Which RV Shower Head Is The Best For Low Water Pressure?
Are you disappointed with how the shower head performs in your RV, motorhome, van, camper, or trailer? Well, you’re not alone.
Bad or low water pressure can destroy a good shower, and it’s something that a lot of RVers struggle with.
It becomes especially frustrating when you try to take a quick navy shower to preserve water, and the pressure isn’t good enough to get the shampoo out of your hair or the soap off your body.
Related Product: We level our RV with the innovative Andersen RV Leveling Set (click to view on Amazon)
Fortunately, there are a couple of things you can do in your RV shower to increase the water pressure, or at least the perceived pressure, and that’s what I am going to help you with today with a couple of reviews and recommendations.
The reason I say it’s the perceived water pressure is that the flow, in the end, is going to depend on what the source of the water is.
A fancy shower head can only do so much, what matters most is the pressure (GPM, gallons per minute) your RV water pump is capable of pumping through the plumbing.
Or if you’re staying at an RV park, what water pressure you can get out of the hydrant.
You need to be careful with water pressure though, as the RV plumbing and hoses have psi limits. We’ll be talking more about this in the FAQ section, and what you need to think about and do.
A popular feature on RV shower heads is what’s called the on/off switch, also known as a pause control, or low flow switch. Most of these don’t turn off the water completely but limit the flow so you can save water while lathering up.
The reason they don’t turn off the water all the way is that they’re designed that way, to ensure that you don’t get blasted with cold water when you turn it back on.
Because of how the faucets and plumbing are set up in campers, it’s a common issue that the showerhead manufacturers have sold this way.
See Also: Best Ways To Conserve Water In Your RV Holding Tanks
After my reviews and recommendations, I am going to answer the most frequently asked questions related to showering in RVs.
Like how you replace a shower head, what to think about, and other ways you can upgrade parts in your camper to make an RV shower more pleasant.
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Last update on 2024-04-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Best RV Shower Heads Reviews & Info
1. PIH High Pressure RV Handheld Shower Head
A company called PIH has made this simple but functional shower head with a hose for RVs that has enough features to be a big improvement over most original shower heads.
It comes with a 59-inch hose and a wall bracket holder to hang the shower head on. The bracket can be hung with double-sided tape or screws.
If you’re looking for what tape to use when installing a shower head bracket, scroll down to the frequently asked questions section where I answer a question about this.
See Also: Best RV Water Hose For Drinking Water
The shower head can easily be switched from a full spray to a more centered massage spray. You can also “pause” the water, which lets you turn the water flow on and off to save water while shampooing etc.
PROS
- On/off (low flow) switch
- 59-inch hose, bracket, hose sleeve included
- Two spray settings
CONS
- No mounting tape included
2. YOO.MEE High Pressure Handheld Shower Head
The YOO.MEE high-pressure shower head is a nice looking shower head that comes with the longest hose on today’s list, a 79-inch stainless steel hose.
Along with the hose, YOO.MEE includes a bracket to hang the head on.
See Also: How To Clean/Sanitize RV Water System And Holding Tanks
It’s missing an on/off valve, but it has three functions that are easily accessed and controlled. The settings available are a powerful spray, massage, or both powerful and massage together.
Turning on the massage setting will center the spray more through fewer holes, resulting in a stronger focused spray.
I like that the YOO.MEE shower head is chrome colored and the hose is stainless steel, it looks nicer than the standard shower head and is more flexible.
Add an on/off switch to this and you’ve quickly transformed the RV shower into a real one.
PROS
- 79″ stainless steel hose, adjustable bracket included
- Three settings
CONS
- No on/off switch
3. Camco 43714 Shower Head Kit with On/Off Switch
Camco sells this shower head kit that looks a lot like the Oxygenics Fury we’ll take a look at down below.
The kit includes the shower head, a 60-inch flexible hose, washers, a wall bracket, and installation hardware to mount that bracket on the wall.
Camco’s shower head has four spray settings, making it a very versatile product with lots of options.
With lots of spray settings, there will be one spray for everybody. The settings include rain shower (low), rain shower (high), massage with rain shower, and massage spray.
See Also: RV Condensation And 14 Ways To Prevent Mold In Your Trailer
Where you hold the shower head, there is also an on/off switch that will turn off 100% of the water flow to save water while shampooing, etc.
The Camco kit is a very popular option that will help you conserve the water in your fresh tank while giving you a great shower experience in the RV.
Good pressure, lots of settings, and an on/off switch is exactly what most people are missing from the RV shower head, and this one will deliver just that.
