water filling

[Pete-B]

 

Morning all,

II'm soon to get a new Autosleeper Warwick Duo, how do owners go about topping up their water supply when parked up on site? I usually carry two, 10L plastic containers and normally fill our present Bessacarr from inside the van.

 

I don't appear to have this option on the Autosleeper it can only be filled from outside using the supplied whale pump or via the opening meant for filling by hosepipe. I've heard stories that the pump is useless (maybe untrue) but it would be interesting to see how other people cope with his.

 

Thanks for any help or advice.

[Gman]

I carry a 25 ltr plastic jerry, and use a submersible pump, it transfers the water

in a minuet or so, fill from the outside filler cap never had a problem. I fitted a

cigarette lighter type thing in the drivers seat box, works a treat for me.

Hope this helps.

 

Steve

[Caddies104]

I use if not near a filling point a funnel and a plastic drum, see photo, I hope

[Robinhood]

...many people use watering cans, as the spout will fit into the filler and transfer (most of) the contents to the tank. The practicality depends, of course, on the location of the filler.

 

I've got a particularly posh "watering can", bought in Germany when one of the two water carriers I habitually use sprung a leak.

 

 

If you have one such item with a spout, and a large opening or cap at the top, the contents of any other carrier can simply be tipped into that one for the process of filling.

 

(Whilst I carry a hose, under most circumstances I can't be bothered to use it, simply topping up the tank in 10 or 20 litre amounts via the above. The fact that increasing numbers of aires and Stellplätze with metered water will dispense in such amounts helps with that, and it avoids moving the 'van and/or the habitual queuing behind other vehicles for the services).

[Derek Uzzell]

Some years ago Auto-Sleepers (in their infinite wisdom) decided to standardise on installing the Whale water-filling system that was commonplace on caravans. Some buyers (ex-caravanners?) were happy with this arrangement, whereas others (including most motorhome journalists) loathed it for how slow the filling process could be.

 

This 2015 forum thread discussed the matter

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Auto-Sleeper-water-filling-system/37686/#M456062

 

and (so it would seem) by 2014 Auto-Sleepers had decided on a best-of-both-worlds approach and fitted as standard a conventional ‘hole in the bodywork’ filling-point as well as the Whale system. (Plainly you are aware that your Warwick Duo will have both arrangements.)

 

Presumably your 2015 Bessacarr E462 has its fresh-water tank inside the habitation area, with the tank having a reasonably accessible ‘inspection hatch’ in its top surface, and you fill the tank after unscrewing the hatch’s cap?

 

My 2015 Rapido 640F’s fresh-water tank is beneath the vehicle’s rear island bed and has two large inspection hatches. I COULD pour water from a container into the tank fairly easily - lift up bed-frame, remove a plywood cover, unscrew one of the hatch caps - but I wouldn’t dream of doing that. If I adopted your method of carrying 20 litres of water in a couple of 10 litre containers, I’d just choose containers to which a spout could be fitted (example advertised here)

 

https://www.jerrycans.co.uk/product/10-litre-adblue-container/

 

and pour the water through the exterior filling-point. I've seen it suggested that shoving into the filling-point a suitable-diameter plastic drain-pipe elbow (image below) helps matters, or you could use Caddies104's ploy. Or perhaps you could carry a small watering can and decant your 10 litre container into that (as Robinhood suggests) to make filling easier.

 

(I think a Warwick Duo has an external fresh-water tank. If that’s so, putting water directly into the tank through a top-surface hatch would not be possible unless there were a hole in the floor to provided access to the hatch.)

[vindiboy]

universal fitting OOPs picture too big what a naff forum this is for photo posting Hee Hee

 

10 litre watering can fits all water outlets .

[Alanb]

When we bought our first motorhome in 1991, motohome service points were virtually unknown, and on club sites some taps were not easy to access. The solution was a 25 litre container and an high powered submersible pump, which was purchased from Brownhills chandelry barge. To power the pump, I managed to squeeze a DIN 12V socket into the water filler moulding, and tapped into the adjacent internal pump supply.

