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Small Cabin Forum / Off-Grid Living / Using 300 Gal Water Storage Tanks
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MJW
Member
# Posted: 13 Dec 2012 21:02
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We are moving our RV to our land after Christmas and I am currently planning that and how we will function until our solar set up is complete along with our well drilled.

I bought our generators this week and also located someone with several of the 300 gallon water tanks with steel cages for sale. I plan on buying 4 of those and putting as many as I can on a trailer so I can take them to be filled periodically. Then I can just pull them up to the RV and use the water directly from the tanks to the RV.

I am hoping someone else here has used a similar situation and can give me a few tips on the best way to get the water from the tanks directly to the RV without having to move it from the tanks to the RV fresh water holding tank. I am thinking there must be some sort of pump that will do the job but as I have never done this, I really have no idea on it.

Any ideas?
300gallonsitewate.jpg
300gallonsitewate.jpg


MtnDon
Member
# Posted: 13 Dec 2012 21:16 - Edited by: MtnDon
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Same type of pump the RV uses. Place the pump at the big tank outlet and have it push the water in the RV street hookup connection. I don't see why that should not work unless you have to worry about freeze protection.

toyota_mdt_tech
Member
# Posted: 13 Dec 2012 22:00
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MJW, just make sure sunlight doesnt penetrate it or it will grow algae. Keep them covered under a black tarp.

TomChum
Member
# Posted: 14 Dec 2012 00:29
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Will it run into the RV tank by gravity?

rayyy
Member
# Posted: 14 Dec 2012 06:54
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Same set up I have.One tank is plenty for me though.I treat a full tank full with 8 ounces of clorox bleach.I use a 12 volt,Shurflo pump from J C Whittney.Keep the sun light out,too.You do realize that one tank full is 2400 pounds of water on your trailer?Can your trailer handle hauling several ?I am doing an experiment with keeping the tank from freezing up when the temp gets really down below freezing.I sure hope it works,otherwise it's back to the 5 gallon buckets again for the winter.

razmichael
Member
# Posted: 14 Dec 2012 09:10
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Does your RV already have a 12 volt water pump? I used a pop up trailer for a couple of years at our place and just did some basic re-plumbing under the sink by dis-connecting the internal hose at the internal tank and re-connecting it to the line that hooked up to the external "city water" connector on the outside. I would bring a 40 gallon jug of water from home and use a short hose connector to attach between the container and the Pop-Up external connector. obviously you plan on using much more water! Or - as Rayyy said, if you can gravity feed your RV tank then nothing more really needs to be done.

Cooks Dock
Member
# Posted: 14 Dec 2012 09:27
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My trailer had a spring loaded fitting in the "city water connection". Meaning it required a certain psi to work. I had to punch it out as i couldn't achieve suitible pressure with the small pump I was using.

MJW
Member
# Posted: 14 Dec 2012 09:56
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Quoting: TomChum
Will it run into the RV tank by gravity?


That wasn't the plan. I was hoping to just be able to take them on the trailer, fill them, bring them back and pull the trailer up beside the RV and use them from there.

Quoting: rayyy
You do realize that one tank full is 2400 pounds of water on your trailer?


Yes, I have thought about that and the fact that I may not be able to fill but one or two of them at a time for use. I haven't bought my trailer yet so I was going to look at ones that could carry more weight.

Quoting: razmichael
Does your RV already have a 12 volt water pump?


Yes, we have a 5th wheel that has the full system with fresh, black and gray water tanks as well as water pump. I was hoping for a simple system that would allow me to use the water directly from the 300 gallon tanks without having to fill the RV fresh water tank from the 300 gallon tanks first. Just trying to keep it simple.

TomChum
Member
# Posted: 14 Dec 2012 13:20 - Edited by: TomChum
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Quoting: MJW

Quoting: TomChum
Will it run into the RV tank by gravity?


That wasn't the plan. I was hoping to just be able to take them on the trailer, fill them, bring them back and pull the trailer up beside the RV and use them from there.


It seems fairly simple with the tank next to the RV. It doesn't seem like you're under a time-crunch to fill the RV tank. Overnite your 40 gallon tank refills, and the remaining 260gal replenishes constantly with no effort. You could simply tap into the system by adding another fitting 'downstream' of the city water inlet. But it's very easy to stick a wire into hold open the city-water backflow valve. Maybe you can find a place to park the trailer on a grade higher uphill from the RV and run a hose downhill to the RV, maybe even with the tank out-of-sight? The tank next to the RV makes it look like you're living there full-time, which could cause problems.

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