Can You Take a Shower in a RV While Going Down the Road?

by Heather Allerheiligen
( Winter Haven, FL)

Is it possible to shower or flush the toilet while your RV is in motion?

ANSWER: Hi Heather thanks for submitting your question on our Ask An RV Question Page.

The answer to both of your questions is yes. To use the toilet in your RV while going down the road all your have to do is make sure that the RV's water pump is turned on. Just a note here: The water pump in the RV runs on 12 volts DC so there is no need to turn on the generator.

You would just use the toilet normally and flush. If you are not planning to use anymore water you can then turn off the water pump. All of the waste will be safely stored in your RV's black water holding tank.

Taking a shower while going down the road is going to take a little more preparation on your part.

First; you are going to have to make sure that the fresh water holding tank on your RV has enough water in it for your shower.

Second; you need to make sure that your grey water holding tank is empty. You do not want the grey water tank to get full and start overflowing through the shower drain in the middle of your shower.

Third; if you want to take a warm shower you are going to have to make sure that your RV's Water Heater is on and that it has had enough time to sufficiently heat the water. Depending on the type of water heater you have you may have the choice of heating it using either Propane or 120 volt electric. If you choose electric you will have to keep the RV's generator running.

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Now lets talk about safety. All of the propane appliances in your RV are designed to be used while the RV is in motion. That being said; there are still some factors you need to keep in mind when using propane appliances going down the road. When you are fueling up the RV all propane appliances should be shut off as the open flames of the appliance can trigger an explosion if fumes from the fuel come in contact with the open flames.


Another factor to keep in mind with the open flames of propane appliances is that in the event of a traffic accident these open flames can trigger a fire. Incidents such as this are very rare, but it is still something to keep in mind.

OK lets talk about your personal safety when you are taking a shower in an RV while going down the road. Obviously, your not seat belted in, so in the event of an auto accident and dependent on the severity of the impact you will become an unguided missile bouncing around the RV which could cause severe injury or even death.

When taking a shower you are normally in a standing position and anyone that has tried to walk in a moving RV can attest to the fact that it is not always easy to maneuver around even when the RV is on the best of roads. This normal movement of the RV combined with wet surfaces in the shower creates a wonderful scenario for increased slips and falls, again this is just something to think about.

Using the restroom in an RV is one thing, attempting to shower going down the road is another thing. Just because you can do it does not necessarily mean you should do it.

I hope this helps.

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Happy RVing

RVing Al

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