30 gallon water storage.

[Wabbit]

Have this coming,
https://www.walmart.com/ip/48735088

I haven't dealt with more than 7-8 gallons at a time and even those jugs get moldy or whatnot in. Is there anything I need to know to keep water good in storage? Tablespoon of bleach? How long would that bleach remain active? Would the bleach degrade the barrel a lot faster? Know of any simple cheap hand pumps that might work? Anything I am not thinking about? Thanks!

EDIT: added pic

 

[Almost There]

Have this coming,
https://www.walmart.com/ip/48735088

 Anything I am not thinking about? Thanks!

Are you thinking about the fact that it's 240 lbs of water sloshing around in one container?

How long are you planning on being so far out in the bush where you can't obtain water that you need 30 gallons? That would last me about 3 weeks for ALL my needs - cooking, washing dishes, showers etc.

 

[Wabbit]

It will be secured(somehow) to the wall rib to prevent it tipping over, however not sure about sloshing thru the lid seal. If the occurs, hopefully theres an easy fix. The 250 pounds won't be a prob(in theory, the van is a beast) and I am hoping to get close to 2 weeks out of it. That's with another 7 gallons already under the sink, so 35 gallons total. This is for 2 people.

 

[Trebor English]

Go to a swimming pool supply store. They sell test strips and drops to measure the chlorine. Your jug of bleach may be weaker than you think. Try only one teaspoon, 5 ml. Once you have too much in there you can't take it out.

I used three ratchet tie down straps, one a couple of inches up from the floor, one halfway up and one around and over the top.

Harbor Freight sells an inexpensive ($6.99) orange hand pump. I used it to pump air. Set up a hose to siphon water out of the big jug and use the pump to push air into the jug to start the siphon. That way your water is never in contact with anything in the pump from some prior use.
http://www.harborfreight.com/multi-use-transfer-pump-66418.html

I finally took out the tank. It was bigger than I need and I was concerned that if there was a wreck it would be bad with that much weight.

 

[Wabbit]

I also thought of what the barrel would do in a crash. Will keep that in mind and keep it empty on long drives. The ratchet ties are a good idea. That pump looks like a good solution as well.

 

[MrNoodly]

The sloshing of the water isn't about it spilling, it's about the weight shifting inside the barrel as you turn, stop and accelerate -- all out of phase with your desired movements. Handling can get really weird. RVs can get away with carrying a lot of water because the tanks are low, near the vehicle center of gravity. Your barrel will be well above the center of gravity.

You're going to keep it empty on long drives? So does that mean you won't make long drives until you're out of water? Or will you just dump it and then have to find a place to fill it at your destination?

I bought two 7-gallon water containers when I was building out my van. Wow, they took up a lot of room. So I left one behind. After a few months of dealing with a bulky, heavy container, I gave it away and switched to 1-gallon jugs. So much easier to handle and stow, cheap to replace when they get funky. But I see vandwelling as camping with a vehicle, not as a rolling apartment. So my water use is very low. It's just a simpler, easier way to live. It works for me, but everyone is different. If you need a barrel of water, then I guess you'll find a way to deal with it. Or maybe after a while you'll discover you're not using as much water as you imagined, and you'd rather have more space.

 

[Wabbit]

I would just dump the water if we needed to leave. We are trying to get the water to last 2 weeks. I will be very happy if I can get 35-37 gallons to last 2 weeks for the both of us. I'm thinking its prob around 12 days water, but with new dish washing techniques and keeping it to 1 shower a week then wet wipes and basin baths, I hope to see 2 weeks.

 

[LoupGarou]

I traveled Mainland Mexico over the holidays using a 5 gallon Water Cooler Bottle with a pump on the top.

 

[DuneElliot]

For the same price or less, and easier filling and storage you could buy 5 of the 7-gallon Aquatainers. They'd also be safer in the event of a wreck.

In regards to the other question. Pool Shock or Calcium Hypochlorite is what is often used to maintain water. I keep some at home for disinfecting water supplies if needed. It is highly concentrated but also causes things to rust and one package goes a LONG way so it needs to be kept in a waterproof/airproof container that is never open except when outside...it'll knock you out and potentially kill you with the fumes if you open it inside.

