cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Carrying extra water

Supercharged111
Explorer
Explorer
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.
2007 Lance 1131
1997 GMC K3500 crew cab supercharged dually
58 REPLIES 58

TxGearhead
Explorer II
Explorer II
Pretend you're in Europe and take a shower maybe once a week. But everybody in the camper has to be in the "program". If you all have the same stank you won't notice it. Or heavy heavy applications of 3 day deodorant.
If you're determined to carry extra water I would use 5 gallon jugs behind the truck front seat, assuming you have a crew cab. Or, look at 20 gallon spray rigs for ATV use. They have a small 12volt pump and you should be able to engineer the wiring off your 4 pin truck connection. Or hook a hose to the tank drain. That's the biggest tank I would put on top of my camper.
2018 Ram 3500 CC LB DRW 4X4 Cummins Aisin Laramie Pearl White
2018 Landmark Oshkosh
2008 Bigfoot 25C9.4
2014 NauticStar 21 ShallowBay 150HP Yamaha
2016 GoDevil 18X44 35HP Surface Drive

Grit_dog
Navigator
Navigator
Agree, I wouldn't want to put effectively a small water bed on the roof.
Back seat of the truck is a good spot thou.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

JimK-NY
Explorer II
Explorer II
youngm357 wrote:
I carry a 7 (?) gallon blue water tote from Walmart that I have a hose bib screwed in to with a short hose. Either use it at the sink or set it up by the bed and run the hose down through the window into the water fill.


A few gallons is not going to do much. The OP managed to drain the water tank with 3 showers.

Bedlam
Moderator
Moderator
My enclosed trailer has two 42 gallon fresh tanks and a transfer pump that can refill the TC or be used directly off the pump. I also carry an additional 30 gallon waste tote if the TC fills up. Showers and dish washing is done outside.

Host Mammoth 11.5 on Ram 5500 HD

youngm357
Explorer
Explorer
I carry a 7 (?) gallon blue water tote from Walmart that I have a hose bib screwed in to with a short hose. Either use it at the sink or set it up by the bed and run the hose down through the window into the water fill.

Photomike
Explorer III
Explorer III
Carrying water up high is a bad idea as it completely changes the handling of your unit, center of gravity, etc. On the roof would be the worst place, over the cab not a lot better.

Best suggestions are to use less, take an inflatable bladder that you can fill there using your truck bed (camper unloaded) or if you need more the get some tanks for beside the truck camper in the truck bed. Just remember that the more you carry the more weight you are carrying and adjust your other items to keep your rig within the weight limits.
2017 Ford Transit
EVO Electric bike
Advanced Elements Kayaks

Grit_dog
Navigator
Navigator
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.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

jaycocreek
Explorer II
Explorer II
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.
Lance 9.6
400 watts solar mounted/200 watts portable
500ah Lifep04

ppine
Explorer II
Explorer II
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.

JimK-NY
Explorer II
Explorer II
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.

jimh406
Explorer III
Explorer III
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.

'10 Ford F-450, 6.4, 4.30, 4x4, 14,500 GVWR, '06 Host Rainer 950 DS, Torklift Talon tiedowns, Glow Steps, and Fastguns. Bilstein 4600s, Firestone Bags, Toyo M655 Gs, Curt front hitch, Energy Suspension bump stops.

NRA Life Member, CCA Life Member

jaycocreek
Explorer II
Explorer II
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
Lance 9.6
400 watts solar mounted/200 watts portable
500ah Lifep04

fpoole
Explorer
Explorer
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..
Frank Poole
Roam'n ROG (Full Timer since Oct '15)
2016 RAM 5500, C/c, 6.7 Diesel, AISIN HD 6-spd, 19.5 DRW, 72 Gal fuel, 4x4, 10’ Alum FB, 440 Amps, 4.10 Axle
2016 AF 990 640-Solar/10-6v Batts
GlowStep Stow N’ Go, E-Bike
RS1 Buggy
frank

Pooles website

Buzzcut1
Nomad II
Nomad II
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
2011 F350 6.7L Diesel 4x4 CrewCab longbed Dually, 2019 Lance 1062, Torqlift Talons, Fast Guns, upper and lower Stable Loads, Super Hitch, 48" Super Truss, Airlift loadlifter 5000 extreme airbags