Need more water!

[synergy_58]

I have a 2009 Navion. The water tank holds 35 gallons, which seems to always be about 5-7 gallons short during 3-4 day weekend trips. How can I increase my water storage? Is there a way to add more water to the current tank, without undocking and heading to the closest water source?

Ideas anyone?

[synergy_58]

Very good detailed description! Thanks!

I too have the power switch that turns on/off the water pump, located in the plumbing chase and accessible from the outside. There is an outside shower faucet and hose, I suppose for rinsing the plumbing area; I wouldn't use it to shower with.

My antifreeze suction hose and valve is located in the under bed storage area, mainly accessible from the outside, but it can be accessed from the inside with a little manuvering of bedding and bed boards, which I wouldn't want to do.

I could divert the antifreeze suction valve and hose more forward and into the water pump area, with a little work; I'm seriously considering this task.

For now, I'm glad to have the ability to add water from a jug/container. In th future, I will probably and a more suitable tank and add the ability to fill from the inside of the cabin.

Thanks again!

[pnichols]

My Itasca Class C is the 324V model (often just called the "24V" model).

On the passenger side outer coach wall way at the back is a large access door for the largest exterior storage cabinet. On this exterior coach wall and just a short distance from the upper left corner of this cabinet door is a small white lockable flip-door covering the gravity feed fill-opening to a pipe that leads 2-3 feet to the top of the fresh water tank, which is in the coach's interior underneath the rear corner bed.

On the driver's side exterior coach wall is also a hose fitting for connection of a hose to supply the interior fresh water system when on hookups. From this hose fitting I cannot fill the fresh water tank. I must use the gravity feed flip-door on the other side to gravity-feed fill the tank. This hose fitting on the driver's side exterior wall only leads to all of the interior fresh water plumbing and directly to the faucets, the shower, the toilet, and the exterior shower .... when on hookups.

Inside underneath the rear corner bed is stored a built-in (by Winnebago) long clear plastic hose coming from a swith-over valve for drawing from any container I want for pumping into the interior piping - such as anti-freeze for winterization. Instead, I could draw from a fresh water container to supply water to all of the interior water system plumbing - including the exterior shower.

It so happens that the exterior shower head is just inside that large rear storage cabinet that is right next to the flip-door opening to the pipe to the fresh water tank that I mentioned above. This means that I can turn on the water pump and draw from a fresh water container inside the coach with the system under the bed setup (accesible via an access door) intended for winterizing. While doing this, I can have the exterior shower hose routed for pumping into the fresh water gravity feed inlet opening I described above ... which is right next to the exterior shower hose and head which are just inside the large exterior storage cabinet.

I don't think the Winnebago designers planned for this special very convenient situation, but I could use this approach to fill the fresh water tank from a container inside the motorhome using the built-in winterization configuration, which would utilize the built-in 12V water system pump to do the pumping. There is even a water pump ON/OFF switch right in the larger exterior storage compartment for turning ON the water pump right there where the exterior shower hose is.

It's a sweet arrangement - probaly all by "accident". However, I've read other threads in this forum describing this same approach others have been able to use with their particular RV setups for filling of their fresh water tanks from portable containers using their built-in winterization systems.

P.S. It took so long to write the above that I probably could have went outside and took pictures for less writing and more clarity!

[synergy_58]

pnichols wrote:
My 2005 Itasca Spirit Class C has the same setup of a winterization intake tube and valve inside under the rear bed that I could use to draw water from a container of fresh water. I can do this all from the inside of the motorhome.

We of course also have the outside gravity-fill opening. It's strange that Winnebago would leave this outside fill capability off some of their models ... what were they thinking anyway?

Is yours a J model? How do you draw from the inside and where exactly is your exterior fill? Can you add pic's by chance?

I have sufficient room to add a spare tank in a few locations. Nothing bigger than 5-8 gals, maybe 10 if I pushed it. If I could draw from the inside, instead of going out and doing everything from the underbed storage area, this would be a heck of lot more accomodating, but not absolutely neccessary.

Just wondering.

Thanks!