 

In time, our children no longer travelled with us, and I consequently lost their help in lugging a full 25 litre container around. I managed to purchase two 10 litre water containers, and bring them back from a Canadian holiday. The containers have wide mouths, that will take the pump, and were supplied with taps in the lid plus an air vent with plug. On one container, in place of the tap, I have fitted a hose barb and a short length of flexible hose. This container is used like a watering can, but can be pumped if required. Like Robin, I usually can't be botherd to use our hose, and usually choose to top up using the container.

 

The containers hve the added bonus that the tap can be refitted in an emergency, such as a failure of the internal pump.

 

Alan

[Derek Uzzell]

vindiboy - 2020-10-04 12:37 PM

 

universal fitting OOPs picture too big what a naff forum this is for photo posting Hee Hee...

 

 

When this forum was created 15 years ago computer storage was expensive and the size of files to be attached to postings (and the size of ‘avatar’ files) was strictly restricted accordingly. Also in those days, people were not participating on these forums via phones or tablets (and quite likely not via laptops either) so - if there were a need to reduce a file’s size - the participant’s device and software could probably handle this without too much difficulty.

 

The trouble is now that people are used to participating on forums that have much ‘younger’ software and where the permissible file sizes are much higher (though there’s still likely to be a limit) File attachments to O&AL forum postings are still restricted to a 100KB size (though, for some unknown reason, Moderators can attach 200KB files). The forum’s software is not overseen in-house and I’ve no idea how easy it might be to increase the file-size limit.

 

There’s also the matter of device type. On my Apple iMac desk-top machine I can participate on these forums easily and I’ve no difficulty playing about with file sizes. It’s harder work using my Apple iPad and I don’t attempt to use my iPhone for forum participation at all.

 

The commercially available XenForo forum platform is popular (the Practical Caravan forums now run on it) and providing photos with a multi-MB size is practicable. But (other than the file-size limit thing) I don’t think XenForo forums are superior to the O&AL forums in terms of usability.

 

The Practical Caravan forums were transferred to more modern software, but the underlying structure and ethos of the original forums were unaltered. If the O&AL forums were to be revised, it would probably be best to take a root and branch approach, junk all the old data and start from scratch - and I doubt that would go down well with current users.

[Don636]

I use a 10l container and a funnel with a flexible spout. No problem pouring into the funnel without any sort of support system and there is a higher level of water flow using this method as opposed to a watering can which I find tends to have a much smaller spout which takes longer to pour.

[Pete-B]

 

Thanks guys for the very helpful advice very much appreciated (great forum)

 

I just had a thought, is it possible to get pouring screw on spouts for my standard 10L water carriers?

[mtravel]

For thirty years I have been using a tank and a pump like this:

 

https://www.campingsportmagenta.com/it/pompa-in-linea-geo-inline-plus-18-l

 

A little more than a minute is enough to empty a twenty-liter tank into the fresh water tank of my motorhomes.

 

Max

[Robinhood]

Pete-B - 2020-10-04 4:40 PM

 

I just had a thought, is it possible to get pouring screw on spouts for my standard 10L water carriers?

 

...you might do, the problem is getting the correct diameter screw fitting for the neck.

 

My other (ageing) 10 litre water carrier is similar in concept to this:

 

 

...with a combined, reversible screw-top and spout where the spout sits inside the neck of the carrier when closed.

 

Haven't seen one aroud for a long time, otherwise I'd buy a new one.

.

[Derek Uzzell]

Robinhood - 2020-10-04 4:57 PM

 

...Haven't seen one aroud for a long time, otherwise I'd buy a new one.

.

 

There you go...

 

https://tinyurl.com/y5olm6ce

 

https://tinyurl.com/y55cqhdq

[Robinhood]

I know I can buy online (and largely from chandlers - the picture I posted is from such a link) but I haven't seen one in a caravan/motorhome accessory shop since I bought one many years ago (as I say, mine is functionally like that but a different design - with the added (in)convenience of a tap).

[varonda]

What about a new green coloured plastic petrol container as they come with a pourer ideal for topping up water tanks with the added bonus of having a fuel container if you run out at some time [ to be replaced obviously if used that way ] and they're cheap !

[Derek Uzzell]

Plastic fuel containers are intended for holding fuel not drinking water.

 

The 10-litre Plastimo containers referred to in the previous few postings are advertised as "Manufactured from food quality polyethylene”.

