Water tank fill in CG without water - simple

Creativepart · 06-01-2016, 10:30 AM

We're spending 2-weeks in one of our favorite campgrounds. We're in the National Forest above Durango. About 15 mi north of town and 6 or so miles south of the Durango Mtn Resort (Purgatory).

Haviland Lake Campground is set on a beautiful lake, surrounded by mountains. It's a great spot. We found it by accident 7 years ago and have been back every year, many times twice in a year.

About 1/2 of the 40-some campsites have electricity. But no other services are offered. There are pit toilets but no showers, etc. And the pit toilets are the nicest cleanest non-smelly pit toilets you'll ever see.

They don't have any water at your campsite only 5 or 6 water spigots. scattered around the campsite loops. No hose connections anywhere.

Staying 2-weeks (the maximum stay) without any water would take a seriously large fresh water tank. Or we'd have to take the RV to a place up the highway that offers a dump station and fresh water for a fee. But since we've been coming here so long we've devised a different strategy.

Campingworld and others sell a 45 gallon water "bag". When we towed a travel trailer we'd put it on the roof of our truck, fill it with water and then use gravity to fill our tanks. But with the 3051S Forester the fresh water fill is up high. Too high for gravity to fill the tank from the roof of our toad.

So, I bought an inexpensive 12-v water pump and now it's even easier. I just fill the water bag, park next to the RV, connect the pump and quickly pump the water into the tank.

I mention all of this because I know a lot of boondockers would like a way to drive to a place to get water that they could easily take to their rig when they are all set up in a great boondocking location.

So, here's my setup - you can see how small it is folded away, what it looks like while filing and how I pump it into the RV.

PS. Haviland Campground allows the dumping of grey water via a small hose so, a two week stay is no problem from a grey water perspective and with the CG's toilets our black tank stays fairly empty during 2-weeks as well.

Rupkin2 · 06-01-2016, 10:41 AM

Thats kinda cool, little bit of work once in awhile but nonetheless it works.
Actually may not be all that much work probably more time consuming.

Good idea.

John

Creativepart · 06-01-2016, 10:47 AM

Not much work at all. But it takes about 40 mins total to fill the bag and pump the water into the RV. And, if this CG had no water we could drive to place that lets RVs fill up for $4 and is only 3 miles away.

There's great dispersed camping for free on Hermosa Creek in a valley behind the Purgatory ski hill. It's a fairly rough road to get there, but lots of folks camp in this fantastic valley. Durango is a great town, with hiking, mountain biking and world class fishing.

We like it because it sits at 6,500 feet and is always cool and low humidity - compared to our home in South Texas. And, it's only 1,000 miles from home.

flymhi · 06-01-2016, 11:33 AM

Neat idea with the bladder. They look pricey ($300+). I couldn't find anything on the CW site. How long have you used the bladder?

flymhi · 06-01-2016, 11:38 AM

Nevermind, I found it on the CW site

Pipeman · 06-01-2016, 11:55 AM

I have one of those bladders and a 60 gal bladder from another source. The CW bladder goes behind the 5th wheel and the other one will go in front of the 5th wheel. Great for boondocking, which we do a lot of. Good stuff.....

newRVer · 06-01-2016, 12:27 PM

That's a nice solution! I'll have to keep that in mind if I ever go boon docking for several days.

Total Loss · 06-01-2016, 03:08 PM

That's how my bud fills his Coachman MBS since it does not even have a gravity feed.
He has to screw in a hose bib with a pressure fill.
Uses a 12 volt battery or jumper box.

mdstudey · 06-02-2016, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Creativepart

There's great dispersed camping for free on Hermosa Creek in a valley behind the Purgatory ski hill. It's a fairly rough road to get there, but lots of folks camp in this fantastic valley. Durango is a great town, with hiking, mountain biking and world class fishing.

We like it because it sits at 6,500 feet and is always cool and low humidity - compared to our home in South Texas. And, it's only 1,000 miles from home.

There is a lot to do in that area. I really miss living in Colorado. It has been a hot summer already down here on the border by the sea.

dreamin533 · 06-02-2016, 12:21 PM

I have a 2008 Berkshire and I wish it had a gravity fill for fresh water. Has anyone ever added a fresh water fill to their tank? I would be interested in anyone has info or pictures.

bob dirt · 06-02-2016, 12:35 PM

The bladder is a good idea camping near an easy water supply. I'll have to check into that. Right now I use 7 gallon jugs from wally world or I also have (2) 30 gallon plastic tanks for long stays in the desert or in the middle of nowhere. I carry them on my trailer with my RZR.

We'll be in Silverton (9300ft) around the 4th of July. Big party in town every 4th. Also riding the RZR all over the mountains.

At the beach in Mexico right now, but not in the RV

ronandpat · 06-02-2016, 03:23 PM

This last weekend plus 3 days we camped without a water hookup. Towards the end we needed more fresh water. I filled a 5 gallon bucket, put the winterizing suction hose in it, set the valve for suction from the bucket then the other valve for Gravity, turned the pump on and transferred the water right to the fresh water tank. Of course I had to add 5 buckets to the tank for the remainder of the weekend but it worked. The bladder idea is better but a little pricey.

Gmar60 · 06-02-2016, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flymhi

Neat idea with the bladder. They look pricey ($300+). I couldn't find anything on the CW site. How long have you used the bladder?

Look on eBay for a ballast bag for wakeboarding. FatSac makes them and with a pump are less than $150. Larger sizes too.

Gmar60 · 06-02-2016, 08:50 PM

http://m.ebay.com/itm/Origin-OWT-BB5...%257Ciid%253A3

Creativepart · 06-03-2016, 12:23 AM

I paid about $100 for the bladder at CW. And got the pump on sale for $35. It's come in super handy for 3 yrs now. Seems like a bargain for the piece of mind alone.

Witch Doctor · 06-03-2016, 03:26 AM

Very good thread and Ideas. I have never boon-docked before, would love to try it sometime. The only thing that really stops me is I wouldn't trust my unit. I have about as much faith in it as I can throw it. Just about every trip something breaks or something will happen. So enjoy yourselves, good ideas as I said...

mnoland30 · 06-03-2016, 06:08 AM

I got tired of holding up 5 gallon jugs and waiting for them to empty. I found a grey water tank and fresh water tank on craigslist. I mount them in my truck, and can fill the water tank from a spigot.

For a siphon to work, the top of the tank you're filling has to be lower than the bottom of the tank you're emptying. My fill hole is high, but if I stick the tube far enough down the fill hose, it gets below the bottom of my truck tank. The key is to use a small plastic tube instead of a hose. You don't care how long it takes to empty, because you're inside having a beer.

Camping near lakes, I don't like to dump my grey water out on the ground. I use a pump system to pump into my truck's grey water tank, and dump it at the dump station.

You may also like: