outdoor shower head replacement options

1968Healey

On our yearly shakedown trip we discovered that our outdoor shower head must have had water in it over the winter and froze/cracked.  I need to replace the shower head, but I'd like something both with a longer hose and much better flow.  Anybody have suggestions that will still fit in the existing box?  Looks like replacing the whole box isn't an easy job. 

AnOldUR

Some of us have added a quick disconnect and longer extension.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WTB2R9Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Y1WB59Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B087M8DNZ2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003LY7GWC/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_10?smid=&psc=1

Denny16

The quick disconnect type of setup is what I plan to replace the fixed hose with in our TaB.  I think this is the best way to go.  You can even get quick disconnects that have a built in ball valve, so when the hose is disconnected, water will not come out, even if the water tap valves are on.

Cheers 

AnOldUR

Denny16 said:

... water will not come out, even if the water tap valves are on.

Now who would be silly enough to disconnect the hose with the water still on?  

Not only have I sprayed my self by not turning the valve off, but also discovered that if you don't release the pressure in the hose after shutting off the valve you'll get almost as wet.

Denny16

I have discovered the same thing, by accident with the quick release fittings on my garden hose pipes, which do not have the built in valve on either end.  You have to be smarter than the equipment… 
 Cheers 

elbolillo

AnOldUR said:

Some of us have added a quick disconnect and longer extension.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WTB2R9Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Y1WB59Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B087M8DNZ2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003LY7GWC/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_10?smid=&psc=1

I highly recommend installing the quick connect and getting a longer shower hose. Super simple to do and eliminates having to stuff the hose back into the Tab plus it frees up extra storage space.

Horigan

You can increase the flow by drilling out the orifice on the current shower head.  Take it apart and you'll see what I mean.  I just replaced my stiff white hose with a more flexible metal cased RV hose, as shown above.  You need to remove the box to attach it.  Once the box is off adding a quick disconnect is pretty easy.  For us just having the longer more flexible hose has addressed our issues.  With the quick disconnect you can use a much longer coiled hose that you can store elsewhere.

Mickerly

I guess that's an advantage of the older CS. The back of the box is accessible under the sink. I replaced the stiff plastic tube with a regular shower hose. The bottom of the sprayer has a very tiny hole. I opened that to 1/4 inch. Works so much better now.

ShelleyA

Is there a reason you chose such a long hose for the outside shower??

AnOldUR

@ShelleyA, Doing dishes at the picnic table with a collapsable sink. Setting up a shower tent away from the trailer. Lot of good uses.

Mickerly

What he said...

ShelleyA

Where the extended hose connects to the CPC - this looks to me like 2 female parts... do I need something in between them???  I have ordered all 4 parts but want to make sure I am not forgetting anything.... thanks!

ShelleyA

I bought the exact pieces from your upper link, from Amazon... the hose does not attached to the connector - do I need another piece???

ShelleyA

In the end, we just attached the hose WITHOUT the quick connect - slides in no issue because the hose is so flexible...no drilling required.... super easy upgrade.....

AnOldUR

@ShelleyA sorry for the late reply. Been traveling through Canada and now Alaska with little to no service.

Also have to apologize for the bad link. The first three items are what I purchased, but the last CPC discount link was not. I had a lot of CPC fitting from my homebrew days and used what’s shown in the pictures. The Amazon CPC link was only to show the brand and did not include both the male and female connectors or the exact versions needed. I should have been more specific. I’m glad you were able to work it out to your satisfaction, but if you’re still interested I’ll look for links to the CPC fittings that will work. 

nbrandt

We have experienced some troubles with this shower in that the hot water valve works just fine, but the cold water valve doesn't let any water into the mixer valve.  We really use this outdoor shower quite a bit and so would like to rectify this situation. 

I saw a website on the door of the shower:  itc-us.com and visited that site to find that you can shop for and buy various parts for this shower and the whole unit.  They ship via UPS.

Slackers

Last year, I had to replace my entire outdoor box and found the exact non-locking white ITC Fontana model on Amazon.

jeremyriesenburger

@AnOldUR would you mind linking the correct quick disconnect attachment? I’d like to order everything I’ll need to do your replacement/upgrade asap. Our original outdoor shower doesn’t thread correctly and is leaking into our trailer!! Thank youuuu 

AnOldUR

Like I mentioned earlier, I bought an assorted used lot size batch of these disconnects on eBay. Probably 30 of them, so I had several choices to pick from when putting mine together. The links below to Zoro seem to be a good source, but I can’t be certain that they are exactly what I used. Maybe giving them a call could verify it. They might even suggest a better configuration since I was just working with what I had. The plastic pipe to barb fitting that I used inside probably came from Home Depot, but again, it was something I had in my stash of stuff from homebrewing. Hope that helps, but if it just raises more questions, let me know.

https://www.zoro.com/colder-12-mnpt-quick-disconnect-coupler-hfc10812/i/G2953259/

https://www.zoro.com/colder-12-mnpt-coupling-insert-hfcd24812/i/G2953021/

Burgerson

I am thinking about doing this upgrade myself as the stock shower head collar has broken.  Question - what is the best/easiest way to get to the back of the outdoor shower insert to make the changes?  I have a 2020 T@B 400 and there are screws on the outside that apparently hold the unit in place but it is also "glued" in place with what looks like silicone.

Horigan

Carefully remove the sealant with a plastic scrapper so as not to mar the surface and remove the screws.  Reseal after re-installation.

Michigan_Mike

Goo-Gone spray is my go to product that easily band naturally loosens up the sealant around both roof vents, shower boxes, etc.  Cleans up quickly too and makes these projects a ton easier.  

Burgerson

Thanks for the tips!  Is there a recommended or preferred sealant to use when I reinstall the unit?

techietab

Burgerson said:

Thanks for the tips!  Is there a recommended or preferred sealant to use when I reinstall the unit?

Dicor non-leveling lap sealant is a popular choice. Worked well for me when installing a pass-through port on the wall to run a cable from my Starlink dish to my on-board router.

Michigan_Mike said:

Goo-Gone spray is my go to product that easily band naturally loosens up the sealant

I don't understand why people seem to think anything about Goo Gone is natural. Seems to be a common opinion. It's petroleum distillate with an absurd amount of orange peel oil to hide the scent. Naptha, mineral spirits, WD-40 and other products of the same ilk are basically the same in terms of function and toxicity. Goo Gone just smells nicer.

Burgerson

Thanks for the recommendation.