michaelmorris Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 We are very new to motor homing. After a bit of research we've decided to buy a flat food-grade hose reel for filling the water tank - but which to buy? At first glance the obvious answer would seem to be the longest one (25metres). However, these are larger and heavier than the 15 metre versions so are going be more difficult to handle. Also it will mean unreeling and reeling up again 25 metres of hose every time we want to fill up the tank with a hose. Not being very experienced in these things, is a 15 metre hose reel going to be long enough (most of the time) or it better to bite the bullet and get the heavier and more awkward 25m reel? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 To some extent what you choose will depend on how large your motorhome’s fresh-water tank is and what type of motorcaravanning you plan to do. In principle, the bigger the tank the less often it should need filling, and the more you use campsite facilities the less water you will get through (and, consequently, the less frequent the tank-filling task). Logically (as I notice you have been advised on the ukcampsite forum) you ought to opt for the 25m-long hose. On the other hand I have been motorcaravanning since 1998, have only ever carried a 10m hose and - as far as I can remember - never needed a longer one. Assuming it were practicable, you might consider buying the 25m-long hose and cutting it so that you have, say, 10m of hose on the reel, storing the remaining 15m of hose in a bag somewhere in your motorhome as an extender should you require it. Obviously this approach would demand that you purchase and fit the necessary connectors to the hoses, but then you would have a reasonably short hose to unreel/reel most of the time and a long hose for 'emergencies’. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solwaybuggier Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 We do something like what Derek suggests - our van has a proprietary Whale filler with a 7m flat hose. I bought an empty reel to store it on. We also have a 20m flat hose, also on a reel- although it was a very tight fit on the reel so I cut about 3m off the end. Easy enough to get end fittings and joining pieces. Most of the time the 7m is plenty- occasionally (eg if we're pitched near a tap) we use the 2 hoses joined. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solomongrundy Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 I carry a 10 metre plastic pipe and a 4 metre plastic pipe, fastened on the inside of the garage door, and haven't needed any length of pipe longer than those in five years of Motorhoming. Only once have I had to connect the pipes for the extra length but 99% of times the 4 metre pipe is adequate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 We have a 20m flat food grade hose which we split into about a third and two thirds but which can be reconnected. We found we only used the short hose. It depends on how easy it is to fill. On our last three vans, its been easy to drape the hose through the window and into the top of the tank. Otherwise you'll need a hose that will reach both sides of your van because you can almost guarantee that the water point will be on the wrong side. Over the last few years, we've relied on a 25 litre plastic container to fill the water tank. We rarely stay long on sites so 25l is enough at any one time. Unless you are going to go to small sites and want to fill up without moving the van, 25m will be too long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 I used to carry a full garden hose reel (I think it was 30 metres) and on one site we use regularly this would just allow us to refill the tank without moving the MH, but as often as not I would use our 10 litre container to do a partial refill as necessary and this year I decided to leave the garden hosepipe reel (quite hyeavy when it's full of water) at home. Instead I now carry a 10 metre food-quality hose on a reel which I bought at a show. It consists of three small tubes moulded as a flat-three, so it reels in without emptying and although the flow rate is slower than a standard half-inch hose, it does fill the tank reasonably quickly. But because they provide a full reel's worth of hose on the reel, you do have to reel it in carefully to get it all back on to the reel. At least it's not as much of a pain as those collapsible types of hose. I haven't used it often enough to form a judgement yet and I might end up going back to the garden hose reel. I was never concerned about contamination or bad taste from using that. As far as length is concerned if you are going to be moving the MH to the tap, 10 metres should be enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelmorris Posted June 6, 2015 Author Share Posted June 6, 2015 Thanks for your comments. As I sort I of expected, the advice is conflicting. We've gone ahead and bought a 15 metre flat hose from GoOutdoors and we'll take a 5 litre container and funnel with us as well. The quality of the fittings on the hose were appalling, but I got it reduced because a part was missing and I had replacements for the missing and poor quality connectors in the garden shed already, so nothing lost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted June 6, 2015 Share Posted June 6, 2015 Solomongrundy - 2015-06-05 10:40 AM I carry a 10 metre plastic pipe and a 4 metre plastic pipe, fastened on the inside of the garage door, and haven't needed any length of pipe longer than those in five years of Motorhoming. Only once have I had to connect the pipes for the extra length but 99% of times the 4 metre pipe is adequate. You haven't got your bottom umbrella in the correct catch ;-) ........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solomongrundy Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 Quote - You haven't got your bottom umbrella in the correct catch ........... The hook up cable hasn't been put in it's correct 'driving' position and the pack of '1664' (Sez) hadn't been opened in the photo (both matters since dealt with) – but, hey ho, life goes on! :-D :-D :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyg3nwl Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 I could suggest that you buy the 25 metre one, and cut it in half and get a back to back coupler to extend it back to original length.. then pack one half of the hose in readily accessible place for day to day use, and the other half available for use in those rare times when the short one wont reach. alternatively buy one of those hoses which expand when filled with water.buy the 25 metre version, and it shrinks back to about 5 o6 6 metres when empty..dont forget also to get mating adaptors for variuos tap adapters..we carry 4 different types of tap adapter. tonyg3nwl Ps dont buy the flat one, they leak like a sieve after a season in my experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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