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Old 12-09-2016, 03:09 PM   #1
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Lightbulb Best 'Dry Camping' RV Mod evah!... simple!

I've done this trick to my last 2 RV's, and we absolutely (and wifey endorsed!) love love love this!. I wish RV Mfgrs started making this as an option!
So, I claim it as "The BEST MOD EVAH!" lol... It's for us Dry (no city-water hookup) or self contained/ boondockers, or part time hoofers.



It's a fresh water "bladder tank" that holds ~5 gal or larger! (we currently have a 10 gal model installed) but, whatever size you can fit in your avail space (like in your water compartment or basement). I would suggest a place that the main water line goes by/thru or into (after the 12v pump, on the dispensing/outgoing side) for an easy splice install. So purchase as big of one as you can fit in your space!

What are they mainly used for?:
This device is a main stay in home "well water" supply; to help keep the well pump usage down and wayyyy more efficient.

Availability:
Any Lowe's, Home Depot, True Value etc. Specialty plumbing stores may also have more models available to order like light-weight aluminum or poly/plastic ones!

How to install:
Easy to moderate, you simply cut/splice ("T") into your (after pump side) water feed (tubing/line). Another words, the water tubing that is post pump and heading to your unit for distribution. Below diagram shows a check valve, disregard in our case but you can invsion the pump being at this location. The on/off valve is optional, I have a ball valve installed on mine but have never shut it off. So you could bypass the install of this and just hard plumb it inline.



What it does:
Dry Camping Water Magic! lol. You now can turn on your water (hot or cold) and no more annoying pump vibrating sound or most important...usage!... like at every little flip of the faucet handle, or even more useful a late night bathroom visit with no pump turn-on!... yep, you now can flush with no pump sound or vibration noise in the middle of the night!

If the pump was on recently and built up the tank pressure, you will even start half your shower without the pump coming on! (The bigger the tank/bladder, the more you flow water with no pump running!).

Big Difference!?:
YES! You will have smoother, more consistent water flow every-time you flip open a faucet or flush the toilet, and all without a noise which in the middle of the night.... is pretty sweet!.

Maintenance:
None. For winterizing I've blown out with air (compressor) hooked up to the city water line. Easy pickup for the hose thread to 3/8 air connection at any hardware store. I went with the quick coupling "A" style for quick hookup and then back to my shop tools, but your call.

These tanks do have an air Schroeder valve (like a car tire valve) in case you need to up your air pressure in the bladder ....the bladder is what pressurizes the water in the tank to make it self standing with pressure after your RV pump initially pressures it up. When the bladder (pressure in the tank) gets below flow level, your RV water pump will kick in again and supply water, but for a longer more efficient run time as after it supplies you the water it will refill the tank with pressurized (again available on demand) water without all those pump cycles.

I'm sure a few here know of this lil trick, but maybe this will help out some others who want the multiple water pump blues cured.

Recommended for who?:
Any camper who dry camps or boondocks regularly or even on occasion. If you always hookup to city/pressurized water, then this will not help you at all.

What if I install this mod, then go back to city water hookup?:

Nothing at all will happen actually, it will simply work the next time you dry camp. In fact, once you go to the dump station, it will actually be working again and you won't even know it.

Do I sell them?:
No! This is just a friendly tip from a guy who likes things to works better than the OEM intended/invented stuff does. That's it, that's all.

Hope you enjoy this mod as much as my wife and I have for the last 8 years of using it. We would not dry camp again without this mod, period. Feel free to post your comments or questions.

KJ & Debbie
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Old 12-09-2016, 08:15 PM   #2
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Nice!! Has anyone done this on a 29HFS? If so, what size and where did u put it?
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Old 12-09-2016, 09:04 PM   #3
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Very expensive Mod to delay your pump from coming on, everyone who is not on city water out here in the country has used this for years. it is just a pressure tank
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Old 12-09-2016, 09:44 PM   #4
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Have used the pressure tanks for last 2 RVS, 5gal size, if you use Anti-Freeze for winterize, install a shutoff valve at outlet of tank! Pump NOT coming on in middle of the night for a bathroom use is "Priceless " Youroo! !
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Old 12-09-2016, 10:21 PM   #5
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I had a really old single axle trailer. 70s vintage that used a pressure tank similar to that for all the water. No demand pump at all. You filled it with city water and the air bladder gave you the pressure. If you ran out, which happened a lot as it was only a few gallons you could fill it with a bucket and funnel, but you had to pressurize the bladder with a bike pump.
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Old 12-10-2016, 04:13 AM   #6
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Thanks for the heads up.
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Old 12-10-2016, 09:56 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by W5CI View Post
Very expensive Mod to delay your pump from coming on, everyone who is not on city water out here in the country has used this for years. it is just a pressure tank
I think mine was done for about $150 total, if this is "very expensive" then you should see my other hobbies, lmao!