 

I’m not paranoid about using a garden hose to fill my motorhome’s onboard water tank, but I’d be reluctant to store drinking water in a plastic fuel container that almost certainly is not made from food quality material. Besides which, although a plastic 5-litre fuel can can be bought for around a fiver, a larger-capacity version is likely to cost almost as much as a 10-litre food quality container.

 

For many years I’ve carried in my motorhome a 10-litre plastic container full of water. The container fits neatly in an elderly plastic rectangular bucket that I employ when necessary/convenient for draining the vehicle’s waste-water tank. I use the 10-litre container of water (when necessary/convenient) to rinse the toilet cassette after emptying it. I never put the water in the container in my motorhome’s fresh-water tank as we never stop long enough in one place to need to do that.

[StuartO]

We use a large watering can which takes up space in the garage (not that we're short) but has negligible weight.

 

The silliest idea I've come across was recently on another forum is a mains water pump (800w) used to draw water from a stream while "wild camping", which would be quite a lump to carry around and would also require (whilst wild camping) the use of a generator to power it. But you would presumably have the satisfaction of collecting free water from a "natural" source, providing you were lucky that the water was in no way contaminated, eg no dead sheep in the stream, further up river and no farm watse or industrial pollution.

 

[747]

We mostly use C&CC THS and the spot we ask for is often furthest from the water tap. So I stopped carrying water and got an Aquaroll instead. My van already had a Whale 12 volt socket adjacent to the filler and I had a Whale submersible pump doing nothing in the shed. I had to replace the Whale socket with something better quality but otherwise the setup suits me fine

[MasterW]

Not sure what the water filler looks like but if you have a standard lockable water filler cap, this device works fine and allows you to simply snap on a drinking water compatible hose (flat or other wise) using hose lock type connectors and straight to the tap. Full mains pressure will soon fill a >100L tank.

 

Then replace and lock your cap.

 

I've used mine for 5 years with no probs.

 

http://www.heosolution.de/GB/index.php?tip=heoswater&prod=701

[Derek Uzzell]

There are several HEOSwater-type connectors currenrly marketed with asking prices from around £7 upwards. Some are more effective than others and (as you’ve touched on) some are intended to fit a specific type of water inlet (eg. the Fiamma type).

 

The Auto-Sleepers handbook for a 2017 Warwick XL states that the fresh and waste water tanks have ‘breathers’ (a few small holes drilled in their tops?) which might be important when choosing this sort of hose connector. Originally the HEOSwater device came in two versions - one for vented tanks and the other for non-vented tanks - but I believe the current connector is suitable for both types.

 

This 2013 forum thread discussed fresh-water tank filling in some detail

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Hints-and-Tips/Water-hosepipe/31629/

 

and the two photos copied from it below show how much ‘kit’ some motorcaravanners take with them.

 

[MasterW]

Heavens above, get the right HEOS connector (do your homework first as you suggest) and the problem goes away. I do concede that even on CC sites, it is wise to carry a screw-on snap fit type adaptor and obviously a length of drinking water compatible hose.

 

My wife has often commented, why do all these folk walk about with heavy containers or watering cans full of water..???

[colin]

We seem to have drifted from the OP.

We carry a length of hose with the 'rubber' adaptor for when we can get to the tap, and a 20L collapsible 'camping' water container for when we can't get to the tap. Haven't yet found a tap we can't connect too.

[MasterW]

Perhaps I should say that 'prior to parking up on site' I visit the nearest tap/ motorhome service point and depending on our intended length of stay, can fill up my 100L tank in just a view minutes with use of the HEOS filler cap adapter and length of blue hose. Full mains pressure can be used because the end of the hose is 'locked' onto the filler cap and will not blow off (in the nicest possible way). Have looked at the info which came with My HEOS and it is the universal type with several adapters for different filler caps, both size and breather types. Well worth the £20 or so cash.

 

Owners might like to carry a universal rubber to hozelock adapter for 'funny' taps or those without a thread. My screw on the hozelock adapter also comes with a second thread insert for nonstandard threads.

[trialsrider]

My van has a hoselock style fitting with a valve to open and close the water supply. Simply hook on the hose and fill up till it comes out of the overfill pipe. When we are parked up on a pitch, I have a 10 litre tapped Jerry can with a male hoselock fitting. This then connects to the van hoselock fitting via a short hose. Providing the Jerry can is higher than the water tank it then begins to fill up.