Filling Water Tank (from water jug)

[Huck]

I have trouble filling my water tank. I use a 5 gallon water jug with a spout, but to get the spout to fit in the fill hole causes it to stress and leak.

I thought I found a solution. Yesterday while at Lowes I picked up a piece of PVC that matched the cap on my water jug. I just moved the gasket from the spout that came with the jug and put it on the the 12" long piece of pvc and screwed the cap on. A good tight fit, but the problem is the PVC is 1 1/2" diameter and the hole is about 1 1/4".

So I thought I would buy a funnel with a flexible spout, but I can't find any that are food grade.

So how do you fill your water tank when on the road and your only option is to fill from a water jug?

[Glenn Baglo]

I fill the fresh water at home before going to camp. I also fill a 5 gal. container which sits on the picnic table. Most water is drawn from that container, for cooking and washing. The water tank in the trailer only provides water for flushing the toilet and occasional shower.
I've had to refill the 5 gal. container, but never the 20 gal. fresh water in the trailer.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Since I'm water miser filling the fresh water tank doesn't seem to be much of a problem. Most of the time the tank is filled at an RV dump station using an inline filter between the dump station fresh water hose and the trailer. It's always filled when I determine it about time to empty the gray water.
NOTE. No shower, toilet, or other water intensive devices.

The last trip out was about 10 days and the fresh water tank still had water in it.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Huck

So I thought I would buy a funnel with a flexible spout, but I can't find any that are food grade.

So how do you fill your water tank when on the road and your only option is to fill from a water jug?

On my Scamp I simple removed the cap from the water container and lifted it up and poured it in slowly. I also had a funnel with a flexible spout - still use it - does not worry me that it is not food grade as I do not drink the water from the trailers tank. As I obtain water from to many unknown quality sources when on the road. I carry an extra water container for refilling large drink containers kept in the fridge.

If you are really wanting to drink the water you could try going to a kitchen store and buying the biggest funnel they have - would be surprised if a funnel in the kitchen store was not food grade. Some are actually Stainless Steel. Then go to Home Depot with the funnel and buy a piece of flexible hose that fits over the end of the funnel.

Some people use a long flexible hose attached to a small 12v pump to pump the water out of containers into the trailer as well.

[garycarolyn]

We do the same. Use a flexible hose stuck on a large funnel. Because of the weight when lifting the jugs, we fill one gallon jugs and then pour the water into the intake. We also do not drink or cook with the water from the camper but carry drinking water separately or test the campground water for taste before filling the gallon jugs. We love Michigan artesian wells!
We also carry a Brita filter container for coffee water.

[Gina D.]

I don't have any pics, but its not hard to imagine. I have a 7 gallon reliance water tote with wheels. I drop in an old coleman camping shower pump with the shower head removed and pump it into the tank from the tote.

I stick the open end of the tube from the pump into the fresh water fill, flip the switch and up comes the water..right into the tank.

I am inherently lazy and can't lift up 5 gallons anyway. Works well and actually does not use much battery power. 2 D Cells will last a few weeks.

[Mr Lynn]

Following some suggestions over at the Casita Forum, we got a six-gallon water jug at Walmart, and then went to the local hardware store and got a length of flexible tubing that would fit over the spout of the jug, and an adapter that would fit into the fresh-water-tank opening on the trailer.

Then we lift the jug up on the spare tire of the Casita, tilt it and let the water flow. Works well! But it does take two of us to lift it up to the spare. If you're alone, just fill it part way, and repeat.

/Mr Lynn

[Huck]

Thanks everyone. I decided to buy a battery powered pump.

[swenny]

This was a big problem for us as we go through a bit of water, showers and dishes to do. Tried lifting a 5 gal jug to pour into the water receiver but it was quite a task. Ordered a 12v water pump commonly used in fish tanks (under $10) hooked plastic hoses to fit the pump and it works great. Empties my 8 gal water tote on wheels in about 3 min. Note.......you should have a 12v outlet installed near the back of the trailer.

[The Minimalist]

I fill my tank from a 6 gallon container placed on the lightweight ladder I carry. I set up the jug on the ladder, held by a bungie cord, and siphon the water in. Due to the height of the ladder, some of the water won't siphon, but by the time it stops siphoning the jug is light enough to pour in the rest.

[Gilda]

We find that filling the trailer tank is usually a two person job with one holding the (white) water hose (connected to the water spigot) and the other turning the spigot off and on. When we cannot use a hose we use a funnel simply made by cutting the bottom off a personal 8oz. water bottle thereby creating a funnel. This is a great solution as you can make your own funnel at any time should you misplace it. We store the homemade funnel in the cabinet above our kitchen.

[Mary F]

We fill ours either with single gallon jugs (you can carry four of them in a plastic milk crate) or with a 3 gallon bucket that we have. To facilitate it we use a plastic funnel that we picked up years ago at an RV supply store in South Fork CO.

[Roy in TO]

Would the flexible spout from a gas can work?
Yellow spout, red plastic can.

[reeves99]

I've been using this for 3 years. Works great. Some days take 3-4 trips to the water tap.

[Mike Magee]

I would not worry about funnels being food grade. The dwell time between the plastic and the water is so short as to be inconsequential.

[Carl V]

Hmmmm I'm just thinking here...
I have not camped yet in my trailer, as I'm still working on it, so I haven't had the pleasure of trying to refill the fresh water tank from a portable container.

Some mentioned using a 12V pump. Well, my trailer already has a 12V pump. I'm thinking it would be a pretty simple modification to allow that pump to draw water from a container and pump it in the tank, instead of drawing from the tank then to the trailer's plumbing.