G’day! If your weekends swing between coastal campsites, red-dirt free camps, and quick overnighters in the van, you already know one truth: a decent hot shower can turn a dusty day into a good one. In Australia, where distances stretch and weather swings, you don’t want to chew through gas, lug bulky gear, or wait forever for water to warm. That’s where Camplux comes into its own—simple to set up, easy to pack, and built for the outdoors.
Below is a no-nonsense guide to choosing and using a Camplux for outdoor showers across camping, caravans, off-grid homes, backyards, and beach shacks. We’ll keep the tech talk light, stick to plain English, and focus on what actually makes your life easier on the road and at home.
Why Outdoor Showers Make Sense in Australia
Between surf sessions, dusty tracks, and kids who can find mud in a desert, hot water on tap saves time and keeps the whole crew happier. Water rules vary across camps and parks, so being able to shower right at your setup—and manage grey water responsibly—beats queuing for amenities or driving into town. Camplux heaters pair neatly with a 9 kg LPG bottle and a compact water source, so you can rinse off salt, sand, sweat, and sunscreen where you stand. Less mucking about, more enjoying the sunset with a cuppa.
What You’ll Notice Straight Away
Comfort you can carry
Camplux units are light enough to throw in the ute, and they slot neatly into van storage. Clip the hoses, connect LPG, and you’re minutes from a steamy rinse. For a weekend dash to a national park, that portability is worth its weight in Tim Tams.
Hot water without the faff
Boiling a kettle gets old fast—especially if you’re showering two kids and the dog. A compact instant hot water heater turns a few litres per minute into a steady shower, so everyone gets clean, quick smart.
Smarter use of water and time
Classic camp trick: wet down, stop the flow, soap up, then rinse. With a Camplux, on-off control is easy and the heat returns when you reopen the handset, so you’re not wasting water waiting for warmth to come back.
Clean people, gear, and the four-legged mate
A sandy board, muddy boots, and a dog who thinks red clay is cologne—sort the lot in one go. A warm rinse helps lift salt and grit faster than cold water, which saves your hands and your patience.
Camplux vs Other Ways to Get Hot Water
Kettle + basin
Cheap and cheerful, until you’re doing multiple rounds for a family. Water cools fast, you burn time, and it’s hard to keep a comfortable temperature.
Solar shower bag
Great when the sun’s blazing and you’ve got all arvo to wait. Less great on windy, chilly days or when you want a predictable temperature for kids.
Electric 240V or generator
Works if you’ve got a powered site or carry a generator—but that adds noise, fuel, and bulk. Not ideal for quiet bush camps or dawn starts.
Fixed gas storage systems
Home-like comfort, but usually installed in one spot. Not exactly “pack up and go” and often overkill when your life happens outdoors.
Why Camplux wins the outdoors
It’s the “right-sized” solution for Aussie trips: portable, quick to set up, and reliable in the wind and weather. You get instantaneous hot water without building a big, permanent system—and without raising the irritation levels of your camp neighbours.
Who You Are (and what set-up fits)
Weekend campers
You want quick setup and easy pack-down. A jerry can or small tank, a compact pump, and a Camplux get you from dusty to fresh in minutes. Keep hoses short, pick a spot out of the wind, and you’re sorted before the billy boils.
Caravan & van crew
You’ve got storage and maybe a tank on board. Mount a shower point outside, snap on quick-connect fittings, and leave the rest in a padded crate. After a long drive, having a warm shower a meter from the van door is luxury.
Off-grid & remote households
Consistency matters. Choose a protected, well-ventilated spot out of the prevailing wind, keep your water line tidy and insulated if it’s frosty, and you’ll have reliable comfort even when town is a hundred k’s away.
Backyard & beach shack
A simple garden-tap feed to a Camplux gives you a post-beach rinse area, a kid-friendly wash zone, or a place to hose off sandy camping kit. Add a shower tent for privacy and cut the mess inside the house.
Tradies & field work
Warm water makes cleaning gear quicker and kinder on hands after long days in dust, mud, or salt air. Tools last longer when they’re not caked in grime.
Quick Model Picks (experience-based, not spreadsheet-based)
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Camplux AY132 – Best for travel-light campers and couples who value a small footprint and quick set-and-forget comfort.
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Camplux BV158 – The sweet spot for caravaners and small families who want home-like showers with a little more oomph.
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Camplux F10 – Handy for backyards, beach shacks, or camps with a queue—more flow for multiple showers one after another.
A simple rule of thumb: the more people taking back-to-back showers, or the colder your source water (winter creeks, alpine regions), the more you’ll appreciate stepping up a model and adding a decent pump and a sheltered position.
Setup Recipes You Can Copy
Camping kit: jerry can + 12V pump + LPG
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Fill a clean water container.
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Fit a little inline filter to keep grit out.
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Clip on your 12V pump and connect to the inlet.
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Hang or mount the heater at safe height (away from flammables).
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Connect the handset and test.
