Adding water to the tank while boondocking.

[Teagonator]

Just wondering if anyone knows the best way to get water into the tank using a 5 gallon jug when there is no faucet source available.. I have the valve set to tank and tried adding water lifting a jug above the water inlet on the city connection using a hose connected but the water would not go into the tank. I'm guessing I may need a drill pump or similar? I know in the winterize position the onboard pump will extract the liquid and run it through the system but not into the tank of course. All of my previous RV's were trailers and just had a pipe that you could pour water into easily with a separate city connection.

[TitanMike]

I just bought a pump like the one installed in my TT and wired it so I could connect it direct to a battery.

Added a piece of hose with male connector to output and one with female connector to suction side.

I now pump water direct from my transport container directly into my TT. I can pump either into City Water or my gravity fill.

The pump I purchased is only $65 on Amazon
and in a pinch can be used as a replacement for the pump in my TT should it quit while camping.

https://www.amazon.com/Diaphragm-Pri...s%2C207&sr=8-5

[Webefine]

Put your winterizing hose in the bucket, connect a hose from your outdoor shower then put that hose in your gravity feed or connect to your city water connection and turn to tank fill. When you turn your pump on it will pull water from the bucket and pressurize the system including your outdoor shower. This works on mine.

[Herk7769]

Before the DW's medical condition put us in FU sites, I used the 5 gallon spring water containers (with the handle on the side if I could find them).

I made a hose using a cap and vinyl tube long enough to go down the gravity fill port. I put an air hole in the cap to speed things up.

It does involve holding it upside down for several minutes and is not for everyone. I like the pump idea though.

[milkman55]

Since there is no gravity fill on Dynamax models, you will need a 12v pump (or 110v if you want to use inverter or start the generator). Here is a 12v transfer pump you could adapt.

https://www.amazon.com/Happybuy-Gall...ateway&sr=8-12

[UltraRun]

I have a drill pump from Amazon seems to work fine for me

[rvrobocop]

For many years I dealt with pumps and 5 gallon containers. Finally saw this used while camping. Purchased same and am thrilled to death with the cost versus utility........ Ivation Portable Camping Shower | Compact Handheld & Hands-Free Rechargeable Outdoor Shower Head & Cleaning System w/ 3.7V Pump, 6-Ft Hose, Bidet Head, Removable Filter, Multiuse Hook & USB Cable

[Adrian Gordon]

Keep your 5 gallon jug in your bathroom to flush the toilet and save what is in your freshwater tank for freshwater needs. If you're parked by a stream or river like we are at the moment (boondocking along the Yellowstone River) you can wade in and refill the 5 gallon tank from the river.


My own experience boondocking with my 2018 Leprechaun 210RS is that if my fresh water tank is empty and needs more water, it's irrelevant because my black and gray tanks are full so I have no place to move the fresh water to as I use it. (Yes, I've read all the discussions about how it's OK to dump the gray water on the ground, I just prefer not to do it if not absolutely necessary, and prefer to move someplace to find a dump station rather than dump gray water on the ground. No need to reopen that discussion.)

[cub22908]

Originally Posted by Webefine

Put your winterizing hose in the bucket, connect a hose from your outdoor shower then put that hose in your gravity feed or connect to your city water connection and turn to tank fill. When you turn your pump on it will pull water from the bucket and pressurize the system including your outdoor shower. This works on mine.

That is a great solution!!!

[UT_Grandpa]

Our trailer has a gravity fed water fill so what we did was take one of the common 5 gallon square jugs and you will find that a 3/4" pipe fitting screws in the cap where normally a spigot valve is located. We bought a flexible 3/4" nipple about 8 inches long and it screws into the cap.

Important: Drill out the vent hole where the small cap is to a much larger hole (3/8"?) so it will drain faster. This setup can transfer 5 gallons of water in a little over a minute. The nipple stays in the trailer by all the water stuff (hoses, regulators, right angle fittings etc.)

Our trailer still has about 7 gallons of water left in it when the pump goes dry so if we just need a little more, we hit the tank drain to catch a gallon or so in a pot.

[Jeep_Life]

this may be an option as well if your near a water source (creek or lake)

https://watersafepro.com/survivorpro.html

[ross0547]

Hi!
I bought a bilge pump and adapted it to a regular garden hose fittings, then fill where I can and put the submersible pump in a new garbage barrel on the back of my truck. Works like a charm, lots of pressure!

