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Old 06-06-2007, 07:19 AM   #1
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Ok, another obviously newbie question. We're going to end up camping in a lot of places that do not have hook-ups. So where do we find water to refill the trailer? Gas stations? Can we presume any business with a dump station will also have water? Are there guide books for given areas with this kind of info?

Tamra
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Old 06-06-2007, 07:26 AM   #2
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...any business with a dump station will also have water...
You got it!
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Old 06-06-2007, 07:40 AM   #3
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Dump stations USUALLY have a fresh water spigot that is seperate from the one used to hose out the tanks. Not always tho.

Don't use the wash out hose to fill your tanks.. you don't know WHAT some folks do with that thing... nothing like drinking or washing up in water from a hose some yo yo has used to stuff down their toilet.

Even the most primative of forest service campgrounds have dispersed spigots or hose bibs. Some are threaded, and all it takes is a long hose o fill your tank in your spot, or, you can pull over qucikly to fill if there is no traffic in the lane.

A "water thief" is an essential tool for you to carry for those older spots that don't have threaded faucets. It is essentially a rubber slip on fitting with a thread at one end for your hose. Slip the rubber end over the unthreaded faucet, and attach hose to other end.. run water. BUT.. be prepared to get a little spray and spash, they never fit snugly.

I also carry a rolling Reliance 8 gallon "Hydrotainer" and fill it at the spigot, roll it to my site and use a battery powered shower pump to go from it to the tank if water is too far away for the hose to reach.
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Old 06-06-2007, 09:18 AM   #4
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Most trailers will require a dump of either the grey or black water tank before the potable water tank requires a fill.

Gina has a really important point about hoses at dump stations. I carry two hoses. A 25' regular green garden hose for clean out, and a white potable water hose. My process at a dump station is as follows.

1. Don my rubber gloves. (elbow length industrial chemical resistant rubber gloves)
2. Remove the cleanout hose at the dump station, if there is one. They are usually too short, and often dirty and leaky.
3. Attach my dump hose
4. Attach my clean out hose
5. Dump the trailer, and flush my connections.
6. Close my dump valves, and add sanitizer to the black water tank and all drains (sink/shower).
7. Flush my dump hose into the dump station.
8. Remove my hose and re-attach the dump station hose.
9. Remove my rubber gloves.

I then move to the potable water station. I have never seen it right at the dump part of the station, usually some feet further down.

1. Remove the hose at the potable water station.
2. Wipe the tap with a clean soapy dish rag, and flush clean by turning it on.
3. Attach my potable water hose (I know where this hose has been!!)
4. Fill the potable water tank.
5. Stow my hose, and re-attach the station's potable water hose.

I am now ready to move on with my travels.

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Old 06-06-2007, 05:05 PM   #5
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Even the most primative of forest service campgrounds have dispersed spigots or hose bibs. Some are threaded, and all it takes is a long hose o fill your tank in your spot, or, you can pull over qucikly to fill if there is no traffic in the lane.
HUH?

Me thinks you've been in southern CA too long.
Don't hurt me....

Very few Forest Service Campgrounds have spigots, some don't even have water and those that do, it's usually a manual pump. I speaking of northern Oregon here.
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Old 06-06-2007, 05:34 PM   #6
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ALL of ours have potable water available in one form or another. The spigots are placed every 4-5 sites apart, usually on the inner loop.

Dispersed sites, and most of the walk in, wildnerness sites/campground do not.

Remember, Oregon has more waterways and the camprgounds there are often built on river fronts or Lake Fronts. Instant water.. get a bucket (I somehow DON'T miss that part... LOL!)

Heaven forbid they actually do that here...

Well, first.. you have to HAVE a river....
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Old 06-07-2007, 08:06 AM   #7
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Remember, Oregon has more waterways and the camprgounds there are often built on river fronts or Lake Fronts. Instant water.. get a bucket (I somehow DON'T miss that part... LOL!)

Heaven forbid they actually do that here...
Yup! You've been in southern California too long.

