Water Fill Concern - How To If No Pressure???

[ccxnola]

All of my previous rigs had a gravity fill opening for the water tank.
While I have had my current rig for several years, I just now came to realize that the ONLY way to get water into the tank is via connection of a fill hose from a pressurized source (home, campground, etc).
I can access the tank in a compartment, but there is no external fill available.

I am trying to find a capped fitting that I can install at the top of the tank in the compartment so if I need to get water into the RV from a bucket, I can do so.

I cannot get to inside the tank, so the fitting will need to 'glue' to the top of the tank since there will be no way to secure it from the inside.

Any thoughts?? Fittings and source?? Thanks!!

[BrianinMichigan]

This is what I've used for 12 years
It takes about 4 minutes for a 5 gallon bucket of water. I have used this many times. I just put the whole pump into the bucket and when it's done I store it in the bucket.

[holstein13]

Just buy a cheap $7.19 drill pump from Amazon.com and you are done.

[wa8yxm]

How about a small 12 volt water pump (or 120 volt for that matter) and a short garden hose?

That's how I'd do it.. everything you need at any RV store or Harbor Freight.

[Raymon]

Nuke-E wrote:
If you're going to try to fill with gravity through the city water inlet, you're also going to have to generate enough pressure to force the check valve open (often right at the inlet)

Exactly my thoughts. I do not think gravity pressure will open the check valve no matter how high the water container is elevated about the water inlet connection.

Ray

[Nuke-E]

If you're going to try to fill with gravity through the city water inlet, you're also going to have to generate enough pressure to force the check valve open (often right at the inlet).

[Dutch_12078]

When I relocated the pump on our Landau, I added a 3-way valve to the pump inlet line, and about three feet of nylon reinforced hose. To add water from a jug or bucket to the fresh tank, all I do is turn the valve, open the existing fill valve, stick the hose in the jug and turn on the pump. To use the same setup for winterizing, just leave the fill valve closed and draw from an RV antifreeze jug to winterize the coach water lines without getting antifreeze in the fresh tank.

[Empty_Nest__Soo]

Triker33 wrote:
Use a 12V water pump to transfer from the bucket to the pressure hose connection?

That is exactly what I do. I bought an RV water pump, mounted it to a board, with a cord and 12-volt plug, plus sections of hose in and out of the pump, wired a 12-volt outlet, controlled through a separate switch, near the water fill.

Wayne

[darsben]

Just get some 5 gallon collapsible containers. Put a tee wit shutoff on the water pump intake line. Cut a long piece of hose o fit the adapter and put one end on adapter other end in Collapsible container then turn on the pump. Water should flow

[Winnipeg]

I had the same issue. I tried using the winterizing line but couldn't get it working (not a necessary skill when you live in So Cal).

I upgraded the original on/off water pump for a variable speed one and kept the old one as a spare. I can easily reinstall if the main pump dies.

The spare pump is set up to connect to a hose and transfer water from blue cans. I power it with a fused line into the toad cigarette lighter.

[Jay58]

Do not cut holes in tank before assuring that the silicone, adhesive will adhere to the tank material,,,,just saying....

[Y-Guy]

I ran into this issues while dry camping at a USFS campground. We'd run out of water with day left to go. So I used a 5 gallon blue jug and fed the hose that's used for winterizing into it, once I fed it in and turned the water source valve I was good to go. We rotated a couple of the blue jugs and we got by. So if you have a Winterization tube you've got all you need.

[ccxnola]

Wolfe10,
That is a good idea. It is good to have a spare pump. (The current pump was replaced about 4 years ago - what a pain!)

I'm confident it would work just fine.

However the Gravity feed opening is less than $20 and a new pump plus parts would be about $60. Now I need to think hard about cost / benefit!! Thanks for that good idea to solve my situation!!

As an aside - the 'genius' that made the design and engineering for our coach thought that it was a good idea to have the fresh water fill and the waste tanks cleaning fill in the same compartment - the sewer compartment!! So 'just to be sure', I purchased two sets of brass snap fittings and put one set on the fresh water fill in the correct positions and then the other set reversed for the tank cleaning fill and the tank cleaning hose. Of course, one hose is white and the other green, but that way I can never hook the wrong hose to a place it should not be!!

[wolfe10]

Yup, just buy a spare water pump (exact same model as in the coach will give you a spare).

Install it on a board and install 5' of hose with male hose connection on outlet side and female of inlet side. Wire positive and negative to cigarette plug. Install 12 VDC plug near the wet bay. If battery near wet bay, alligator clips work fine to power the pump.

If non-pressure water supply is a long ways off, use you regular hose to get to the pump/from the pump.

Been there, done that!

[MountainAir05]

As stated use a pump. My 99 is the same and we have a pump and it work with out any issues.