# There must be a knack to this b****y thing!



## Uller (May 29, 2010)

We were tired of having a boot space full of garden hose, so replaced it with one of those flat blue ones that rolls neatly onto a cassette.

Pah! :evil: What is the knack to those things?? Short of climbing onto the roof of the van, we couldn't work out how to get all the water out, and even when we thought we had, it didn't all roll back onto the cassette!
We naively assumed that the action of rolling it back on would squeeze the water out and flatten it again.

Anyway, it appears that our best efforts couldn't empty the hose, but sitting back in the boot overnight could - fortunately it was stored in a waterproof bag (excellent kit bags from Alpkit) so no huge puddle on the boot floor, just a bag of water to empty!

You lot are clever at this sort of thing - how on earth do I get the water out of my hose after using it? :?


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Throw it on a large bonfire - it works every time! :lol: :lol: 

Seriously though - if you use it mostly for topping up, you could try a watering can?  

No good for filling up from empty of course, but we find it works fine for us when on site. (We always travel from home with a full tank.)

Just a thought.

Dave


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

Hi.

Roll it up slower give it time for the water to be squeezed out and make sure you have unrolled it completely as air pressure will hold water in if both ends are not free...
Like putting a glass upside down in the washing up bowl, lift it up and the water will come up with it and stay inside, you have 14.7 lbs per square inch holding it up..

Ray..


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## loddy (Feb 12, 2007)

I have 45 metres of the lay flat, no problems just disconnect making sure you don't have a non return valve on the end fitting then walk away laying the hose flat without kinks and then wind onto cassette

Simples

Loddy


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## Uller (May 29, 2010)

We tend to use the hose to fill up on site - we've never been away long enough to need to top up yet! 

I have remembered the suggestion to cut the hose into two shorter lengths which will help a bit though.


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## bill (May 10, 2005)

Yes, had the same problem. I've found a way to get most of the water out is to lay the whole hose out flat (bit of a pain) then go along it with a clean rag to squeeze the water out. Then wind it up.

Needless to say we try to use a shorter length where possible or the watering can as suggested.

We've been lucky with ours its only just sprung its first pin prick leaks after seven years.

bill


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## loddy (Feb 12, 2007)

My cassette has 2 rollers that squeeze the water out as you roll it in
You obviously have bought an inferior product ( cheap )

Loddy


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

What a nice observation Loddy, :roll: 

tony


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

I have one of these and they are rubbish.

The thing to do is when you are finished, disconnect the hose from the tap and stretch out the full length of the hose across the field. Now wind it in dragging the end towards you. There will be considerable weight as you turn the reel. This resistance ensures the hose is tightly packed onto the reel and it should all go on and will squeeze the water out.

Then walk to the wheely bin and deposit the hose in there.

Then get yourself a stretch of short (5-10 metre) blue food grade hose and fit a standard hoselock screw fitting at one end. This is rigid but flexible and you just shake it about to empty it then chuck it in the van garage.


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## loddy (Feb 12, 2007)

barryd said:


> you just shake it about to empty it(quote]
> 
> We don't want to know about your toilet habits
> 
> Loddy


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

Hi.

I have two reels which I can connect together, this will reach most taps on sites where ever I am pitched.

Both fold away easily on the reels, and I don't have to wonder about with a watering can, (even though I do carry one just in case :wink: )


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## namder (Sep 20, 2006)

I just blow the water out, it takes a bit of puff but being a trumpet player I have plenty of that.

Namder


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## IanA (Oct 30, 2010)

Use gravity - lay it out flat with both ends open, pick it up about 6ft from one end and walk along the hose passing it through your hands at shoulder height - called under-running and is how the fire service empty their flat hose. Then roll it up.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

From what I have seen others struggling with them, I can only agree with Dave and Barry.

Bin it.

Ray.


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## blondy (Aug 23, 2007)

one of the problems here is that there is at least 2 types of flat hose on a reel, My type is thin and round and is squeezed flat as it is rolled up ,every time as long as its out straight,one of my better bys.
One type consists of multiple small tubes which will hold the water in unfortunately unless blow is used.


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## swimmingdog (Jul 26, 2008)

We gave up on the flat ones years ago because it was impossible to empty them properly.

We only used ours now and again and the water left in the pipe caused black bits to form that were difficult to wash out properly even using Milton.

We never drink the tank water, so now use a cheap garden hose for the odd fill-up. This is emptied as best we can and the ends fastened to each other with a back-to-back adaptor to keep water in and muck out.

