Does anyone have a really good setup to fill fresh water in the tank when you don't have a gravity fill ability, and only a water hose method? I'd like to purchase something fairly ready-to-work so that I can re-fill fresh water when needed with some fresh water containers. I have several 6 gallon fresh water containers, but I am searching for options to do this. I need more information than just "find a pump" please.

i'd look into adding a fresh water gravity fill. might be worth the one time cost.

assuming you mean you cannot connect the hose for whatever reason.... but just buy a 12v or 110v water pump on Amazon. Setup as external pump, attach hoses to feed through normal fill, put other end if hose in external container filled with water. Depending on size if your external container it might take quite a few trip to fill it then pump it into your internal tank. Sounds like you want some other idea but i don't see a simplier solution. Gravity fill has drawbacks including the installation itself which i didn't find appealing. i opted for a 12v pump gicen new battery capacity and solar power over a 110v pump though might be handy to have both. There are even a couple ready to use external pump setups on Amazon. they run about $75-$100.I actually wondered why gravity fill and such an external pump option isn't standard equipment anyway.

I use my water pump with my antifreeze line and spliced into the fresh water line to the pump and put a shut off valve on it

I added a 3-port valve to my water pump inlet line that switches between drawing from the onboard tank or an external source such as a bucket or RV anti-freeze jug. By switching the city fill valve, I can select whether the pump output goes to the tank or the house water system.

grumpy3b wrote:assuming you mean you cannot connect the hose for whatever reason.... but just buy a 12v or 110v water pump on Amazon. Setup as external pump, attach hoses to feed through normal fill, put other end if hose in external container filled with water. Depending on size if your external container it might take quite a few trip to fill it then pump it into your internal tank. Sounds like you want some other idea but i don't see a simplier solution. Gravity fill has drawbacks including the installation itself which i didn't find appealing. i opted for a 12v pump gicen new battery capacity and solar power over a 110v pump though might be handy to have both. There are even a couple ready to use external pump setups on Amazon. they run about $75-$100.I actually wondered why gravity fill and such an external pump option isn't standard equipment anyway.have heard there is some problem with the check-valve? what size pump to work with the check valve?

Refill fresh water from when no gravity fill exists

18 Replies

oldave
Explorer
Sep 04, 2019
A water bladder , bag , pillow what ever you want to call it
could be handy if you dry camp much .
Haul water in a pu or suv then just fold it up and stow away when not needed .

https://www.amazon.com/AQUATANK2-Water-Storage-Bladder-Gallon/dp/B009MU64Y0/ref=sr_1_3?hvadid=77859171029560&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&keywords=water+bladder+tank&qid=1567598659&s=gateway&sr=8-3
Dutch_12078
Explorer II
Sep 04, 2019
4x4van wrote:
I always get a chuckle when I see these posts; and the extents that some will go to to put water into their tank. If your RV has a winterizing valve, then you already have everything you need. Simply turn your City/Fill valve to "Fill", and turn your winterizing valve to "winterize". Drop the winterizing line into a bucket of water and turn on your water pump. Your onboard pump will draw the water into the lines and then push into the freshwater tank. Refill bucket as needed.

Yep, that's what I had on our previous motorhome, but not on the current one. So I added it...
- Treknlady
  Explorer
  Apr 14, 2025
  On a 2018 Thor Four Winds Class C, it has a gravity fill for the onboard tank but no sign of a diverter valve option. Yet the onboard tank filled itself and is overflowing. Had to shut off the city water at the post and start using up the tank water via the water pump.
  Where is the diverter valve that us allowing the water to fill the on board tank???!
  - way2roll
    Navigator II
    Apr 15, 2025
    You're responding to a 6 year old topic. You may want to start a new topic with your question as it's likely to get more responses than buried in a very old one.
kmb1966
Explorer
Sep 04, 2019
4x4van wrote:
I always get a chuckle when I see these posts; and the extents that some will go to to put water into their tank. If your RV has a winterizing valve, then you already have everything you need. Simply turn your City/Fill valve to "Fill", and turn your winterizing valve to "winterize". Drop the winterizing line into a bucket of water and turn on your water pump. Your onboard pump will draw the water into the lines and then push into the freshwater tank. Refill bucket as needed.

BINGO!
THANK YOU!
:)
4x4van
Explorer III
Sep 03, 2019
I always get a chuckle when I see these posts; and the extents that some will go to to put water into their tank. If your RV has a winterizing valve, then you already have everything you need. Simply turn your City/Fill valve to "Fill", and turn your winterizing valve to "Winterize". Drop the winterizing line into a bucket of water and turn on your water pump. Your onboard pump will draw the water into the lines and then push it into the freshwater tank. Refill bucket as needed.

If your RV doesn't have a winterizing valve, you can add one for less than $15 here.
Gjac
Explorer III
Sep 03, 2019
I have a 3 gal solar bladder that I fill using an external water supply then remove one of the over flow tubes that attach at the top of the main tank then insert the tube from the badder which I hang from the side of the MH. It takes a few minutes and is enough for a shower or two.
Ductape
Explorer
Sep 03, 2019
It’s not uncommon in older fill stations to find faucets with no threads or hoses with no male ends.

I have on occasion used a hose with the female connector cut off to slip over a smooth faucet and fastened it temporarily with electrical tape to fill.

For an alternative, I’d use a portable submersible pump in a bucket. Let the source water run in the bucket and pump it up to the motor home.

I’d have no interest at all in installing an old style gravity fill. We have a 100 gallon tank, there’s no way I’m carrying that many cans of water!
Dutch_12078
Explorer II
Sep 03, 2019
wa8yxm wrote:
I do not know of any RV which has city fill only. ALl have a Gravity fill though finding it may be a job and a half.... One RV it's under the hood in a locked box.. Look for a locked door about oh 5 or 6 inches square...

I guess you haven't seen many RV's, John. City fill only systems with a "Fill/Use" or similar valve are really quite common. Both our previous Coachmen Catalina and our current Landau have such systems, as do many others I've worked on or inspected. Gravity fill seems to be more common on TT's than motorhomes now.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Sep 03, 2019
I do not know of any RV which has city fill only. ALl have a Gravity fill though finding it may be a job and a half.... One RV it's under the hood in a locked box.. Look for a locked door about oh 5 or 6 inches square...

Now... you can fill from an external tank using a 12 volt pump.. There is a very common 12 volt water pump that is rated for drinking water (you have one in fact) it has 1/2 inch IPT inlet and outlet.. Adapt the 1/2 inch outlet to a garden hose.. put an inlet strainer on the inlet side and adapt to like 10' of clear "Vinyl" suction hose Stick the suction hose in your bucket and apply 12 volts.

What kind of pump is this.. why the water pump on your RV of course.. do not use it (though in some cases you can as it's already set up for it) use a 2nd one you get from Amazon or such.

There are also 12 volt and drill powered "Transfer" pumps. they usually have garden hose fittings but I'm not convinced they are potable water rated (Drinking) Rhe RV pump is.
3_dog_nights
Explorer
Sep 03, 2019
Get one of the little pumps that mount in your drill.
Teacher_s_Pet
Explorer
Sep 03, 2019
A friend of ours years ago at Quartzite had a small air compressor that he pressurized a 10 gallon potable water tank with with a hose he could hook to his water fill. He had a Honda 2000 watt generator to charge his batteries and air up tires with the compressor.