Fresh water tank.....

[aknavy]

Besides on the deck/in the drom, how are people mounting fresh water tanks?  Fresh water is our limiting factor for boondocking.  Currently using a 60 gallon bladder to refill, but would really like to carry a couple hundred gallons on the truck.  We have a big drom behind the cab and about 6 feet of room behind it, but don't want to block that off with a water tank, as it would block access to the drom, and we put the generator in that area to run when needed.  We have a big tank on the trailer, but the water in it = pin weight and the trailer complains if we tow with more than 50 gallons.

[2gypsies]

How long do you stay in one place boondocking?  We had 105 fresh; 65 grey; 45 black and could easily last 2 weeks.

[aknavy]

15 hours ago, 2gypsies said:

How long do you stay in one place boondocking?  We had 105 fresh; 65 grey; 45 black and could easily last 2 weeks.

We stay 10-14 days.  Use about 10-15 gallons a day unless we're trying to stretch it.  I know we can use less, but we like showers, do dishes every other day, and both us and the dogs drink alot of water.  While we have a 100 gallon tank on the fifth wheel, I don't like traveling with it full, as it's weight almost directly translates to pin weight on the trailer, so I'd rather travel with the weight on the truck.

[Imurphy907]

I currently use a 275g tote. But when I build the bed, I will be incorporating 2 75g water tanks into the bed as well as a tank for grey/black water.

[crazybanshee]

I added a 50 gal tank under the faring in front of the fuel tanks on each side.

[RandyA]

We have used a queen size water bed mattress on the deck of the truck bed for all but drinking water.  Works well, holds lots of water and makes a good place to take a nap and get a suntan.

[usbusin]

1 hour ago, RandyA said:

We have used a queen size water bed mattress on the deck of the truck bed for all but drinking water. 

Now that is thinking outside of the box for sure!!!

[jenandjon]

I use a couple 55 gallon drums. Lay on their side put a spigot in one bung and shrader valve in the other. Pressurize with air and you got running water. This was my first test using a cheap 12 volt air compressor. I held the hose above my head as high as I could reach and it pushed water out. I had no problems filling my camper.

Since then I have started using a water pump salvaged out of an old RV. It works just as well maybe better but you have to vent the barrel. Take the core out of the shrader valve.

 

 

[noteven]

At summer base camp I use a diesel exhaust fluid tote to transfer water - I use a RV water pump etc. 

[rpsinc]

On my service truck I use a 4" PVC X 10'L with an elbow on the upper end for filling and venting, then a cap with an adapter for a hose bib, a short hose and a shutoff to have water on jobsites, that I use mostly to wash hands etc after working all day or before lunch.  I put a bit of a slope on the pipe and used unistrut to mount it to my rack, does what I need.

[tyates007]

I carry a 120 gallon well pressure tank. The rubber bladder in the tank makes it pressurized so it is like being hooked to a hydrant. It will pressurize to whatever static pressure you fill it with. That is about 100 psi at my house. There is a hose bib on the outlet and I just put my regulator and hose on it and then hook the other end to the rv. 

[rpsinc]

4 hours ago, tyates007 said:

I carry a 120 gallon well pressure tank. The rubber bladder in the tank makes it pressurized so it is like being hooked to a hydrant. It will pressurize to whatever static pressure you fill it with. That is about 100 psi at my house. There is a hose bib on the outlet and I just put my regulator and hose on it and then hook the other end to the rv. 

Good idea

[lappir]

15 hours ago, tyates007 said:

I carry a 120 gallon well pressure tank. The rubber bladder in the tank makes it pressurized so it is like being hooked to a hydrant. It will pressurize to whatever static pressure you fill it with. That is about 100 psi at my house. There is a hose bib on the outlet and I just put my regulator and hose on it and then hook the other end to the rv. 

Where did you put it? When full it could weigh almost 1000 lbs. according to my calculation. 

Rod

[dennisvr]

17 hours ago, tyates007 said:

I carry a 120 gallon well pressure tank. The rubber bladder in the tank makes it pressurized so it is like being hooked to a hydrant. It will pressurize to whatever static pressure you fill it with. That is about 100 psi at my house. There is a hose bib on the outlet and I just put my regulator and hose on it and then hook the other end to the rv. 

This has me thinking.  I've got an area under my truck that I could hang a 150 gal tank .  Then install a 12v air pump to keep to pressurized to 40 to 60 psi and run hose to 5th wheel.  

[Vladimir]

Has anybody tried one of these??

https://www.usaberkeyfilters.com/products/aquatank-ii-emergency-water-storage-container/

I have a TWO friends with new RV's that do NOT have an outside water fill.  I guess they are designed to be ONLY used in RV parks!!!

This looks like a easy cheap solution.  You can attach a blow out fixture to one of the hose fixtures and blow out the water out the other fixture.  

Just like JenandJon recommended!!!   Great solution.  Does it work??

[noteven]

Vladimir - I had a truck camper once with no outside gravity fill. Fill was accomplished by moving a valve and filling via the city connector.

[Vladimir]

Yeah, that works real great until the nearest city connection is 40 miles away!!!  

I have TWO water pumps for filling the water tank from a stream.  None of those work well, but then again I have not tried real hard since I do have an outside fill.

Best system, while I was working we took several hundred feet of garden hose and ran it up the hillside to a creek.   At the end of the garden hose but a plastic milk gallon with the bottom cut out.  

