We bought our TM at the end of 2009 and we love it!
In the past two years we have had fun traveling and camping in it.
This forum has helped us tremendously over these past few years with getting to know our TM and it's features.
I spent a good deal of time reading all the really good ideas that are posted here by the members.
These ideas have helped me with some of the mods and fixes I performed on our TM and I would like to share some of what I learned with everyone.
I loved the shower mod ideas found here so it was one of the first mods I did to our TM.
We wanted to make the shower more usable which means we wanted it to be bigger, have some storage for showering products, and improve the water pressure.
We also wanted a way to hang our shower head so that it we could use it hands free.
Here is a list of parts we used:- Oxygenics BodySpa Shower Kit, white ($30, eBay)
- Shower Curtain w/mesh pockets ($20, BedBath&Beyond)
- Shower Curtain, Ice Cube design ($20, BedBath&Beyond)
- Black Velcro strips ($4, Lowes)
- White Velcro squares ($4, Lowes)
- White Wire Coat Hanger (free)
Total money spent = $78
Tools you will need:- Scissors
- Box cutter or exacto knife
- Needle Nose Pliers
- Screw Driver
- Wire cutter or dykes
We chose the Oxygenics BodySpa shower kit based on recommendations we found here on the TM forum and reviews elsewhere on the web. It really works well!
In order to kill two birds with one stone, we chose a shower curtain with mesh pockets to line the TM folding walls.
This will make the walls water proof and hold our shower supplies (shampoo, body wash, etc) at the same time.
The black velcro strips will be used to hold the mesh pocket curtain to the top edge of the walls and the white velcro squares will be used to hold it to the wall face.
The Ice Cube curtain will be used as the outer curtain to enclose the open end of the shower (you can use what ever curtain you like, we liked this pattern)
The coat hanger will be used to make a shower head holder for the Oxygenics shower head. More on this later.
Part 1: Lining the Folding Bathroom Wall
First I removed the factory TM shower curtain, but I left the shower curtain hooks in place.
Then I removed the towel bar from the one folding wall (you'll see why later).
I opened the mesh pocket shower curtain and positioned it over the two folding shower walls.
You may want to let it sit open for a while until the curtain relaxes (it's a stiff plastic and comes folded and will be creased).
I positioned the curtain so that the mesh pockets fall evenly on the left and right walls.
I cut the top edge of the curtain off (the edge with the grommets).
Then I used the black velcro strips and placed them at intervals along the top edge of the folding walls.
I affixed the soft, loop half of the velcro strips to the top of the wall then placed the rough hook side on top of the loop side, then I peeled the adhesive tape off of the top velcro piece.
Then I carefully pressed the top edge of the shower curtain onto the sticky backside of the velcro strips, taking my time to ensure that the curtain was positioned properly.
You don't have to be too precise as the strips will allow some repositioning if necessary.
I cut any excess curtain running vertically on the left side of the left folding wall (where the TP holder is) and the right side of the right folding wall (wall with the towel rack).
I also cut around the TP holder.
Then I placed some of the white velcro squares on the folding wall surface in the corners.
Again placing the soft, loop half against the wall and the rough hook pieces on top of the loop side. I removed the tape back and smoothed the shower curtain over it.
This will help hold the shower curtain flat against the folding walls.
I also screwed the towel holder back in place over the shower curtain.
Finally, trim the bottom edge of the mesh pocket shower curtain leaving a few inches overlapping into the tub.
This will ensure that all the water will run down the curtain and into the tub.
That should complete the folding wall portion of the shower mod.
Part 2: Installing the Outer Shower Curtain
Next up is the outer Ice Cube pattern shower curtain.
Using the shower curtain hooks we left up from the old curtain, install the new outer curtain. Attach the hooks into the grommets of the curtain.
Once you have it hanging from the hooks, stand in the shower and pull the left side of the curtain into the corner where the folding wall meets the outer shell wall (shower head side).
Pull the right side of the curtain over to meet the other folding wall and position it to your liking.
Then, make a cutout in the ice cube curtain around the faucet so that it is exposed. This makes it easier to manipulate the hot & cold faucets.
You might also want to trim the length of the curtain if it is too long; I don't remember if I did or not.
In any case, you don't want to be stepping on it, so cut it if necessary, but leave enough length so that it will stick to the inside of the tub.
Part 3: Installing the New Shower Head
At this point your shower curtain mod is done.
Now to add the Oxygenics shower head and holder.
Remove the old shower head and screw the new Oxygenics head on to the shower faucet.
Now to make the shower head holder, go get the white coat hanger and unravel it. You will want to cut a 6" straight piece of wire.
Bend it into a U shape. Move two of those spare shower curtain hooks into the corner between the folding wall and the TM outer shell wall. These will be used to suspend the shower head.
We are going to bend the ends of the U we just made, into a loop and affix one side to one of the curtain hooks in the corner so that it won't come off.
The other side of the U can be bent into a loop, partially closed. This will be the side you can hook and unhook as you need to hand or remove the shower head.
Place the U hook through the hole in the Oxygenics shower head and then place the open loop of the U hook into the other shower hook.
The Oxygenics shower head should now hang free in the corner and will be positioned for a perfect shower angle!
That's it!!!
You're ready to use your new and improved TM Shower!
The mesh pocket shower curtain should fold with the folding wall and not cause an issue.
When we go camping, we setup the walls and then fill the pockets with our shampoo, conditioner, body wash, scrunchies, etc.
You can hang the Oxygenics shower head in the Coat Hanger holder and push the outer curtain towards the outer shell wall when not in use.
When using the shower, I take the shower head down, start the water and get it regulated, then turn it off with the valve on the shower head, get in, and pull the outer shower curtain around to the outer folding wall.
I can usually tuck the end of it just under one of the mesh pockets. Use a little water to wet the edges of the outer curtain so that it sticks to the mesh curtain walls.
It seals really well and we have not had any water mess outside the shower.
You can then hang the Oxygenics shower head in the coat hanger U holder and use it like a hands-free shower head if you desire.
If you haven't modified your TM shower yet, what are you waiting for?
I hope this post helps you with your shower or gives you some great ideas.
Complete Shower Mod
As it is, our Trailmini shower curtain travels all around the shower pan and when it's not in use, I fold it around the towel bar over the toilet. Keeps it out of the way when we collapse it, so there's more storage on the porch and the curtain doesn't get dirty or stuck in between the halves.
Hybrid Mode
