Here is our guide on how to build a DIY water system in a camper van conversion. Having running water and a hot shower draw the line between “van camping” and “van life”, so it’s well worth the efforts. To design a van’s water system is much more simpler than an electrical system, a few items will do the tricks: a water pump, fresh & grey water tanks, a sink and some plumbing hardware. Let’s build stuff!
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click a product link and buy anything from the merchant (Amazon, eBay, etc.) we will receive a commission fee. The price you pay remains the same, affiliate link or not.
1- Campervan Water System In A Nutshell
The role of the water pump is to create and maintain the pressure in the system at all time. As a result, opening one (or multiple) faucet(s) will get you water immediately. But taking water out of the system lowers the pressure… that’s OK because the water pump is pressure-activated; there is no ON/OFF switch. When the pressure drop because a faucet is opened, the pump senses it and starts pumping to bring back the pressure and will continue pumping until the full pressure is restored.
The accumulator creates a pressure buffer. A larger volume of water has to be taken out of the system in order to lower the pressure. As a result, the water pump starts less often and the pressure is more constant. Note that the accumulator is optional.
The grey water tank collects water from the sink. We opted for a relatively small, portable grey water tank (there’s a handle on it) that is connected to the system via a quick-disconnect; so it’s very easy to dump it. Note that we also have the option to dump grey water through the floor, depending on where we’re parked.
We do not need a black water tank, because we have a composting toilet. At last, we added a propane instant hot shower and a bike wash to the system. The final result looks like this:
1.1- Water System Diagram
1.2- Items List
| Component | Description | Quantity | Buy Link |
| MAIN | |||
| Fresh Water Tank | 25 Gallons | 1 | Amazon |
| Test Plug | To plug the fill hole of the water tank | 1 | Amazon |
| Water Tank Filler with valve | To fill the water tank | 1 | Amazon |
| Fitting: 1/2″ MPT to 3/8″ Barb | To install the vent hose | 1 | Amazon |
| Hose: 3/8″ I.D. clear | That’s the vent hose | 1 | Amazon |
| Fitting: 1/2″ MPT to 1/2″ PEX | To install the drain valve | 1 | eBay |
| Valve: 1/2″ PEX | To drain the fresh water tank | 1 | eBay |
| Fitting: Shurflo 1/2″ MPT to 1/2″ Hose Barb | To install the vinyl tubing for the drain | 1 | Amazon |
| Tubing: 1/2″ Braided Vinyl Clear | Flexible drain that can be folded away | 1 | Amazon |
| Shurflo Water Pump | Diaphragm Pump, 3 gallons per minute, 55 PSI | 1 | Amazon |
| Shurflo Accumulator | To reduce cycling | 1 | Amazon |
| Shurflo Strainer | Prevent damaging the pump if crap enters the system… | 1 | Amazon |
| Shurflo Silencer Kit | Reduce noise from pump vibration | 1 | Amazon |
| ON/OFF switch | “Emergency” water pump switch | 1 | Amazon |
| Fitting, “Tee”: 1/2″ PEX to 1/2″ PEX to 1/2″ PEX | To split the PEX pipe for sink & shower | 1 | eBay |
| Valve: 1/2″ PEX | We turn this valve off in winter and drain to prevent freezing (we don’t use the shower or bike wash in winter) | 1 | eBay |
| SINK AND GREY WATER | |||
| Dometic VA7306AC Sink | The sink… | 1 | Amazon |
| Swivel Fitting: 1/2″ FPT to 1/2″ PEX | To connect the PEX pipe to the sink | 1 | eBay |
| End Cap: 1/2″ FPT | To cap the unused hot water sink fitting (essential!) | 1 | Amazon |
| Drain | The sink does not include the drain, so make sure to order this! | 1 | Amazon |
| Camco Flexible Drain | 1 | Amazon | |
| Wye & Valves | To direct grey water into aqua-tainer or through-floor | 1 | Amazon |
| Quick-Connect | To easily detach the aqua-tainer for dumping | 1 | Amazon |
| Garden Hose | 1 | Amazon | |
| Hose Clamps, Worm-type | To ensure the garden hose doesn’t slip out of the aqua-tainer | 1 | Amazon |
