How does everybody here tackle all issues water related. From storage, to filtration, to pumping, etc.

(On expeditions of course)

We carry 1 Scepter and 19 gallons of fresh water on the nose of the trailer. Also we have 2 NATO cans for water up on the rack. We carry a super syphon and the 19 gallon tank has a hand pump for reliability. We also have plumbed in a shower head with a marine wash down pump if we need to move water quickly (shoots 15 feet at 3 gallons per minute). For drinking water, we usually carry bottled and then refill from the 19 gallon fresh water tank after use, then toss them back in the fridge. For showers we can get two showers out of 2.5 gallons. So we usually use the 1 scepter can for our showers. Thats 2 showers a piece and thats usually good for a week or so. By that time we'll be somewhere were we can refill. We grab all our water for cooking from the 19 gallon fresh water tank. Boil if need be and its cleaned after every 3 trips or so. Filtering we don't worry about at this time because we carry so much , we've never ran out. In other words we dont have to pull water from dirty source. Yet. On extended remote trips this will be more prevalent and you'll need an inline filter system or a hand held filter like they sell at REI and such.

How does everybody here tackle all issues water related. From storage, to filtration, to pumping, etc.

(On expeditions of course)

I have a 20gal RV water tank fitted into the bed in my 2004 DC Taco. It is part of my camping/sleeping platform. I have a fill port at the back of the truck, the tank is at the front of the bed. I can fill it with a 5gal bucket or with a garden hose or any number of different pipe sizes up to 2". I have a 50psi RV water pump fitted that is wired up to my second battery. I have the water pump on a switch at the back of the truck. I also have a sprayer at the back of the truck that is on a quick dissconect tap. I have a drain in the tank that dumps directly through my bed and under the truck. I have the tank vented and the vent is mounted high up in my SnugTop. Last part of my system is a quality filter that removes 99.9% or funk.

I can shower using the tank at the back of the truck. Dishes is a snap and it can also serve as my drinking water. Plus drinking water for my small dog. 20gals will last me (and the dog) well over a week. Upwards of 14 days if I conserve.

This thread makes me think I'm going to need a bigger vehicle or a utility trailer of some type to store everything.

This thread makes me think I'm going to need a bigger vehicle or a utility trailer of some type to store everything.

Depends on how long you're out there for.
And of course your proximity to a clean source.
You could always pick up an old military water tank trailer unit for those long camping trips. :D
http://www.olive-drab.com/images/id_m107_trailer_700_01.jpg

Depends on how long you're out there for.
And of course your proximity to a clean source.
You could always pick up an old military water tank trailer unit for those long camping trips. :D
http://www.olive-drab.com/images/id_m107_trailer_700_01.jpg
I know you're kidding, but that's exactly what I'm planning on doing. I want to have a few different trailers that I can take with me when I want to set up camp somewhere for an extended period of time. I'm building the toy hauler / workshop trailer (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=11624997) right now.

We carry 3, 20L military water containers and 1, 5 gal water cooler. We've gone a little over a week this way, and always take a hand pump water purifier just in case. We don't use our potable water for showers, we'll camp near a water source and use our Zodi for showering as needed. We don't usually stay in one place for more than a week so this allows us to refill as we pass through a town.

or a hand held filter like they sell at REI and such.

Like a Brita?

Like a Brita?
You're joking, right? (http://www.rei.com/search?query=water+filters&button.x=0&button.y=0)

But most of those filters are pretty slow, as they're meant for backpacking. You'll want something that intended for 'basecamp' use at the very least. You can sometimes find good deals on Katadyn Survivor 35 desalinating water filters through military surplus. That doesn't put out a lot of water, I just thinkg they're cool.

For dedicated water filtration (permanent installations), you're basically looking at the same type of components and systems that you would put in your home. Really nothing RV-specific. I'm going a bit overboard because I've got a big truck (lots of space) and I want to be able to filter and drink just about anything that's wet.

You're joking, right? (http://www.rei.com/search?query=water+filters&button.x=0&button.y=0)

But most of those filters are pretty slow, as they're meant for backpacking. You'll want something that intended for 'basecamp' use at the very least. You can sometimes find good deals on Katadyn Survivor 35 desalinating water filters through military surplus. That doesn't put out a lot of water, I just thinkg they're cool.

For dedicated water filtration (permanent installations), you're basically looking at the same type of components and systems that you would put in your home. Really nothing RV-specific. I'm going a bit overboard because I've got a big truck (lots of space) and I want to be able to filter and drink just about anything that's wet.

