replacing the 10 gal water tank with something smaller

[chse]

I had to remove the water tank in my scamp since there was rot under it. The lines look quite dirty, too and should be replaced. I also do not like the hand pump and would want an electric one.
But all that got me thinking, do I really ever need 10 gal of water during a trip? A much easier solution would be to put a small water tank behind the sink which empties by gravity, and have a second one as spare. But so far I could not find a good tank. The best one is a 2gal one from a refill-system at whole foods. But is has a push button faucet, and is not an ideal fit. Does anyone else know a good tank with a faucet that fits next to or behind the sink? Maybe I can make one myself with plexiglass?

[Carol H]

Chris the answer to your question as to whether or not you need a 10 gallon tank depends on where you plan to do your camping. I lot of people such as myself like to keep all my options open as to where I camp, so having a 10 gallon water tank (actually mine is a 12) is a must have. Would not want to be refilling my water tank a couple of times a day or having to carry separately small containers of water in the tow in order to get by for a few days of dry camping. The removable of optional items such as a fresh water tank could also have some impact on your resale value. Its up to you but something to think about if your not going to be keeping the trailer for a very long time.

[honda03842]

I'm with Carol. Actually we plan to eventually replace our 12 gallon tank with a 20 we own. When you're going into a long term dry camping situation it's nice to have.

[Lil M.]

I think it was Donna D. who mentioned about someone installing a deck plate in their water tank and using it for storage of food items that couldn't get wet or damp, like grains and rice. That way you've left the tank in for resale, but still get to use the space for storage.
Amazon.com: Screw Out Deck Plate - Available in Various Sizes and Colors: Sports & Outdoors
I ordered a 6" clear one and plan on installing it just so I can clean the tank out easily.
Re: water container, how about one of these?
Amazon.com: 3 Gallon Plastic Water Bottle: Sports & Outdoors
I have a 1.5 gallon one that fits between the wrought iron supports and the sink. It's nice for dispensing drinking water for the dog. And me.

I replaced the hand pump with a Jabsco 12v faucet and small Shurflo pump. Having that is a great improvement over the hand pump. Pics are here:
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...p-51516-2.html

[Dennis Clinton]

When I bought my Scamp, the military had removed the water tank. I found a blue 4 gallon 'Jerry can' that fit in the sink cabinet. The hand pump hose runs in the top. I seldom dry camp, so this works great for me.

[Mike Magee]

My 10 gal. only lasts 3 days of solo boondocking. I wish it were larger.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

My 10 gal. only lasts 3 days of solo boondocking. I wish it were larger.

So glad to hear that Mike, I was starting to think that was just a girl problem

[Lil M.]

Good one, Carol!

[Donna D.]

Tanks of any size can get funky (deck plates!), lines of any length (2" to many feet) can get gross... I'm cheap... I'd rather work with what I have, clean what needs to be clean and spend my money on something I don't have.

Clean, really CLEAN and replace the hand pump with an electric. Done!

[Francesca Knowles]

I know exactly what you mean- I decided to get rid of the bulk tank the day I actually measured how much water came up with each stroke:one ounce!!!

Math quiz: how long will it take to fill a two-and-a-half quart coffee pot, one stroke at a time? (Please factor in time for cursing... )

I'm like you:
Why should I exert myself to do what gravity will do for me? I pulled my 14 gallon tank and now use that space for important miscellanea. My water system consists of six of these two gallon containers.

ToolKing.com: Stansport 291 Expand-A-Jug Water Carrier - 2-Gallon

I built a sort of rack on the wall behind the sink that holds the in-use one, two store under the sink, another under the front bunk, and there are always a couple in the car, either full or waiting to be filled.

Works like a charm....

[Steve Hammel]

I haven't pulled any tanks but I use a ceramic carafe that sits on the counter with a spigot that extends over the sink for my potable water. I have two 3 gallon tanks that I refill. I started doing this when I dry camped at Ocean Shores Wa. clearing a lot for an entire summer. I didn't want to pull the rig out to go refill every time I needed water. Sure I could have just poured the water into the tank but the gravity feed is nice.

[chse]

Thanks for all the advice and suggestions.

I think I will try the small tanks you suggested (did not know that amazon has such a selection!). The amount of storage space I gain is just to tempting. Also I did some math: 10 gal are 38l which is 38kg of water meaning 84lbs, thats a lot of weight behind the axle even for a short trip. Also after seeing the water line I would probably never drink the water from the tank if the line is older than a few month.

I will keep the original tank - maybe if I have more time (still many updates to do) I will install a electric pump for longer trips.

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by chse

Thanks for all the advice and suggestions.

I think I will try the small tanks you suggested (did not know that amazon has such a selection!). The amount of storage space I gain is just to tempting. Also I did some math: 10 gal are 38l which is 38kg of water meaning 84lbs, thats a lot of weight behind the axle even for a short trip. Also after seeing the water line I would probably never drink the water from the tank if the line is older than a few month.

I will keep the original tank - maybe if I have more time (still many updates to do) I will install a electric pump for longer trips.

Good idea keeping the original tank...I still have mine, too, and have speculated about putting a hose fitting on it and carrying it atop the car. The plan would be to hook a hose between the car and the trailer, and especially if I was traveling with extra folks like my Demanding Grandchildren, I'd have an additional fourteen gallons of gravity-fed water!

[multi-task]

One other option might be to just buy a proper tank which is smaller, but only if you want to maintain your existing functionality. I'm in the process of doing this, in my area there are two companies which do rotational moulding, all which have multiple different sizes of rv water tanks. My downsize will cost between $60 and $100 depending on the size and fittings. I'd expect there would be many more of these plastic companies in the US?