| Aqua-Tainer | 4 gallons grey water tank | 1 | Amazon |
| SHOWER | |||
| EccoTemp L5 | On-demand propane shower | 1 | Amazon |
| Swivel Elbow Fitting: 1/2″ FPT to 1/2″ PEX | To install the water valve | 1 | eBay |
| Valve: 1/2″ PEX | Water Valve | 1 | eBay |
| Valve: 1/2″ FPT to 3/8″ Flare | Propane Valve. See our Propane System article for more. | 1 | |
| BIKE WASH | |||
| Spray Faucet with coil hose | 1 | Amazon | |
| Swivel Fitting: 1/2″ FPT to 1/2″ PEX | To connect the PEX pipe | 1 | eBay |
| End Cap: 1/2″ FPT | To cap the unused hot water sink fitting (essential!) | 1 | Amazon |
| OTHERS | |||
| Fitting, “Tee”: 1/2″ PEX | This is required if, like us, installing both the shower & the bike wash | 1 | Buy on eBay |
| Fitting, Elbow: 1/2″ PEX | The PEX pipe can bend 5″ radius max. For tighter turns, use this elbow. | As Required | eBay |
| Bend Support | This has less restriction than an elbow | As Required | eBay |
| PEX Tubing, 1/2″ | a.k.a. pipe, hose… | As Required | Amazon |
| Fitting, MISC | We can’t possibly list all the fittings you might need for your installation! Here is the complete SharkBite catalog. | SharkBite Catalog | |
| PEX Cutter | PEX tubing can be cut with a carpenter knife, but this tool will make your life easier | 1 | Amazon |
2- Fresh Water Tank
2.1- Fresh Tank Anatomy
2.1.1- Fill Port
You guessed it, the fill port is used to to fill the tank. While motorhomes and most pro-built campervans have a port outside the van to fill the tank, we don’t because we don’t want the van to look like a RV; we like our van to look like a normal cargo van from the outside (people refer to that as being “stealth”). So here’s how we fill:
Because the hose end may be too large to fit in the fill port of the water tank, the use of this neat “Water Tank Filler” from Camco is handy. Plus, the Water Tank Filler has an integrated shut off valve, so the pressure can be turned off instantly when the tank is almost full (no spill), nice:
The tanks we recommend (see “Water Tank Links” table above) have 15/16″ inner diameter fill hole (no threads). We plug it using this test plug:
2.1.2- Water Pump Port
The tanks we recommend (see “Water Tank Links” table above) have 1/2″ NPT female outlet port (so a 1/2″ NPT male fitting is required).
2.1.3- Drain Port
The tanks we recommend (see “Water Tank Links” table above) have 1/2″ NPT female outlet port (so a 1/2″ NPT male fitting is required).
2.1.4- Vent Port
When pumping water out of the tank (or filling the tank), the water volume has to be replaced with air. That’s the role of the vent port. To prevent water coming out of the vent port (when braking or on steep or rough roads, for example), a hose is connected to the vent port and we installed it about 15 inches higher than the tank.
The tanks we recommend (see “Water Tank Links” table above) have 1/2″ NPT female vent port (so a 1/2″ NPT male fitting is required).
See section 1.3.1 for picture.
2.2- What Size?
It totally depends on your usage and how many days autonomy (without having to fill) you want. As a rough guideline and to help you make your calculations, here is our usage living full-time in the van:
- One shower (one person) uses a little less than 3 gallons of water. (that’s being very careful not wasting water, i.e. turning shower off when soaping, etc.)
- We dump between 2-4 gallons of grey water from the sink every day. (we cook a lot, so we wash a lot of dishes; you might dump less than that)
That being said, we fill our 25 gallons tank every 4-5 days in summer (depending on showers). Every 7-10 days in winter (we shower in aquatic centers or gyms and try to fill our 1L water bottles as often as we can in public places).
When choosing the size of your tank, remember that water is not a luxury it’s essential! Having to search for water frequently is no fun, so make sure to select a tank that gives you plenty of autonomy!
