Every day at The Vansmith we receive many questions about vans + bathrooms. Of course, this makes a ton of sense. Other than eating, drinking, and sleeping, there are few basic needs that every human shares, without question.
What’s more, whether bathrooms are used for bathing or...well, the other stuff, they’re not like our other basic needs. Western bathrooms tend to be very private places decorated with ceramic thrones and bathing tubs. And, we don’t always know when the moment is going to strike that we need that throne or shower.
So, when it comes to vans and vanlife, how do we deal with bathrooms?
- Start with how you’ll use the van. Weekend warriors usually don’t need full vans with bathrooms, while full-time van dwellers may benefit more from a dedicated toilet and shower setup.
- Protect your living space. A built-in bathroom takes up prime real estate in a small van; consider whether that space would serve you better as storage, seating, or a bigger bed.
- Use a portable toilet instead of a fixed one. A compact travel toilet, like the GO Anywhere Complete Portable Camping Toilet, can be stowed in the “garage” or cupboards and pulled out only when needed.
- Keep showering simple. Instead of a full shower stall, use a hanging or portable shower outside the van and stand on a small raised wooden bath mat to keep your feet clean.
- Plan for your climate and seasons. If you camp mostly in cold weather, having a small toilet inside the van for nighttime use can be more important than a full shower setup.
- Think about how often you’ll really use it. On short trips, most people use campground, trailhead, or home bathrooms, making a permanent bathroom in the van unnecessary most of the time.
- Prioritize freedom and simplicity. Skipping a built-in bathroom in your van can mean less plumbing, fewer things to break, and more open, flexible space for living and gear.
Though there are many answers to this question, the key to the ongoing vans + bathrooms debate is this next question: how do you plan to use your van? Based on your answer to this, here’s our guidance, which has been formed from years of work, travel, living, and building hundreds of vans.
How We Really Think About Vans With Bathrooms at The Vansmith
raised wooden bath matsmall portable showerGO Anywhere Complete Portable Camping ToiletWeekend warriors: most of us, and most of us at The Vansmith, fall into this group. We own or rent homes and flats where we live and work most of the time. On weekends and even longer breaks -- mainly during long health crises like pandemics -- we take our vans out to remote areas that offer escape, quiet, adventure, and freedom. Our vans become very comfortable basecamps and living spaces that require zero setup.
raised wooden bath matsmall portable showerThis is the best part of camping without any of the spaces to clear or tents to pitch. And, just as bathrooms are so rarely used during camping trips, and space is such a premium in a van, the same way it is in a nice tent, it makes very little sense to carve out a space saved only for a bathroom in a van. Having said that, based on your trip, the seasons you plan to use your van most, and your own needs, it might make sense to have a small travel toilet in the van. You slide it out when you need it most (often at night or when it’s very cold outside). We’re fans of ones that fold up and can be stowed away in the van’s garage or cupboards, like the GO Anywhere Complete Portable Camping Toilet.
raised wooden bath matIn the same way, when you're dusty and sweaty with no body of water to jump into, it’s nice to rinse off before bed. Do you need an entire shower to do this? Definitely not. The answer is a GO Anywhere Complete Portable Camping Toilet that you can hang from your van or a tree that allows you to get clean while camping. If you do this, we find standing on a small portable shower helps to keep your feet clean as well! In other words, do not build a bathroom in a van if you’re not living in the van fulltime. It’s a total waste of money and space that can instead be used for comfort and freedom from the habits of daily life.
Full-time van folks: there are a few of us who choose to go fully off the grid and live in our vans fulltime. In this way, our vans are not just base camps. They’re full-on tiny homes. In these cases, the answer to the bathroom question is close to the above answer but is more nuanced.
Here’s the gist: if you’re going to spend many waking hours every day working from your van in somewhat busy areas, peeing behind a tree is passé. In that case, it might make sense to carve out some set space for a small bathroom (or at least an easy flip-up toilet cabinet). If this is the case, you’re definitely going to need the longer wheelbase vans, like the Ram Promaster 159 or the Mercedes Sprinter 170.
If, though, you plan to use your van like some of our best climber friends, like Alex Honold and Tommy Caldwell, your needs are not the same. You’re out in nature (and not in your van) most of the time, so you can likely make do with nothing more than what nature and campgrounds provide. Again, this is about getting the most comfort and space inside the van based on how you use it, not on how you use your house or flat.
For a lot of folks, the idea of vans with bathrooms comes from looking at big RVs and thinking you need the same setup to be comfy. But vans are not the same thing. Space is tighter, and weight matters more. Every square inch you give to a fixed bathroom is space you’re not using for a bigger bed, more storage, or a roomier kitchen.
We always urge people to picture a real day in their van. Where are you parked, what are you doing, how often are you really inside, and how many times are you going to use a toilet or shower in that 24-hour window? When you walk through that drill honestly, most weekend and part-time van folks realize they’re using trailheads, gas stations, campgrounds, gyms, and public restrooms far more than anything inside the van.
