There are four main ways of getting water out of your container and into a cup or sink: Using the gravity-fed water system is the simplest and cheapest way to access water. At what stage did you install your UV filter between tank & pump, or under-sink i.e. So, what we did was picked up this hose connector from Screwfix which is usually meant for draining washing machines I think. Hiya, thanks so much for all your information. And do not dump water in or near stream as all soaps are bad for aquatic life (even the biodegradableones). If you want to incorporate a hot water heater into your existing 12V sink system, read our post on installing a hot water heater. For larger containers, many National Parks or State Forests will have visitor centers with water spigots. If you dont want to install a grey water tank but you plan on spending some time on campsites, you can always leave a container underneath your waste water pipe to collect the grey water and dispose of it before you leave. If you have larger containers, it makes sense to store them in a way that they will be easily accessible from a hose. Read the specs on your tank carefully and choose one that uses an FDA-approved material. Weve had instances of bits of algae etc coming out the tap after a period of non-use. and perhaps the measurments arent correct for myself. It draws a maximum of 7.5A when running. The water filter screws on in front of the pump, so cleans water before it passes through the pump. Read more. It combines, This EcoFlow RIVER Maxreview will tell you everything you need to know about this portable power station. So help combat this, and to protect the tank, we wrapped it first in leftover foil insulation. We opted for this one from Screwfix as it was the shortest we could find; if it hung any lower it would take up too much space under the sink. Because you need to access this water multiple times a day its essential to find a system that works for you. I am so chuffed with how it turned out, and super impressed that we havent had a single issue with leaks or anything! We recommend using food-safe tubing for your plumbing. I emptied out the trap after 3 months and there was some buildup of food particles. Hope that helps! Home / Van conversion articles / Water system articles / How to: install a campervan water system. Well, things get a little more complicated from here but not much! And the answer here is a resounding NO. Im interested in the 65mm belfast sink basket strainer & waste but looks like the link is not working? For our DIY grey water system, we bought this under van water tank from CAK tanks and its custom designed to fit the chassis of Peugeot Boxer vans; so installing it is as easy as possible. The amount you need of each will depends on your van plumbing setup. Something went wrong while submitting the form. The most important thing here is to read the manual (online link) and decide if you realistically have space to install one in your van. This site uses cookies to provide the best possible experience. Wonderfully helpful website and blog. They cannot be incorporated into a sink setup because they come with their own water pump, tubing, faucet, shower head and heater. We did, and we tested it before and after we found that it didnt really make a difference so not sure that its necessary. There are all sorts of water heating systems out there, some that store water and heat them inside a giant tank, and others that I think just heat water as it passes through. The dolphin hand pumpis a low-budget hand pump that comes with its own tubing built-in. Waste trap 1 1/2" for 40mm pipe connection, 1/2" BSP to 12mm female barb hose fitting, 1/2" female 3/4" male water tank connector, 1/2" x 14 NPT x 1/2" barb straight wingnut swivel adapter, 65mm belfast sink basket strainer & waste, A tap and sink with running water (cold only), An instant hot water outdoor shower (blog post on our shower setup coming soon!). Hey Ben, its possible to buy filters that can be installed inline within your system that filter water to make it drinkable, but we personally havent installed one of these. To be honest, I am fully expecting the pipe to get blocked at some point in the future, but so long as this setup lasts for a year or more, before simply replacing that piece of pipe, I will be extremely happy! Read our post on Best 12 volt Electric Sink Pumps for a Camper! This is a legal requirement for insurance purposes and doesnt cost that much to do. So the solution we came up with required a little but of ingenuity and tinkering. Strainer DrainYou can choose to purchase a campervan specific sink and drain combo or build your own DIY sink using a metal bowl and steel strainer drain. Which makes sense now looking back on it!!! Thanks for the quick response! The site is a great resource and inspiration One of the more popular brands of hand pumps is the flipper pump by Whale Water Systems. Hi Holly, glad youre finding our site useful. Its actually a huge problem now, vanlifers dumping their toilet waste in bushes or down drains in the street. As I do the washing up (Cazzy cooks) I have a pet peeve about drying up immediately after. However, you need to carefully weigh up how much you realistically need as well as how much weight you can afford to carry. If you choose to purchase camper specific parts and standard sizing as listed above, there shouldnt be too much extra construction involved. We used a waste trap with long bellows so that we could create a shallow U bend to run the rest of our pipe at the back of the cupboard and maximise space. Alternatively, you could do what we do which is have separate 