2.3- Inside or Outside the Van?
By installing our tank and plumbing inside the van, we can use our system even during skiing season, nice! We tested it in temperatures as low as -24F (-31C). Of course, having the tank inside occupies precious space in the garage but that’s a compromise we are happy to make.
If we were to use the van exclusively in summer, we might consider installing our tank outside the van, underfloor. Installing the tank underfloor frees garage space AND improves the van handling because it lowers the center of gravity.
If we were to start over, now that we know that we use much less water in winter, we would consider installing a tank inside AND a tank outside the van. The idea is to maximize water capacity without occupying too much space in the garage:
- In summer, we would use both tanks (extra capacity for showers)
- In winter, we would winterize the outside tank and use only the inside tank
- Remember, this extra precaution is because we use the van below freezing temperatures! If that’s not your case, there’s probably no point on doing this.
- That’s food for thoughts, we don’t have any installation layout/details for that…
2.4- Wheel Well Water Tank
Wheel well water tanks were not a thing when we built our van, but we’d definitely consider it for our next van! They’re designed to fit over the wheel well and as a result, they optimize space and lower the center of gravity. Neat.
The tanks from Northwest Conversions caught our attention. We like the variety of models available and the fact that ports are located both in the front AND in the back. There is also an additional port on top for filling or for installing a sensor to monitor the level. Each tank is spec’d as follows:
- (2) 1.5” NPT ports (needs to be drilled out) on either end.
- (2) 1/2” NPT ports on either end.
- (1) 1.5” NPT port (needs to be drilled out) on top or fill or level sensor.
- Designed to fit Sprinter and Transit vans (might fit other vans as well).
- Can be placed either driver or passenger side.
3- Grey Water Tank
Grey water is what comes out of the sink drain (and shower, if we had one): water from washing dishes, washing our hands, brushing our teeth, etc. There are no excrement or chemicals in grey water.
3.1- What Size?
That depends on how often you don’t mind having to empty it. As a guideline, we empty our 4 gallons grey water tank almost everyday:
- Washing dishes is what uses the most water. We cook a lot, so we wash a lot of dishes! You might get less grey water than we do.
- If we use our hole-in-the-floor, we don’t have to empty our grey water tank everyday…
3.2- Inside or Outside?
Because we use the van for skiing in winter, we had to install our grey water tank inside the van so it doesn’t freeze. It uses some space under the sink, but we’re happy that we can use our sink during winter!
The lower temperature we experienced so far is -31C (-24F) and we could still use the water system! 🙂
4- Black Water Tank
We don’t have a black water tank and we don’t need to go after RV Dump Stations. Neat! How is that? Because we installed a Nature’s Head composting toilet 🙂 And we’re SO GLAD we did! We talk about our composting toilet here (how it works, how it’s emptied, what frequency, etc):
5.1- Diaphragm Pump
A diaphragm pump keeps the water system pressurized at all time. It’s like having running water, just like at home in a house.
The pump has no on/off switch. It starts automatically when the pressure drops and shut-off automatically when the appropriate pressure is reached. For example, using the sink (or shower or whatever) creates a pressure drop; the pump senses it and runs until the pressure goes up again.
One of the most common and reliable diaphragm pump out there is made by Shurflo:
Shurflo Revolution 4008
- Shut-Off Pressure: 55 PSI
- Re-Start Pressure: 40 PSI
- Recommended Fuse: 10 amps
- Flow: 3 Gallons Per Minute
5.1.1- Connecting The Pump
The Shurflo Revolution 4008 has one 1/2″ NPS male inlet and one 1/2″ NPS male outlet. Because the pump produce quite a lot of vibration, it’s better to connect the pump using flexible pipes. We recommend using the Silencer Kit from Shurflo:
It’s also a good idea to install a strainer at the inlet port of the pump, so debris can’t find their way through the pump and damage it:
5.1.1- Electrical Wiring
By now we understand that a diaphragm pump doesn't require an ON/OFF switch... However, we recommend adding one to manually shut the pump off. It'll prevent the pump from running indefinitely when the fresh water tank runs empty (it'll happen!).