That’s why we lean toward simple, packable bathroom options unless you’re truly living on the road full-time.
Even for full-time van folks, there’s a wide range between “no bathroom at all” and a fully tiled wet bath. Compost toilets, cassette toilets, and simple travel units each have their pros and cons. Compost toilets are great if you’re parked for longer stretches and don’t want to hunt for dump stations. But they’re tall, take up a chunk of space, and need good airflow.
Cassette toilets are compact and easy to hide in a bench or cabinet, but you’ll be emptying them more often. The simplest travel toilets are often the most space-saving and low-cost, and they pair well with an outdoor shower setup. For showers, we’ve seen people thrive with nothing more than a 12V pump, a jerry can, and a shower curtain hung off the back doors.
Others prefer a roof solar shower or a small on-demand hot water system plumbed to the galley sink. None of these require you to wall off a fixed bathroom, but they still give you the comfort and privacy you need on the road.
One more thing to keep in mind with vans with bathrooms is the hidden cost of extra parts. As soon as you build a fixed bathroom, you’re often adding a gray tank and sometimes a black tank. You’re also adding extra plumbing, more power demand for fans and pumps, and more possible leak points. That means more upkeep and less payload for bikes, boards, skis, or climbing gear. If your dream is chasing powder days or desert singletrack, that trade-off might not pencil out.
On the flip side, if you’re planning to boondock for weeks at a time, your needs change. The same is true if you work from your van or travel with kids who need late-night bathroom access. In those cases, a more built-out setup can be worth the trade. There’s no one right answer here. The right bathroom setup is the one that supports how you really live and travel, not the one that just looks good on social media.
Ready to talk through whether a bathroom belongs in your build and what will actually work for your trips? Reach out to The Vansmith and contact us to get honest, experience-based guidance for your van conversion.
Our job is to help you be honest about your needs so your van feels like freedom, not a cramped RV in disguise.
Smart Bathroom Alternatives for Part-Time Vanlife
Though we’re not here to tell you how you’re going to use your van, we do have a view. For the very reason vans offer escape, quiet, adventure, and freedom, they shouldn’t be viewed as stand-ins for the usual fixed living spaces found in our homes. They are unique and offer things that our homes do not. And, as The Vansmith crew has all lived in many vans (and tiny homes) for many years, we can honestly say that for most people, fixed bathrooms in vans make little sense. They use up valuable space while often sharply increasing the price for building out a van.
When Full-Time Vanlife Makes Built-In Bathrooms Worth It
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need a bathroom in my camper van?
If you’re not living in your van full-time, you probably don’t need a built-in bathroom. For most weekend warriors, a dedicated bathroom takes up valuable space that’s better used for storage, seating, or a more comfortable living area.
Are vans with bathrooms worth the space and cost?
For part-time use, building a full bathroom in a van is usually a waste of money and square footage. A compact, stowable toilet and simple outdoor shower setup will cover most real-world needs without sacrificing living space.
What’s the best toilet option for a weekend warrior van?
A small travel toilet you can slide out when needed works best for occasional use, especially at night or in cold weather. We like foldable or compact options, such as the GO Anywhere Complete Portable Camping Toilet, that can be stored in the van’s “garage” or cupboards.
How do you shower or rinse off without a built-in bathroom in a van?
You don’t need a full shower stall to get clean on the road. A simple hanging shower bag or portable shower outside the van, plus a small raised wooden bath mat to stand on, is usually enough to rinse off dust and sweat before bed.
How should I decide if my van build needs a bathroom?
Start with how you plan to use your van—full-time living versus weekend trips makes a big difference. If you’re only out for short stints and have a home base, a flexible, portable toilet and shower setup is usually more practical than a permanent bathroom.
Comments
As a woman who quite often needs to go pee at 3am, going outside or walking the length of the campsite to a cold, dark and grungy public restroom is a nightmare, not to mention, dangerous. I get that it saves space not having one, but my safety and comfort is more important,
That was most helpful. Thank you.
As aging Americans, we would love to have a van to travel in with a bathroom and a sleeping place, not for overnight but rest when we need it and it would be great if it didn’t have a hugh cost for all the techy stuff.
Thank you for sharing the above insights. I would suggest one very important scenario which might apply to way more people than you suspect. For people like my husband and I – older, nearing or in retirement, with considerable disposable income who are Weekend Warriors with established home bases – we are immuno-compromised (in our case, husband has cancer) and are somewhat trapped in our homes. Public bathroom facilities expose us to Covid-19 which, for us, means almost certain death (not being overly dramatic, unfortunately), and that threat may be around, for us, for many, many months to come. Therefore, a decent shower/bathroom combo is the most vital element of a camper van that will allow us to travel. I’ve studied the layouts of several 144" WB camper vans and a bathroom is doable (see Mini Beach House 144" van offered by saraandalexjames.com as an example), especially considering that Weekend Warriors really don’t need that much storage if they’re only going for short-term trips. Just something I think you all should consider when talking to “Weekend Warrior” clients.