Adding water while dry camping

[orionshooter]

One of our favorite camp sites here at 8000 feet in the Rockies provides AC power but no water.  Water is available at various pumps located about 100 feet from the campsite.  I usually make a few trips with a 5 gallon cooler to replenish but was wondering about an easier way to get water out of the cooler and into the RV.

Lifting the cooler and pouring into a funnel is a royal pain.  I suppose I could just use a one gallon bucket to dip into the cooler and poor into the funnel that way but I was looking for a more high tech solution.  As I said, AC power is available.

Any ideas??

 

[Jammer]

Usually, a water thief (rubber device for foiling the intentions of health department personnel who have an aversion to spigots with threads on them) and a long hose will do it.

Some people have a sort of a catch basin arrangement with a pump, but I don't run into this kind of thing often enough for it to be worth the hassle.

 

[Bob Buchanan]

I usually make a few trips with a 5 gallon cooler to replenish but was wondering about an easier way to get water out of the cooler and into the RV.

A few years back while boondocking in QZ, one of my neighbors helped me when my water was low. He had a water bladder kinda thing that he laid in the bed of his truck -- others carry them on auto or truck roof tops. He also had a regular RV water pump mounted on a piece of 2x6" with an intake hose for the bladder end and an outbound hose that he placed in my fresh water inlet. He also had a small battery in the back of the pick up -- but any 12v lead would have done the job.

 

[lostagain]

2-50 ft. hoses. 

 

[Marc L]

I use a Desert Patrol 6 gallon jug by Reliance.  In Canada available at Walmart and Canadian Tire.  In the US, I am sure it is available in similar stores.

With the spigot, it's easy to pour in the fresh tank.  In my case, with only a 30 gal fresh water tank, that's only 5 trips to fill the tank.

Marc...

 

[zukIzzy]

Small aquarium pump in the cooler will do it as you enjoy your favorite beverage. You can find thme cheap at Harbor Frieght. For 12v use a NEW bilge pump fro the boat dept at walmart, a couple feet of vinyl hose and you don't have to lift.

 

[HelmutK]

I use a collapsible 5 gal water container that has a built in spigot.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I used to carry a small 12v pump, actually a bilge pump for a boat, that I used to pump water from a container into the RV. I made it up because the RV did not have a gravity fill - it could be filled only via the city inlet. Cost about $25, for a basic pump and some hose fittings from the hardware store.
Since you have 120vac available, the aquarium pump that zukIzzy suggests is a good one. You can.  Or a pump intended for a garden fountain. You will want something rated 60 GPM GPH (gallons/hour) or more, so that it doesn't take forever. 85-100 gpm gph would be good.

 

[carson]

Gary,  I am a bit confused...again.

I have a 100 gal tank. a 60 gpm pump would take less than 2 minutes to fill.  With a 100gpm pump= 1 minute.

Is that how it works?      :-\

carson

 

[Molaker]

This thread has got me to thinking (which is frequently dangerous).  With some relatively simple plumbing, it ought to be possible to use the built-in pressure pump to draw water from an outside container.  My system has a winterizing mode (which most do, I assume) intended to draw antifreeze in with the pump.  That pressurizes the outlet side of the pump and does not go into the tank.  However, I also have an outside shower very near the city water intake (and a water pump switch, as well).  With the right plumbing, I should be able to run a hose from the shower faucet (cold) to the city water intake.  The pump would draw water from the outside container, pump it through the shower faucet and into the holding tank.  Hmmm.  Sounds like it should work.

 

[orionshooter]

I'd rather not spoil my welcome by stringing hose and using a water thief.  Nor do I want to lift five gallons of water in order to pour it in.  The aquarium or bilge pump sound like the ideal solutions. Molaker has an intruiging idea but it sounds very plumbing intensive.  Thanks to all of you for taking the time to throw out some great suggestions.

 

[Molaker]

Molaker has an intruiging idea but it sounds very plumbing intensive.

Not so sure there will be much plumbing necessary - depending upon what plumbing you already have.  First, does your water system have a winterize mode.  Second, do you have any kind of outside water outlet (shower, faucet, etc.)  If you have those, the only plumbing needed would be to make up a hose that would go from the outside source to the city water inlet.  The only thing I don't know at this stage is whether or not the water system manifold can be set to pull in water from the external container and pump into the city water inlet.  Test time, I guess.  I'll let you know.

 

[orionshooter]

Not so sure there will be much plumbing necessary - depending upon what plumbing you already have.  First, does your water system have a winterize mode.  Second, do you have any kind of outside water outlet (shower, faucet, etc.)  If you have those, the only plumbing needed would be to make up a hose that would go from the outside source to the city water inlet.  The only thing I don't know at this stage is whether or not the water system manifold can be set to pull in water from the external container and pump into the city water inlet.  Test time, I guess.  I'll let you know.

Yes I have a winterize mode just as you previously described and I do have an outside shower pretty close to the water inlet.  Let me know how your experiment works and thanks for the brain power!

 

[zukIzzy]

It will work but will take a bit if you are doing that plumbing make it so you can just pump for the external container no need to pump it in then back out when you use it. I like the aquarium pump with a hose, drop it in, plug it in and have a seat. If it fails just go back to pouring till you can get a new one.

wayne

 

[orionshooter]

I had considered buying a second water pump and setting it up next to the existing one.  Seems simple enough to just use new unit to pump the water out and fill up the tank with the output side. 

The only drawback is how pricey a spare  pump is.  Although the bonus would be I would always have a spare pump on board if the primary one failed. 

I suppose I would also have to ensure the two pumps didnt fire up simultaneously and pop a fuse but that situation could be easily remedied by just disconnecting the primary pump or turning it off at the swtich in the coach.

Comments??

 

[zukIzzy]

It would work fine, wire it on a seperate switch and install a valve system to use it to p[ut water werever you need it. But for $30 you could do the bilge or the aquarium pump and not have to mess with swaping plumbing. lots of ways to skin this cat I guess.

wayne

 

[John Hilley]

I have a 12 volt DC pump from Harbor Freight. Hose fittings on inlet and outlet, battery clamps for power. I use the Jeep's battery for power and pump from a Reliance 6 gallon container in the back of the Jeep.

 

[orionshooter]

Gary,  I am a bit confused...again.

I have a 100 gal tank. a 60 gpm pump would take less than 2 minutes to fill.  With a 100gpm pump= 1 minute.

Is that how it works?      :-\

carson

Fellas - arent we talking about gallons per hour and not per minute??

 

[Mexray]

We carry a 50 gal poly tank, from an Ag supply to carry our fresh water when we're boondocking...we carry the tank in the back our our Excursion, or in a hitch carrier platform carry-all...

I use a 'water-thief' and hose to fill this tank, then transfer it to our 50 gal onboard tank in our Airstream, using a 12 volt RV type, three chamber water pump - works great!

I've installed a 50 amp 12 volt connector/cable directly to our TT batteries to power the 12 volt pump...

Camping in the mountains, away from any campground, we've even used this set-up to pump water from a nearby stream for most of our water needs, except for drinking, of course - only down side is I have to thoroughly sanitize the TT's water system when we get back home with a good Clorox soaking and rinse...

Ray

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Yes, GPH, not GPM. Mea Culpa!!!  I edited the original to show the correction.