How to Upgrade Your Campground with Modular Bathhouses
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Campgrounds come in all shapes and sizes, from sprawling retreats complete with hiking trails and park model cabins to a few small tent-camping sites on the back end of someone’s personal property.
If you have a campground, you know that one of the most critical problems to solve is the bathroom problem. Where will your campers go to relieve themselves? Do you have adequate units for all campers? Should you provide showers? How will you logistically make that work, given your current budget?
At Lancaster Log Cabins, we offer an innovative solution to this problem: modular bathhouses. With a modular bathhouse, you can solve the bathroom problem on your campground with zero fuss and stress.
Want to know more about modular bathhouses, how they work, and if they’re the best option for your campground?
If so, keep reading!
Table of Contents
What is a Modular Bathhouse?
Imagine rolling a pre-fabricated building onto your property, opening the door, and seeing a ready-to-use toilet, shower, and sink.
That, in essence, is a modular bathhouse.
Modular bathhouses are factory-built restrooms designed to be transported and installed on-site as complete units. They may contain one or multiple bathrooms, and you can add more units as necessary to accommodate the size of your campground.
Thus, they are “modular.”
Modular bathhouses have pre-installed plumbing and hardware. You just need to hook up the water and sewage systems.
Modular bathhouses are designed with the various needs and limitations of a campground in mind. However, they can also be used in parks, construction sites, outdoor event venues, and other locations that require restroom and shower facilities that are quick and easy to move in and install.
Benefits of Modular Bathhouses
When designing your campground, you have three general options for bathroom facilities:
- A permanent restroom facility built on a foundation
- An off-grid toilet, such as a pit toilet or composting toilet
- A modular bathhouse
Each option has advantages and disadvantages based on the type of campground you have. Permanent restroom facilities are ideal for large, established campgrounds but require a lot of time and money to build and are logistically challenging. Pit toilets are fully off-grid and require very little maintenance once established, but they don’t offer the most pleasant experience for campers.
Modular bathhouses, on the other hand, provide numerous benefits compared to other options.
1. Quick Installation
Unlike all other types of bathroom facilities, modular bathhouses offer quick installation and setup. Once your unit is delivered, you can hook up your preferred water and sewage system and be ready to go!
2. Competitive Pricing
Because modular bathhouses are pre-fabricated, they offer significant cost savings compared to permanent options with similar features.
3. Luxury Features
Modular bathhouses offer luxury features like individual bathroom units (instead of stalls), indoor showers, handicap-accessible units, and a clean, spacious feel that your campers will appreciate.
4. Mobility
Finally, modular bathhouses are on wheels, making them mobile. This is convenient if you have a seasonal campground and want to move your bathroom to winterize it, or if you decide, as your campground grows, that you wish to place the bathhouse in a different location.
However, despite the many benefits of modular bathhouses, it’s worth noting that they are not right for every situation. A modular bathhouse might not be the right fit if:
- You need a highly customized bathroom
- You’re a large, established, on-grid campground with the means to invest in permanent bathroom facilities
- You don’t need shower facilities and want something with almost no maintenance required, like a pit toilet
- Your campground is completely off-grid with no plumbing and electricity hookups available
As you continue to make your campground the best it can be, you may be interested in our blog posts about eco-tourism, investing in park model cabins, and park model maintenance.
Installing a Modular Bathhouse
Compared to other bathroom options, modular bathhouses are a breeze to install since they come pre-assembled and on wheels. Here are the simple steps to installing your modular bathroom.
Step 1: Planning and Permits
Check with your city or county building department for information on local zoning laws, construction codes, and required permits. Ensure your bathhouse follows all local regulations, and obtain the necessary permits, including zoning approvals, environmental permits, and plumbing/electrical permits.
Step 2. Site Selection
Select a location that adheres to local regulations, is convenient for campers, and has access to necessary utilities.
Step 3. Delivery and Installation
Consult with your manufacturer about delivery and installation, and watch them roll your new modular bathhouse into place!
Step 4. Utility Connections
Now, it’s time to connect your bathhouse with water and sewer lines and the electrical grid. Make sure you follow all local codes.
Step 5. Steps and Skirting
Since your bathhouse comes on wheels, you must provide steps and a wheelchair ramp for bathroom access.
It’s also nice to add a skirting to the bathhouse to cover the wheels and make it appear like a more permanent structure.
Step 6. Finishing Touches
You’re almost there! Now that your bathhouse is installed, final tasks include:
- Adding any missing details, such as signs or paint
- Scheduling any inspections your local area requires to make sure everything is up to code
- Stocking your bathhouse with supplies such as trash bins, soap, toilet paper, and paper towels
With these tasks complete, your campers can enjoy their new bathroom!
Maintaining a Modular Bathhouse
Here’s how to keep your modular bathhouse maintained and functional so campers will enjoy the experience, and it will last a long time.
Clean daily
Regular cleaning is the most important part of maintaining your bathhouse.
Bathrooms can get gross and nasty fast, and if your campers are disgusted by filthy bathrooms, trust me, they won’t want to come back! (And make sure to restock soap, toilet paper, and other supplies while you’re at it.)
Besides regularly cleaning the interior, it’s also important to pressure wash the exterior periodically.
Make sure features are in good working condition
As a camper, there’s nothing worse than trying to use the bathroom when the lights are burned out, the toilet won’t flush, or the lock doesn’t work. Check these basic features—locks, drains, lightbulbs, etc—alongside your daily cleanings, and resolve any issues immediately.
Periodic manual inspection
On top of the daily maintenance tasks, you should also perform monthly manual inspections. Check over the components of your bathhouse, looking for:
- Leaks in the plumbing
- Sediment buildup in water heaters
- Tripped breakers or signs of damage in electrical panels
- Dust and debris buildup in the ventilation system
- Any cracks, water damage, loose fixtures, rust, or corrosion
- Pest infestations
If you see any issues, resolve them immediately, calling in professionals as needed.
Seasonal preparation
If you live in an area with harsh weather conditions (such as frigid winters or a hurricane season), take time to prepare before the season begins by winterizing pipes, making sure everything is securely fastened down, etc. Once the season is over, carefully check for damage. In fact, that may be a good time to get a professional inspection. Speaking of which…
Professional inspections
Although you can catch most problems by doing manual inspections, it’s always a good idea to call in the professionals once a year or so to catch issues you may have missed.
By following these routine maintenance procedures, you can ensure your bathouse stays in good working order and your campers have a good time!
How Lancaster Log Cabins Can Help
At Lancaster Log Cabins, we love happy campers! We know that providing quality campground bathroom facilities at an affordable price is challenging, which is why we set out to solve that problem with modular bathhouses.
We construct our modular bathhouses with high-quality materials and real wood. By making the bathhouses affordable and easy to install, we aim to give your campers a luxury experience on a budget while taking a load off the campground owner’s shoulders.
Our other high-quality prefabricated campground structures include:
Contact us today to have a meaningful conversation about the campground you’re creating, and how we can help you realize your vision!