Hello - Water?

[lisastafford]

I am lisa. i am new to this whole idea, but i've always wanted to go off grid. So, i am learning a lot and enjoying all the posts. I searched, but cannot find where you go to get water to fill up the tanks. Where do you go to get fresh water? Thank you.

 

[Willy]

I just go to a gas station. ..Willy.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

We have containers that we refill with filtered drinking water from coin machines. Utility water (for showers, dishes, etc) can be gotten from several sources. Some gas stations have a bib you can hook your hose to. Truckstops, convenience stores, and dump sites, as well as any place with an outdoor bib that will give you permission. (we filled up at a Burger King early one morning, with permission)
Getting water has always been the least of our issues.

 

[Zil]

Not being sure of bib water source and safety, I only fill wash up water 7 gallon tank from hose bibs. Gas stations, camp grounds, restaurant irrigation hose if in populated area, wall mart garden center and on. I buy bottled water or the vending thingies for drinking.

 

[lisastafford]

Thank you. Do they let you fill up for free? or how much does it cost? and is a 7 gallon tank pretty standard? and how long does with additional bottled drinking water last you?

 

[rvwandering]

What are your living quarters - a van, car, RV? Tanks in class B, van type RVs, are pretty small. Class Cs and class As may have 100 gallons. We fill our fresh water when we dump the gray and black water. Some are free, some charge $5.00 - $10.00, some charge almost as much as a daily camping fee.

We drink the water from our RV tank but we have two filters, a cheap string type inline with the fill hose, and a .5 micron filter inline on our kitchen cold water. The first filter stops any big junk like sand from getting into our system. The other filter eliminates any harmful bacteria.

Oh - and welcome to the forums!

 

[lisastafford]

Thank you for the welcome, lol. I want to get a project airstream and i just didn't see any references on any site about filling up with water. Thanks for the help! I like to know all the risks and costs and such before i make a decision.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

You didn't mention how you planned to USE the airstream you're thinking about.

If you're planning to stay at developed campgrounds, commercial, state and national parks, etc., most sites have running water.

It's only when you plan extensive boondocking or urban stealth camping that you have to get more "creative".

You also didn't mention what you planned to use as a tow vehicle. It's not unknown for people who pull trailers with pickup trucks to have a largish water tank in the bed of the truck.

Regards
John

 

[cyndi]

lots of info here
https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=3977&highlight=water

 

[WheelEstate USA]

When we had the RV, we would sometimes pay for a campsite to dump, fill water, do laundry, deep charge batteries, and take long showers.
Our tanks were large enough to go 2 weeks, as long as we limited shower time.
When boondocking, we'd use the solar shower and also wash dishes outdoors to conserve gray tank space. Going potty in a "cat hole" (where acceptable) helps save black tank space.

Extra fresh water can be carried in the tow truck. There's a portable holding tank that many carry in the truck called a "Blue Boy". You can easily extend a boondocking stay this way.

If you're going to be staying in campgrounds with hookups you won't need these conservation measures

 

[caseyc]

Before you think about filling a 7 gallon container of water, are you able to lift and carry the weight back and forth?

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Hey Casey...Going forth is the easy part. Back is the hard part
Anymore, its about all I can do to lift them into a cart then full. I usually stop at 5 gal unless we plan to be boondocking for days.
Shoot, I don't like lifting anything heaver than a beer

 

[lisastafford]

Thank you all! I would like to boondock primarily. I did intend to pull it with a truck, but putting a water tank in it is something I didn't think of. I cannot carry a 7 gallon container of water. I was hoping for a hose when I fill it, lol. I want to live more simply, but not hauling heavy water tanks, lol. Bindi&us, you don't mean you do all that you said on 5 gal?
I'll look up website from cyndi and blue boy tank. I'll be starting another thread about the whole battery thing...

 

[SoulRaven]

Unless you a gal with a CDL that drives a semi you will find trying to boondock in anything but open desert a real challenge even in a single axle “Bambi”.

Without a three point hook up camping is work. If you are in Quartzite you will have to hook up to the trailer and move it to the dump station or install a fresh water gravity flow tank and a black/grey water gravity flow tank in the back of a pickup truck bed, with a 12 volt powered electric macerator pump that will attach to the sewer outlet on the Airstream.

 

[cyndi]

I know plenty of women pulling TTs without a problem.... A couple of links

http://rvsueandcrew.net/

http://lifeontheopenroad.blogspot.com/

And Lisa, if you look in the girls room you'll find links to solo women's groups that will encourage you and help to put you at ease with the lifestyle and chores and skills that go with it.

 

[SoulRaven]

My previous message contains no gender bias.

If you are towing any trailer down a NFS road and come to a dead end how do you turn around? A professional trailer driver will have great difficulty in reverse for two miles.

The next point about the handling of water and sewage contains practical and useful information

 

[Zil]

Some posts are a little negative about how hard every thing is living in a camper, but i guess it is best to be a little wary. It really isn't that bad.
My van has a home built system using two 7 gallon carboys. I use gallon jugs for drinking water purchased from vending or off shelf.
If you are getting a trailer it will probably have holding tanks. A fresh water tank and a waste water tank. Some have separate tanks for grey water (sink and shower) and black water (toilet). You fill the fresh water through a cap on the side of the camper. You dump the sewer through a valve and hose under the camper. Very easy after the second time you try.
Each manufacture uses different size tanks. Most are in the 10, 20, 30 gallon size.
While municipal water supply are safe to drink through out the USA, different areas may have different minerals in the water. This causes my sensitive system to revolt, so i drink bottled water and use the other for cooking and washing.
To each their own. Some post here that drink puddle water.

 

[blkjak]

welcome....blkjak

 

[loboone]

1 gallon of water weighs approx. 8.33 lbs