Rather than messing about we now throw the pipe away on a regular basis and replace with a new one. It isn't "food grade" pipe, but how "food grade" is a roll-up pipe that is full of black gunk! 8O


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## 96706 (Nov 13, 2005)

We use a helicoil green hose that will stretch to 10m but recoils to only 2. 
(It is not food quality, but we never drink natural cold water from the main tank. If we want fresh water to drink, it's from supermarket bottles or from our own house tap water, which we carry in a 5 litre container).

We then hang it up on the rear cycle rack and let it drain natural. Or and most often, we top up when on site using a 10 litre plastic jerry can, into a purpose made inlet filler. It doesn't take long and keeps me away from Mrs D when she's doing the housework :lol: 

BTW we also have a 2metre hose pie just in case we can get close enough to the filling tap, when arriving on a new site. Plus we carry various other attachments to suit most applications. 

Mr's D always moans that I never travel light


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## Tan-all-over (Jun 26, 2010)

We bought one years ago and found there is a knack to winding it back in and you get the feeling that you are entertaining the site while fighting with it. When a car ran over it the leaks started. Best thing to do is throw it away and invest in a hose that does not crush when run over by cars. We bought a Hozelock that has its own wind in reel to which I fitted various fittings to suit any taps.


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## johnthompson (Jul 29, 2010)

blondy said:


> one of the problems here is that there is at least 2 types of flat hose on a reel, My type is thin and round and is squeezed flat as it is rolled up ,every time as long as its out straight,one of my better bys.


I also use the round green hose that flattens into the cassette. This is food quality hose. We have used this almost continually since 2007 without any problems. We always drink the water from our tank.

When I have filled the tank I stretch it out and wind it in and the water is squeezed out as it winds on to the cassette.

I also carry two clear 10 litre collapsible plastic water containers and a watering can to cover all contingencies.


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## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

Take the hose off and bin it. Takes far to long to unroll and re roll. 
Then use the reel for your HU Cable.
I take a 15m length of braided hose ( pneumatic) rolled up and stored in the gas locker.

Steve


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

**** said:


> We use a helicoil green hose that will stretch to 10m but recoils to only 2.
> :


We have one of these and very good they are too. They fold back by themselves into a neat cylinder. We also have a couple of pieces of off-the-roll layflat which, as a full roll, came with our van and was soon cut into sections as it developed pin-hole leaks. Most used is a 1.5 metre piece of hose which enables us to fill from most taps on bornes or service points and a watering can.

With a couple of hoselock connectors and this combination we can cope with every possibility ( well, every possibility we've come across so far).

We collect drinking water separately in a collection of supermarket 2 litre polythene milk bottles. They're handy as they have a handle and can be changed frequently.

G


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## Uller (May 29, 2010)

Thanks for all your comments!

Maybe it is a cheap hose - it was from Outdoor Bits who I presumed would sell a reasonable product! Didn't even know that you could get cassettes which have rollers on them - that would be great. We don't have a lot of boot space so really need something which packs away neatly. I guess most long hose will hold water, it doesn't really matter what shape it is.

Having a huge water tank and then buying bottled water or storing drinking water separately seems a bit pointless to me, so we'll work something out - cutting the hose into shorter lengths will be a good start.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Uller said:


> Having a huge water tank and then buying bottled water or storing drinking water separately seems a bit pointless to me, so we'll work something out - cutting the hose into shorter lengths will be a good start.


I don't think many _buy _drinking water, except in extremis, but the rationale for many who collect drinking water daily, in separate bottles, is freshness.

When we set off for a 10 week trip we never let the water tank get empty. We top it up as and when we have access to a supply. This means that water in the tank can be up to 10 weeks old. It has sat underneath the van, in near proximity to a hot road all day, for those 10 weeks and it cannot be at peak freshness or as biologically untainted as we would wish for drinking water.

We prefer to drink fresh water and so we collect it, in 2 or 3 separate bottles, when we top up the tank.

G


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## Uller (May 29, 2010)

Fair point Grizzly - hadn't really thought about it like that!


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## jsmisfreeatlast (Oct 11, 2010)

I went for the flat profile 3 tube cassette type as i'd read that the flat pack material ones were easily damaged...

Quick, easy and tidy

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/15-METRE-...A%2BFICS%2BUFI&otn=21&pmod=260987496344&ps=54

Most of the water runs out when you reel the pipe back in especially if you hold it up quite high whilst reeling in. Any residue can be removed by holding the cassette vertically and rotating it as you would a steering wheel 10-20 revolutions . you can watch the water getting nearer the end as you rotate which gives you something to occupy you while the rest of the campsite wonders just exactly what the @##x&! you are up to.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

The only motorhome hose I've used in 7 years motorhoming is flat cassette hose. I think it's great. There is a fundamental issue in which one you get, which I covered in 2008:
http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopicp-503636.html#503636

But get the right one, and once at a French borne, I quickly pull out the hose, push the nozzle in the filler hole, connect it to the tap and turn on. While that's filling I empty the waste and loo. When 140litres have gone in my storage-space-limited panel van, I disconnect the hose, VERY IMPORTANTLY ensure there are NO kinks in the hose laying on the ground, hold the cassette at chest height and steadily wind it in, watching the water flow out quite fast at the free end. If you do that, 9 times out of 10 it winds in in one go, only a drip or two comes out after that, so I just sling it back inside the van where it sits in the bathroom against a rear door.

