We are looking at camping at a local state park, Lucust Lake in PA. There is only an electric hookup available with hydrants for water. I assume I can fill my potable water tank there. What kind of portable water tank should I invest in to refill the tank without unhooking? Will I need some kind of pump? Pardon my newbie questions. This is our first camper and my previous camping was always with full hookups with my parents and in-laws.

How many tank fulls of water do you anticipate during your stay? Will your black & gray tanks need to be dumped? For us, after about a week, its time to drive to the dump station and I also refill the fresh water at that time.

I've been doing this with good success:I had 4 tanks custom-made. Works great at Quartzsite. I see campers who don't have water tanks/waste tanks breaking camp once a week to water and dump. Not something I'd care to do.

For a weekend or up to 5 day trip we can get by with a full water tank in the TT. For longer stays we use a 3 gallon water bag to refill the freshwater tank or there is a device (I forget the name) you can get that allows you to hook up your hose to any faucet. Some RVers use a large water bladder that can be carried in the back of a truck when full or rolled up for storage. The bladder is often used along with a pump to get the water into your TT freshwater tank.I find the 3 gallon water bag is easy to carry and only takes a couple of bags per day to keep up with our use. The hose adaptor is the easiest solution provided the campground water source is close enough to get a hose to it.

I have a piece of PVC pipe that threads into the water jug cap when the spigot is removed. I use it to add the water into the fresh water fill port.My fresh water tank holds 30 gallons so by the time it is empty it is about time to find the dump station.

We usually can get by on a weekend with a 3 gallon water jug for drinking water and the 39 gallons in the fresh tank for everything else. Obviously can't take showers daily with four people on that! We also have a 3 gallon jerry can in case we need to add water to the fresh tank.If you are fortunate enough to get a spot near a water spigot, using a Water Thief will let you run a hose back to your TT to fill the tanks.

Camping w/o water hookup help needed | Good Sam Community

2oldman
Explorer II
Jul 11, 2014
John H wrote:
! I found out fairly quick I did not like to hold a 6 gallon container almost chest high five times to fill that tank even with a must have funnel.
Wouldn't be my idea of a good time!
John_H
Explorer
Jul 11, 2014
!9' trailer 21' long,, 32 gallon fresh water tank. Two of us. I found out fairly quick I did not like to hold a 6 gallon container almost chest high five times to fill that tank even with a must have funnel. Bought 2 plastic green 6 gallons apiece "Jerry cans from Walmart. Went to Northern Supply and bought their small 12v pump, added hose and wiring to match----fill both container at a campground spigot, put into truck bed, back truck as close to water inlet on the trailer as possible, set water on tail gate. Let pump empty both water containers into trailer tank, Sip a refreshment, repeat trip 3 times, 2=12 gallons 1= 6 gallons. No sweat, small hassle.
curly5759
Explorer
Jul 11, 2014
My son is spending the summer as a camp host in a campground with no services. We solved the water problem with a plastic 6 gallon water jug from walmart and one of those 'jiggle' type siphon hoses. The campground only has an old fashioned hand pump for water. (It takes around 75 pumps to fill the 6 gallon jug, ask me how I know. :) )

We would fill the jug, carry it to the trailer and put the jug on a small table. Using the siphon hose, we would refill the freshwater tank.
Worked well, we just made it part of the daily chores to refill the tank.

Curly
camper19709
Explorer
Jul 11, 2014
Too many variables. Use the bathhouse/showers. Only use the TT bath/shower? My bigger worry would be filling the grey water tank before running out of fresh water.
towhead
Explorer
Jul 11, 2014
I use an attwood 12v bilge pump for water transfer from 30 gallon plastic tubs to the fresh water tank.
mister_d
Explorer
Jul 11, 2014
We fill the fresh tank on arrival, use a blue tote to take grey water away, and replenish the fresh tank using 6 gallon containers. The black tank will last about 5-7 days before it needs to be dumped.
Sillybugs2
Explorer
Jul 11, 2014
We had water and electric in our last camp spot and never came close to filling the grey or black in four days. Hubby showered in the camp shower, myself there one day and in the trailer another. Daughter took a bath and son bathed in the lake.

We go every August for seven days with no hookups and run out of fresh after day five with conservation. We fill with a five gallon tank. We do try to use facilities during the day so don't fill the black tank.

But it all depends on your usage. Oh and we fill at home before we leave.
Mike_Up
Explorer
Jul 11, 2014
We camp exclusively in Indiana State Parks which only offer electric hookup, no water, no septic.

We camp within 200' of a water spigot so we can use our hoses to refill the 84 gallon tanks. This was the highlight of this camper, huge fresh water tanks!

If a spigot isn't around, I have two 7 gallon Aquatainers that I can sit on a tent chair and use a kerosene battery pump to empty into the fresh water inlet. Been doing that for years. Using a funnel isn't fun. Water is 8.3 lbs per/gallon so each full Aquatainer is close to 60 lbs. Tried that by myself and it isn't fun. Usually 2 rounds at 28 gallons will last a day or so with a 4 person family. It's slow but 'sometimes' more convenient than using the campground's bath house.

I also have a 25 gallon waste water blue tank. I've been using it for 10 years. Love this model. Very very reliable. Next Tank will be the Tote-n-stor 32 gallon model.
mosseater
Explorer II
Jul 11, 2014
I've done state parks almost exclusively since we started and I always carry my 6 gal greenie jugs. They fit the inlet spout pretty well and if you pull the stopper completely out of the hole and set it aside, the water will drain into the tank in about 40 seconds. Yes, I've timed it. I can put 36 gals in the FW tank in under five minutes using only gravity. Yes, the jugs are sort of heavy at about 50 lbs each, but only at the start of the pour. Ten seconds in, the weight disappears. You can use many other ways to fill the tank, but there are none cheaper or simpler.

And, FWIW, I've waited more than once on the road while someone filled their tank. Only takes most folks 10 mins (10 min.@8 gal per min=80 gal) or so. I've waited longer while someone has tried to back into a site. No biggie.
PAThwacker
Explorer
Jul 10, 2014
I have one more PA state park trip reserved this season over to Ricketts Glen. Dry campground!