Redneck Hot Tub

When we renovated an old house a couple of years ago we chose not to have a bathtub in order to have a larger shower but every now and then I miss having a tub just to soak, relax and warm up. There are plenty of examples of DIY stock tank hot tubs out there but this is just my simple, portable version.

Every time I've pulled up to the local hardware store the past couple of years there's been this 100-gallon Rubbermaid plastic stock tank sitting outside that is almost the exact size as a clawfoot tub. It was only $69 so I bought it.

I didn't do anything fancy like build a wood facade or make a heater out of copper tubing. The only reason I did it is because when we renovated we installed a tankless water heater so we have an unlimited hot water supply. I just bought a hot/cold tap, pex tubing, fittings and crimp tool which was more expensive then the actual tub!

The only things I added was a cup holder and clamp mount for my tablet.

Per my brother's suggestion I did add some wheels later so I can transport it more easily. It's not that heavy but awkward to carry since it's so large. I bought 1/2" steel rod, 6" lawnmower wheels, 1/2" shaft collars and drilled a 1/2" hole in either side of the base then notched it so the axle snaps into place.

So what I do is fill it up with warm water then leave only the hot tap on so I can just turn on the garden hose attachment when I need to warm it up. I cut a 1-inch overflow hole in one end so it doesn't overflow the top and get my towel wet. The best thing about this DIY hot tub, besides the price, is that its portable so I can pull the plug and store it behind the garage. Thanks for looking!