Filling fresh water tank when boondocking

[MrBill16]

If I'm out in the middle of nowhere and have run out of or am low on fresh water, I can drive my toad to a place to fill several 5 gallons jugs. Now, how do I get the water into my coach's water tank? There is no gravity fill on this coach.

Thanks,

Bill

[dave-g]

so what I have done-


In my wet bay i have changed my shower to a garden hose. I take the hose end off and connect it to my tank fill in the wet bay.


Then like I'm winterizing- I go to the passenger side of the coach by the water pump and use my winterizing antifreeze pick up to suck water out of the 5 gal jug.



The pump picks up the water- comes out the shower in wet bay and fill the tank. Because I'm using the winterize pickup the tank pickup is closed.

[nayther]

my buddy rigged up a barrel with a schrader valve and on the other side a dip tube to the bottom of the tank. Pressurize the tank with portable compressor (make sure it has a regulator, you only need about 20 psi), connect garden hose to dip tube fitting and compressor to schrader, voila, pressuized water tank. Your could do the same with a couple of extra water can caps, some epoxy, etc. He had a 33 gallon drum he hauled on his bike trailer behind the MH.

[ependydad]

If you can connect a hose to the 5g jugs, you could use a transfer pump:



I use a 60g bladder instead of individual 5g containers. It packs down super small (like the size of a 1g ziploc bag). I show it in my truck bed, but there's no reason you couldn't put it into your trunk:

[5picker]

Similar to dave-g... you could use the winterizing port if equipped (after turning the valve) with a short hose to the 5 gallon jug.

No need to pump it twice (from the jug to the fresh tank and then from the tank to use) expending valuable battery resources when dry camping.

The pump doesn't care whether you suck it from the tank or a jug as long as the intake/winterizing valve is in the proper position.

[stsimmer]

Originally Posted by MrBill16

If I'm out in the middle of nowhere and have run out of or am low on fresh water, I can drive my toad to a place to fill several 5 gallons jugs. Now, how do I get the water into my coach's water tank? There is no gravity fill on this coach.

Thanks,

Bill

I got a plastic automotive funnel with a flexible spout. Punched a hole in the lip and installed a small Command Adhesive hook above the tank fill. I hang the funnel and insert the spout in the tank-fill opening. I hoist a 5 gallon jug to the funnel and pour water in. Cheap and easy.

[gordonsick]

This is a neat idea. Thanks for the suggestion.

Some of us have added a male garden hose fitting to the low point drain of the cold water manifold on the driver-side bay. We can run a pipe from that drain to the tank fill. We don't need to undo the shower.

–Gordon

[markb422]

You can use one of those hand pumps that are used to pump antifreeze in to the fill port. The come with a ght on the outlet hose.

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by gordonsick

This is a neat idea. Thanks for the suggestion.

Some of us have added a male garden hose fitting to the low point drain of the cold water manifold on the driver-side bay. We can run a pipe from that drain to the tank fill. We don't need to undo the shower.

–Gordon

What is the source of your water from the cold side low point drain if you're parked in the boonies with no water hook ups as is the OP?

Originally Posted by MrBill16

If I'm out in the middle of nowhere and have run out of or am low on fresh water, I can drive my toad to a place to fill several 5 gallons jugs. Now, how do I get the water into my coach's water tank? There is no gravity fill on this coach.

Thanks,

Bill

[Maxwell D Pratt]

This is my way of transferring water to fresh water tank.

[NJKris]

Where did you get such a large bladder? Is it durable? Crazy expensive?

Edit: Nevermind, found it on Amazon for 155 bucks. With taxes and transfer pump, probably a 200 dollar investment. I would have to have a definite need before making that outlay, but's it's a cool setup.

Originally Posted by ependydad

If you can connect a hose to the 5g jugs, you could use a transfer pump:



I use a 60g bladder instead of individual 5g containers. It packs down super small (like the size of a 1g ziploc bag). I show it in my truck bed, but there's no reason you couldn't put it into your trunk:

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by NJKris

Where did you get such a large bladder? Is it durable? Crazy expensive?

Edit: Nevermind, found it on Amazon for 155 bucks. With taxes and transfer pump, probably a 200 dollar investment. I would have to have a definite need before making that outlay, but's it's a cool setup.

I really don't remember spending that kind of money on the bladder. I can't find where I ordered it, though. And I know I didn't get a review discount on it. $155 is steep for the 60g version. BUT, it is really nice.

