How to manual fill fresh water tank

[Padgett]

Note: when dry camping do not fill 6 gallon portable tank (from the mart at the wall) over 5 gallons. 40 lbs of water is all I can hold in place to pour. Need to investigate a small pump.

Fridge working fine, is at 38-40f / 14F in freezer with 85F OAT.

Westy running the AC just fine, after 2 days on 2nd tank of 87 PON. Is able to pull coach 20F down in under an hour.

Life is good.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Padgett

Note: when dry camping do not fill 6 gallon portable tank (from the mart at the wall) over 5 gallons. 40 lbs of water is all I can hold in place to pour. Need to investigate a small pump.

You are right. No need to lift and pour. A kayak bilge pump is a great solution if you are willing to use a manual pump. If you want electric, there are any number of small 12VDC pumps. How about a used Shur-Flo pump similar to the one inside the trailer? Visit

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ead.php?t=1797

Bill

[Craigrrr]

Manual multi pump works great and very inexpensive http://www.harborfreight.com/multi-u...ump-66418.html

[Roy in Texas]

Don't forget the deck plate solution proposed by MT Camper. No need for a pump. I did this when I saw this post. See the picture with Post 3.

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ght=deck+plate

[tentcamper]

We fill our water tank when we arrive at the CG, using the mod that trailmanor man shared a few years back. The mod that does not require to lift the shells and fill from the holding tank drain hose.

As far as adding water once we are set up. In most cases we only stay for 3 days and don't run out. But when we need to add water, I have a 3 and 5 gal container and pour it in.

[LoveToCamp]

Correction to tentcamper's post - the mod to fill through the fresh tank drain hose does not require you to lift the shells. I have done this mod to mine, but have not filled this way, yet. It will take longer, as the drain hose is smaller than a normal fill hose.

So, while I can fill without opening my shells, I likely would not, simply due to time factor.

[Padgett]

Having cats I save the square nestable 42 lb kitty litter pails from Sams. A stack of 5 matches the height of the water inlet & can hold about 100 lbs.

Just saying.

[Brittany Dogs]

I have a few ways to fill my 20 gallon tank depending on the length of stay or other conditions. For outings that I expect to fill the tank more than three times I have a SurFlow that I mount next to the filler cap and the suction hose is like 3' long that attaches to a 3/4" PVC pipe about 2' long. I fill up the 6 gallon jugs and carry them to the trailer, put them on the ground and then stick the PVC pipe into the water jug. The output of the pump goes into the filler cap of the trailer.

But here is the other method Bill might be interested in. Camp World sells that 40 gallon water bladder thing that looks like a mini water bed. I put that on top of the truck and just run a white hose to the TrailManor filler cap. Most times the height of the bladder is higher than the filler cap and I let gravity just fill up the tank. Most times I do this without standing there and do inside things like getting dinner ready. I watch the water tank level from the inside.

[ThePair]

You can also go crazy and do the "Ultimate water transfer bridge" modification that some of us have done: http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...ad.php?t=10458

I did that, plus added a hose port onto the hot water heater drain. This lets me fill both hot and cold sides with the shells closed (albeit longer than it takes some going through the fresh drain). It also allows very easy filling of the tank when empty, without needed to lift and pour anything, using the on-board pump.

There's a 'hidden' mode if you choose this route, one that needs an addition to the bridge, that will allow you to use any tank in place of the on-board tank. So, you can fill one of those large 40 gal bladders, and then use that directly without having to transfer the water first. I didn't do this mod, because (a) I thought of it later, and (b) I don't have a case-use need for it. But, someone with, say, an on-demand hot water heater, who is camping without water hookups, might want a large bladder as a water tank, and this is possible.

Just letting you know all the options!

[flipflop]

Originally Posted by Brittany Dogs

I have a few ways to fill my 20 gallon tank depending on the length of stay or other conditions. For outings that I expect to fill the tank more than three times I have a SurFlow that I mount next to the filler cap and the suction hose is like 3' long that attaches to a 3/4" PVC pipe about 2' long. I fill up the 6 gallon jugs and carry them to the trailer, put them on the ground and then stick the PVC pipe into the water jug. The output of the pump goes into the filler cap of the trailer.

But here is the other method Bill might be interested in. Camp World sells that 40 gallon water bladder thing that looks like a mini water bed. I put that on top of the truck and just run a white hose to the TrailManor filler cap. Most times the height of the bladder is higher than the filler cap and I let gravity just fill up the tank. Most times I do this without standing there and do inside things like getting dinner ready. I watch the water tank level from the inside.

I bought a 45 gallon bladder from Camping World http://www.campingworld.com/browse/s...FZA1aQod2YYFUg and a Shurflo water pump
http://www.campingworld.com/shopping...ter-pump/49007. I think I can run the Shurflo from my jumppack, jumppack recharges in the truck from the inverter or in the trailer from the generator.

The plan is for snowbirding/boondocking in AZ and CA this winter to leave the trailer out in the boonies, haul the sewage in a Thetford tote to town, return with fresh water/propane/groceries. I bought an LP conversion kit for the Honda EU2000i generator, so no more gas cans.

I'll do that simple mod to the fresh drain to fill up when closed up. I guess you move the overflow tube to the city water inlet? Drill a hole for it there?

Also looking at a locking cover for the fresh tank fill inlet like this https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories.../CAM37102.html Seems easy to install without cutting a square hole in the trailer like other locking covers, can put a padlock on it.