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One of the biggest advantages of an RV over a tent is traveling with your own bathroom. However, not all RV bathrooms are created equal and RV wet baths are not ideal. Keep reading to learn why campers hate RV wet baths.
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What is an RV Wet Bath?
An RV wet bath is a bathroom in an RV where the toilet, sink and shower are in one tiny room with no curtain or shower door. Instead of having a separate shower, the entire bathroom serves as the shower.
Since the shower is the entire room, the toilet, sink, floor and anything else in an RV wet bath will get drenched when the shower is used. Hence, the name.
RV wet baths are constructed entirely of waterproof materials, so all built-in bathroom features can get wet without being damaged.
Wet baths typically have a handheld showerhead that can be held or mounted on the wall. Campers can stand and shower as normal or sit on the (closed) toilet seat while showering.
Wet Bathrooms vs. Dry Bathrooms
The main difference between a dry bath and a wet bath is simply a shower door or a shower curtain.
A dry bath or dry bathroom is a normal bathroom where the shower is separated from the rest of the room. In a wet bath, there is no curtain since the whole room is the shower.
All houses have dry baths, and most larger RVs also have dry baths with a separate shower. Wet baths are typically only found in small RVs, such as truck campers, teardrop trailers and class B vans.
5 Reasons Campers Hate RV Wet Baths
You may have heard campers complain about wet baths, but wondered why they are so awful. Below are 5 reasons campers hate RV wet baths.
1. Water, Water Everywhere
The main downside of RV wet baths is that your entire bathroom gets drenched every time you shower. There is no way to prevent the floor, the sink, the toilet or anything else in your bathroom from getting wet during a shower.
2. Very Little Room to Maneuver
The next downside of RV wet baths is their size. Most RVs utilize a wet bath because they have very limited square footage to devote to the bathroom.
Most wet baths don’t even have enough room to take two steps. It is often difficult for campers using a wet bath to shower without touching the toilet. Some taller campers may even need to sit on the toilet to shower.
No RV wet bath has sufficient space for two people, so families with a wet bath will need to schedule showers and time to get ready in the mornings. It will also be difficult to help a small child bathe in one of these tiny bathrooms.
3. Everything Needs to Be Carried In and Out
Because wet baths tend to get wet, only waterproof items can be stored inside these bathrooms. That means all cosmetics, cleaning supplies, tissues and first aid supplies will need to be stored outside of your RV’s bathroom.
Toilet paper either needs to be carried in and out of the bathroom or stored in a waterproof toilet paper holder.
4. You Have to Dry Everything After Every Shower
If you hate the idea of working right after your shower, an RV wet bath might not be right for you. Since everything will get wet when you shower, everything needs to be dried after showering.
RVers with a wet bath should have towels on hand to dry the toilet and floor after every shower.
5. Hard to Control the Moisture
One potentially serious issue with wet baths is that they make it more difficult to control moisture in your RV. Cooking and bathing in a small space make it difficult to control moisture in any RV.
With a wet bath, you will need to make sure your RV has a good vent to help release the moisture. Excess moisture in an RV can lead to mold or water damage issues.
Advantages of RV Wet Baths
While RV wet baths are inferior to other RV bathrooms, they do have a few perks.
They Save Space
The main advantage of RV wet baths is saving space. Since the shower does not take up any additional room, it is possible to put a wet bath into a very small RV.
If the builders of small RVs tried to create a separate shower, it would have to be a very tiny shower. The shower area of a wet bath may be larger than some stand-alone RV showers.
Saving space in the bathroom area also allows the RV manufacturer to devote more space to the kitchen and living areas and add more storage space.
Easy to Clean
They other benefit of RV wet baths is that they are super easy to clean. Since everything gets wet when you shower, there will never be any dust build-up.
To clean a wet bath, simply bring some bathroom cleaner in and quickly wipe everything down during your shower. Since these bathrooms are so tiny, the entire process will only take a couple of minutes.
Should You Buy an RV with a Wet Bath?
Given all the annoyances associated with RV wet baths, is there any reason to consider purchasing an RV with one?
The answer is yes, if you want a tiny RV. While they have many downsides, an RV wet bath is better than no bathroom at all. If a wet bath is the only option for your desired price point and RV size, then it is a great option.
Also, most of the downsides associated with RV wet baths are related to the shower. If you do not want to deal with a wet bathroom, only use the toilet and sink inside the RV. Shower at the campground bathroom, use your RV’s outdoor shower or only shower when absolutely necessary.
Thanks for reading our complete guide to RV wet baths. If you are in the market for a small RV, check out our list of the best tiny RVs with bathrooms!
Happy Camping!
Christina Pate is a seasoned full-time RVer who, along with her husband Justin, has journeyed across the US, Canada, and Mexico. Drawing from her extensive travels, RV repairs and RV renovations, she founded Travels with Ted to guide and inspire fellow RV enthusiasts. Christina is also the co-author of The Owner’s Guide to RV Maintenance and the creator of My RV Log Book.