The pump has to be connected to the electrical system. Don't worry, we also have a guide for that 🙂
5.2- Manual Pump
To keep things really simple and to save on electricity, a manual pump can be installed:
6- Accumulator
If installing a diaphragm pump (like the Shurflo we recommend), you might consider adding an accumulator. The accumulator contributes to longer pump life, less noise, less amperage draw, and reduced water pulsation. And also reduces cycling (the pump starts less often), nice.
Per manufacturer: “The most efficient use of the accumulator occurs with the accumulator pressure set at the same pressure as the pump’s re-start setting.” (Hint: it’s 40 PSI for the Shurflo Revolution 4008 pump). We tested different pressures and we prefer to set it to 30 PSI as the water volume capacity is greater at that pressure (therefore the pump cycle less).
The pressure can be checked with a normal tire gauge (you have one in your glove compartment, right?) and adjusted with a bike pump (it’s a shrader valve), it’s super easy. When checking or adjusting pressure, just remember to turn off the pump and to open the sink faucet (this is to read the static pressure). The accumulator comes unpressurized.
7.1- For Pressurized System
Pretty much any sink will do. We like the Dometic VA7306AC sink because it’s compact, foldable and looks great. If your counter space is limited, it’s a great way to optimize it. Be aware that it’s a high-quality product with a high price tag. The only downside we found is that the foldable faucet is in the way when washing/rinsing large items (such as full size plate or pot/pan); we wish it was located further back so we don’t have to swing it around.
7.2- For Manual Pump
If going for a manual pump, keep things simple!
8.1- Nope
We don’t have hot water in the sink and we’re totally OK with this: we just use our kettle to heat water. That’s the most economical way (water and gas) for sure! The most annoying part is that it’s not really practical to rinse the dishes using the kettle, so we rinse using cold water; that makes drying the dishes more difficult. For everything else, we don’t mind.
8.2- Propane
8.2.1- Tankless Water Heater (On-Demand)
As the name suggests, a tankless water heater has no tank. Water is heated instantly on-demand, so it can provide a continuous flow of hot water. It’s super efficient since it doesn’t have to keep water hot all day.
Mr. Heater BOSS
This is what we used for the first 10 months in our van. But then we realized we don't need to have a portable system. It is quite bulky and cannot be integrated to our water system. So we decided to try something else...
Eccotemp L5
We've been using the Eccotemp since 2018 and we're super happy with it. It's good, cheap and easy to install. It can be integrated to a pressurized system, it's not bulky and the water is surprisingly HOT.
8.2.2- Water Heater With Tank
Atwood have a wide range of water heater models, but the one that catches our attention is the G8A-6E model:
- Tank Capacity: 6 gallons
- Water Temperature: 100F to 150F
- Energy: Propane
- Recovery: 11.6 gallons per hour
- Dimensions: 16″ high x 12.5″ wide x 18″ deep
Make sure to check Atwood website for all their available models: http://www.atwoodmobile.com/water-heaters.asp
8.3- Diesel
If budget is not an issue, you might consider the Webasto Dual Top Evo. It’s an air heater (similar to ours: faroutride.com/air-heater-installation) AND water heater combined. It works with diesel and has a 11 liters water tank integrated. Fun fact: it’s over $3K…
9- Bike Wash
Washing a bike uses quite a lot of water, so we obviously don’t use it very frequently. But there are some occasions where the bike wash is a real life saver; removing a layer of mud from the down tube by hand is no fun!
Now, can someone explain why Antoine is CONSTANTLY walking in dog poo while Isabelle is not??! We’re thinking of renaming it for “Dog Poop Wash” as it has become the primary use…
10.1- Pipes
Let’s get straight to the point, PEX tubing is what you want.
- PEX tubing has become the standard for houses and RV.
- It’s cheap and readily available in any hardware or RV store.
- It comes in red/blue color to differentiate hot/cold side (both colors have the same properties).
- It resists freezing (but fittings might crack, don’t let it freeze!) and high-temperature.
- It’s easy to cut, easy to connect, easy to route (flexibility: 5″ minimum radius for 1/2″ diameter PEX).
- It won’t corrode.