That worked great.  Plus the first guy back into camp got a hot shower!!

 

[lappir]

3 hours ago, Vladimir said:

Has anybody tried one of these??

https://www.usaberkeyfilters.com/products/aquatank-ii-emergency-water-storage-container/

I have a TWO friends with new RV's that do NOT have an outside water fill.  I guess they are designed to be ONLY used in RV parks!!!

This looks like a easy cheap solution.  You can attach a blow out fixture to one of the hose fixtures and blow out the water out the other fixture.  

Just like JenandJon recommended!!!   Great solution.  Does it work??

The first sentence I read was they were not for potable water. I next read that some of them are only built to be stationary. Final issue for me is there doesn't seem to be a way to secure them and I doubt they have internal baffles. I would not use them. 

I did inquire about bladders used in ship building and they can be custom sized and have securement areas. The spot I thought would be big enough viewing didn't measure out to be worth the trouble. I might do a well pressure tank. Used them for many years on the "Farm". But I'm still a ways away from wanting to boondock much. Maybe I never will "Need" to. 

 

Rod

[2gypsies]

29 minutes ago, lappir said:

The first sentence I read was they were not for potable water. 

This is what it states:  "

r produced with a Berkey® water purification system is not designed for water storage. Water storage can be purified through Berkey® water purifiers.

Details

Aquatank II Water Storage Containers are ideal for heavy duty applications when the Aquatank just isn’t strong enough. Unlike our previous models that were designed to stay in one place after filling. The new Aquatank II can be transported in an SUV, truck, camper or trailer, even when it has water in it, without the risk of damaging the unit., of course with certain precautions.

The material used for the Aquatank II is a heavy duty polyurethane coated nylon that is suitable for potable water."

The first sentence is that water produced with a Berkey is not designed for water storage. ...... tap water IS suitable for storage.

[Vladimir]

2 hours ago, lappir said:

The first sentence I read was they were not for potable water. I next read that some of them are only built to be stationary. Final issue for me is there doesn't seem to be a way to secure them and I doubt they have internal baffles. I would not use them.......................

Rod

Potable water is not an issue.  That relates more to how you "manage" your water than the bladder.  I don't consider my fresh water tank...potable.

We used them in remote fire camps (not the same brand).  The shower grey water went into one bladder, but the shower water was supplied by another bladder.  The water was pumped into and out of the bladders for moving and disposal.

I'd like to hear more about the lack of internal baffles.  In my case, it would be pumping from a creek or lake and a short drive, if any, to the trailer.

[lappir]

10 hours ago, Vladimir said:

Potable water is not an issue.  That relates more to how you "manage" your water than the bladder.  I don't consider my fresh water tank...potable.

We used them in remote fire camps (not the same brand).  The shower grey water went into one bladder, but the shower water was supplied by another bladder.  The water was pumped into and out of the bladders for moving and disposal.

I'd like to hear more about the lack of internal baffles.  In my case, it would be pumping from a creek or lake and a short drive, if any, to the trailer.

Depending on the size of the bladders and if they were completely full or partial you would have the potential for "Sloshing" which can be very unnerving and potentially dangerous. Internal baffles can tame said sloshing. 

Reread some of the post's above and saw the one about the Queen sized waterbed mattress. Remember those? Initially no baffles known as "Full Motion" then they came out with "Motionless" with multiple baffles. If you tried one in your youth, which one did you like the best?

 

Rod

[Vladimir]

Had both types of water beds.

It depended on what I was doing in bed as to which I preferred.

Never moved a bladder without baffles, but will take your word for it. 

[rollinbrian]

I've contemplated hanging two 50 gallon tanks under the passenger side steps.  One stainless or plastic for potable,  one old aluminum for black/Grey water. 

If I could cart that in and out regularly we could boondock quite awhile.

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Rod,

I use a bladder tank with an installed harness that helps a lot with the "sloshing" associated with baffle less tank.

Husky 75 Gallon Potable Water Bladder Tank BT-75PW (plastic-mart.com)

[lappir]

2 hours ago, GeorgiaHybrid said:

Rod,

I use a bladder tank with an installed harness that helps a lot with the "sloshing" associated with baffle less tank.

Husky 75 Gallon Potable Water Bladder Tank BT-75PW (plastic-mart.com)

That looks good, especially when full. I'd be careful if it was part full.  Of course, what do I really know? 

In the 1980's my parents had a "Petroleum Jobbership". They sold bulk gasoline, diesel, furnace fuel and oil to farmers and others that still used "Fuel oil" for home heating. I was just out of high school and we had a "Service Station" too.  Sometimes I had to take the "Tanker Truck" on deliveries and was warned frequently to make sure I knew when there were less than full tank sections. I think we had a 1500 gallon capacity but it was divided up into a 500, two 300's and two 200's or it could have been another 300 and a 100 gallon. It's been too long. 

Anyway after my first warning I made the mistake of filling a 300 gallon farm tank from the 500 gallon section instead of emptying a 300. For the rest of the day I was almost sea sick from the truck continuing to try and move after stopping back and forth it would go and curves in the road were no fun at all. I learned my lesson from that, but it was reinforced when I started with the Volunteer Fire Department. They also had a 1500 gallon water tank on the back of a straight truck. No baffles, if the tank was full it was ok to drive, use just a little bit of water out of it and it changed everything. 

These tanks most are talking about are not as large and if on an HDT, may not be an issue. In the back of a pickup it would be a different story. 

 

Rod