 

[tbair]

Have this coming,
https://www.walmart.com/ip/48735088

I haven't dealt with more than 7-8 gallons at a time and even those jugs get moldy or whatnot in. Is there anything I need to know to keep water good in storage? Tablespoon of bleach? How long would that bleach remain active? Would the bleach degrade the barrel a lot faster? Know of any simple cheap hand pumps that might work? Anything I am not thinking about? Thanks!

EDIT: added pic

Here is a little different perspective. I have a 30 gallon water tank in my pickup camper. Yes it is heavy but I don't worry about it. If it was in the passenger compartment I would make sure it was very secure, but the actual weight I don't worry about. This is an individual calculation if you have low GCVW vehicle or high loads already this obviously won't make it better, but water is pretty important.

As to treatment, there is nothing I routinely do. You can treat with bleach etc but I keep my drinking water separate from my "use" water (showers and cooking--boiled water is treated). If I pull from my tank to drink I run it through a backpacking water filter. If it looks or smells worse than a creek I would hit the tank with some bleach but I try to avoid the stuff if possible. I have a gravity feed backpacking filter (because I also backpack) and I have a "dirty" flexible container than I filter out of into a 2 gallon water jug that we use for 1-3 days of drinking water (for 2).

Hope that helps.

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I don't see 30 gallons of sloshing water to be an issue. It's in a confined container and doesn't have much room to travel. Sloshing water and other liquids becomes an issue when you have thousands of gallons in a tanker truck and it has 50 feet of space to move back and fourth in. That's why they add baffles to some tankers, to minimize the effects. Just like you don't feel or notice 30 gallons of gas sloshing back and fourth in your gas tank. Secure it well and you will never know it's back there, other than the space it takes up

 

[Trebor English]

In my minivan I put it where the second row of seats was, nearly half way between the axles. I never hauled a 240 pound passenger there but 220 often and a pair of 180s even more often. I never noticed it either full or half full.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Go to a swimming pool supply store.  They sell test strips and drops to measure the chlorine.  Your jug of bleach may be weaker than you think.  Try only one teaspoon, 5 ml.  Once you have too much in there you can't take it out.

Actually, there are filters that will remove the chlorine.  If you are going to be acquiring water from all kinds of locations, a water filter set up might be a really good idea.  Check out:

https://www.rvwaterfilterstore.com/

 

[TrainChaser]

Does the barrel have a detachable lid, or is it sealed, with just a bung hole to access the water? If it has a loose lid, the sloshing of the water could loosen it, and you would have a real mess.

If the water you put in a clean barrel is clean and drinkable, you don't need to purify it. You only need to purify contaminated water.

 

[Wabbit]

The whole lid is removable with an included tool. Will make sure to keep an eye on lid leakage. Will be using some kind of filter for the drinking\cooking water.

I think where I am at now, I won't be treating the water(it will be store or tap water to start). If a problem comes up with the water tank, I will look into suggestions here for remedies. Bit of bleach(1 teaspoon) or the pool store stuff.

Thanks for all the replies and the real world experiences!

 

[ccbreder]

I think that is too much water unless you have a flush toilet and a shower. Drinking water can be purchased from vending machines in 5 gallon bottles just about anyplace I have traveled. We do have to come up for gasoline on a regular schedule, why not water? The larger the quantity stored, the more chance of contamination.

 

[Wabbit]

It may turn out to be too much water for 2 weeks and 2 people, but I don't think so. That thinking comes from "trying" to use as lil water as possible for about 5 days. We used about 3 gallons a day then. However, the pump was 100ft away, so maybe not everyone who was using water was trying their best to not overuse water. If that's the case, it won't change unless I nag nag nag.

We are not going to be stealth camping. I am out in the woods because I am not comfortable around "society". I don't want to have to run and get water every 4-5 days and deal with whatever that entails. I like thinking that I can either buy water and dump it in, or find " free" water and just fill my tank. Of course the difference between what I "like thinking" and "reality" is usually a HUGE difference.

Contamination is def a concern.

 

[BradKW]

All these people telling you it's too much water will be singing a different tune when the Zombie Apocalypse hits. I say get a second one and carry 60 gallons!

 

[Gary68]

water heater straps
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Holdrite...gclid=CKfstveB4dECFU1gfgodP0YJqA&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

If you have the space, why not have 30 gallons. I don't think it's too much. Water consumption is a learned art. The longer you do it the better you get at conserving it. I'd rather have ten gallons extra then be ten gallons short.