A Power Wagon-mounted water tank gives you 7+ gallons of pressurized water at camp — for showers, dish washing, cooking, refilling bottles. Mount the RoadShower to a bed rack and the black tank solar-heats to 80-100°F on a typical day. The right answer for multi-night camping or any trip where you don't want to depend on stream-water filtration.
A pressurized water system upgrades a Power Wagon from "camping trip" to "multi-night basecamp" comfortably. Three options:
Yakima RoadShower 7 ($520) — the reference. 7-gallon black aluminum tank with hose, pressurized via bicycle pump or 12V air compressor. Mounts to bed rack crossbars on standard 80/20 channels. The black tank solar-heats during a day of driving — you get warm water at camp without any heater. Yakima also makes a 4-gallon version ($350) and a 10-gallon ($680).
Front Runner 42L Tank + 12V Pump ($680) — better for cooking + dishes use case. 42L plastic tank (about 11 gallons), 12V pump for genuine pressurized flow (not trickle), proper RV-style faucet. Mounts in the bed (not on the rack — lower CG). Doesn't solar-heat unless you add a heater module.
Geyser Systems portable shower ($320) — different approach. A 4-gallon insulated tank that lives in the bed or cab, pumps water through a shower head via 12V. Lighter (no roof weight), more compact, but only useful AT camp (not a mounted-system for drinking water on the road).
Power Wagon-specific: the bed rack is the natural mounting point for the RoadShower. Your rack needs to be rated for 60-95 lb dynamic load (7 gallons of water + tank = 65 lb minimum). Most quality overland racks (Front Runner Slimline, Eezi-Awn K9, BAJA Designs) handle that fine. Cheap eBay racks may not.
Plumbing: RoadShower comes with a 6' hose and shower head. For dish-washing or refilling water bottles, the standard hose is fine. If you want a proper sink at the back of the bed, you'll need to plumb a longer hose (Yakima sells extensions).
Water quality: the RoadShower's aluminum tank is potable-rated. The Front Runner plastic tank is the same. You can drink from both. The Geyser uses a removable refillable bag — also potable.
Cold weather: any system with water in it freezes. Drain in winter or accept that you're camping without water below 32°F.
Honest framing: a $520 RoadShower is a quality-of-life luxury. For weekend trips, a 5-gallon jerry can + cooking pot ($30) does the same job. For multi-night camping or 5+ days of base-camping, the convenience of pressurized hot water at the rear of the truck is worth the money.
The RoadShower is the common pick, and mounting it correctly is mostly about rack rating and routing.
For shade over the wash-up area, the pw-overland-awning mounts to the same rack and turns the rear corner into a usable space.
Freezing is the failure that ruins hardware. Any water left in a tank, pump, or hose can split a fitting or crack a pump body below 32°F — drain the whole system before a cold night or before winter storage. This is the most common way these systems die.
Watch the loaded weight on the rack and the rear axle. A full tank plus the rack plus a tire carrier and tent stacks up fast, and water is dense — 7 gallons is ~58 lb of payload that moves to the very top and rear of the truck. Mind potability too: keep a drinking-water tank separate from one you've used for greasy dish water, even though both tanks are potable-rated, because flavors and films carry over.
| Part | Vendor | Est. price |
|---|---|---|
| Yakima RoadShower 7 (7 gallon, solar-heated, bed-rack mount) | Yakima | ~$520 |
| Front Runner 42L Pressurized Water Tank + 12V pump kit | Front Runner | ~$680 |
| Geyser Systems portable shower (4-gallon, separate from rig) | Geyser Systems | ~$320 |
| Mounting brackets for bed rack (depends on rack) | rack manufacturer | ~$60 |
Written and maintained by an AZ wheeler and driveway wrencher. Always cross-reference your factory service manual — modifications affect vehicle safety and warranty. Work at your own risk.
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