Using a Water Bandit to Fill Through a City Water Inlet

[bigbAZ]

My MH only has a city fill connection, no gravity fill. Can I fill it from a threadless spigot if I hold the Water Bandit tight while filling, or put a hose clamp on it? Has anyone tried?

Just to be clear, I do not mean a pressurized hookup that stays in place while camped, I only mean temporary just to put water in the tank for pump use.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

You're going to need enough pressure to overcome the one way valve. So testing it at home would show if it's a viable option to rely on.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[bigbAZ]

You're going to need enough pressure to overcome the one way valve. So testing it at home would show if it's a viable option to rely on.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

Good idea Mark, I'm going to try it when I get my latest plumbing job finished. I'll fit a piece of PVC to my garage spigot. The PVC won't be the same shape as the threadless spigot but should give me an idea if it's even possible.

Still curious if anyone has tried it though.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

I've done it from threadless spigots intended to fill jugs, but it was into the gravity port. Took a looong time with its' nominal flow rate.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I've done it, but the success depends a lot on the shape and size of the spigot and requires a firm grip to hold in place. I suggest using a clamp that has a thumb screw and not opening the valve for full flow/pressure either. That means the fill will be slower than usual. A short spigot like this one can be very difficult to achieve a leak-free connection with a tight grip.

An alternative is to carry a bucket or collapsible water carrier and fill that from the spigot. Then use a small 12v transfer pump with garden hose attachment to pump water from the bucket into the RV's city inlet. The spigot can be putting water in while the pump moves it out, but the pump will probably move water faster than the spigot can refill it. It's a stop & go process and not quick. But when you need water, you do what you need to do.

 

[DutchmenSport]

My first and second hard sided travel trailers both had gravity fill water ports. I always carried over 200 feet of garden hose (and still do) as (back then) we primarily camped at Indiana State Parks. Indiana State Parks normally do not have water on each site, but common spigots scattered around the campground. I learned about 200 feet was a good length to reach and fill my fresh water tank.

Everything was going along fine, until one time we landed at a campground that had the threadless water spigots. There were several of them, the campground map did not lie. But no where did it say they were threadless.

I was not familiar with that term "Water Bandit" but common sense led me to make one of my own out of a short section of garden hose I'd already cut the end off, used to fill my fresh water tank. I cut about a 2 foot section out, left the end that attaches a garden hose, and sliced the other end, with a torch, stretched the hose (diameter) and eventually go it to fit over the threadless spigot.

Well, it worked, and it worked VERY well. I was able to fill the water tank in the camper and I hung on to that devise for years and years, but never had to use it again.

As others stated, when filling your water tank, if the spigot is turned on too much, the water pressure will pop it right off. The secret is to get enough pressure to push the water through the length of hose and not so much it pops the Bandit off the spigot. I was able to do by simply holding it in place; no clamps needed.

But, in a pinch, yes .... they do work.

 

[NY_Dutch]

I configured the water system on my Class A's so I could switch a couple of valves and use a length of hose to draw water out of two 7 gallon jugs I used when boondocking and I didn't want to move the rig to refill. On the few occasions where I parked near an unthreaded spigot, I just parked a 5 gallon pail under the spigot and stuck the suction hose from the rig in it with the spigot open and running into the bucket.

 

[bigbAZ]

I configured the water system on my Class A's so I could switch a couple of valves and use a length of hose to draw water out of two 7 gallon jugs I used when boondocking and I didn't want to move the rig to refill. On the few occasions where I parked near an unthreaded spigot, I just parked a 5 gallon pail under the spigot and stuck the suction hose from the rig in it with the spigot open and running into the bucket.

I might be able to do this with my winterizing valves/line, I need to study up on that as I have never winterized, not necessary where we live and where we store.

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

I've done it twice, and it is a slow process. I didn't have any clamps with me, so both times I held the Bandit to the spigot, getting wet in the process, but eventually I was able to get enough water into my fresh tank to last our stay.

 

[permitwriter]

I might be able to do this with my winterizing valves/line, I need to study up on that as I have never winterized, not necessary where we live and where we store.

Standard winterizing systems do not and should not put antifreeze into water tanks. Therefore, they could not be used to put water in the tank either.

 

[NY_Dutch]

Standard winterizing systems do not and should not put antifreeze into water tanks. Therefore, they could not be used to put water in the tank either.

Using the winterizing system to fill the tank is usually as simple as putting the "Fill/Use" valve in the "Fill" position while drawing water from a bucket or large jug. I know it's not necessary to put RV anti-freeze in the water tank, but why would you not do that with fresh water?

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Standard winterizing systems do not and should not put antifreeze into water tanks. Therefore, they could not be used to put water in the tank either.

I don't think there is any "standard" for that. And in some circumstances it is useful to put RV antifreeze in the fresh tank. Doing so gives you fresh water in sub-freezing weather, for use in flushing toilets or washing things. No great, but better than nothing. The only real drawback to RV antifreeze in the fresh tank is that it's a PITA to rinse out afterwards. Many, many rinses required to get rid of the taste.