5 litre bottles that we use for drinking water (unless we are boiling first). Oops! Would you advise fitting a UV steriliser in the water pipe? From there, the pipe heads straight out under the van, and then is attached under the van with cable ties before making its way into the waste tank. just before tap? Okay, so youve got your fresh water and can now pump it through the van. Many vanlifers opt for an external shower that pins to the back door of a van; and you can even install a shower curtain for extra privacy. For some reason, these didnt come with the water pump so we had to pick up two more. We used 12mm food grade water pipe, which works really well for this purpose. Think of it this way a 70 litre water tank weighs roughly 70kg. If you plan on staying mainly in campsites where you will be able to fill up regularly, it makes sense to have a small tank. Once again, love all of your info! In most campervan conversions we come across, people opt for small kitchen sinks without a draining board. As well as the sink itself, heres what else you will need to get a functioning sink . You have 2 options here: We went for option 1 and decided to store our water tank inside of the van. Copyright ParkedInParadise.com | Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Im inclined to believe that it happened in the waste water drain tap coming off the tank. Its straightforward enough connecting each to the Malaga, you just need to unscrew the metal panel on the front and check the user manual for the correct spot to clip each in. Grey water tanks are used for dirty water from the shower and sink, and a lot of people who plan on spending a lot of time on a campsite will have them so as to not drain their water straight onto a pitch. The shower is a Camplux 5L tankless water heater thats mounted next to our back doors, and is connected to our water tank and our underslung gas tank via the manifold. Accumulators also make the faucet stream run more steadily. Below is a list of all of the components we bought (links are Amazon & eBay affiliate links that will earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you). In a van, the miniature trap will prevent smells by allowing a small pool of water to form in the bottom. Its fed from the sink and shower through a 3/4inch waste pipe that connects up using a Y connector shortly before it reaches the tank. The spout faucet should be connected directly to the foot pump using .5 tubing. The first tube will lead directly to the faucet, and the second tube will lead into the fresh water tank. You could choose to put this pump point halfway up the tank, all you would then need to do is install a piece of hose inside of the tank that touches the bottom, so draws all of the water out. Shurflo are possibly the top recommended brand here, and offer a whole range of pumps. Hopefully this guide has been useful, and if you have any questions just drop me a comment below and I will help where possible As a beginner, creating a DIY campervan water system can be extremely confusing! Do you just turn the pump on and turn shower on and shower works? As a downside, you will get little control over this water and the pressure is not always the strongest. Although this part is optional, because accumulators are relatively inexpensive we recommend installing one if you are going the route of an electric sink. This is not only really bad for the environment, but is a disgusting eyesore, so please dont do it. Since doing this we have had no issues, whereas before we had small continual leaks every other day. Once the water comes out of the accumulator, we used a T piece to split the pipe in 2, so that it can feed both the shower and the sink. Its held up well, however the issue is that when in Scotland on our North Coast 500 road trip, the water still froze in places so we couldnt drain it. These are good as they utilise space which is otherwise quite hard to use. To get a much more accurate picture, you could use a clear water tank and mount it somewhere easily accessible, so you can literally just see inside the tank. The connections between your tubing and water system components are going to vary greatly depending on what you buy. Building a 12-volt electric sink into your campervan is a great way to have a consistent supply of running water. We had already installed the majority of our vans components by this point, and were extremely lucky that it was even possible for us to fit it where we did. What size water tank should you install in your campervan? Chances are you either: If you just want a hot shower, read our post on portable hot water heaters. Just check permission if you arent sure whether a water tap is for free public use or suitable for drinking. These then pin the tank up under the van using two thick metal bars; and so far I can report its worked perfectly. Also, ensure the shower area is fully sealed at any joints, as over time a leaky shower can cause serious issues to your campervans structures. An electric pump in itself might give off a choppier water source as it works to pump. We picked up a cheap towel rail and toiletries holders from a local store, and made sure they are fixed with plugs so they can be easily removed without damaging the cladding. At the top of the tank is an air valve that allows the tank to fill and air to release; and also acts as an overflow in case it gets too full; which is handy as it stops your shower or sink from backing up and overflowing! Thanks Simeon. 