[5picker]

Originally Posted by Webefine

Put your winterizing hose in the bucket, connect a hose from your outdoor shower then put that hose in your gravity feed or connect to your city water connection and turn to tank fill. When you turn your pump on it will pull water from the bucket and pressurize the system including your outdoor shower. This works on mine.

Originally Posted by cub22908

That is a great solution!!!

No need to pump it twice.
Just use the antifreeze port to suck from whatever the source. (bucket/bladder/jug/etc.)

Your pump doesn't care what the source is and you'll save precious boondocking battery resources by only pumping it once.

[Mrs.Shockley]

Originally Posted by 5picker

No need to pump it twice.
Just use the antifreeze port to suck from whatever the source. (bucket/bladder/jug/etc.)

Your pump doesn't care what the source is and you'll save precious boondocking battery resources by only pumping it once.

I think I'm confused. If I connect a hose from my antifreeze port into say, a 5 gallon bucket of water, and I turn on the sink, the water pump will suck the water out of the bucket into the sink?

[cboss]

Originally Posted by Mrs.Shockley

I think I'm confused. If I connect a hose from my antifreeze port into say, a 5 gallon bucket of water, and I turn on the sink, the water pump will suck the water out of the bucket into the sink?

Sure will. It's just like winterizing using the taps, toilet, and shower.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by Mrs.Shockley

I think I'm confused. If I connect a hose from my antifreeze port into say, a 5 gallon bucket of water, and I turn on the sink, the water pump will suck the water out of the bucket into the sink?

Well, Mrs. S, that thought originated with a two step process:

1) Use the winterizing port to draw from a 5-gallon bucket
2) One of your taps is the outside shower, if you have one. If you do, extend the hose on it so it reaches the water tank fill port and insert it there.

This involves pumping only once. Water flow is
--Bucket to winterizing tube
--Winterizing tube to pump
--Pump to outside shower
--Outside shower to fresh water tank

Kind round-robin but it would get the job done.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

Well, Mrs. S, that thought originated with a two step process:

1) Use the winterizing port to draw from a 5-gallon bucket
2) One of your taps is the outside shower, if you have one. If you do, extend the hose on it so it reaches the water tank fill port and insert it there.

This involves pumping only once. Water flow is
--Bucket to winterizing tube
--Winterizing tube to pump
--Pump to outside shower
--Outside shower to fresh water tank

Kind round-robin but it would get the job done.

Not so... you pump it once from the bucket into the R/V and out through the outside shower hose (which you've extended to the fresh tank fill) to fill the fresh tank.

Then... you pump the same water a second time out of the fresh tank to use it.

That's twice.

[bclemens]

Originally Posted by 5picker

Not so... you pump it once from the bucket into the R/V and out through the outside shower hose (which you've extended to the fresh tank fill) to fill the fresh tank.

Then... you pump the same water a second time out of the fresh tank to use it.

That's twice.

Gotta agree there...I think a 5 gallon jug with the hose inserted, gets the same effect (as long as you have a place to put it, out of the way)

[5picker]

Originally Posted by Mrs.Shockley

I think I'm confused. If I connect a hose from my antifreeze port into say, a 5 gallon bucket of water, and I turn on the sink, the water pump will suck the water out of the bucket into the sink?

Yes!
To do so, you simply have to turn the winterizing valve so the pump suction draws from the antifreeze port rather than the fresh tank.

Think of it the same as winterizing your R/V except instead of pumping antifreeze through the system you are just using fresh water!

Again, the on-board pump doesn't give a hoot where the water source comes from as long as your winterizing valve is set properly.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by bclemens

Gotta agree there...I think a 5 gallon jug with the hose inserted, gets the same effect (as long as you have a place to put it, out of the way)

I do it all the time.

We have 5 five gallon water jugs we take boondocking in addition to a full fresh tank of water.

When the fresh tank runs out, I switch the winterizing valve to the antifreeze port and use a short hose to go to the jug. When one runs out, I insert the hose into another jug. All five sit right beside the R/V.

Some day I will get a tank or bladder for the truck and draw from that.

The only advantage to using your outside shower hose to fill your fresh tank would be if you wanted to use more than 5 gallons of water at one time. You could pump all 25 gallons into the fresh tank and then use from there but when boondocking and in conservation mode, we don't use 5 gallons at one clip and I'm always looking for ways to save battery.

My method works great for me.