# Flat water hoses



## Jede (Dec 7, 2007)

Hi all,
We are slowly kitting out our MH. I've seen flat water hoses advertised, are they any good or should we stick to the normal round type ?
Many thanks

John


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Jede said:


> Hi all,
> We are slowly kitting out our MH. I've seen flat water hoses advertised, are they any good or should we stick to the normal round type ?
> Many thanks
> 
> John


Hi John

Fun innit - and expensive!!!

My advice (_for what it's worth_) would be to wait until you really find a need for something before you go out and buy it. Most of us have garages full of "good ideas" which were used twice and flung in the corner.

The flat hoses are not the answer to a maiden's every prayer in my opinion, though others will think they are wonderful. They are a bit of a pain to empty and roll up after use, they tend to split after a time, and you have to unroll the whole thing even if you are right next to the water supply.

And they are expensive!!

We have a 5 metre length of the blue hose (_food grade - if that matters to you_) and a watering can. The can gets used more than the hose, and although it clearly isn't food grade it hasn't hurt us yet.

Hope this helps a bit


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## Jede (Dec 7, 2007)

Thanks Dave,

I know what you mean about "good ideas" I have motorbike kit that was the next best thing which was probably used once then left in the garage as too much hassle !! I think I'll follow your advice and go for normal hose and can. Your right about the expense !! it's not until you add it all up that you realise how much you have spent and are going to !

Many thanks 

John


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## clodhopper2006 (Aug 13, 2006)

The reel that flat hoses come on fall to bits. Brilliant fun when it's freezing cold and blowing a howler. Ours resides in a carrier bag now.

Bob


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

If space is a problem then the flat hoses are a good thing BUT, as mentioned , they are a pain to unroll and roll up into their reel.

Our solution was to take it off the roll, cut it into 2/3 and 1/3 lengths and fit a hose connector.

The long bit is not often needed and can be rolled up small on a piece of wood, the shorter bit is fine for most uses and lives in a poly bag in the gas locker and, if you get really far from the tap, both of them can be connected together.

G


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## peedee (May 10, 2005)

Not a bad idea grizzly but I don't have any trouble with my 15 metre hose and reel and I have been using it for 6 to 7 years now. Think it cost £25 new.
I do agree the cheaper ones are a waste of money. I started with one of those and it soon wore out.

peedee


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## Excanalcruiser (Jul 13, 2005)

*Flat Water Hose*

For those of you with Freeview or Sky/Cable TV QVC sells a Cassette style Flat hose that can be used either fully unwound or to any part of its 75 ft. It is called a Magna Hose item no 554416 cost £20.19 +P&P.
We have used one for a couple of years now on our Narrowboat without any problems.

Chris


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

peedee said:


> Not a bad idea grizzly but I don't have any trouble with my 15 metre hose and reel and I have been using it for 6 to 7 years now. Think it cost £25 new.
> peedee


Ours came ( new) with our first van. We did find it a bind to have to unroll all of it to get water but did not take it off the reel and cut it until we tried to fill up while it was twisted in several places. The high pressure produced resulted in tiny holes and spectacular showers. These soaked the warden of the Kendal site who was standing nearby as well as wetting the inside of the cab via the open door.

We more or less had to cut it up then and found it made life much quicker and easier.

We still have a metre of ordinary blue hose which gets used most of all.

G


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## davesport (Nov 12, 2006)

My "flat" hose is'nt a flat hose in the real sense. It's three small hoses all moulded flat alongside each other. As such you can have as much or as little off the reel as you like. It came on its own cassette & cost about a tenner. It was someone on here that provided the link. 

D.


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## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

*Water Hose*

The reel that the flat hose comes on made a good hook up cable spool the hose was a pain.
I carry about 10m of round hose its pneumatic / air hose we have used it for years so if it did have a taste it certainly doesn't now.

Steve


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

As Dave wrote, there is flat hose and there is flat hose.

The collapsible stuff is a right pain - as detailed above.

However the rigid flat hose with three side-by-side tubes in it is brilliant.

One does have to remember to empty all the water out of it before stowing ...........!

In 9 months of Hymer ownership we have used it numerous times - occasionally out to its full 15 metre length, usually less than 5 metres - but it still works OK.


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## safariboy (May 1, 2005)

As an alternative Grizzly and Safariboy recommend a bucket and small submersible pump. We actually carry (and use) both. If you are only camping in UK 3m of blue hose should do for most sites. Hose/pump can help you avoid manoeuvring near the filling point. Abroad sites are more variable and you may well need at least 10m..


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## hilldweller (Mar 8, 2008)

Jede said:


> I've seen flat water hoses advertised


It's all a con, innit.

We got one then found we couldn't find any flat water to put in it.


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## Suenliam (Mar 22, 2006)

We just use two small buckets and fill the tank from the top which lives under the bench seat. Quick removal of the cushion and unscrew the top - OK several buckets needed, but very much quicker than finding the hose, attachinging it, filling and then trying to roll it up :wink: 

We don't use that much water so couple of buckets for top up every so often gives us ample for our use.