Does this mean we can now finally refer to you as a Californian?
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Old 06-07-2007, 11:03 AM   #8
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Many times the water is not near the campsite. I try to fill the tank before I set up so that I have use of the electric pump and sink. I've had too many disasters with portable jugs slowly leaking all over in the trailer.
If I forget to fill up before setting up, I can shlep a 5 gallon tank to the spigot on my foldable hand cart. The tank has a 12V bilge pump attached big zip ties.
If the campground has a only a hand pumper I only have the bucket. The Scamp has a stupid difficult inlet to pour into.
It's rare to find a campground without any water of some kind except those turned off for the winter or broken.
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Old 06-07-2007, 12:21 PM   #9
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I didn't get it at Camping World, but I have one of these to make it easier to pour water (from a 1 gallon jug) into the fresh tank's fill tube: RV Funnel with built-in fine mesh screen.

I use a plastic "milk crate" to corral 4 one-gallon jugs... This way if I'm feeling like a weakling, I can carry them one at a time; or, if I had Wheaties for breakfast, I can schlep them all at once.
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Old 06-07-2007, 01:28 PM   #10
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It's rare to find a campground without any water of some kind except those turned off for the winter or broken.
Willamette National Forest has 73 developed campgrounds, 23 of those don't have any water.

I think it depends on what part of the country and the agencies.
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Old 06-07-2007, 03:33 PM   #11
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Gas stations?
Yes, some, but particularly those which serve trucks and RVs. Some, such as Flying J (one I have used locally), make a point of providing water-and-septic-dump RV services, free of charge.

Quote:
Can we presume any business with a dump station will also have water?
Seems generally reasonable to me, and even applies to campsites: water supply is more common than dump station, presumably because it is easier/cheaper to build and maintain.

Quote:
Are there guide books for given areas with this kind of info?
Yes, and there's also Sanidumps.com, which exists to tell you about the dump stations (no water supply info at all), but it's still a starting point of possibilities.

Provincial parks campgrounds in Alberta and B.C., and federal park campgrounds with minimal services, are likely to have one or a few central water taps, and often have a central dump station as well. The B.C. version of "forest service" campsites apparently have no services, including no dump station and no water. Guides listing park campgrounds normally have feature lists, including water (and dump) facilities.

Many small municipalities where I have traveled have a dump station at a municipal park as a tourist service; they seem less likely to have water than other dump station sources.
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Old 06-07-2007, 06:01 PM   #12
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Great tip!


Quote:
I didn't get it at Camping World, but I have one of these to make it easier to pour water (from a 1 gallon jug) into the fresh tank's fill tube: RV Funnel with built-in fine mesh screen.

I use a plastic "milk crate" to corral 4 one-gallon jugs... This way if I'm feeling like a weakling, I can carry them one at a time; or, if I'm in the mood I can schlep them all at once.
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Old 06-07-2007, 08:11 PM   #13
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It's generally easy to do online research on most campgrounds before you leave. We camp a lot at National Forest campsites. We have encountered a few with no potable water. When this happens, we always fill up our onboard water water tank at home before we leave.
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Old 06-08-2007, 05:08 PM   #14
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We don't really use the on-board water much - just for brushing teeth, a bit of cleaning, etc. Usually fill a collapsible 3gal. plastic cube at the CG tap and keep it on the camp table for convenience. We've traveled our UHaul coast-to-coast with never a problem, finding ample water in CGs and service stations everywhere. It just isn't a problem, and shouldn't be a concern.
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Old 06-13-2007, 08:17 PM   #15
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Thanks for the input! I ordered the collapsible jug, rv funnel, and the water thief. If we can't get water now, there isn't any to get!!
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Old 06-13-2007, 10:54 PM   #16
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Yup! You've been in southern California too long.

Does this mean we can now finally refer to you as a Californian?
Peter queues the Beach Boys "California Girls."
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Old 06-14-2007, 03:11 AM   #17
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Unhappy

I've been following this thread and taking notes!
We've encounted lots of different, and sometimes odd, water sources up here. Now maybe I won't have to be quite so frugal with water consumption.

(I think I could take a bath in a big rubbermaid roughneck tote - but could I get out again??)
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