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Re-filling fresh water tank while I dry camping

GUNNERS_MOM
Explorer
Explorer
I apologize if this has been addressesd previously but I found no threads for my specific issue. We spend one week annually in Cade's Cove. To add water to our fresh water tank mid stay is a pain. We haven't found a good way to refill with our 5 gallon containers without spillage and aggravation. Yes, we could break camp and visit the refill station but we choose not to. Anyone have any "handy dandy" cheap ideas.
28 REPLIES 28

GUNNERS_MOM
Explorer
Explorer
You guys are absolutely awesome. I have NEVER posted a question here without getting a workable solution...even how to get a hairspray can out of the crook of the toilet drain...don't ask.

Michael 8, I love the funnel. Will definitely order one today. Also Katdaddy, lgarcia and Lowsuv, hubby is excited to use one/all or a combination of all to add additional ease to this task.

We, of course, have access to the water...just struggling with how to get larger amounts into the fresh water tank and all these ideas are great. Thanks again.

Katdaddy
Explorer II
Explorer II
We also take a yearly trip to Cades Cove. I am good on conserving batteries, but terrible on water. My solution is to carry 4 of the 6 gallon jugs. I mounted a water pump on a board and wired a 12v plug in the storage compartment, close to the fresh water fill port. I cut a couple of hoses to the length needed. I insert one hose into the jug and the other into the fill port. It only takes a few minutes to empty all of the jugs into the tank.
Little by little, one travels far - J.R.R. Tolkien
There ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them. - Mark Twain

Lowsuv
Explorer
Explorer
You are going to laugh at this answer ....
get a 5 foot 2 x 2 from lowes .
drill it near one end and bolt a large size ( think captain ) hook through the 2x2. 5 /16" diameter hook with 2 washers and 2 nuts .
with that hook assembly you slip the hook through the handle on the 5 gallon jug .
To use : place the " dumb " end of the 2x2 stick on the ground (blocked by your foot ) near the fill spout.
raise the jug using the " smart end " of the stick / hook to get it above the fill spout .
put the hose into the fill spout .
Tilt the jug on the hook so that the water can flow into the fill spout .
That way a lot of the weight is supported by the 2x2 hook assembly .
I carry 3 extra 5 gallon blue coleman jugs with water in them from home for extended stays .
I prefer our Bend water and i use a diesel gmc as a TV so there is plenty of payload in my pickup.
The 1 /2 inch irrigation pipe threads fit the coleman jug cap .
from there i fabricated a hose that fits our water fill pipe .
This concept was stolen from the boondockiest fellow from southern california , ProfDanT .

lgarcia
Explorer
Explorer
You said handy dandy, so here goes. My daughter was visiting on short notice and wanted to stay in the TT. We don't have an outside hose. If we had known she was coming, we would have filled up the holding tank at the last campground. So...

Kroger was closing out their summer items. I picked up two 2 1/2 gallon plastic watering cans at half price - about 8 bucks total. I took off the plastic diffusers, filled them with the sprayer at the kitchen sink, and did a few 5 gallon trips across the yard.

They are easier to hold up to the filler tube than the bigger water jugs, imho, because of the 2 handles at the top and the side.


Mine are like the one pictured with a little longer nozzle, but you can find some with very long nozzles as well.

-Laura
2016 Shasta Oasis 18BH (specs and floor plan in profile)
2015 Ram 1500 Hemi

michael8rc
Explorer
Explorer
We carry extra water in jugs and use this funnel to put the water in the fresh water tank.

Funnel
1998 Dodge Club Cab 4x4
2010 Wildwood 292FKDS

RoyB
Explorer II
Explorer II
We always check out where water is available before we head in to our camp spot.

I carry two 5-gallon filled up fresh water totes along with two 7.5 gallon empty AQUA-TAINER totes. We also have a two-wheeled folding cart on board as well. We use the 7.5 gallon totes to haul off gray water back to the dump site when they get filled.

