When you go out for camping, water is one of the most critical resources that you may run out of if you are not careful. You need water for everything from drinking and cooking, to bathing, washing and maintaining proper hygiene.
Whether you are camping in a tent or in your RV, you should keep a fresh water tank by your side. One of the first lessons that most new campers learn is how to refill fresh water tank during camping.
In this blog, we discuss several effective ways to refill your water tank to have smooth trip.
What You Will Need
There are three main pieces of equipment that you will need to keep fresh water with you during a camping trip. The first is a large water container such as the water tank that is necessary for carrying water. Other equipment includes water filters and deodorizers that are optional but may become important depending on where you get your water from.
Here is a list of items that can be handy for collecting and storing water.
- Water Tank Kit for RV
- Water Container
- Water Filter
- Water Deodorizer
Refilling the Water Tank
If you’re traveling with a large-capacity freshwater tank, whether as an internal part of your RV or just as a container in the back of your vehicle, you need to have a plan to refill it during your camping trip.
It may not matter much if you are going for a 1 day trip. However, if you will be camping overnight and spend more time outdoors you will need to find a source of water to collect it.
Most freshwater carrying tanks in the market can fill around 20-100 gallons of water. You will need roughly 2-4 gallons of water for every person, per day. So make sure to have a water tank large enough to carry all the water you will need.
Find a Water Source
There are five main sources of water for refilling your water tank on the trip. These include;
- Freshwater hookups at the camping destination
- Highway travel centers
- Rest Stops and RV waste water dump station
- County and State Parks or National Forest centers
- Churches or business locations
Note that these sources do not include refilling your water tanks from a freshwater lake or stream. In most cases, this water may not be safe to drink. You should not fill your water tank from natural locations, unless you know what you are doing.
More experienced campers do take water from natural sources. But they boil the water for several minutes to kill any pathogens. They are also experienced in purifying and collecting water that is safe for drinking.
Due to the risks involved in this method, it is not recommended unless there’s an emergency.
How to Refill RV Tank with Water
The safest way to refill your RV’s water tank is from a faucet. You will need to hook it up with a hose and use water pressure to refill the water tank.
The setup you will use on your camping trip to refill your fresh water tanks can vary from place to place. It really comes down to the type of RV that you own. The tank may have two separate connections for connecting to water in the city and on the trail or a single connection with a valve for filling up water.
Locate a hose and connect the output end to the right connection on your RV, based on the source of water you are refilling from. Connect the entry end of the hose to the water source. Make sure the connection on both ends is stable and secure, and won’t come off when you start refilling.
Depending on your RV, you’ll find an orange adapter at the end of your RV’s drinking water hose. That is a Pressure Regulator and protects the pipes in your RV from bursting due to pressure. Keep the water regulator on while refilling to avoid damage due to unpredictable water pressure.
Slowly turn the water faucet on. We advise having a friend inside the RV to keep an eye on water filling into the tank.
Most RVs have an overflow valve which prevents the water from overfilling so it is unlikely that the water will flow out.
Refilling the RV Tank without a Water Faucet
If there’s no water supply faucet to refill your fresh water tank then you will need to use gravity to do the job. Simply fill up a small water container with fresh water and then manually pour it through your tank’s inlet.
You may need to find a way to hold the water source above the inlet hole. You can use a small ladder or stepping stool get above ground and then pour the water into the tank. If the water container does not fit into the inlet, you will need a funnel to get the water in.
Use a Water Filter
Whether you are filling your water tank with city water or water collected from other sources, you will need to ensure that it is filtered properly.
Attach a good quality RV Water Filter to your hose, so that you know all the water entering your water tanks is clean and free from dirt and other debris. There are good quality water filters available in the market that will help remove any sediment in the water.
You can also use commercial water deodorizers to eliminate strange tastes. Keep in mind to get the water tanks sanitized and the filtration system cleaned every six months.
Our Final Thoughts
In this blog, we provided you with some useful information on how to refill fresh water tank during camping. Having access to a clean, drinkable water supply, with faucets, sinks, and showers, is a huge boon while camping in an RV.
You can refill your fresh water tanks by hooking up with a water faucet through a hose. This is the easiest way to fill up water.
Alternatively, if you do not have access to a water hookup, you can still use an independent water supply to manually refill your water tanks.