- Note that PEX is NOT UV resistant and should not be installed under constant sun exposure.
PEX tubing can be cut with a carpenter knife, but a PEX cutter will make your life easier:
10.2- Fittings
10.2.1- Clamping
This is the method we recommend for permanent, leak free connections. It’s easy, fast, fun (yep!) and there is very little chance for error. It’s also good to know that a clamp tool can clamp any ring size (as opposed to crimp). Here is how it goes:
- Insert the clamp ring on the outside of the PEX tubing.
- Insert the barbed fitting into the PEX tubing.
- Using the Clamp Tool, compress the clamp ring. The clamp tool will not release from the clamp ring unless a properly-secured connection has been made; therefore GO/NO-GO gauge is not required!
10.2.2- Crimping
Crimping is very similar to Clamping; a crimp ring is used instead of a clamp ring. Both methods give as good results, except a GO/NO-GO gauge has to be used for crimping to ensure the crimp ring was sufficiently deformed. Crimping is the cheapest method for large projects.
10.2.3- Compression Fittings
The disadvantage with clamp/crimp is that it might be impossible to operate the tool in tight spaces. In that case you could use Flair-it compression fittings as they require no tool for installation. We personally haven’t tried them, but they’re quite popular in the RV industry. Flair-It fittings come in a variety of shapes and functions:
10.2.4- Push-To-Connect Fittings
Push-to-Connect fittings are almost too good to be true. Just push the PEX tubing into the fitting and voilà! …In fact, maybe they are indeed too good to be true. We tried them and when we pressurized the system, many fittings had slow leak.
- Slow leak are the worst because they’re hard to notice and could create damage in the long run… Why had we a slow leak? The Sea Tech fittings rely on an O-ring that goes on the outside of the PEX tubing (not inside); the surface of the PEX tubing must be scratch and damage free. These fittings are “reusable”, but the action of disconnecting create scratches on the outside surface of the tubing…
- O-Ring dries and loose efficiency in the long run.
- Some people reported having no issue at all after many years, but we think they are too sensitive to installation, outside tubing surface condition and O-ring deterioration. We’re not 100% confident so we pass. (we would be OK with them for temporary repair or outside installation).
10.2.5- Threaded Fittings
For all threaded plastic fittings:
- Do not use Teflon tape or Teflon paste! These are lubricant, not sealant, and will promote over-tightening = cracks = leaks.
- Don’t over-tight: finger tighten plus one or two turns.
- Use plastic-safe thread sealant (not lubricant) such as LA-CO Plato-Joint. Don’t worry it’s not permanent; it’s a paste that does not dry and can be removed easily.
- We did not use thread sealant on the Shurflo fittings attached to Shurflo appliances (pump & accumulator).
11.1- To Winterize
When water turns from liquid into ice, its volume expands by approximately 9%; as a result, any water trapped into a component that freezes will crack the said component.
In an RV, it is almost impossible to completely drain the water from everything. The best way to achieve this would be to use an air compressor to blow the system, but it’s not guaranteed to work… That’s why most people winterize their water system with antifreeze.
Our water system, however, is quite simple; there are few components and these components are all accessible. So we believe it can be winterized by draining all the water and without adding antifreeze. Empty the water tank completely and, with the pump activated, open each faucet independently (sink, hot shower, bike wash) for a rough “pre-drain”. Then, disconnect the water pump, the accumulator, the hot shower (Eccotemp) and the bike wash. Water will come out, so have a large bowl and some towels ready! If you can, take all these appliances inside your house for the winter (hey, the removal should take a few minutes of your time it’s not that bad!). If removing them is not possible, blow compressed air to drain them well. Be extra careful with the hot shower (Eccotemp), it’s much more harder to drain because of the heat exchanger (we’d really take this one inside the house for the winter..).
11.2- Or To Not Winterize
Since we live full-time in the van and all our components (pipes, water heater, fresh water tank, etc) are located inside (warm-side), we can use our water system ALL-YEAR, sweet! We even used it when it was -24F (-30C). We only take the precaution of winterizing the bike wash / shower at the back of the van; this area can freeze occasionally (it’s far from any heat source) so we don’t take any risk and drain it.
