A less-leaky vent plug for plastic water jugs -- simple job

westend wrote:
I plan to incorporate this inexpensive Harbor Freight transfer pump into my fresh water system in the trailer. 5AH moves around 4-5 gallons of water.

Fresh water transfer pump current draw is irrelevant even when dry camping as overall it's running so little in any given 24 hr period.

I plan to incorporate this inexpensive Harbor Freight transfer pump into my fresh water system in the trailer. 5AH moves around 4-5 gallons of water. We don't use a heckin lot of water when camping. Showers are not daily (at least for me) and a lot of food is dispensed on paper plates.

But if you use a pump, you miss that whole "make-believe rugged pioneer survival" feeling that you get when you struggle to lift the water jug! What fun is that? Effort and suffering are important parts of camping!

No, seriously, a pump works, but it uses electricity (scarce when boondocking), and it is usually slower than just pouring the water into the port. There will soon come a time when I will be forced to use a pump due to my physical limitations. (I don't have those limitations yet, but the clock is ticking -- any day now . . . . )

BillyW wrote:
I hate lifting and supporting those full jugs while they slowly drain.

Why lift it? Whenever we're camping my set of potable water Aquatainers sit in the back of my truck, when I need more water I simply drive over to the campground fresh water supply and fill up. Back at the campsite I pump the water from the 'Tainers to the trailer's FW holding tank. NO lifting. :B

Yeah, lifting a full jug of water (almost 50 pounds) can be fun. On my old trailer, the fill port for the water tank was pretty far off the ground; and every so often, my back goes out. So I developed a primitive crane -- a pole with a hook. I hook the pole under the handle of the jug, and brace the other end of the pole against my foot:


Click For Full-Size Image.

Then I lift up on the pole, and the jug hangs from the hook, making it somewhat easier to fill the tank:


Click For Full-Size Image.

(Yes, this photo is taken on the wrong side of the trailer -- the port is on the left side. But there were bushes in the way of the photo, so we staged this on the right side.)

Fortunately, the port on my new trailer is lower, so I don’t have to lift the jug up so high these days.

I know what you are thinking -- when my back goes out, just have DW lift the water!! She could do it with ease, except that she is vertically challenged -- she would end up doing an overhead press to get the jug up to the port.

Actually, come to think of it, that would be fun to watch. I'll suggest it to her and see what she says. ;)

An excellent idea! I hate lifting and supporting those full jugs while they slowly drain.

In order to keep the narrow containers from toppling, we strap them together and then secure the strap to a tie-down in the cargo bed. The narrow shape takes up less square footage in the cargo bed area.

But the square containers are much sturdier and more stable.

profdant139 wrote:
Do you think that the thinner plastic on those containers could be threaded to accept a plumbing fitting?

I can't say for sure as I've avoided use of any taller, narrower containers which fall over all too easily and only use Aquatainers which are cube shaped and just don't fall over at all.

Yes, SoundGuy, the rigid square containers do have a better vent cap. We use that type of container for our extra drinking water -- we fill it with reverse osmosis water that we bring from home. The rectangular containers (which are taller and narrower and less rigid) are the ones we use for ordinary domestic use, like dishes and showers.

Do you think that the thinner plastic on those containers could be threaded to accept a plumbing fitting?

When the Reliance Aquatainer was introduced it was equipped with a capped threaded vent. A few years ago for some strange reason Reliance suddenly changed the design and started shipping the Aquatainer with the conventional plug vent and of course it leaked. :M I happened to end up with a couple so I modified them myself by drilling out the small vent hole so it would accommodate a nylon 1/2" MPT > 3/4" GHT adapter which would then accept a standard 3/4" GH cap.



I still those containers to this day for collecting grey / macerated black water and that DIY threaded vent doesn't leak at all. :B



Fortunately Reliance eventually saw the error of their ways and reintroduced the threaded vent cap to the Aquatainer sold in stores today. :)