12 Volt Pump Ideas for Adding Fresh Water

[silverta16]

Ok we dry camped weekend before last at an Auction where we had no water access and we ran low. I learned I need to take some sort of fresh water jug where I can add water to my fresh water holding tank. Do you guys use some sort of pump to add water to your holding tanks from a jug sitting on the ground? I only have a 15 gallon fresh water tank. Just looking for some ideas. I have another 15 gallon fresh water tank I removed from an old pop up camper I had I was thinking about maybe mounting it under the bed but wasn't sure how I'd move the water from it also. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks

[Todd Klassy]

It's not what you want, but I'm using a Simer 2825SS Portable Utility Transfer Pump. I selected this one because it is designed for potable water. Many pumps are not. It operates off of AC power, which means I need shore power or my generator, but it works well. And given its power I can move water long distances, say from a creek or river.

[rryman]

Check Amazon. They have lots of 12volt pumps for transferring liquids.

[3'senough]

You could modify your existing pump to do this for you by using a winterization valve and running a hose to your fill tank or draw from the second. Still you might need to add more than the 30 at any time and that leaves you having to pump or fill.

5 gallon jerry cans work well for that size tank.

[Jagiven]

Not sure what you have for a trailer. But it sounds doable. You could probably set it up so you can run off of one tank or the other instead of transferring the water. I think filling the secondary tank while inside the trailer would be the hardest part of the job.

At the pump, there is a valve for winterizing the trailer. Add a second tee and valve in that line, plumb that line to the secondary tank. But how to fill that tank?? That could be messy, you really need an overflow. I would bore a hole in the floor for the over flow line. To fill the tank, you could add a Tee and a valve in the main water line, and plumb it to the secondary tank. Then while inside the unit, while connected to city water (you could pump out of the main tank), you open the valve and manual monitor the tank, close the valve when the tank is full. This way you are not bringing the hose into the trailer to fill the tank.

What do you have for a TV? If it is a Pickup truck, you could put the tank in the truck’s bed when needed, and use a transfer pump to fill the FW tank. This would probably be my preferred method. This way you can make a water run any time. You can travel with or without it, saving weight and space.

If you have a few 5 gallon water jugs you can pour them in the gravity well, to fill the FW tank, but it is a bit messy at times. That is what I do, but I often get my feet wet. You could make a small modification to the outside shower to make the transfer. Replace the shower head, and add a hose fitting, so you can run a line from the shower to the gravity fill. Then bring in the portable water tank into the trailer, and put the winterizing tube in the jug, turn the valves to the winterizing mode and pump away. Just remember to have the shower’s cold water valve open, to complete the transfer.

Good luck, if you mount the tank in the trailer, show us a few pictures and describe how you make the transfer.

Best of Luck.

[Subaru297]

I have used a 5 gallon water jug in the past. I just sit it on the picnic table and siphon it into the fw tank on the trailer.
Gravity is pretty reliable. No pumps to breakdown!

[Iraqvet05]

PPL motorhomes (and Amazon) sell 12v fresh water pumps by Surflo and WFCO. You could pick up a $50 pump, run some leads to a battery to use as a transfer pump.

[fastercat]

We have our camper sitting on our own land and for 12 years we have gotten water from home and brought it up in 7 gallons jugs, and then I would pour the jugs into a big cooler and put a sump pump in the cooler with a short hose attached to it and I can pump 35 gallons of water into our old camper in about 5 minutes, slick as it gets when you don't have a water source.

[Scoutr2]

You could put the extra water tank in the bed of your truck and just use the old-fashioned siphoning procedure. As long as the trailer tank is below the one in your truck bed (which it should be), that will work fine - at no extra cost. A small pump (Harbor Freight) operated by a cordless drill would be a little faster - and very little cost.

[norty1]

Some rigs are configured to do that. It is called "country fill" on the utility panel. Not sure which rig you have.

[tugboat95]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001QC78GK[/IMG]/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_g4ynvb0MY5XQH
This is what I use. Water is heavy, I like the wheels. I pump it into the TT with a cheap 12v pump I got from harbor freight. Figured I'd always either have the camper battery or the one in the truck for power.
Not sure if hyperlink works. Using my phone. Look up reliance portable water container on Amazon. 8 gallons on wheels with a collapsible handle.

[SMS1115]

My parents new 5er, does not have provisions for "Country fill" so Dad had an old RV water pump and just put alligator clamps on it and used hoses to transfer from his jugs to the tank when camping at sites without water connections.

[annie oakly]

I have a 12 volt pump sitting out in the garage ,going to take it camping and going to get the boys to show me how to do the wires,
It should be easy I have a plug in in the front storage, to recharge the battery for the boat, off the solar.

[annie oakly]

O but the jugs work good too, if you have the grandsons helping you and you by mistake spill water all over them.

[North of 49°]

We use a small 12 volt submersible bilge pump which is small enough to fit into a blue Aquatainer jug, and two alligator clips on the wires to connect to the trailer's battery, and a length of clear hose. Put the pump into the full Aquatainer, put the hose into the trailer's tank, connect the battery leads, and stare at it as the water is transferred. Pretty simplistic, but it cost us about $12 for all of the parts.

But this guy had upgraded the pump in his trailer and used the old one as part of a water transfer system where he can easily transfer water from a portable container to the onboard tank.

[tugboat95]

Originally Posted by North of 49°

We use a small 12 volt submersible bilge pump which is small enough to fit into a blue Aquatainer jug, and two alligator clips on the wires to connect to the trailer's battery, and a length of clear hose. Put the pump into the full Aquatainer, put the hose into the trailer's tank, connect the battery leads, and stare at it as the water is transferred. Pretty simplistic, but it cost us about $12 for all of the parts.

But this guy had upgraded the pump in his trailer and used the old one as part of a water transfer system where he can easily transfer water from a portable container to the onboard tank.

Oh my...I think somebody has a lot if time on their hands. Awesome ideas but I believe I would have just bought another camper.

[gijoecam]

We use 7 gallon Aquatainers. They store under the bed when empty, and I replace the digit with a piece of 3/4" tubing insert the tubing into the gravity fill, crack the vent on the container, and in it goes! It empties the container in about 15 seconds.

[North of 49°]

Originally Posted by tugboat95

Oh my...I think somebody has a lot if time on their hands. Awesome ideas but I believe I would have just bought another camper.

Yeas, I have corresponded with him on other RV forums. It's not just a hobby for him, it's an obsession.

[Imnaha.Mansion]

We boondock alot with my in laws. My father in law got tired of refilling his Trailer from five gallon Jugs and bought a cheap rv Pump, added some hoses and some wires to connect to his pickup and no more sore backs. He switched from five gallon Jugs to fifteen gallon too.

My new trailer has a Country Fill option and I was almost giddy when I found out.

[scottraycraft]

Bucket...2 jugs...submersible pump
All bleached and flushed out before trip...

Fill bucket with pump in it
Put hose in fresh tank inlet
Plug in pump...large Bucket will empty in seconds