30PSI is quite a high pressure, and it means you get good solid water flow throughout the van. If you choose to do a lot of boondocking or camp too far off-grid, its a good idea to carry an emergency water filter. The last thing you want is a 70kg weight ripping loose when driving! Hello! The other option is to go for flexible push fit hose, which would then require push fit fittings instead of jubilee clips. If you will be moving water containers in and out of your vehicle, we recommend choosing a tank that is 5-gallons or smaller. Should you try and reclassify your campervan with the DVLA? What components do you need for your campervan water system? We take into account 100+ parameters and calculations to ensure your system is fully bespoke and perfect for your needs. This is enough water for a shower each and plenty of hot water to wash the dishes. Finally, be sure to pic up some 5mm ID hose which can then be used to drain the tank when not in use. These seemed to be the go-to choice as they are incredibly versatile, meaning they can be positioned any way up and can be custom-suited to your setup. Keep in mind, water containers are heavy. Choose one with a strainer that can be closed to prevent any backsplash with frequent movements while driving. All it takes is a pump faucet and some flexible tubing. So you dont need to switch the water pump on/off each time you want to use water, you can just leave it on and it will turn on when required. Most sinks come with a 2-2.5 hole drilled in the bottom which will fit a standard strainer drain. Then, just run the control panel loom to an easy access point. This type of sink will make you feel the most at home and can also be hooked up to a hot water heater to make larger installations like showers. Escape the daily grind, hit the open road and re-write the way you live. We spent over two years living in a DIY camper vanand visiting 48 US states. When converting our van from scratch, one of the biggest worries I had was how to create a campervan water system. We installed the 70L Fiamma water tank, however we would not recommend this tank to others. If you take the plastic fittings to a plumbers merchant then they should be able to give you a brass alternative as the sizes are all very standard. The only black waste you get in a campervan is from your toilet. The issue is that, when water leaves the trap it would usually go into a much thicker pipe before heading to your homes mains drainage. We are Kate, Ian and Harper. In theory it is possible yes, but you would need a tankless water heater with a permanent flue so any exhaust gases can escape if you wanted hot water when the doors are closed, then you dont need to keep the water heater outside for ventilation. Read more. Hi Rob, I must admit I havent had any experience with 12V taps however it makes sense for it to be run separately so the pump can run whenever it needs to. If you only have a couple of appliances and you want to keep things simple, an all-in-one solution such as a powerbank might be suitable for you. Some van lifers (like us) simply store water in containers and pour it into a bottle when needed. Foot pump sinks involve a similar setup to the hand pump. The plastic feed point started leaking slowly and no matter what we did we couldnt get it to stop. Learn more about our sustainability initiatives. Because our shower is an outdoor shower, this made our system much more simple the shower is mounted next to the back doors and will only ever be used with the back doors open, so this meant we didnt need to build in a flue. One tip I did pick up online was to not fiddle with the settings on this at all. Hope that helps! We find that this lasts us 4-6 days, depending on how many showers we take in that time. The shower itself ended up looking really good, and we are very happy with it. Simply attach a hose and away you go. Sure, it means you dont get every ounce of water in the tank, but what it does mean is that it avoids you sucking up small waste particles into your system. Simply twist this and the waste water empties out simples! Again, I have ZERO experience with how kitchen drains work, and there is no obvious choice out there for specialised sink waste systems for campervans. Electric vehicles have so much to offer in terms of sustainable transport and cheaper refuelling, but the distance, Space Xs new satellite internet service, Starlink, has just released Starlink RV, a satellite dish for campervans! Thanks for the really useful info! Its the biggest one we could get to fit the space, and is actually quite shallow compared to the majority of household sinks. The fresh water tank should have two openings, one for the air valve, and one for the tubing to supply the sink. Hand pump that fits most 2-6 gallon water coolers. It makes no sense to pack a 5-gallon tank of water if youre unable to lift nearly 50lbs. When the tank is full, the float switch is in a closed position meaning that the circuit is completed and the LED lights up. A constant supply of water is probably the most important thing you are going to need in your campervan. For example, heres the position we went for . The campervan water pump is necessary to pump water throughout your entire system. Heres all the bits of kit we bought for the shower unit itself . It is also possible to install an underslung water tank on the bottom of your van which will save valuable room inside, but this might not be the best choice if youre planning on spending time in colder snowy climates where the water could freeze. Extremely lightweight and portable. my question is what did you do about filtering the water to be drinkable. Obviously usage will vary massively from person to person if you have an indoor shower in your van that you use daily, you