# here is a handy water tank filler



## Riggy (May 9, 2005)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Motorhome-tan...577697421QQcategoryZ36798QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

just like to say im not the seller i just thought i would show you guys


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## Paulway (May 9, 2005)

Interesting Riggy

Though can anyone tell me why you would want such a thing. I must confess that I have never understood why I have seen people use cans, bottles or jugs to fill there tanks. I have never used anything but a tap and a hose, simplicity in itself and no additional items to find space for in the van.
Not trying to be provocative just trying to learn and understand.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

There are times when you run out of water and, unless you have a very long hose, the only alternative is to fill the tank from water you carry from the source.

We tried to save effort by filling a 15 litre container and hoisting that up to the level of the water input while we were away this summer. Result; one sprained and painful shoulder which meant we had to stay put for a day or two.

We now have a small electric pump that will pump the water from the container into the tank. There is a 12v socket designed I suspect just for this purpose, under the water filler inlet on the outside of the van. Most of the time we will fill up from the tap and hose as usual but we now know we can do it when we are set up on our pitch and don't want to move.

G


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## Pusser (May 9, 2005)

If I find I cannot use a hose, I normally fill up a large plastic water carrier and then empty it into the top of the tank under the seat. Otherwise I have a long hose with a rubber thingy and jubilee clip on the end that fits most taps. I think by the time you use the contraption above, you may just as well tip it straight into the tank although I suppose on some m\homes the tank may not be so accessable as on mine.


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## badger (May 9, 2005)

Riggy
I too use a tap and hose, but its sometimes not convenient to get everything back in the van (crocks away, unplug power, turn off gas etc.) to drive over to the tap if you've run out of water and you're not close enough to reach with a hose. So I have been thinking of something like this too. But I've been thinking of making one up. They do sell them in some accessory stores with a socket you can fit to the side of the van (more holes though)


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## Paulway (May 9, 2005)

Thanks Grizzly, Pusser and Badger,

I can appreciate what you are saying and the difficulties involved lifting large amounts of water to empty it into the tank but I suppose what I am having the difficulty with is why anyone would wish/ need to do that in the first place.
Perhaps then I have just been lucky, though thats a lot of luck over the years, as I have never found a time where I have had to fill other than at a tap with a hose. It is one of the main benifits/ luxuries to me having large amounts of onboard water after spending years with a caravan having to keep topping up an 'Aquaroll' good product though it is.
From my own point of view surely the time and effort to unplug one electric plug and go to a fill point and use a hose outweighs any requirement for additional items to be carried. Also I cannot think of an occasion where if I was out of water that a bottle of water would replenish the tank sufficiently to make the effort worthwhile.
So I am still confused.


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

I always carry a 5 litre collabsible container and a funnel for the very rare events when I can't get to the tap. I saw somebody earlier this year in a big hymer going to & fro from the tap with plastic lemonade bottles, then spilling most of it when pouring into the filler cap. He must have done about 20 trips! Viv said why don't you offer him the use of the container, but It was so entertaining watching him (and I was listening to the football on the radio), I didn't bother (sorry if you're out there, mate!)


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Do you use the shower Paulway? Stay longer than 48 hours on a site ? Prepare fresh veg ? Wash up ? 

Needing more water between regular hose fill ups does not happen often but it has happened. There are sites where the hose fill up is difficult to reach and so we have gone straight to our site with only the water we carry - not a lot for reasons of fuel economy. I guess you must be very tidy and organised if you only have to unplug the mains lead to be ready to move. We do tend to spread a bit and put out the awning, chairs etc outside and odds and ends inside. We do put it up on ramps if the site slopes and these are a pain to re-position.

The pump we have -which came with the van though not the tubing for it- is very small. It is no bigger than a pot of yogurt. The tubing is non-standard and we did have problems buying a metre of it . This is why it was not set up when we really needed it this summer.

G


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## MOTORHOMER (May 9, 2005)

Riggy said:


> http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Motorhome-tank-electric-filler-kit-NEW_W0QQitemZ4577697421QQcategoryZ36798QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
> 
> just like to say im not the seller i just thought i would show you guys


We have had something similar for years. Think we got it in a camping supplies outlet.

Motorhomer


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## Paulway (May 9, 2005)

Hi Grizzly,
Yes we do do all of those things and more I not saying nobody should use these methods I was just interested as I too have seen the antics mentioned by Bognormike, and just wondered why people do it as I have never had to.
Yes we do tend to be tidy inside the van, couldn't live in mess like at home in such a confined space, we also use levelling ramps, outside furniture and the rollout awning but must admit we normally put the furniture away after use and the awning is never left out in case of wind or rain.
Thanks everyone for your comments, at least I now understand why people do it even if it doesn't suit me.
I guess to sum up there are those of us that feel putting things away and moving off and on pitch/ramps etc is more of a hassle than transporting gallons of water manually from the tap or some facility to the M/home.