I bought each of the parts over time. Started with the bladder and didn't need the pump on my last rig as I could use the antifreeze inlet and outdoor shower to the freshwater fill. The new rig, the freshwater fill is 20' away and I didn't have an easy way of doing the same as before so I added the transfer pump.

[TitanMike]

I have a gravity fill port but I'm just lazy. Don't feel like hoisting an pouring to fill tank.

I picked up a water pump that is exactly like the pump in my TT. Added some wire and an inline switch for on/off. A 3' hose that attaches to the suction side of the pump and another short length of hose with male fitting on the discharge so I can use a regular water hose to discharge water in fill port.

I haul water in collapsible 5-gallon "cubes" and with them lined up in the back of my truck i merely move suction hose from "cube" to "cube" until tank is full or cubes are empty. Because pressure buildup is low each cube empties in less than a minute.

Total cost including a dozen "cubes" was ~$100.

As a bonus, the pump is a "drop in replacement" for my regular water pump should it fail. Screw fittings match and wires change quickly.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

I picked up a water pump that is exactly like the pump in my TT. Added some wire and an inline switch for on/off. A 3' hose that attaches to the suction side of the pump and another short length of hose with male fitting on the discharge so I can use a regular water hose to discharge water in fill port.

I do really wish I had gone this route. I talked to you about it ahead of time and just didn't have time to deal with the wiring/whatnot (yes, it's minor- but DIY projects all take quite a lot of thinking for me).

[5picker]

Someday I'm going to get a bladder like Doug's instead of the 5 gallon jugs I carry but I'll not get a second pump. I'll simply let the on-board pump suck the water from the bladder via a hose to the winterization port like I do now with the jugs. More capacity!

As I said earlier, the on-board pump doesn't care what the feed source is and you don't expend precious battery voltage when boondocking pumping it twice. (out of the bladder into the fresh tank and then out of the tank to use)

I suppose if you connect your 2nd pump to a running tow vehicle or during generator run time it doesn't matter but is that really conservation of energy?

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by ependydad

I do really wish I had gone this route. I talked to you about it ahead of time and just didn't have time to deal with the wiring/whatnot (yes, it's minor- but DIY projects all take quite a lot of thinking for me).

Being retired (starting 17th year next month) I have plenty of time to "think" and execute.
Sometimes enough time I look for projects like this.

I think next water project will be to put a Tee on tank drain and add a fill port so I can bottom fill tank with either pump or home/campground hose. That way the tank will vent from both fill and regular vent.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by 5picker

Someday I'm going to get a bladder like Doug's instead of the 5 gallon jugs I carry but I'll not get a second pump. I'll simply let the on-board pump suck the water from the bladder via a hose to the winterization port like I do now with the jugs. More capacity!

As I said earlier, the on-board pump doesn't care what the feed source is and you don't expend precious battery voltage when boondocking pumping it twice. (out of the bladder into the fresh tank and then out of the tank to use)

I suppose if you connect your 2nd pump to a running tow vehicle or during generator run time it doesn't matter but is that really conservation of energy?

Some have written here how they connect their transfer pump to the 7-wire receptacle, taking power from the charge pin.

My tow vehicle has a 12v power outlet in the sidewall of the bed.

Many choices to fit personal desires.

[DART]

I don't often need it, but when I do need a little extra water, I use a battery powered transfer pump. It's a little slow at about 1 gal/min. You can get at Harbor Freight for about $10. It uses 2 D-cell batteries. https://www.harborfreight.com/batter...?cid=paid_bing

[gordonsick]

Originally Posted by Mr. Dan

What is the source of your water from the cold side low point drain if you're parked in the boonies with no water hook ups as is the OP?

The idea is to put the suction line for antifreeze in the water bucket. Then set the t-valve to let the water pump to push this up to the driver side manifold as if wintering. This lets me take water into my hose bib from the cold water manifold drain.

[MartyQ]

Originally Posted by dave-g

so what I have done-


In my wet bay i have changed my shower to a garden hose. I take the hose end off and connect it to my tank fill in the wet bay.


Then like I'm winterizing- I go to the passenger side of the coach by the water pump and use my winterizing antifreeze pick up to suck water out of the 5 gal jug.



The pump picks up the water- comes out the shower in wet bay and fill the tank. Because I'm using the winterize pickup the tank pickup is closed.

Exactly what I have done. Simple, and all one needs is a short length of hose to connect the shower valve outlet to the tank fill inlet. About $3.