bc the sprayer works so well. Easier to get the sand off my feet when the water is right there. Anyway, that’s my 1 cent…
Peace.
I love my Road shower. Yakima just bought them.
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As I use my rafting gear relatively interchangeably with my camping gear, I ordered the NEMO Helio LX Pressure shower. https://www.rei.com/product/115294/nemo-helio-lx-pressure-shower
The foot pump builds up enough pressure, and then when I am done it can be put away in a small bag without being something else hanging off the outside of my rig…It’s not a perfect solution, but has worked well for me for this last season and a half.
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That’s a cool idea I’ve seen before also. What’s nice about that is it packs away and is light weight.
I meant Yakima round bars in my GFC rack that are already on top of my rig. Thx for your comment.
Any pictures 2tacomamat and do leave it up there or take it down?
Gracias
2nd vote for a Nemo Helio. I’ve been running one for 3-4 years now. Take it with me when I do trips with the GFC, it goes with me when I use my A-frame travel trailer, and it’s gone with me when I was car camping with nothing but a tent or hammock. Whatever water I don’t use for showering gets used when I’m cleaning the dishes. And like T.O.Mac said, it’s not hanging off the side of my rig or weight on the roof struts.
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I leave it up there most of the summer. I can’t get in the garage with the beef rack on on the truck. I bought it for my Baja trip and it worked great. The wife really liked it. Nice to be able rinse off after playing. It heats up fast.
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Nice rig buddy and…
Thx for the pics dude! I really appreciate it. Is that the 4 gallon? or 7? It actually doesn’t look too bad and frankly a wife with a smile trumps truck esthetics.
Im going to order one when they have them again or make my own if needed. I know the Nemos are loved and sworn by, the only problem I see is that the water does not get as hot as quickly as a regular solar shower, or road type but thats just a guess since Ive only owned the cheaper bag type solar showers. Plus after a long drive knowing that the shower is ready and already hot is huge if you have a lady friend with you 
Perhaps a Road Shower or DIY version with a quick release would provide the best of both worlds.
That way your not stuck with it up their all the time. Road Showers are sold out right now so Im going to wait a bit longer but I might end up doing my own with some abs pipe.
Gracias
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You are right that the Nemo takes a while to solar heat and just won’t get as hot. My process-> I put 2L on the stove and boil it, pour it in with about another 4L, and have a good hot shower. I have the smaller 11L, upright, older style of Nemo. The advantage of the Nemo (for me) is being able to use it in the bed of the truck when others are around. I do long trips and will sometimes do an overnight in a Walmart parking lot or similar and still get a shower in. Oh yeah, I also had the Nemo before the GFC, so I am also just using what I’ve got. Even the smallest Road Shower holds almost twice the water of my Nemo bag. Had I not owned the Nemo beforehand, I probably would have gone with the Road Shower. Both are good choices, and whichever one you choose, you’ll find ways to make it work for you.
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That one is the 4 gallon. I didnt want a ton of weight on top. . The great thing about it is I can refill it on the road and then re-pressurize it with my Air compressor. Thats what we had to do in Baja. I can pull in my garage with it on the Prinsu Rack. I have another Tacoma with the prinsu and it fits no problem in a 7 foot garage. I plan on getting a Prinsu for the over the cab with the GFC and then I will run the shower on that.
De nada!
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Are there any weight concerns with the water tank full? I have noticed after having some weight on top of the GFC it was a bit out of alignment when closing the top and securing plugs to lock down…
I second the hello. I’ve used it for a multitude of things from mud runs to washing the dogs off. Portability and ease of use are the reasons I like it.
I’ll throw in a vote for the WaterPort. I have the 4 gallon unit and love it. I can pressurize it by filling it up direct from a garden hose, from the pump filler cap or by hooking my compressor up to it. My girlfriend and I will heat up a pot of water on our campstove and dump it in, voila, hot shower. It also has mounts to hook it to the bed rails on my Taco, to my rear hitch receiver or I can mount it to my GFC once it’s finally built.
Any issues with having that mounted up there? GFC stays aligned properly?
Hi Matty,
I havent had any issues. I did get a prinsu front rack that will mount it too. I want to be able to leave it up top and pull into my garage. In the summer we are camping a lot. We camped over 80 days last year.
I had asked them (GFC) about it and they were adamant about mounting any dynamic load to the rails; I was asking about mounting to the lower side rail…I it…I had a bit of alignment issues closing the top and securing the slider pegs after carrying two large touring kayaks on the yakima racks, so now Im wary of the weight I put up there…I ended up going with the Joolca hot shower system but Id still like to run a Roadshower…
ya ran run it up there all summer. It worked great. The only time I was worried about it is when I was going down some rough roads. I do a lot driving in Southern Utah on dirt roads so I decided I would mount it up front on my prinsu rack. Then I dont have any stress. But on highways etc it was fine. Didnt have an issues.