Companion Aquacube Digital 12V Camp Shower

[NAGG]

Hey all

I picked up one of these during the Black Friday sale for under $200

COMP812.jpg

At that price it was too good to pass over & worth rolling the dice IMO - makes a good addition to my trips away . Good to carry in my canopy as I have a 60lt water tank under the tray.

For island camping - I just need to carry extra water.

does anyone own one or have experience with them ?

Chris

[shortthenlong]

I don't have experience with the Companion but we do regularly camp in out of the way places and my wife loves a hot as lava shower. I run a heat exchanger style shower on the crusier. The key takeaway is always having enough water and making the most of the water you have. Despite many systems claiming instantly hot there will be a period of water flow that isn't hot enough. To make the most of limited water we run the shower head back into the supply bucket until the desired water temperature is reached. As our system had a stand alone pump I then turn off the heater. My FIL is setting up for serious free camping and he has installed a recirculation valve on his hot water for similar reasons. Sending a few litres of water to waste while you adjust the temperature is a pain if you are carrying all your water.

TLDR: think about how to minimise water waste while heating

Cheers Matt

[NAGG]

I don't have experience with the Companion but we do regularly camp in out of the way places and my wife loves a hot as lava shower. I run a heat exchanger style shower on the crusier. The key takeaway is always having enough water and making the most of the water you have. Despite many systems claiming instantly hot there will be a period of water flow that isn't hot enough. To make the most of limited water we run the shower head back into the supply bucket until the desired water temperature is reached. As our system had a stand alone pump I then turn off the heater. My FIL is setting up for serious free camping and he has installed a recirculation valve on his hot water for similar reasons. Sending a few litres of water to waste while you adjust the temperature is a pain if you are carrying all your water.

TLDR: think about how to minimise water waste while heating

Cheers Matt

Thanks Matt

I watched a youtube video & the bloke was doing just that - running the water back into the bucket he used for containing the water .

Water is certainly at a premium when I camp out on an island ..... I might only have 20lts available for a shower - might get some collapsible containers & fill them up at Hamilton Island when we head there for fuel . .

Anyhow once it arrives - I'll work out the best way to run it

Chris

[disorderly]

Camping on Hinchinbrook island during the summer, hot water is the last thing we want...we just use a collapsable shower bag/head thingy attatched to a tree branch or beam by a rope with as cool as water as possible to take some of the sting out of the tropical heat and wash off the sweat and sand...during winter overnighting on the boat we just use a black bag shower chucked on the hardtop to heat up...not as nice as a proper shower would be, but good enough......you are soon going to need a bigger boat Chris just to carry all your "stuff"and the extra water...

[NAGG]

Camping on Hinchinbrook island during the summer, hot water is the last thing we want...we just use a collapsable shower bag/head thingy attatched to a tree branch or beam by a rope with as cool as water as possible to take some of the sting out of the tropical heat and wash off the sweat and sand...during winter overnighting on the boat we just use a black bag shower chucked on the hardtop to heat up...not as nice as a proper shower would be, but good enough......you are soon going to need a bigger boat Chris just to carry all your "stuff"and the extra water...

Tell me about it -

Mate I've survived for decades with one of those black bladder showers ..... My young bloke not so . Ahh the things we do for our kids
$199 was the hook this time though . .... down from about $470 - how could I resist We used the bladder last time & added some hot water - A warm shower was welcomed after some of the wet & cold day trips we had .

Actually I think this will be a good addition for my weekends away when sleeping in the Navara's canopy .

As for all the gear ..... I'm actually cutting back on the weight when compared with the 2018 Whitsundays trip . I wont be carrying 60 lts of water & 100 lts of extra fuel for starters . 1 x 100amp lithium battery for camp vs 2 x 100 AGMs previously . I reckon I'll shed maybe 150kgs just buy buying the extra fuel & getting water at Hammo on about day 3 .

Gotta love logistics

chris

[shakey55]

No experience with the Companion Aquacube, but when away camping the availability of a hot or cold shower is a plus.

I have and use a Joolca Hottap and have done for years without trouble

https://www.joolca.com.au/products/hottap-v2

I think there are a few brands / models around


Sent from my iPad using Ausfish forums

[NAGG]

I never had any real interest in one of these things till a year or so ago ..... thought it would be a good addition to the cars canopy but not at the best part of $500. I Did look at the Joolca but it's a bit more of a mission to set set up .

As I said though $199 was hard to resist for this thing - being even cheaper than a Kings one .

Chris

[disorderly]

Gee thats a nice looking unit Shakey..

I'd get one if I lived down south...particlarly as you fish in a CC boat Chris.

I actually considered the optional underfloor water tank when i got my boat built and some type of shower setup but the missus talked me out of it...she reckoned the water would just get funky and the heater unit would just be another think to take up space and corrode..

Will be perfect for the back of the ute though..

[NAGG]

Just ran the shower for the first time

nice - pretty simple to use , quick connect fittings .

Set on low - 38 deg C felt pretty comfortable a temp to have a shower.

Water usage = 2lts / min on full .

Now to see how it goes in the real world later this month .

Chris

[disorderly]

Water usage = 2lts / min on full .
.

Chris

Thats just not going to do it for a bloke with locks down to his arse...

I require total immersion or deckwash power......2 litres a minute will certainly will struggle to get the squished pilly guts out of my mop..