will likely need a bigger tank, or to fill up every day or 2. If you are installing one in a LWB van, like a Sprinter or Ducato/Relay/Boxer, then there are surprisingly limited places you can actually install it. The smaller your water container, the easier it will be to refill at grocery or hardware stores. We chose to mount our water inlet to some ply in our boot, so we wouldnt have to drill any more holes in the side of the van, but a lot of people do mount their fill points on the outside. Sure, the water pressure isnt what you would get in a house, but at the end of the day this is a good thing as it prevents water wastage. Step-by-step guide to installing a campervan water system, Connecting the sink and the shower to the water system, Wiring up the campervan water system electrics, To get your campervan water system fully up and running, there are a few components you will need to connect to your electrical system (for more information on electrics, read our blog post on, how to wire up your camper van electrical system. You will also need to consider where to mount it often people mount this directly under their sink so the waste pipe can go straight into it, and its easy to access for emptying. So we spent roughly 800 on the entire water system which includes the following: 70L water tank, pump, accumulator, hose, all connectors and fixings, a Belfast sink (~140), a posh tap (120) and an instant hot water heater (~120). Water will expand as it freezes and can break fittings and components; which is an expensive and time consuming thing to fix! The difference between a hand pump and a foot pump is you will get a little bit more control over the water flow as well as hands-free operation. There are ways to deal with the issue of freezing (such as 12v heat pads) and it would be nice to be able to store more water when travelling for longer road trips. Should you install a campervan induction hob? 12mm (1/2inch) food grade ID hose is the standard size, necessary for pumping water throughout your system. At this point the ply was fixed to the wall, and then we could move the water tank into place and attach it by screwing up the other washers and nuts by the tank. If you plan on going to some really remote locations, and cant fill up water for a week or more at a time, then you may want to look at 150l+ systems. With water tanks, its not just a case of buying the biggest thing you can for a couple of reasons. EcoFlow power stations combine a lithium battery, an, ThisJackery Explorer 240 review will tell you everything you need to know about this all-in-one solution to portable off-grid power. Hope this helps. Side note: You may also want to check out a wheel arch water tank as an alternate solution. Under just 240v it can take up to an hour and, unless youre plugged in at a mains outlet, will drain your leisure batteries like crazy and put a lot of pressure on the inverter. Simply because it was easier to set up and we didnt want to have to work out issues such as how to stop it from freezing. Where is your shower stored and does it feed off the same gas as your hob? Hopefully that gives a rough indication of cost . Water TanksA key part of any water system are the water tanks. Want to wake up to a breathtaking new view every morning? I am struggling to connect the waste pipe with the u bend to my rigid pipe. But for the sake of this post, lets look at our current setup which requires a 70 litre Fiamma water tank. We would however recommend looking into underslung water tanks as the space-saving is pretty substantial, they just take a bit longer to fit and cost a little more. Hi Tom, we installed it under the sink, so between the pump and the tap. More importantly, there needs to be a flat piece of panel on the outside of the van for you to fit the plastic vent. Reliable and long-lasting, the Shurflo 4088 pumps 3GPM at 55PSI and uses 7.5 amps. Hi both, Jackery 240 Review 240Wh portable power station. As an Amazon associate we earn from qualifying purchases. We used a 12mm barb to 1/2 BSP fitting to connect the pipe to our tap. Because of this, you will not want to have the pump on all the time (not to mention the energy savings). That is not taking into account cooking, cleaning and any pets youre bringing along. please could you help , Found this super useful. Its perfectly big enough for me and Cazzy, any bigger would take up unnecessary space. The pipe which leads to the shower simply needed pushing onto a female fitting which was already connected to the shower and tightening with another jubilee clip. Below you can see the exact campervan water system we have in our van Before traveling anywhere, make sure you have your travel insurance in place. These are what you use to connect different pieces of hose when diverting water flow. To finish off the edges of the shower and to better waterproof, I picked up some PVC corner trim from Wickes. Luckily, clean water is relatively easy to find. Again, it would be very simple for this to be supplied with the Malaga, but of course, they don't! To make it waterproof, the whole thing is covered in 5mm PVC cladding from DBS Bathrooms. The waste trap is flexible so that you can create a U bend, which is important to do to stop smells (the water sitting in the U bend stops any smells from entering the van). Your email address will not be published. Some people choose not to store their water in plastic containers at all. The water you have left from your sink and shower is known as grey waste and there are disposal points for this all over the UK and Europe. Water storage is the one of the universal necessities for vanlife. We