As far as your other useless comment, apparently you didn't read what I wrote....

Quote:
What are they mainly used for?:
This device is a main stay in home "well water" supply; to help keep the well pump usage down and wayyyy more efficient.
Hope your day gets better!
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Old 12-10-2016, 10:15 AM   #8
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Have used the pressure tanks for last 2 RVS, 5gal size, if you use Anti-Freeze for winterize, install a shutoff valve at outlet of tank! Pump NOT coming on in middle of the night for a bathroom use is "Priceless " Youroo! !
Hi, my 2 installed tanks (so far) all have had only one outlet which is also the inlet!?

Most tanks have this inlet/outlet on the bottom of the tank which for us will work as an easy winterizing ordeal as you mentioned; you simply run out all of your water with your 12v pump running, then shut off the valve to the bladder tank, fill with pink antifreeze, done.

My 10 gal install however is mounted (strapped) to a basement wall horizontally. This takes the above theory out (for me). Hence why I use the compressor and air to get the job done.

On my new RV, I will hopefully go back to the normal vertical install having the inlet/outlet at the bottom of the base. Also, more stable because that's where the tanks stand/base is welded in also.

It's all about space TBH, and in the install, I would not only suggest securing/strapping the tank and lines (b/c nothing comes good of flexing/moving water lines in an RV) but also use a flexible stainless waterline in/out of your tank.

Here's a pic of this on someone else's unit, note the SS Inlet/Outlet (avail at any hardware store) that I was referring to. Also note the horizontal install which is similar to my 10gal one, but whereas the winterizing will require an air blowout.


Then a vertical mount with the inlet/outlet at the bottom, making your winterizing much easier utilizing the cut off valve....



These are 2 smaller installs yes, but it still will make a difference. Bigger is better however, so if you can fit it in, go bigger.


Cheers, and I agree with you on this being "priceless!"
Just having the even flow of water is so nice, and I have never replaced a pump on any of my RV's using this more efficient water supply method... constant start/stops are hard on any motor or pump, period.
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Old 12-10-2016, 10:48 AM   #9
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I can see the appeal to a pressure tank, but seems like a long way to go to mainly alleviate noise in an rv. I 'sound proofed' our water pump and you really have to listen to hear it run. Doesn't take up any valuable space and cost about $10 for a rubber pad and some foam pipe insulation
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Old 12-10-2016, 11:13 AM   #10
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The tank really saves battery life while dry camping. I can hardly hear the pump in the XLR basement.


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Old 12-10-2016, 11:29 AM   #11
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Originally Posted by NMWildcat View Post
I can see the appeal to a pressure tank, but seems like a long way to go to mainly alleviate noise in an rv. I 'sound proofed' our water pump and you really have to listen to hear it run. Doesn't take up any valuable space and cost about $10 for a rubber pad and some foam pipe insulation
Bladder Tank=
*More even/constant water flow, it's almost like being hooked up to city water!
*Bigger/capacity water supply! granted smaller tanks won't add much
*MUCH More efficient usage on the pump and motor = longevity
*Less battery draw, but this is very minimal IMO.
*No noise on midnight toilet flushes as mentioned, and no need to mask up your pump with band-aids which only makes it hold in the heat (bad idea!).

Benefits are outstanding (for us dry campers). Any few days a year dry campers?... maybe would not consider this mod, and understandably so.