12.1- Water Bandit
To increase our chance of finding water while we’re on the road, we carry a neat Water Bandit. It can be fitted on almost any tap (thanks to the rubber side), then a hose can be connected to it (thanks to the “garden-hose-fitting”) on the other side. We're using it occasionally.
12.2- Sillcock Key
Following this post, many of you recommended us to get a Sillcock Key. Apparently, this tool can open water supplies of several rest areas, campgrounds, corner stores, etc. After a few years on the road, we actually only used it once, and we're happy we had it!
13.1- Keep it simple!
For a majority of people, monitoring the level of the tanks just by looking through them does the job. That’s what we did for the first year or so we lived full time in our van; it worked just fine and it’s the cheaper solution.
13.2- Simarine Pico
After a year or so living full time in our van, we decided to upgrade for a fancy monitoring system. The Simarine Pico is not only sexy, it is also packed with cool features: battery monitoring, tank level monitoring, temperature sensors, inclinometer, etc. We appreciate the tank level feature (fresh tank, grey tank & Nature’s Head liquid tank) and the low/high level alarm, it would be hard to go back after getting used to it…
14.1- Tank Installation
The tank is installed above the wheel arch:
The tank is secured with BoatBuckle Kwik-Lok Tie Down 2″x4′ (Buy on Amazon). They’re super strong and easy to install/remove. They are attached to Stainless Steel Tie-Down “D” Ring (Buy on Amazon):
When the tank is full, there is noticeable “bow” on the unsupported side of the tank; we therefore added a wood support to counterbalance the bow (the straps alone won’t help). Note that the wood support must go across the entire height of the tank (from bottom to top) to be effective (otherwise the strap will flex):
14.2- Water Pump, Accumulator & Plumbing Installation
Water pump & accumulator:
We build a “shield” for the pump and accumulator and installed the switch on it:
It looks like this with the “shield” on:
This is the tubing near the pump and the accumulator:
(Note that our tank has a water pump port at the back, but unfortunately this tank is not made anymore… The tanks we suggest have all ports on the same side)
And this is the tubing where it splits toward the bike wash / shower:
14.3- Sink and Grey Water Tank Installation
The sink installation into the cabinet in covered in our Sink & Stove Cabinet article: faroutride.com/sink-stove-cabinet
This is our grey water tank:
Meanwhile in China:
14.4- Bike Wash Installation
14.5- Hot Shower Installation
When not in use, the shower head is stored using a Quick Fist Clamp mini (Buy on Amazon):
The shower head holds in the window using a suction cup adapter (Buy on Amazon):
And that’s our exterior shower setup. We documented how we built it here: faroutride.com/exterior-shower
15- On Second Thought...
- October 2017 : One month living full-time in the van! We talk about the water system in our “First Month on the Road” article: faroutride.com/first-month/
- December 2017: We modified our grey water system so we can dump water directly through the floor (or in the grey water tank).
- June 2018: We traded the Mr Heater BOSS for an EccoTemp (see justifications above in this article). We also re-plumbed our system using PEX tubing instead of braided vinyl tubing (because that’s the proper way to do it).
STAY IN TOUCH!
Join 30,000+ followers via Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, e-mail or Patreon:
about us
Nice To Meet You.
Hello! We’re Isabelle and Antoine 
In 2017 we sold our house (and everything in it), quit our engineering careers and moved into our self built campervan. We’ve been on the road since then and every day is an opportunity for a new adventure; we’re chasing our dreams and hopefully it inspires others to do the same!
Hi! Did you use 1/2 inch barbed brass fittings or the black plastic barbed fittings with PEX and the clamps? My local plumbing store has the black plastic barbed fittings but claimed they will crack if used with a PEX clamp. Can you confirm? Thanks a lot!
We have the plastic fittings.
Hi A&I,
re: Grey water tank
This is a Q I have wondered about for a bit, why didn’t you put a port in the lower sider of your grey water tank so you could just open it when you are in the wild. The sink water would drain to the tank and pass thru to the wild. In the city be responsible and close it and collect stuff (grey stuff), and then course open it first time you are the highway… Seems simpler.