For full-timers, I recommend a more high-quality RV shower head like the two below, but for summer campers, this is a great choice.
PROS
- Five settings
- 60-inch hose, wall mount, and installation hardware included
- On/off (low flow) switch
CONS
- Questionable durability
4. Awelife RV Shower Head with Hose and On Off Switch
The Awelife handheld shower head is a simple but popular one that does the job.
While it doesn’t have a bunch of different spray settings, there is an on/off switch.
The switch does not shut off the water completely but limits the flow to 0.1 gallons per minute, which will be great in RVs and trailer showers.
By not shutting off the water completely, it will not have the typical cold water blast when you turn on the water again. It’s still enough to limit the flow to where you can save a lot of water while lathering up.
See Also: How To Find RV Dump Stations & Fresh Water Fill-Up Stations
A 58-inch double-connector kink-free hose is included so you can replace your old hose without any additional purchases.
The thread size is the standard 1/2″ so the Awelife head will easily be installed in your current RV shower.
It includes several accessories, like a hose, a holder, screws, and a guide ring.
Awelife offers a 1-year guarantee or your money back, so you can try it out or return it if you’re not happy.
PROS
- 58-inch hose, holder, ring, screws included
- On/off (low flow) switch
CONS
- No spray settings
5. ETL 26781 Oxygenics Hand Held Sprayer Kit
A company called Oxygenics makes the last two products on the list. Both of them are very popular RV shower heads and the most high-quality ones on the list, which is why both of them are my top picks.
The first model is the ETL 26781. It’s a no frills RV shower head with a hose that turns low water flow into high pressure. Oxygenics has a unique design that I have looked at by taking the shower head apart.
It’s a patented design that increases the oxygen in the water and self-pressurizes even though the original water flow is weak. Two gallons per minute is the amount of water it puts out at most.
An on/off switch lets you control the water flow very precisely, and you can turn it off completely if you want to.
See Also: Best Heated Water Hoses For RV Campers, Barns & Livestock
The Oxygenics doesn’t have any spray settings, so the only thing you can change is the amount of water coming out of the shower head with the flow control switch.
Included with the kit except for the on/off switch, is a 60-inch plastic hose. We didn’t love the included hose, so we upgraded to a stainless steel one that was more flexible.
Oxygenics 26781 shower head is one of the best shower heads you can get for your RV in terms of quality and water saving features.
It doesn’t have a bunch of different spray settings to choose from, but the included switch will let you decide at all times how much water flow you want, and I can tell you that it delivers great pressure even with the lowest amount of water flow possible, it’s impressive.
I just wish the included hose was a flexible stainless steel one.
PROS
- Great pressure for the water flow
- 60-inch hose, adjustable wall bracket included
- On/off (low flow) switch
CONS
- No spray settings
6. Oxygenics Fury Handheld Shower Head
The last shower head on the list is another one from Oxygenics. It delivers the same quality and pressure as the one above, but it has more frills, meaning more spray settings and it looks more like a shower head than the 26781.
It has a non-slip finger grip design which is great to have. The thing with the Oxygenics 26781 above is that it can be pretty slippery in your hands when it’s wet, which a grip design will take care of.
A 72-inch white hose is included in the kit, as well as a wall mount with 3M commercial strength tape for easy mounting without having to drill any holes in the wall.
Five spray settings are available to give you your kind of shower, and these are called Oxygenics, WideStream, Massage, FocusStream, and WideStream + FocusStream.
Massage will provide you with a softened focused spray, while the FocusStream will be slightly more pressurized and harder towards one area.
WideStream is what it sounds like, and Oxygenics is like a mix of WideStream and Massage.
See Also: Best Propane RV Tankless Water Heater Reviews
You can easily control the water flow by adjusting it on the shower head, and it won’t close shut to 100%, for a reason.
It’s designed that way to stop the water coming from your hot and cold pipes to mix, which often creates a cold and unpleasant experience when the water is turned back on.
You can turn down the flow, but it will only go to a trickle.
If you want to shut it completely, I recommend getting a shut off valve like the KES K1140B BRASS Shower Head Shut-Off Valve and put between the shower head and the hose.
The Oxygenics Fury is my top pick for a couple of reasons. It’s a high-quality, durable product that I feel confident recommending to full-timers that need to use it daily.
It has five settings with different purposes and people, and it has a great grip to make it easy to hold.
You can quickly install it to the wall in the RV shower with the included 3M tape, and the included 72-inch hose is long for a shower hose.
