Freshwater Hot Tub Stands
Freshwater hot tubs started out as metal, rubber, and sometimes wood animal water or feed troughs found on farms and ranches throughout the world. Even though farm and ranch workers occasionally used these to cool off in the summer heat, it was the tie-dyed, long-haired back to the earth culture of the 60s and 70s who took these most basic containers of water to the next level. They are often called Hippie or Hillbilly hot tubs.
The simplest basic hot tub is a rubber or metal stock tank that is filled and drained with each use. Once experienced, many will find soaking in clean, fresh hot water is so much nicer than soaking in chemically infused hot water in the much larger, more costly, and more harmful to the environment more common plastic and fiberglass hot tub that runs 24/7.
Our preferred Rubbermaid tubs last for years. One used by the originator of GarnBuilt has been in use for over 30+ years in both 100+ and below 0 temps. He grew up using these in a community of old hippies that his father Garn senior was an active member of.
These types of tubs are generally very simple and easy to use. Like a home tub, you turn on the water, adjust temp, fill, soak, and drain. The common challenge is getting your hot water from inside the home to outside. For 15 years, the originator of GarnBuilt would connect a red garden hose (red hoses are designed for hot water) to a Y brass garden hose connection he installed in various laundry rooms. Now, he has plumbed frost free hose connections to the outside of his home and shop. This makes the process much simpler.
The second challenge is these are designed as livestock water troughs. They have downspouts on the side of the tub, rather than bottom. The result is they tend to drain about 90% of water, but almost always leave a significant amount of water in the bottom. A person can bucket it out, mop it out, or tip the tank on its side or up on its end to drain it. When young, most of us don’t think much of this extra work. Yet as a person gets older, wrestling one of these tubs on its side or end can be a challenge.
Because of this challenge, GarnBuilt took what has been used for years to build Grand Canyon level expedition raft frames, and designed and built a simple, durable, very functional tub frame. These frames support the tub off the ground so they can drain from the bottom. The height is adjustable, and each basic tub frame can be accessorized with handrails, a shower hose stand, towel holders, and wood shelves for beverages, toiletries, and as a step. All tubs then become very easy to drain with the simple pull of the rubber plug and allows for about 99% of the water to drain when the plug is pulled.
In addition, the originator of GarnBuilt (Garn Jr.) is convinced sitting in one of these and watching the sunrise or sunset unleashes creative thoughts of all types and is a perfect time to review that day, and what you hope are your future days. 😊
Our basic kit provides a frame to set your tub on and the parts to install a common tub train in the bottom of a 150 gallon/568 liter Rubbermaid Stock Tank. The frame can be adjusted for height and slope. (We also have a rolling version.)
All frame components are strong, durable, aluminum tubing and fittings from new and recycled aluminum that will last forever with no maintenance other than an occasional snugging of set screws and cleaning.
