We have camped for about 20 years with a small travel trailer. When we stay at state parks - we fill up our water tank and when it is empty we add water from a five gallon portable container.
Now that we have a large 5th wheel, we know we can purchase a water bladder and a pump to refill the fresh water tank. But we are not sure how this works. Does the water bladder get filled by putting it in the bed of the pickup and then driving the truck close to the side of the RV where the water hook up is? What about if you are camped in a place where there is not much room on the side of the RV to get the water bladder close enough to the water hook up?
Could someone explain the process of adding water using a bladder and a pump?
We would also like to know the best size for a water bladder - how many gallons? Our fresh water tank holds 80 gallons.
Thanks in advance!
Barb
BiggarView said
08:59 AM Oct 4, 2016
CamperChronicles (Trace & Lee) did bit on their blog about this subject (scroll down when you go the link or read the whole thing... interesting read). Might give you some ideas. Here's the link...
Back at our campsite, we connect a hose to the bladder and to the input side of a water pump. We have this pump because I'm lazy and the electrical connections are already done for me and it comes with an on/off switch.
We connect the pump to a battery (we have an extra portable battery for the electric motor for our inflatable boat) to power it and connect another hose to the output side of the pump and to the fresh water tank inlet on the rig. Then it's just a matter of turning on the pump and waiting. It's not fast, but it's effective. The pump works best if the hoses aren't too long, but if you can't get your truck beside your rig, you just run a longer hose.
We demonstrate the whole procedure at our Boondocking Rallies, but it's pretty simple.
Barb and Frank said
10:17 AM Oct 4, 2016
Thank you both for the great information!
Barb
LarryW21 said
07:42 PM Jan 28, 2017
80 gallons is a bunch of fresh water. You regularly need more in say a week?
Barb and Frank said
01:03 PM Jan 29, 2017
LarryW21 wrote:
80 gallons is a bunch of fresh water. You regularly need more in say a week?
Hi LarryW21,
There are two of us and i think we could easily go through 80 gallons of water in about a week if we each take a shower every day. Add to that daily cooking and washing dishes along with toilet use and i think 80 gallons would be used up rather quickly.
We like to camp in state parks and federal campgrounds where you take in water before you get to your site, and we need to have a way to add more water when we stay two weeks at a campground.
We have camped for about 20 years with a small travel trailer. When we stay at state parks - we fill up our water tank and when it is empty we add water from a five gallon portable container.
Now that we have a large 5th wheel, we know we can purchase a water bladder and a pump to refill the fresh water tank. But we are not sure how this works. Does the water bladder get filled by putting it in the bed of the pickup and then driving the truck close to the side of the RV where the water hook up is? What about if you are camped in a place where there is not much room on the side of the RV to get the water bladder close enough to the water hook up?
Could someone explain the process of adding water using a bladder and a pump?
We would also like to know the best size for a water bladder - how many gallons? Our fresh water tank holds 80 gallons.
Thanks in advance!
Barb
CamperChronicles (Trace & Lee) did bit on their blog about this subject (scroll down when you go the link or read the whole thing... interesting read). Might give you some ideas. Here's the link...
https://camperchronicles.com/2016/01/15/first-time-for-tracy-dealing-with-the-blackgreyfresh-tanks/
Brian
Hi Barb & Frank,
We have the 45 Gallon New World Fresh Water Tank (bladder) that Camping World sells. Yes, we just lay it out in the back of the truck and fill it from a water source.
Back at our campsite, we connect a hose to the bladder and to the input side of a water pump. We have this pump because I'm lazy and the electrical connections are already done for me and it comes with an on/off switch.
WAYNE PC1 Portable 12V Battery-Powered Water Transfer Pump With Suction Hose And Attachment
We connect the pump to a battery (we have an extra portable battery for the electric motor for our inflatable boat) to power it and connect another hose to the output side of the pump and to the fresh water tank inlet on the rig. Then it's just a matter of turning on the pump and waiting. It's not fast, but it's effective. The pump works best if the hoses aren't too long, but if you can't get your truck beside your rig, you just run a longer hose.
We demonstrate the whole procedure at our Boondocking Rallies, but it's pretty simple.
Thank you both for the great information!
Barb
Hi LarryW21,
There are two of us and i think we could easily go through 80 gallons of water in about a week if we each take a shower every day. Add to that daily cooking and washing dishes along with toilet use and i think 80 gallons would be used up rather quickly.
We like to camp in state parks and federal campgrounds where you take in water before you get to your site, and we need to have a way to add more water when we stay two weeks at a campground.
Hope this helps!
Barb
Chip
A blue portable waste tank.
Barb