# Filling freshwater tank on site



## rossifan (Apr 9, 2009)

Vowed after the christmas trip that I would come up with a better way of filling the freshwater tank.Having to stand in all weathers holding the poorly fitting rubber sleeve over the tap and watching the water "drip feed" through the 1/2"pipe into the tank has to be improved, to save wastage and frozen hands.
Thinking of larger bore pipe with a better fitting tap connector-anybody gone down this route and improved matters?

Ron


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## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

*Water*

Where possible I use a screw on adaptor which seems to fit most campsite taps. Only in an emergency use a push on.
As the tank is quite large I can then sit indoors whilst filling.

Steve


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## UncleNorm (May 1, 2005)

Hello Ron!

Filling up with fresh water can be made easy using the following ideas...

This hose connector replaces the fresh water filler cap... There's a good illustration on the page if you scroll down a bit...

http://www.outdoorbits.com/heoswater-white-connection-p-155.html

To help make the hose easier to use, make up a kit box of Hozelock connectors, male and female. Most taps, here and abroad, have taps with a thread that will receive a male connector. But don't forget to reclaim yours!

http://www.hozelock.com/watering/hose-fittings/connect-to-tap.html

For taps without a thread, there are the rubber alternatives but it's a long while since I had to use one.

The hose has females at both ends.

So, I arrive at the fresh water tap. I remove the filler cap and fit the Heoswater connection. 
I open the tap connection box and find a male connector to fit the tap, often by replacing the brass one that came with the tap. :roll:

I then click fit the hose to the connector on the tap and on the filler before turning on the tap. I have to hold NOTHING at this point. I have time to empty the waste and the toilet before the 110L fresh tank is full.

That's how I do it. :roll: :wink:


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## rossifan (Apr 9, 2009)

*Fresh water fill up.*

Thanks Steve & UncleNorm-thought there were better ways of doing it.Like the idea of not having to stand there forever,holding that hose.

cheers,

Ron


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## GerryD (Sep 20, 2007)

Like others we carry a selection of screw fit tap adapters, which cover 99% of taps and for the other 1% we have a rubber adapter with a jubilee clip to tighten around the tap. Then a 15m flat hose (Not food grade as they are overpriced) to the tank. Turn the tap on and get on with something else.
For rallies where we are nowhere near the tap we have used an auaroll with a 12V submersible pump to fill 40litres at a time, or the trusty watering can.
Gerry


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## 96706 (Nov 13, 2005)

We also carry a range of ways for filling our tank.

This fitting makes life very easy, as it is then coupled up to any hose.

http://www.gillonsgadgets.co.uk/watercoupler.htm

Where no tap exsits ( Rallies & the like) I have an 1" PVC 90 deg Pipe bend that makes an execlant filler for any water container use, if you don't have a watering can.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

We always travel with a full tank - which seems to have no discernible influence on the fuel consumption.

Then I reckon it takes only two piddles each, every couple of days to keep the tank topped up . . . . assuming you don't forget to take the watering can with you to the lavvy of course. 8O :lol: :lol: 

Dave


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## JockandRita (Jun 1, 2005)

Hi all,

I have a short length of hose with a male to male isolation valve, that slides into the filler neck, and part way round the LH bend in the inner pipe. I then connect the hose to the valve and controls the flow and pressure of the water. 

This is because of the displacement of air by the input of water, which means that I can't use any of the adapters shown above, and our tank doesn't have an overflow, (as part of the winterization design), so nowhere else for the air to escape but through a tiny ball valve at the top of the tank, (insufficient really), and through the filler neck.

The other end connects to the tap, using one of our many adaptors, and I am free to do something else. BTW, six minutes gives me about 16 gallons (72 litres), using my method, (depending upon the supply pressure), enough for a weekend away.

It's down to personal preference, and whatever suits your needs, and works best for you.

Jock.


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## cronkle (May 1, 2005)

One small point. It may be worth carrying a wrench of some description to help you undo the brass threaded bit that some sites leave on their tap. I mostly use these at motorhome service points when I want to disconnect the hose that is in situ if I am not sure where the business end has been so that I can connect my own.

Particularly relevant when the black waste discharge is nearby as many people will tell you of cassettes being washed out by shoving the drinking water hose into the cassette spout.


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## jhelm (Feb 9, 2008)

We have a supply of snap on fittings of various sizes, that seem to connect to most hose bibs we have found. I also have one that is the size of most shower hoses in case I have to sneak into the bath room to get some water.

At the motor home inlet, I have an 18'' piece of hose with a snap on fitting on it that I keep clean. I just connect this to the filler hose and then push it far enough into the tank that it won't fall out. Works just fine. I also have an on off valve on the end of my filler hose so when it's full I can shut off the supply without running over to the hose bib.


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

Zebedee said:


> We always travel with a full tank - which seems to have no discernible influence on the fuel consumption.
> 
> Then I reckon it takes only two piddles each, every couple of days to keep the tank topped up . . . . assuming you don't forget to take the watering can with you to the lavvy of course. 8O :lol: :lol:
> 
> Dave


I have this horrible mental picture about this.......I do hope I'm so very wrong!! :lol:


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## olley (May 1, 2005)

Hi the worst are the push and hold valves fitted on a few taps. :evil: I wind a bit of rope around the tap, shove a short metal bar through it and wind it up (spanish windlass) and let it jam behind the tap somewhere.

Olley


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## pilchard (Nov 27, 2009)

We like everybody else have a selection of hose adapters to fit site tap but i was always frustrated by the actual hose always being badly twisted and i spent more time untangling it than filling so i have a slim garden hose reel fitted in side locker by fresh water filler and just unroll enough to reach tap pop the loose end from back of reel into filler and water filling is a joy now. Did consider using flat type hose for this but you have to unroll the complete hose to get water through. I am now on the look out for a rearly slim hose reel for this to take up less space in locker. Mick


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## p1nkie (Oct 5, 2009)

...and don't forget to CLOSE the drain tap as I did at Bath last weekend,  Many thanks to the kind gent who pointed it out to me (as I stood wondering why the chap in the coach-built van in front of me had filled up before me) without laughing out loud, well at least untill he was out of earshot :lol: 

Guy


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