Also the buckets adhere to the principle of at least two uses for everying carried. 

Sue

P.S. Sorry we don't have posh buckets with lids


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

OK Sue, so what is the other use for your buckets?

Emptying your toilet cassette?


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

bought my flat hose at a 'bargain basement' type shop. Cost £7.50 and came on a cassette. I have used it for the last two years, works perfectly, the cassette has not fallen to bits and the hose gives off no taste or taint. Unwinds and winds up in seconds and is self draining as long as I hold the cassette at shoulder height. Its grey, not blue and hasn't poisoned us yet. The garden hose I first used imparted a taste of rotten sacking, took me a couple of fill-ups before I realised that it wasn,t the water tank's problem.


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## mangothemadmonk (Aug 6, 2006)

I bought one of these....

Rigid Flat Hose

....but it only cost me £10.

Can't remember where I bought it from sorry.

Johnny F


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## mangothemadmonk (Aug 6, 2006)

In fact Dougie aka asprn and I bought ours from here....

http://www.bargains.uk.com/shop/default.php

But they don't have any in now  

Johnny F


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## waspes (Feb 11, 2008)

Bought 2 flat hoses in Aldi 2 weeks ago 50ft on wind up spool £10.99 
each.
Peter.


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## tokkalosh (May 25, 2006)

There is this one from the site mangothemadmonk (Hi Phil) showed
>>>Hose<<< which looks like the one I have.
It has a fabric covering which holds the wet unfortunately, tastes alright though


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## littlenell (Aug 1, 2008)

Bargains to be had on the bargains uk site.

The hose is on offer for £5!!


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*Hose*

Hi

Do you have a link to the product? I bought a flat hose a while back from a website?

Russell


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## Bagshanty (Jul 24, 2005)

Grizzly said:


> If space is a problem then the flat hoses are a good thing BUT, as mentioned , they are a pain to unroll and roll up into their reel.
> 
> Our solution was to take it off the roll, cut it into 2/3 and 1/3 lengths and fit a hose connector.
> 
> ...


We've made do with a 10 ft round hose and watering can for 19 years, and so often the tap was just out of reach. So this year we have bought a 20M flat hose, cut 1/3-2/3 as Grizzly suggests, left the longer bit on the roll stowed away under the bed, and put the shorter bit on one of those plastic holders for electrical wires. We have found this a big improvement. We still have the short one if we're right alongside the tap (alternatively, cut off an even shorter bit of flat hose for close range work.)

We have had no problem emptying the water from the hose after use.

We still carry the watering can for use when we're pitched up and don't feel like moving to the tap. We also have 2 large square buckets to carry water, that double as a laundry. (the watering can, with removeable spout, travels inside the buckets)


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## 92859 (May 1, 2005)

*flat hose*

Greetings,

We bought our first flat hose many years ago in our boating days, this lasted about 7 years before it started to sprout a small leak, we then replaced it with another flat hose which we have had for about 15 years and this has only recently started to sprout a small leak.

I find them superb as you can squeeze the water out of them when rolling up and can store them easily, they take minimal space when compared to a conventional hose pipe and the ones I have had have not tainted the water.

I am in the market now for a new one, maybe at Pickering show. I had the chance of getting one of those rigid flat hoses but it was very large for a short length and would not go in the designated locker and I did not want to carry it in the rear storage area as water gets everywhere.


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## littlenell (Aug 1, 2008)

http://www.bargains.uk.com/shop/default.php/cPath/66

For a fiver I don't mind trying it and if needs be cutting it into smaller sections!


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

littlenell said:


> http://www.bargains.uk.com/shop/default.php/cPath/66
> 
> For a fiver I don't mind trying it and if needs be cutting it into smaller sections!


I had one of these for three years and it worked very well. However, we went to a THS in Yorkieshire. Went to fill up the tank prior to going on pitch. OH was supervising the tap end, the water pressure must of been 60bars (!) honest I kid you not, must have been supplied from Mount Everest!
Result was, the hose swell like a string of sausages and did multiple bursts.
The OH screamed, I dashed round to where she was, for all intents and purposes posing for a wet T shirt contest. Soaked through to the skin glaring at me, kids in a nearby tent rolled up laughing their heads off.

God knows what the Yorkies thought of us, 'tsk, there's Southerners for ya'!. All ways putting on a show'. :lol: :lol:


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## littlenell (Aug 1, 2008)

Arrived today- pretty impressed with it and I can use my hozelock fittings with it.

For £5 chuffed as a poverbial butty!


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## Waleem (Nov 1, 2006)

I use one of those curly car washing type hoses that you can get in bargain shops-they stretch plenty far enough, take up little space and never get tangled.


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## 109334 (Jan 20, 2008)

we bought ours from lidl 15m on a cassette cost £10 dead easy to roll up , ( easier than 25m of fire hose in the middle of winter , hey jock )


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