also chose not to install a grey water tank. These are most often stored underneath a sink but may also be stored beneath the vehicle. We use these to pin the water pipes in place. To support the shower tray, there is a square of 6mm plywood under the base and 4x2s around the edges to support those. Could solar power recharge an electric campervan. Once you have worked out your usage and you know how often you will need to fill up, you can start to work out what size tank you might need. Great resource, thank you! If we ever had to replace this pipe, then I must amidst that it will be a bit of a nightmare, but Im not sure if there is any way around it. We used a 1 1/4 waste trap to 40mm pipe connector, but once again this size will vary depending on the waste on your sink, so make sure to check this. When mounting your fill point, its really important to mount it much higher than your tank, and ideally a bit of a distance away from it. I'm an Economics graduate with a passion for travel. Cheers, This specific pump comes with 16AWG wire that should be run to the fuse block with a 10A fuse. I am very careful not to let any large bits of food fall through the sink as Im worried that over time this will cause issues. I would imagine that a large water tank can become more of an issue as it starts to empty and water is continually sloshing around when driving. Manually operated. This means the sink can still run later when the motor is off. In order to feed hot and cold water to the shower, we have 15mm push fit pipe running through the ceiling, all tucked behind the cladding. As long as all the components in your DIY camper water system are food grade, then yes it is possible to drink straight from the tap. If you know a plumber, then it could be worth speaking to them when setting up as, after all, they do this for a living and can probably help you out immensely! This site uses cookies to provide the best possible experience. In those cases, stainless steel water tanks are available. Our service makes off-grid energy simple. Some people have even built showers out of the gravity-fed water system. Campervan Security: tips and ideas to protect your van conversion, Jackery 500 review 518Wh portable power station, Jackery 1000 review 1000W portable power station, EcoFlow RIVER Max review 576Wh portable power station, Best campervan fridge available in UK today. So its important to get it right. ump Body, 4 tubes, sprout and cleaning brush. Placing your container at a higher point than your sink or water bottle is all that it takes. Hope that helps! This is basically a standalone shower-in-a-box. Each float switch was connected to the 12V fuse box via a blue LED. Manual hand pumps take up a little less space than foot pumps and there is significantly less tubing required. Well talk you through the pros, Portable power stations are really versatile and can be a great addition to a weekend camping trip, a caravan holiday, or even as a portable, When we wrote The Van Conversion Bible, we ran a survey to collect data from self-build van converters and aspirant van converters. For 12mm hose, you need inch adaptors and for the 10mm ID food hose you need 3/8inch ones. Have you been dreaming about owning a vehicle to fuel your adventures? Of course, if you fill up regularly from fill points all over the country and with different hoses, there is a good chance of your system becoming slightly contaminated; so be sure to drain and clean your system regularly. 7-gallon Aqua-Trainer containers and 5-gallon Hedpack water tanksare two of the most popular types. Use biodegradable soap when washing items in a van, especially if youre dumping anything outside! First you need to ask yourself, what are you going to be using hot water for? We installed 2 float switches in our water tank, so that we would be able to see the water level of the tank, and know when the tank was under 1/3 full and would shortly need filling up. This works out at around 6.5L per day for 2 of us, which means we only need to fill our 70L tank around once every 1.5 weeks. This article is a overview of common methods to carry water to help you decide which system you will want to use. We bought ours from a local marine store as I couldnt find links to them online. Alternatively you could blank off one of the connections, but it would mean that one of your taps/half of your mixer wouldnt work, so we preferred to connect both to the cold. Campgrounds are an easy place to find water, and sometimes city visitor centers will have water spigots available as well. What type of heater should I install in my campervan? The tubing can be slipped directly onto the foot pump and faucet and secured with hose clamps. Not all tubing is food-safe. Again, I wasnt sure how this system would hold up in the long run, largely because of how far I knew the water would need to travel before it reached the sink. This can also serve as an emergency shut-off in the event that there are any leaks. Which is the right portable power station for me? You can also buy iodine tablets to sanitize questionable water or boil it for seven minutes to kill unwanted organisms. The other reason is that a bigger tank will be more expensive, so its best to work out what size you think you will actually need rather than just buying the biggest thing possible. The same is true for any tubing or plumbing you plan to add. Be sure to face the black inside nozzle upwards. We recommend installing an accumulator (explained below) to save on noise and electricity. Along the way, we've met with other van lifers, checked out their rigs, and learned a lot about adventure travel.