Do you have details on your setup on a thread I can view? I honestly don't know much about water filtration. I'm still learning.

No, I'm sorry I don't. I'm still working out the details, but I will post-up when I get to that part of the project. Right now I've got my hands full, replacing the cab and swapping-in a new engine, and sandblasting/painting everything. I'll probably work on the water system after I finish the fuel system (http://www.steelsoldiers.com/alternative-fuels/52209-ultimate-onboard-fuel-filtration-processing-setup.html).

I would suggest contacting this guy. I've been consulting with him about my project, and he's been really helpful. VERY knowledgeable, and has taken a lot of time to educate me about different aspects of water quality and filtration.

Dennis Falsken
Falsken Water Systems
Phone 951 737-5094
Falskenh20@aol.com
www.falskenwatersystems.com

You're joking, right? (http://www.rei.com/search?query=water+filters&button.x=0&button.y=0)

But most of those filters are pretty slow, as they're meant for backpacking. You'll want something that intended for 'basecamp' use at the very least.
.

We just use our katadyn pump filter, and that is only a back up if we run out. Why would you need that much drinking water and filtration capacity if it's only a couple of people? Even when we head out in the desert or areas without a water supply, we just throw in several cases of bottled water in addition to what we normally carry.

i use a boat water tank because they are thicker than comparable rv tanks. rv wastewater tanks are similarly thicker. it ran me $250 including shipping. its located in the bed nearest the cab, on a rubber mat, and secured with ratcheting tie-down straps to small u-bolts i installed on the bed. my sleeping platform goes above it (but not resting on it). i used angle-aluminum for force-spreaders so the straps don't cut into the tank. this setup as been quite secure and i have had no problems with the tank over the last two years i've had this setup and i like to bounce around backcountry washboard roads and do moderate rockcrawling as necessary. this location for the tank also works great because that area of the bed is hard to access anyway. all the rest of my gear goes in plastic bins which slide under the sleeping platform, the further bins are on ropes so i can pull them out. a simple setup, but it works great.

i cut a hole in the site of the bed for a hose hookup, which connects to the outlet at the bottom of the end of the tank. i screw a faucet on when i set up camp. the through-hole is actually 4" above the bottom of the tank, so that when i "run out" of water, there's actually a few gallons left for "emergency reserve", so i don't get surprised (i'd simply have to pull up on a slope to get the last few gallons out). it's gravity-feed, so no pump necessary, and i get about 1gal/min flow, which is ample.

the tank has another outlet at the top of the side which is used as an air inlet. this is necessary.

both water fittings use pvc stopcocks and they seem to work well but the stainless ones i had before would leak (apparently some stopcocks require pressure to mount the ball tightly so they don't leak).

i fill using a garden hose via the bottom fitting -- i simply run the water until it forces water out the air outlet, which has another, short hose which i dangle out the side of the camper window. in a pinch i could pour/siphon water down the air inlet hose, but i've never needed to do this.

as a rule of thumb, you need 1gal/day per person. the 18gal tank serves my wife and i for a full week, for all cooking needs plus showering.

as an added advantage, the water acts as a large heat-sink, moderating the temperature in the bed where i sleep, making it quite comfortable. i noticed i get at least an extra hour of sleeping in before the bed area warms up from the sun.

along with two gal gas tanks and an engle fridge powered by a marine battery, i'm easily able to spend two weeks in the woods before replenishing supplies. i bought a 12v water pump with the intention of hooking up a water filter so i could refill at any stream/lake, but i frankly haven't needed it, so it sits unused in the garage.

We just use our katadyn pump filter, and that is only a back up if we run out. Why would you need that much drinking water and filtration capacity if it's only a couple of people? Even when we head out in the desert or areas without a water supply, we just throw in several cases of bottled water in addition to what we normally carry.
Well I'm building a custom motorhome that I'm planning on living in fulltime, so my needs are probably a bit different than someone that's building a recreational camper. I want to be able to travel into the wilderness for extended periods of time, and live in relative comfort.

Bought a little RV pump and mounted under the taillight in that empty corner on the Toyota. Strapped a soft cooler with plastic expandable water jug inside to the rear side of the bed, ran the lines through to the pump, and from the pump under the bed and out through the tail hitch(never towed anything). I mounted a little faucet onto the hitch, and ran power up front for the whole thing. Real clean application. You just pull the faucet at the hitch, turn it on, and you have running clean cold water. Everything was protected from rock rash since it was tucked high under the bed and through the hitch.