It has everything that you could ask for from an RV shower head, and it’s the best one available on the market.
PROS
- Great pressure for the water flow
- 72-inch hose, adjustable wall bracket included with 3M tape
- Five spray settings
- Grip design handle
- Flow control
CONS
- None
What We’ve Used
Before we started RV full-timing, we upgraded the shower head in our travel trailer.
We chose the Oxygenics BodySpa 26781 RV Hand Held Sprayer Kit.
It’s a handheld shower head that works great in RVs (or as an outdoor shower) because it does an excellent job at amplifying the water pressure, and the on/off (low flow) shutoff valve lets you control the pressure even further, or turn it off almost completely.
We really liked the Oxygenetics BodySpa but we left it installed in our travel trailer when we sold it.
For our motorhome, we wanted to try the Oxygenics Fury Handheld Shower Head.
So far it’s been amazing. The smaller BodySpa output about the same water pressure but the Fury has a lot more water settings and the showerhead spreads the water out more.
The water shut off on the Fury is also a little easier to use, but overall they’re both fantastic options.
Frequently Asked Questions About RV Shower Heads
What does GPM stand for?
Gallons Per Minute. How many gallons the shower head will let through each minute.
If you upgrade your RV water pump, the GPM and psi will be important numbers.
Not only to know how many gallons per minute it can pump, but to make sure your RV plumbing can handle the pressure provided by the pump.
Why does my RV shower head not turn off all the way?
If your RV shower head has a “pause control”-function, also known as a shut-off, or on/off valve, it’s possible that it won’t restrict the water flow completely.
This is to make sure you don’t get blasted with cold water as soon as you turn on the valve again.
How do I replace an RV shower head?
Since hand held shower heads screw on, all you need to do is unscrew the old one and put the new one on the same threads.
Make sure the thread size is the same before you put it on to not damage the threads which usually are plastic.
If your new RV shower head came with a kit including a holder and wallmounting tape, you can choose where to put your new holder.
Remove the old one, and cover up holes with silicon if necessary to prevent water damage.
How do I clean the RV shower head?
If you have been connected to city water or filled your tank with a lot of hard water, the nozzles on your shower head might be clogged up. It’s also possible that minerals simply have been building up over time.
To clean out the nozzles, soak the shower head in a white vinegar bath. You can use a toothpick to clean out individual nozzle holes.
Are there water softeners for RVs?
Yes, there are portable water softeners. A popular model is the On The Go Portable Grain RV Water Softener.
It requires no tools to use and is easy to use.
How long will my freshwater tank last?
If you know how big your fresh water tank is in gallons, and how many GPM your RV shower head is rated for, you can easily calculate by taking:
Tank size/GPM. For example, if you have a 50 gallon tank, and a showerhead advertised as 2 GPM, we’ll do 50/2=25.
This means that we can take a shower for 25 minutes. Note that if you have a water heater with a tank running on only propane gas, it might not be able to keep up and you’ll be showering in cold water after 10 minutes.
How can I increase the water pressure with my current shower head?
There are a couple of things you can do with your current showerhead.
- Clean the head – Minerals or hard water build up over time and decrease the water flow through the nozzles. Bath the showerhead in white vinegar to clean it out.
- Upgrade your RV water pump – If your water pump is old or isn’t capable of pumping a lot of gallons per minute, you might want to upgrade it. RV water pumps are easy to replace and install, and it doesn’t take very long. Make sure your RV plumbing can handle the rated psi of the new pump before installing. Most RV plumbing can handle at least 50 psi, but you should check with the manufacturer to be sure.
- Use your water pump instead of city water – Some campgrounds have really good water pressure while some don’t. If you’re staying at an RV park or campground with really bad pressure, your water pump might do a better job. Fill up your fresh water tank, turn on the water pump, and head into the shower.
Can you use any shower head in an RV?
Yes, you can as long as it uses the universal thread size, which is 1/2″. If it’s not, there are thread adapters.
What’s special with a lot of RV shower heads is the pause control valve that stops the flow almost completely, to save water while lathering up.
If I don’t know the GPM, how can I test it?
An easy way to test it is to take an empty 1-gallon milk jug and a stopwatch and start filling the milk jug with water in the shower.
Start the water and the stopwatch at the same time and stop it when the jug is full. Then take 60 divided by how many seconds it took to fill.
If the milk jug is full after 30 seconds, you’ll know that you’re getting 2 gallons per minute since 60/30=2. If it’s full after 20 seconds, 60/20=3 GPM.