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Old 12-10-2016, 11:50 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by Top_Speed1 View Post
no need to mask up your pump with band-aids which only makes it hold in the heat (bad idea!).
Only a rubber pad under the pump, nothing to hold in heat if there is any. Main noise reduction is padding pipes going through wooden panels. No Band-Aids used at all

Quote:
Benefits are outstanding (for us dry campers). Any few days a year dry campers?... maybe would not consider this mod, and understandably so.
We dry camp 80℅ of the time, year round.

I'm glad you like your mod and that it works for you. That doesn't mean that it is for everybody, and that others are wrong for going a different direction. Have a good day.
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Old 12-10-2016, 12:09 PM   #13
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The tank really saves battery life while dry camping. I can hardly hear the pump in the XLR basement.


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Not sure I understand how you think it saves battery life. The tank reduces the number of cycles that the pump runs, BUT the pump still has to pump the same amount of water (however much you use), hence it still runs the same total length of time and uses the same total amount of power. It simply runs less often, but it runs longer each time it runs. So if it's running the same total time and pumping the same amount of water it's using the same amount of battery power.
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Old 12-10-2016, 12:21 PM   #14
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Could something like this be mounted on the undercarriage and protected with sheet metal from road debris?

Also does this REALLY save battery power? because now the pump will have to pump longer under load which will draw more amps. I could see it running the pump less frequently, but the interval of actual pump running would be longer. y/n?
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Old 12-10-2016, 12:21 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Top_Speed1 View Post

Do I sell them?:
No! This is just a friendly tip from a guy who likes things to works better than the OEM intended/invented stuff does. That's it, that's all.



KJ & Debbie

I don't find the sound of my water pump annoying. It comes on, makes a slight noise, it shuts off. No one is all the more upset with the sound here.

I am glad this pump mod works for you and your wife, and that you are more than delightfully happy with "no disturbing sounds" when you potty , but .....Hmmm, this is sounding more and more like a pushy sales pitch rather than a "friendly tip". The best we can hope for is to just
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Old 12-10-2016, 01:20 PM   #16
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Hey, he likes it. He shared the info. If you're not interested just click on something else. I like to see what other people are using. If it's not useful to me, I just keep scrolling, but you never know when that information might come in handy.
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Old 12-10-2016, 01:41 PM   #17
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Hey, he likes it. He shared the info. If you're not interested just click on something else. I like to see what other people are using. If it's not useful to me, I just keep scrolling, but you never know when that information might come in handy.
Exactly! The reason this forum exists is for folks to share their experiences with everyone. If the information shared isn't for you, fine, let it go. If you have something constructive to add, post away! It makes no sense trying to read into his words that there is some diabolical conspiracy behind what he is writing about.

Use his suggestion or don't, but don't beat the up the guy for sharing something that they found works well for them. They may have more to share, but will be less inclined to do so with replies such as I've read here.
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Old 12-10-2016, 01:44 PM   #18
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The Newsoms, X2 I Totally agree with you. IF you like it, Go with it, If Not , don't try to knock those that do. Every one just needs to try and get alone, maybe learn something new and "JUST BE HAPPY!"
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Old 12-10-2016, 01:46 PM   #19
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Everybodys pump is Not located in the area directly under their bed, I made the mod for several reasons, additional water capacity, even flow while showering, not have to walk to turn on pump for water use,also I like it! I don'the have to use the pump or air to winterize the pressure tank, just open any fixture and drain the tank, shut off valve at output and winterize as normal! Youroo! !
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Old 12-10-2016, 01:50 PM   #20
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Hey, he likes it. He shared the info. If you're not interested just click on something else. I like to see what other people are using. If it's not useful to me, I just keep scrolling, but you never know when that information might come in handy.
This is how the forum works. Someone says something, others respond. I've had people question why I've done some of the mods I've done. Sometimes I have a good answer, sometimes I don't. Sometimes others point out the negatives of my mod that I hadn't thought of (or I had thought of, but didn't have a problem with).

In this particular case, I responded because someone thinks this mod would "save battery life." It won't, so I posted that it won't. I would hate to think someone else would run out and spend $150 thinking it will extend his "battery life" when it won't.

If the biggest issue is not hearing a pump at night, I think you could soundproof it for a lot less than $150.

That being said, there is another small positive of this mod - it gives you maybe an extra 3-4 gal of water (for a 5 gal pressure tank). But then, so would a $10 5-gal water jug.
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