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Old 06-14-2016, 08:52 AM   #1
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Filling Fresh Water Without Gravity Feed

Hey everyone!

I am wondering if this would work to pump out water from a 5gal jug into my camper. It doesn't have a gravity feed, so I am wondering if this auto-siphon would do the trick.



Siphon outlet 5/16"
Tube ID 5/16"
Tube OD 7/16"

I would need a way to connect the tubing to a standard garden hose connector so that it works with the camper. This seems to be an easy/in-expensive method - But would it actually work?

If so, i'm trying to find which parts I would need to make the connection. Any help?
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Old 06-14-2016, 09:00 AM   #2
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I have never heard of a TT that doesn't have gravity feed for filling the potable water tank. Your rig if its the one pictured is newer it should have a fresh water fill. There are posts that tell how to use the winterizing fitting for getting potable water to your rig.
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Old 06-14-2016, 09:09 AM   #3
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I also have never seen any RV that did not have a gravity feed fresh water fill. I would spend some time looking for the fill, It may be behind a door and have a cap over the fill but there should be a fill. Also if this is truly a siphon and not a pump of some type I see no way this would work. A siphon has to have the output lower than the input. So you would have to lift the water jug above the fresh water tank input. This does not sound very doable to me.
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Old 06-14-2016, 09:18 AM   #4
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There are posts on this site about RVs with no gravity feed fresh water fill. They have a city hose connection with a valve to switch between the unit's piped water system and the FW tank. SOB unit next to me this weekend had that set-up. Guest staying with owner asked me to help decipher the diagrams to get water in the unit without using the pump. I couldn't figure it out!


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Old 06-14-2016, 09:28 AM   #5
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Yeah, I have walked around the camper more times than I can count to try and search for one. I've even had my brother in law look as well to make sure I wasn't missing something. But all I am seeing is a Fresh Water fill on the back and a city water connection. No where do use a funnel and dump in like my last camper.

I was reading on the forum and others mentioned that campers with this setup need some sort of hand or electric pump to get the job done.

My thinking was to set the jug on the rear bumper and then use the siphon. I believe with that the fresh water fill would be lower than the jug/top of siphon.

I would look into using the camper pump, but it's under the rear bunk so I would have to remove everything from the bed, remove the mattres, and then lift up the plywood to get to it all while ducking below the top bunk.

I figured this may be an easier and inexpensive option. I've looked at some of the hand pumps for kayaks but I'm not sure the diameters of the pump would fit in my jug.
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Old 06-14-2016, 09:33 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shanks12 View Post
Yeah, I have walked around the camper more times than I can count to try and search for one. I've even had my brother in law look as well to make sure I wasn't missing something. But all I am seeing is a Fresh Water fill on the back and a city water connection. No where do use a funnel and dump in like my last camper.

I was reading on the forum and others mentioned that campers with this setup need some sort of hand or electric pump to get the job done.

My thinking was to set the jug on the rear bumper and then use the siphon. I believe with that the fresh water fill would be lower than the jug/top of siphon.

I would look into using the camper pump, but it's under the rear bunk so I would have to remove everything from the bed, remove the mattres, and then lift up the plywood to get to it all while ducking below the top bunk.

I figured this may be an easier and inexpensive option. I've looked at some of the hand pumps for kayaks but I'm not sure the diameters of the pump would fit in my jug.
What is this "fresh water fill on the back" you are speaking of?
Is it a standard 'city water' hose type of connection?
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Old 06-14-2016, 09:40 AM   #7
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Correct. I was looking through my pictures and I don't have a good one to show you and not near my camper at the time. I'll search Google to see if I can find one. But yeah, it's the screw in a garden hose type. One for Fresh Water and one City Water
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Old 06-14-2016, 09:45 AM   #8
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So hook your hose up to the fresh water connection and it should fill your tank.
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Old 06-14-2016, 10:15 AM   #9
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So hook your hose up to the fresh water connection and it should fill your tank.
Are you saying from the jug? Or are you meaning from a filling station?
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Old 06-14-2016, 10:24 AM   #10
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You are going to have to fashion some kind of an adapter to go from the hand pump hose to your fresh fill connection. Stick the pump in the jug, screw the hose/adapter to the fill connection and pump into your tank.

Alternately, if the hose on the hand pump is small enough to slide INSIDE the fill connection (you may have to remove a small washer/screen in the connection) just slide the hose inside and pump away.
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Old 06-14-2016, 10:31 AM   #11
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Originally Posted by Shanks12 View Post
Are you saying from the jug? Or are you meaning from a filling station?
If your trailer has a fresh water hose connection, hook your garden or drinking water hose up to your house and the other end to that connection and fill er' up!!! Sounds to me like that fresh water connection is the gravity feed you don't think you have.
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Old 06-14-2016, 10:57 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by polishdon View Post
If your trailer has a fresh water hose connection, hook your garden or drinking water hose up to your house and the other end to that connection and fill er' up!!! Sounds to me like that fresh water connection is the gravity feed you don't think you have.
I believe the OP is looking for a way to re-fill his fresh water tank from a jug.
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Old 06-14-2016, 11:04 AM   #13
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Actually there are many units that have pressure fill / connections, often located in a "water management panel" without a gravity. If tanks are stacked then the fresh water tank would be too high for an open connection.
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Old 06-14-2016, 11:29 AM   #14
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I believe the OP is looking for a way to re-fill his fresh water tank from a jug.
Correct. It's more for when we run out of water and have been parked for a couple days. We are coming up on our first 5 day trip in the new camper and I am thinking that we will run out of water.
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Old 06-14-2016, 11:35 AM   #15
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You can see here (terrible picture I know) But you can see the different connections back there. I'm having trouble remembering what each says.

Can't remember / Black Tank Flush / Fresh Water / City Water / Cable Connections
(left to right then up)



If there was something I am missing, I would love for an easy/free option.
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Old 06-14-2016, 12:18 PM   #16
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Correct. It's more for when we run out of water and have been parked for a couple days. We are coming up on our first 5 day trip in the new camper and I am thinking that we will run out of water.
Oh sorry, I thought you were just looking to fill it with a hose.

What about a section of hose with a male fitting on one end and the other end open so you can stick a funnel in it and pour it in? That's how I get anti freeze into my jet ski for winterizing.
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Old 06-14-2016, 12:23 PM   #17
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Oh sorry, I thought you were just looking to fill it with a hose.

What about a section of hose with a male fitting on one end and the other end open so you can stick a funnel in it and pour it in? That's how I get anti freeze into my jet ski for winterizing.
Issue that I see with that is without help it would be hard to hold the 5gal of water and dump into the funnel with accuracy. I have a 4 month old and a 2 1/2 year old, so I can't always get my wife to help out.
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Old 06-14-2016, 12:30 PM   #18
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Issue that I see with that is without help it would be hard to hold the 5gal of water and dump into the funnel with accuracy. I have a 4 month old and a 2 1/2 year old, so I can't always get my wife to help out.
How about one of those drill powered water pumps?

https://www.amazon.com/Eco-Flo-PUP62...ill+water+pump
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Old 06-14-2016, 12:31 PM   #19
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I don't know how much actual 'pressure' the hand pump you posted actually makes during its stroke. About all you can do it try it to see if it will add water to the tank.

Short of that, a hand crank pump, a drill driven pump or regular old 12v water pump attached with the correct hoses/adapters to your jug is about your only other choice.

EDIT: polishdon beat me to the drill pump!
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Old 06-14-2016, 12:45 PM   #20
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I found this picture of the back of your TT from another angle.

I don't see any gravity FW tank fill so you're probably right that it only has a hose connection.
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