Transferring fresh water into the tank

[KenetteK]

I have been a tent camper for many years, and we camp with all the comforts of home. I have a 15 gal. tank I have always used for fresh water when camping, and thought, when I get my new TM, take it with me (if I have room for it when I pack) just in case I need more water and do not have city water available. Thinking ahead, I would like to find some sort of pump to transfer the water into the TM tank. I haul it around with a dolly, but no way I'm lifting it to pour into the tank. Anything available out there?

[Keith Wire]

Ken, this has been discussed before...

Many use a bilge pump. Take a look at this message and follow the links for more information...

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/forum/showthread.php?p=50707&highlight=bilge#post50707

[Goodyear Travels]

Ken,
I'm researching the same issue. There are small pumps that are powered by electric drills that assist in the transfer of water from a container to your storage tank. One frequently noted problem is that most "cordless" drills don't generate sufficient rpm to produce the centrifical force necessary to make the pump vanes create a priming seal. I've read, however, that some folks have had success with 18 volt drills --- but you may need close to 2k rpm's. You can view these kind of drill pumps in Northern Tools web site, Sears / Craftsman, etc. I'm sure they are available in from many sources --- just "google" drill pumps.

Or, you can order an REI kayack, hand-bilge pump. I believe that Cabellas and other outdoor suppliers provide similar hand pumps. These are said to move a pretty high volume of water and they are a favorite of a number of TM users.

Or, you can get yourself a Shurflo, or Flowjet, or ??? electric pump and secure it to a small board and wire it your battery with some kind of switch and fuse (maybe even via the wiring in your frig compartment --- I think that Bill once suggested this). The pump would run beside you container and you'd place both in a position to minimize the height that the column of water would have to be lifted to facilitate both prime and flow rate.

I'm sure there are other options. I think that I'm going to roll the dice and go the drill pump route. I'm not sure which one --- I may try several kinds since they are usually under $12. My Miluwaukee cordless produces 1,700 rpm in its high gearing.

I'm still recovering from rotator cuff surgery 45 days ago. Anyone in their golden years takes the risk of joining me if they insist on hoisting 50+ lbs jugs to shoulder height. My injury may also have occurred lifting the Trojan batteries into their battery box in the rear compartment of our 2720sl. I hope to encourage just one person to make a better decision.

Discovering new limitations all the time but enjoying the heck out of this life, Eric

[grakin]

I bought a 12 volt pump at my local farm and ranch store for this, and added a trailer light plug to it, so I power it off of my truck's trailer light receptical.

Make sure the pump is listed for use on potable water systems. Not all pumps are.

[AstroBruce]

Walmart sells 6 gal. water jugs with a spout that fits in the TM water fill perfectly. I use 2 of them to fill my fresh water tank when dry camping. I don't see the need for a pump, hoses, and electrical connections, just to transfer water.

[Bill]

I am a fan of the bilge pump method. I made up an adaptor that makes it a lot easier to pump from ground (or tailgate) level into the TM's low-pressure fill port.

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3794
Unfortunately the picture has disappeared from Ripp's post, the one that kicked off the thread ...

Also see http://www.trailmanorowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3508

Bill