[pnichols]

My 2005 Itasca Spirit Class C has the same setup of a winterization intake tube and valve inside under the rear bed that I could use to draw water from a container of fresh water. I can do this all from the inside of the motorhome.

We of course also have the outside gravity-fill opening. It's strange that Winnebago would leave this outside fill capability off some of their models ... what were they thinking anyway?

[synergy_58]

Our recent run down to Seward AK (weather was awesome) for 2 nights, resulting in 2 people taking 2 showers each, coffee making, the normal bathroom usage prepping stuff (DW 😉 etc. Kitchen use was minimal as we treated ourselves to the best white king salmon lunch ever!

Of course, as usual, we ran our of water, even with light use. So for us, two days, two night max expectancy of water for boonedocking.

Got home yesterday, found the winterization tap, cleaned it, checked it and am now prepared to add water in the main tank for future use!!!! YEAH!!

I have never winterized with antifreeze (RV); I don't do it this way. I simply open all faucets and outlets, flush the entire system, blow air through lines and leave the lines open. I pour a little RV antifreeze into the holding tanks (after they are cleaned and flushed of course), and leave things till I'm ready to go. Makes my life so much easier, and if I ever get a wild hair in the winter and decide a winter campng run is needed, I just grab the Navie and go.

So, the winterization tap is now my added water tap!

[burlmart]

It makes me feel good to be of such help, so thank you too.

[synergy_58]

burlmart wrote:
2008 Winnie View (and likely OPs model)has no gravity fill...this gives a fix

Oh man! You have done it for me!!! This is the perfect solution!
I am so thrilled to find this out, you have no idea.
I can keep extra water in the storage area right next to the fill valve
And just tap in to it and transfer into the main tank. Very easy solution!

Thanks soooooo much for this article!

[burlmart]

2008 Winnie View (and likely OPs model)has no gravity fill...this gives a fix

[TyroneandGladys]

A little bit of hassle but not much. Get you a 5 gallon water container mark it recycle. When doing the dishes instead of putting the water in sink put it in a dishpan when through washing dump the water in the recycle container then rinse the dishes with the rinse water going into the recycle container. Any time you can collect any grey water it goes into the recycle container and that is what you use to flush the toilet with. Stretches your fresh water and saves your grey tank.

[wbwood]

We have a couple of these. I think I paid only like $8 or $9 a piece for mine though. We fill them up at home and take them with us. Usually on the 2nd day of camping, I will pour one into the fresh water tank. And then on the 3rd or 4th day (if we are out that long) I pour the other. Our fresh water tank is only 40 gallons itself. With the two additional jugs, that puts up at about 52 gallons. Just about 7 or 8 gallons shy of filling up the black and gray tank combined. You can also take the jugs somewhere there is potable water and refill. They way close to 50lbs when full though. Some use water pumps to pump water into the fresh water tank.

I also recommend getting an Oxygenics Body Spa shower head. Uses less water and gives greater pressure. Well worth the $30-35.

[WX_Briefer]

wouldn't a water transfer pump (similar to this one)work?

[burlmart]

synergy_58 wrote:
I have a 2009 Navion. The water tank holds 35 gallons, which seems to always be about 5-7 gallons short during 3-4 day weekend trips. How can I increase my water storage? Is there a way to add more water to the current tank, without undocking and heading to the closest water source?

Ideas anyone?

Come on, Winnie Sprinter owners -- where is the FW fill???

[burlmart]

At almost 3 min into vid, they talk of a gravity fill FW spout behind a locked door.

[synergy_58]

dcason wrote:
We also take extra drinking water jugs of bottled water.
AND we take 1 gallon OJ jugs of tap water to flush the toilet. If we need more water to flush, I can and have gotten that from:
drainage ditches (hubby laughed at that), pouring off our roof when it rained, downspouts at businesses.

Hm, ok?

Reminds me of the time I was deployed to Bosnia/Kosova. Had to shower under a hole in the roof of an old blown up building. Five of us were able to get cleaned up after not having showers for a week and half. The good ole days...NOT!