Can you replace the outdoor shower head as well?
In most cases, yes. You should check to make sure that the thread size on the outdoor shower is the universal 1/2″.
You should also consider the size of the new shower head since there is not a lot of space to store the outdoor shower on most trailers.
Remember to turn off the water on the shower faucet when you’re done and not on the showerhead.
What if I use a water pressure regulator?
Water pressure regulators protect RV plumbing and hoses from high-pressure city water. They’re put between the hydrant and your water hose, and if used properly will prevent damage to your RV plumbing due to too much water pressure.
There are different types of water pressure regulators for RVers. Some have a set max psi, while some are adjustable. It’s recommended to use a regulator when you’re hooked up to city water, no matter what kind it is.
Before attaching it to the hydrant, make sure that the pressure is set below the limit of what your RV plumbing can handle. Or if you don’t have an adjustable kind, check the specifications of your regulator. It’s most likely also printed on the regulator itself.
Both types are fine to use and won’t affect your RV shower very much, as long as the water pressure from the hydrant is enough. A broken regulator should be replaced as soon as possible.
How much water pressure (psi) can my RV handle?
How much water pressure your specific RV or camper can handle depends on several factors. Like year, condition, model, and manufacturer.
While most new RVs can handle up to 100 psi, you should not exceed 40 to 50 psi if you’re not certain that your RV can handle higher pressures.
Some campgrounds and hydrants are capable of over 100 psi, which is why you should use a regulator to protect the plumbing in your RV and the hoses connected to it.
What is the best tape to hang a showerhead bracket in an RV?
We use 3M VHB RP45 Tape (click here). I have even seen it used to mount solar panels to RVs. It has held up great, just clean the area and let it completely dry and the wall bracket should stay up without issues.
What are the best ways to save water in the RV shower?
There are a couple of things you can easily do to use less water.
- When doing dishes, do it in a bucket. By saving the water, you can use it to flush your toilet instead of using clean water from your fresh water tank. Might sound extreme to some, but when you do a lot of boondocking these kinds of things make a difference.
- Buy a better RV shower head. The showerheads we’ve looked at today will save water by giving you the same pressure with less water flow.
- Take navy showers. It’s not easy, especially if it’s cold, but it’s the most significant water-saving thing you can do. You could use a small space heater or Mr. Buddy to heat the bathroom before you take your shower and it will be easier to get out after a navy shower.
- Cook less by meal-prepping. If you cook a big meal that will leave leftovers for days, you won’t have to do a lot of dishes every day, saving you water.
- Use nearby bathrooms. If you’re camping near a pit toilet, consider using it to save water.
When you’re camping and want to save water, a good way to do this is by taking a navy shower.
It’s not the best shower you’ll ever have in your life, but once you get used to it, it will let you stay out and boondock for much longer than before because your fresh water tank will last longer.
A navy shower is a method of showering where you shut off the water while lathering and shampooing.
Turn on the water to get your body wet, shut it off and lather, turn it on and rinse, turn it off, and you’re done. If done right, you can get clean with just a couple of gallons.
Can I add a shut-off valve to my current RV shower head?
Absolutely, there are lots of shut-off valves on the market that you can quickly hook up to your hose for this purpose.
I recommend one like this (click here) that is easily accessible and controllable.
I hate my non-flexible shower hose, what should I do?
I hear you. My wife and I had the same problem with the plastic hose that came with our shower head. We couldn’t control it, as it was controlling itself and us.
What we ended up doing, was buying a stainless steel hose like this (click here) and it has been working great.
Now the RV shower head goes where we want it to, and it’s straightforward to install. Just unscrew the old one and screw on the new one.
I have heard of some hoses becoming more flexible over time, especially when hot water has been run through it, but we bought a stainless steel hose for our RV shower and outdoor shower instead.
Have any more questions about RV shower heads? Leave a comment below.
Hi Great article, About the Oxygenic shower heads. I believe that they do not completely turn off due to a scalding issue some RV’s have after turning the water back on. They are designed to leak/drip a tiny amount of water so that when you turn them back on the water temp does not change. It’s actually a nice feature to have a slow dribble of water to rinse your hands of soap before turning it back on again.
Thanks again for a informative comparison of RV upgrades
Hello Bob,
Thanks for your comment, and that makes a lot of sense actually. Thanks for sharing!
Jesse
Hello Thomas, thanks for your comment!
I get what you’re saying, and will take that into account when I update this article later this fall.
Jesse