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Choose a lee side (out of the breeze) and manage grey water responsibly.
Tips from the track: start the flow first, then light the heater; keep hoses as short and straight as practical; avoid tripping hazards.
Caravan & van: onboard tank or tap
Feed from your tank or a mains tap through a pressure-friendly hose. If you’re mounting a semi-permanent shower point, aim for a tidy run where the handset can hang without twisting the line. Quick-connects speed things up; a shallow tub helps collect grey water where required.
Backyard & beach shack: garden tap + mount
Use a garden hose feed, a simple mount or bracket, and a privacy tent. Rinse off boards, masks, fins, and sandy feet before stepping inside. In salty environments, give the exterior a fresh-water wipe after use.
Field rinse station
Lay down a mat to catch grit, run an inline filter, and dedicate a scrub brush for boots and tools. Your car carpets will thank you later.
Safety & Good Practice (Aussie context)
Use Camplux units only outdoors in open, well-ventilated spaces—never indoors or in enclosed areas. Keep clear of flammable materials and strong wind tunnels, stand the gas bottle upright on stable ground, and check hoses, O-rings, and the regulator before you fire up. In national parks and campgrounds, follow local signs about water use and grey-water disposal. In coastal spots, rinse the unit and fittings with fresh water after exposure to salt spray.
What Aussie Users Tend to Say
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Easy out of the box – The process from “where’s the box” to “ahh, that’s warm” is short.
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Packable – Fits the van or ute without playing Tetris.
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Comfortable – Feels like a proper shower, not a panicked splash.
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Low-fuss upkeep – Filters are simple to check; exterior wipes down quickly.
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Good value – One unit serves people, pets, and gear.
That’s the gist you hear at camp kitchens and car parks up and down the coast.
No-Fuss Checklists
Before you go
Batteries, regulator and hose condition, spare O-rings, quick-connects, handset, and a spare inline filter. If you’re headed somewhere cold, pack a simple wind break and a towel hook.
On site
Pick a sheltered, ventilated spot away from the tent fly. Set up water lines first, then LPG. Keep hose runs short, avoid tight bends, and hang the handset at shoulder height so kids aren’t fighting the stream.
Pack down
Turn off the gas, let the heater cool, drain lines and the handset, wipe salt or grit off the exterior, and store everything dry. Future-you will be chuffed.
Accessories That Make Life Better
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12V pump kit for low-pressure sources and gravity buckets.
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Inline filter to protect the heater and your shower handset.
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Shower tent or simple screen for privacy and wind relief.
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Quick-connects for faster set-and-forget assembly.
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A small tub or mat to keep mud off your camp pad and to help with grey-water capture where required.
Care & Longevity
After each use, drain the water lines and give the exterior a quick wipe—especially important in sandy or salty environments. If your water is “hard” (leaves a white ring in the kettle), consider a routine descale every so often to keep things efficient. In winter, store the unit dry and out of frost. A little care now saves drama and dollars later.
Quick Troubleshooting
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No ignition – Check the gas bottle valve, make sure the regulator is seated, confirm battery orientation and charge, and ensure you’ve actually got enough flow through the handset.
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Temperature wobble – Keep the flow steady rather than feathering the trigger, avoid mixing in cold water on the handset, and tuck the heater out of direct gusts.
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Flame goes out / safety trips – Improve ventilation, use a wind break, clean the intake and any accessible screens, and return to a steady flow rate.
Nine times out of ten, the fix is airflow, fuel, or flow consistency.
FAQs
Can I use it indoors?
No—Camplux heaters are for outdoor, open, well-ventilated areas only.
Can I fix it in one spot?
They’re designed for portability; if you create a semi-permanent setup outdoors, follow local gas and ventilation rules and keep clearances as per the manual.
Can I use rainwater or bore water?
Yes, but filter it first. If water leaves white scale on your kettle, do routine descaling.
Will it work with low water pressure?
Bring a 12V pump and keep hose runs short and tidy. Avoid placing the source much lower than the heater if you can.
Is coastal use okay?
Absolutely—just rinse the exterior and fittings with fresh water and store dry.
Why Camplux is a Sweet Spot for Aussies
You get warmth where you are, without waiting or carting around half a workshop. Whether it’s a sunrise surf rinse, a long day’s dust washed off before dinner, or a quick clean-up for tools and pets, you’ll find yourself using it more than you expected. It’s simple, it’s comfortable, and it doesn’t hog space. If you’ve been juggling kettles, relying on the camp amenities block, or putting off a rinse because it’s all a bit hard—this is the nudge to make life easier.
One-Line Picks (so you can get moving)
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AY132 – Travel light, set up fast, shower happy.
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BV158 – Family-friendly comfort for vans and cabins.
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F10 – Backyard or beach shack workhorse for back-to-back showers.
Pack a pump, snap on a filter, set up a little wind shelter, and you’ll be living the good life—clean, warm, and ready for the next adventure.