Hey. Might be even better if you had a switch to control a solenoid value from the driver’s seat…
(That covid infected dude from Florida back there is getting a little close, bombs away…)
Cheers, Don
It would be difficult to make a water-tight connection down there on the aquatainer (which is a bit oddly shaped). We’d have to use a “square” permanent tank, and being able to grab the grey tank and dump it into to wood is a mandatory feature in my opinion.
Cheers,
antoine
Hello,
I have a question! What do you use to hold the pex pipes to the wall?
Cheers!
We used R-type cable clamps: https://amzn.to/3j3pxpS
Why don’t you run a hot water line to your sink?
I’m learning a lot from your site, so thank you!
I ran a line from my instant hot water heater to the hot water line of my sink and it has very, very occasionally been a nice to have.
Good info you’ve shared. Thank you!
For the storage tanks in freezing temps, have you considered using heating pads similar to the following? https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N7QVBJJ?pf_rd_r=E8JH38BPKD0P3JHR2R7Z
As you mentioned, tanks inside take up precious storage and this might be a good alternative to allow outdoor storage. Of course there is the offset in energy requirements but…
I have no experience with it, but I doubt it would prevent freezing for skiers like us (-20C is not unusual, we went as low as -31C). Maybe for occasional sub-freezing temps it would be ok? And what about the plumbing going from the tank into the van? This would have to be heated as well somehow…
Just food for thoughts!
Cheers, antoine
Hey there,
I love your breakdown and detailed pics and instructions. As a powder chaser, figuring out water in subfreezing temps is taking some ingenuity and engineering for my MiniMod Ambulance. I’m using your blueprint build as a guide but also trying to avoid the tank taking up interior space.
Where do you shower in the winter with mass powder days and cold storms? It looks like your shower must be with the back doors open and uncovered…looks cold. Do you ever have any issues refilling the water tank in winter months? (closed campgrounds or rv parks, etc?)
Lastly, here’s a quick link to a vid install of the water heater as mentioned by Doug. Hope some people have some positive feedback as to how well this idea works.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2nkbP0aAy4
Thanks for all the great guidance and keep your amazing adventuring spirit!
Hey, you’ll find answers to your questions here: https://faroutride.com/winter-vanlife/
Hope that helps 🙂
What did you use for the 90 deg elbow from accumulator to silencer hose? Im doing my water system now.
We used this Shureflo fitting: https://amzn.to/2UhUEmO
Hi Antoine,
First, thanks for sharing all the knowledge! Couple questions about installing the water pump. It comes with 16 AWG but the manual recommends using 12 AWG. Did you crimp the two different size wire gauges together? Also, it looks like the wire that comes with the Shurflo is aluminum but we’re using copper. Did you crimp aluminum and copper wire together, or remove the default wire that came with the pump?
Thanks!
Hi,
We used disconnects (https://amzn.to/2YZN03r) for connecting the wires together. This way you can use a disconnect (male) for 16AWG on the pump side and 12AWG (female) on the other side, but the interface (male / female) is the same!
Cheers!
Great Overview, definitely helped me.
One thing I found: The tanks you recommend no longer have a 1-1/4″ fill hole, they switched to 1/2″ and 1-1/2″. So might save people time/money if you update it!
Also if you ordered everything and its not fitting together, Home Depot has a ton of fittings that aren’t on their website, so just go in person.
Thanks for the heads up and sorry for the confusion. Following you comment we updated the page (and diagram) with a tank (same manufacturer) that has all 1/2″ NPT ports, except the fill port has 15/16″ inner diameter. We updated the test plug accordingly to fit the fill port and added a Camco Water Tank filler. That should do it.
Again sorry, and good luck with your build!
Antoine
Hi Antoine!
Thanks for all the guidance. Do you have a link for the outlet port fitting for the tank?
This should do it: https://amzn.to/2Rk2yKO
Cheers!
I purchased the Shurflo 4008 Pump and it says there is no need for an accumulator since it is a bypass pump. Have you tried using it in this way? Thanks
Indeed, the accumulator is not REQUIRED. But we like that with the accumulator, the pump doesn’t run as often; you can use a little bit of water without the pump having to run.