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## MicknPat (Jul 18, 2005)

Paul,

From my observations whilst on a site in Spain for 7 months was that it appeared to be owners with the large (Niesmann & Bischoff type) MH's who carried watering cans to fill the water tank.

I presume it was to much of a struggle to move their large MH off the pitch to fill their water tank and empty their grey waste.


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## Paulway (May 9, 2005)

Hi Mick

Yes I can see that there might be more of a problem with the larger M/H's, but then again what about a longer hose pipe. I mean if you have a vehicle that is that large would you not have more room to cerry a longer hose!
I completely accept that everyone is individual but I had started to wonder if maybe I was missing something and just wondered what peoples reasons were out of interest. It just seems such a chore to do it 'peicemeal'.


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## Scotjimland (May 23, 2005)

By the time we run out of fresh water the grey and black tanks need emptying too, so If you fill up like this you need to have a way of carting all the **** water to the dump point.. Waste of time and energy IMVHO :roll:


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## johnsandywhite (May 9, 2005)

8O Wild-Camping and Hose pipes don't always go together. Sometimes you are camped 2 to 5 miles away from your camp spot. Do you spend £10 in petrol to fill up? In Spain there are very few taps that you can fit a pipe onto. Or do you use your bikes and back packs to go and fetch bottles of water. We choose the latter. :wink:


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## Scotjimland (May 23, 2005)

johnsandywhite said:


> use your bikes and back packs to go and fetch bottles of water. We choose the latter. :wink:


Fair point John, but how do you empty the grey and black tanks.. maybe best I didn't ask 8O :wink: I hate to think :lol: :lol:


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## Paulway (May 9, 2005)

Hadn't thought of that Scotjimland that seems to make it even more bizarre to me.

JSW
Do you carry your waste to the dump on your bikes too?


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## johnsandywhite (May 9, 2005)

:lol: We only needed to empty out once every 2 or 3 months in our old Coachmen. We filled up at the same time for washing and showering. The bottle water we always use for drinking and cooking. :wink:


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## Paulway (May 9, 2005)

So the bottled water doesn't get put in to the water tank then JSW.


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## johnsandywhite (May 9, 2005)

:lol: Sonetimes Paulway. We have been known to do 6 trips carrying 2 of 8 litre bottles with me and 2 of 5 litre bottles for Sandy. :wink:

8O I should have said we never drink the water out of the tank. Unless of course we are desperate and have boiled it first. :wink:


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## Paulway (May 9, 2005)

Does that mean that you have seperate tanks for 'showering and washing' and 'drinking and cooking' then?


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## johnsandywhite (May 9, 2005)

8O I already said above Paul that we use the onboard tank for washing and showering. We use the Bottle water for drinking and cooking. :lol:


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## Paulway (May 9, 2005)

Thats why I asked , because you had said that. But you also said in answer to my response 'so the bottled water doesn't get put in to the tank then' that 'Sometimes Paulway'.
As you had said previously that you refilled your tank when emptying your waste every two to three months I wondered why you would be putting your bottled water that you use for drinking and cooking into the tank for showering and washing so wondered if I had missed something and perhaps you had two tanks.
I can see though if you are wild camping that you may need to have containers, again we have wild camped for up to 10 days but still never needed to top up other than by hose at a filling point!! As I said before guess we have just been lucky.


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## johnsandywhite (May 9, 2005)

8O 10 days? That's just a joy ride. Several months is more like it. :lol: 

By the way. Some people do have 2 tanks fitted. :wink:


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Hi JSW and all

See size does matter! I only have a little one  ...tank that is :lol:

We rarely set up camp for more that 3 days and we can last out that long no problem with fresh water or waste. if we do stay in one place I always try to arrange for a visit (in the van) to a beach. attraction or suchlike...on the way in or out I fill and empty with a hose.

We like JSW drink and cook from fresh water in gallon containers....then you do not have to be so fussy about where the tanked fresh water comes from.......we went to one site and I followed the crack in the ground that had opened up, where the water pipe had been laid....it went up a hill and connected into an old galvanised water tank....this was filled from a water ram pump from a spring :roll: God knows if it was safe to drink! ( this was in the UK not Spain!!)

If we do need to top up for any reason I use one of the gallon containers and an old water bottle funnel:-










Mike


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## johnsandywhite (May 9, 2005)

:lol: We have filled up from a Mountain rain run off while we were in Millau in France. It was as clear as crystal. But we didn't drink it. There may have been some sheep or goats up the mountain.  :lol:


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