When we run low on fresh water will drive back to the water source and bring back two 5-gal totes at a time until we refill the fresh water tank.

I did finally get a 12VDC pump from WALMART to transfer the water from the back of the truck without lifting them. They do get heavy after a bit haha...

Roy Ken
My Posts are IMHO based on my experiences - Words in CAPS does not mean I am shouting
Roy - Carolyn
RETIRED DOAF/DON/DOD/CONTR RADIO TECH (42yrs)
K9PHT (Since 1957) 146.52M
2010 F150, 5.4,3:73 Gears,SCab
2008 Starcraft 14RT EU2000i GEN
2005 Flagstaff 8528RESS

PapPappy
Explorer
Explorer
Harbor Freight has this for under $40, and it's 12VDC, so you can hook it up to the battery in your RV, and pump through a hose to your holding tank.


You can probably find alternative ways to carry extra water, though the plastic 5-gal jugs are probably the easiest and lightest to deal with....you can leave them in the RV or the back of the TV for the drive to the CG......then pump them in as you need them.
Bill & Claudia / DD Jenn / DS Chris / GS MJ
Dogs: Sophie, Abby, Brandy, Kahlie, Annie, Maggie, Tugger & Beau ๐Ÿ™‚
RIP: Cookie, Foxy & Gidget @ Rainbow Bridge.๐Ÿ˜ž
2000 Winnebago "Minnie" 31C, Ford V-10
Purchased April 2008:B FMCA# F407293
The Pets

Hondavalk
Explorer II
Explorer II
I bought a 30 gallon cooler that has hose thread on the drain port at Wally World fairly cheap. I use a 12V pump to transfer the water to my TT

mbopp
Explorer
Explorer
I have a 15 gallon plastic barrel mounted in the pickup bed. Fill at the faucet, then gravity-feed into the tank.
2017 Grand Design Imagine 2650RK
2019 F250 XLT Supercab
Just DW & me......

old_guy
Explorer
Explorer
We love to dry camp and we always hauled water in 5 gallon jugs. usually 5 or 6 of them. I used to lift them up and pour into the TT using a flexible neck funnel but over the years they got too heavy for me. so I bought a boat bilge pump and used some hose and some long lengths of wiring to the battery with an on/off switch next to the fill spout to control the pump. that worked for me. have read where some bought a regular Tt water pump and did the wiring like I did. they bought a TT pump for the purpose of back up if their pump ever went bad.

eb145
Explorer
Explorer
I bought 3 water heater bypass kits and configured them to let me pull fresh water from my 7 gallon water jug with a 25 ft. white hose. I also needed a fitting from the hardware store to let me attach my garden hose to the end of the water heater bypass inlet.

I bring 2 of the blue 7-gal. water jugs from wal mart and a little red wagon to pull them back from the water spigot.

I put one end of the hose in the water jug (still sitting in the wagon), screw the other end to the water heater bypass inside the trailer, change position of the 3 valves to have the water pumped from the jug to the fresh water tank.

And then turn the pump on.

Move the hose to the second jug when the fist one is emptied.

Ed

JnJnKatiebug
Explorer
Explorer
Francesca Knowles wrote:
Assuming you have a vehicle in addition to the RV in question:

They're not cheap, but...I sure like the convenience/ease of those bladder-type cartop tanks.

Works by gravity once you get back to the rig.


I use one of these as well, works great.
2016 Chevy Tahoe
2017 Flagstaff 26FKWS
(Picture in profile)

"The best things in life are the people you love, the places you've seen,
and the memories you've made along the way".

2oldman
Explorer II
Explorer II
What kind of RV? You should post in Boondock forum.

Water in heading in Public lands
"If I'm wearing long pants, I'm too far north" - 2oldman

Francesca_Knowl
Explorer
Explorer
Assuming you have a vehicle in addition to the RV in question:

They're not cheap, but...I sure like the convenience/ease of those bladder-type cartop tanks.

Works by gravity once you get back to the rig.
" Not every mind that wanders is lost. " With apologies to J.R.R. Tolkien