But if you don’t want it for some reason, it’ll work just fine!
antoine 🙂
I plan on using my Eccotemp L5 as my shower and faucet out the back of the van. You mention in your review of the Eccotemp I believe that it can also be used for cold water, but you have a separate plumbing system for the bike wash. Can I actually pump water through the Eccotemp without warming it? Also, I bought the 10 gal water tank you linked me to from Amazon. I plan on having a water hose running into it to fill it up, with a hose coming out of the other top port that would allow air to flow and excess water to come out if it got over filled. Is there a reason this would not work?
– The Eccotemp has an ON/OFF switch, so it’s possible to get cold water from it.
– Looks good to me!
Good luck 🙂
How did you integrade that brass fitting that connects the quick connect to the lid of the 4 gallon aqua tainer? Did you drill a hole in the cap and thread it? Also, what is that brass fitting called?
It’s a garden hose quick-connect: https://amzn.to/2GCdKg4
We fitted a garden hose to the quick connect, routed it through the hole of the aqua-tainer lid (it’s the right size, I don’t think we drilled. we just unscrew the original spigot), then installed a worm gear clamp to the hose inside the aqua-tainer (so the hose can’t slip out).
It’s basic and it’s not 100% sealed, but we never had any spill. Hope that makes sense!
Antoine
I installed a similar system into a small house (no hot water heater/bike wash) and I am dealing with rapid cycling out of the Shurflo pump. Have you dealt with this at all?
That’s the role of the accumulator in our system; to prevent rapid cycling.
Thanks for a thorough explanation of water set up options! Curious, how do you typically refill your fresh water tank? A photo above looks like you hook up a hose to the water source and then the other end to your fresh water tank. However, the tanks you recommend for purchase say not to hook up water hose as it could explode the tank. Would love to install a larger fresh water tank but want to ensure I have a mess-free and back-saving way of filling it back up.
Thanks!
Hi Bethany,
We simply fill it with a hose, like you would fill a bucket or something. It does not create pressure this way (which, like you mentioned, should be avoided). The downside is that it’s pretty much a 2 persons process (one to operate the faucet, the other to hold the hose in the tank) and if you forget to put back the plug, water would spill inside the van. “Traditional” van setup includes a fill port outside the van AND an overflow port; we didn’t go that route because we don’t want anything outside the van.
Does that mean you keep the Webasto running 24×7? Even when you’re gone? How do you keep it alive freezing if not?
From our Winter Vanlife Guide (https://faroutride.com/winter-vanlife/#heat):
“WE NEVER LET THE INTERIOR OF THE VAN FREEZE. Indeed the plumbing would crack, the walls would be painted with booze, our food supplies and household products (liquid dishwashing soap) would become unusable, and so on.
To prevent the van from freezing, no need to run the heater 24/7 (it is not recommended for gasoline/diesel heater as this could lead to carbon buildup issues. It wouldn’t hurt a Propex heater though.). At night or when we go out skiing, we turn off the heater for a few hours (the shutoff can be delayed using the timer feature of the Webasto Multicontrol HD) as it take a while before the temperature to drop near freezing level. We program the heater to start a few hours later, thanks to the programmable controller (Webasto Multicontrol HD). How long can we leave the heater off before it freezes? There is no specific answer; it depends on your insulation and layout, the outside temperature, if the sun is out or not, etc. Don’t worry, you’ll learn and adapt!”
Winter is coming! I got a similar set up to you guys, and I’m in the van pretty often, but temperatures do get below freezing when I’m out and about.
How do you make sure the tank inside doesn’t freeze as well as the pipes when you go out for the day during the winter? Also what do you do about your electronics? Laptops might break if it goes under 0 degrees
Because we live full time in the van, we never let the temperature go below freezing (even when we’re out skiing). It would make a mess with our food, booze, etc…
The test plug you recommend for the fill hole fits the 1.5″ hole without any leak? Also this is a fresh water tank, for drinking is it okay to have the rubber stopper in there or is there a better option?