After a few years my first one got pin holes in the edge of the hose. I got the cheapest hose I could next time, transferred it to my first cassette (see link) and touch wood no holes have appeared in the second hose.

Dave


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## Bill_H (Feb 18, 2011)

Why not fold each end of the hose over a few inches and secure with elastic bands?
Any water left inside won't be able to get out. Just run a few litres through it when next used to expel any stale water.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

OK I can claim to be an expert on this (expert= former drip under pressure :lol: ), we have tried virtually every type of hose manufactured and have a garage with rejects of all types - rejected for a variety of reasons;

1. lay flat hose with three subhoses - food grade, useless as the ends cannot be changed to fit anything useful and have non-return valves fitted to them, so if you want to empty them............ you can't !

2. lay flat hose which is much more flexible and collapses when you try to roll it up, (note the word try :? ) the only way to empty this is to leave both ends open - we leave our van fitting end connected which means if that is left on the floor it remains clean and water can then drain out if the rest of the hose is straight and flat with no twists, turns, kinks or folds in it. As we roll it up we squeeze the hose together with a cloth, while holding the cassette and rolling it on - ideally about 4 hands should be involved with a spacing of several metres......  :lol: BUT it is possible to get MOST of the water out, if it won't fit on the cassette you know it still has LOTS of water stuck in it so lay it out and start again.

That is good spectator sport for all those around who generally have a good laugh at the antics....... :roll:

3. Normal garden hose style hose (not blue but we like living dangerously) - easy to empty but bulky when rolled up, so have a short length for immediate use (5 - 10m) and another longer for those times when you want to fill from the other side of the county....... (or borrow hoses to join from others around - particularly those that have tried (2).......

We use that and run water through for a few seconds until the flow stops and then starts again (it does that when there is an air break between the columns of water i.e. it occurs after all the retained water has flushed through).

4. Use a watering can - but they are bulky to store - we don't and have filled if really desperate using a 5 litre water bottle - the exercise is good for me and MOST of the water goes in the tank and it only takes 25 trips to the tap to fill the tank...... 

We have a NaturePure filter fitted and drink water from our tank using the filtered water outlet ONLY for drinking (including teas and coffees). So far we have not succumbed to the dreaded lerg so our caution seems to work....... but we only fill up from recognised taps (you can recognise them as they have the screw fitting on one end and a tap on the top - often with the label "eau potable" nearby - or a long queue of people waiting behind us  ), never from the village duck pond or the _fosse septique_ for simple reasons (we don't have the right connectors! :lol: )

So, hoses are not really as crucial as some people claim - ordinary decent quality ones work VERY well in our experience, but keep the length short - the shorter the better IMO.... 

Dave


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## MrsW (Feb 8, 2009)

Ok, now the real truth!

We have a flat hosepipe for water refilling and have no problem rolling it away. But then we put it away together. He rolls and I use my hands to press the hose flat as it goes, pushing out the water as we go. Simples!


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## tulsehillboys (Jul 22, 2010)

get one of these

http://www.towsure.com/product/FillUp_5_Water_Tank_Filling_Hose

keep the roll up one for if you cant park within 5m of the tap - approximatly never :lol:


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## Scattycat (Mar 29, 2011)

The cassette reels are a b****y nightmare.
I thought I was being so clever when I bought ours but they just never seem to go back together properly. I've binned the cassete, it broke anyway. I now just roughly coil the pipe up and shove it into a water proof bag. Usually by the tap there is something a couple of feet off the ground that I can rest it on on it's side. I leave both ends hanging over the side and let gravity take it's course to drain any water left in the pipe out while we sort out the loo.

As for topping up small amounts. I've seen folks use the watering-can method but thought the can took up too much space so I bought a green plastic petrol can which is flatter and fits nicely into the oval bucket we use for washing the van or emptying small amounts of grey water. It works fine for us and takes up a lot less space than a round bucket and watering-can


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## ptmike (Apr 25, 2010)

if its one of the blue food qual hoses with 3 channels you cant squeeze the water out gravity and slow rewinding is the only solution plus a waterproof bag to put it in . The other prob with them is that they have a mind of their own and wont lay flat but act like a coiled spring !!

ps dont forget your tap screw connector for abroad plus an extra large one for Portugal


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