Forum Discussion

Supercharged111's avatar
Jun 21, 2018

Carrying extra water

What are some of your solutions here? I spent a weekend at the track and after 3 showers and whatever else the tank was dry. Certainly I could have showered more efficiently, but add more people to the mix and it's just not enough water. I'd love to keep it above the cab if such an apparatus would package and secure there. I could simply gravity fill the main tank that way, just a matter of deciding how to get the water up there.

58 Replies

  • Wakeboat ballast bag and ballast pump is what we use. Because I already had a couple for the boat. But $100 or so gets you a bag and pump combo if you search. And a lot of sizes and shapes. From 300lbs to over 1000lb.
  • How much water do you think you could safely carry on your roof?


    It would depend on your camper..We all have seen some with half the town standing on a TC roof and the cargo boxes/canoe's/firewood etc etc.

    Another option when water is limited is bringing outside water from creeks inside to heat up shower and clean up.I use a large canning pot to heat up creek water to use as a shower.

    There is also the 6 gallon water containers for extra water that can easily fit behind your truck seat/just inside the TC door or on a hitch haul.I couldn't count the number of times I have filled an RV from a 6 gallon water container out in the boonies.
  • You have to teach your traveling companions how to conserve water. Navy showers is right. Or no showers. I live in Nevada. Saving water is ingrained in everyone. I have used the shower in my trailer once. Usually we go swimming or find showers at an RV park when required.

    Some trailers are set up for boondocking. Even the small Outdoors RV trailers have 60 gallon water tanks.

    It amazes me that anyone thinks they need a shower every day while camping.
  • I camp a lot of places without water or with limited water. I usually hike a lot and especially in the summer I need a daily shower. Drinking, cooking, washing dishes and the daily shower adds up to 3 gallons, about 1 gallon is for the shower. Yup that is a Navy shower, wet down, soap up and rinse off. With my wife we run through about 5-6 gallons a day.

    You can try to carry extra water, but if you do not conserve you can still empty your tanks within a few days. How much water do you think you could safely carry on your roof? Maybe 20 gallons or so.
  • Different TC with more capacity and water conservation when possible. If you really want a lot of water and corresponding holding tanks, you need to pull a trailer.

    Somehow, we made due with a tent, so most TCs are way better than that.
  • I have a 45 gallon water bladder for an RV that can be transported on any flat surface such as a sturdy RV roof/pickup bed etc..Works pretty good in my opinion..I prefer to take my ATV trailer with one of my many 50 and 25 gallon water barrels with each having a nozzle on the bottom.

    We really don't use all that much water camping so I usually don't take any opting for Sawyer water filter for camp use and drinking water if need be and creeks and lakes for cleaning up.

    45 gallon RV bladder
  • Yah, I was thinking the same thing, but for different reasons, power washer and a back up water source, my gray fills up ..

    Looking like getting a plastic water tank, found what I think will work, a vertical tall one at ~120 gal.. I was also looking at a flat one for a buggy trailer, hopefully in the near future, that the buggy could just drive over.

    They might have something here that might help or just search rv water tank or plastic water tank and something should popup that might work keeping in mind, water is heavy.

    To fill, just like you fill your camper water tank, hose. to run, like you said, gravity or a small pump like your camper has, surflow..

    They have some in a little pelican case, expensive but portable. Also look at Underwater/Pond tanks, pump works when underwater or wet...

    https://www.tank-mart.com/plastic-tanks/plastic-water-tanks.html?dir=asc&order=gallons

    hope that helps..
  • When boondocking/dry camping you have to take Navy showers. Wet up, turn off. lather up, rinse off, turn off. no letting the water just run. My wife and I were out for 5 days of boondocking a few weeks ago. We kayaked, hiked and showered off each day that way. We only went though half of our 35 gallons of fresh water