Adding Fresh Water Tank - Looking for Advice

Mac

Well-known member
Joined
May 3, 2021
Messages
1,161
Reaction score
2,243
After a few trips in the new moho, we have come to the conclusion we need more fresh water.  Looking to add a 50 gallon tank.

Does anyone have experience with this?  Who did you use?  Who do you recommend?  Are there any issues with fill and transfer to the fresh water system?

We are also looking at increasing the size of the gray and black tanks.  I just need to measure and see how much room I have to work with.

Thanks!

 
If you put it on your trailer you'll spread the weight out, it's cheaper/easier, and you'll most of the way there towards being able to get more use out of the enclosed for quick stag trips if you wanted.  Another 12v pump on the trailer should make transfer to the RV easy.

Going the other way, maybe a macerator to a grey tank on the trailer?  Only bummer there would be having to dump the motorhome, then pull forward to dump the trailer.  The guys behind you in line would be upset about the cocktease thinking you were finally done making your chit tank clean enough to eat out of :biggrin:

That, or a tote for the grey?  

I've gotten the grey tanks to stretch out a lot longer by using tubs in all the sinks/shower.  Wash dishes/hands in the tubs, dump outside (or in the black tank if there isn't enough water to spread the fun out).  In the shower, it's a lot more annoying since you're standing in a puddle, but it does catch a decent amount of water and most of the sand.  

 
If you put it on your trailer you'll spread the weight out, it's cheaper/easier, and you'll most of the way there towards being able to get more use out of the enclosed for quick stag trips if you wanted.  Another 12v pump on the trailer should make transfer to the RV easy.

Going the other way, maybe a macerator to a grey tank on the trailer?  Only bummer there would be having to dump the motorhome, then pull forward to dump the trailer.  The guys behind you in line would be upset about the cocktease thinking you were finally done making your chit tank clean enough to eat out of :biggrin:

That, or a tote for the grey?  

I've gotten the grey tanks to stretch out a lot longer by using tubs in all the sinks/shower.  Wash dishes/hands in the tubs, dump outside (or in the black tank if there isn't enough water to spread the fun out).  In the shower, it's a lot more annoying since you're standing in a puddle, but it does catch a decent amount of water and most of the sand.  
We definitely want it on the RV as we won't be just using this in Glamis and definitely not always have the trailer.

I have thought about adding water and such to my enclosed at a later date.

We have a macerator on the RV black tank.  Other than needing a lot of water to flush it, I LOVE it.  It makes dumping and cleaning the black tank so much easier.

 
I've always heard that the motorhome tank idea is a spendy process...that's why people put them on the trailers.  You could just remove a storage box and put one there. Use a 12v pump to transfer to the main tank. Just build some good straps.

 
  • Like
Reactions: Mac
If you want to do it on the coach then its going to be a process. One this you can do because the shower takes the most waterin gray is to put a valve in the shower drain. When you are in glamis / Pull the valve and let the shower water go directly to the sand (Just Like you were taking an outdoor shower. It is legal AS LONG AS THE WATER DOES NOT GO INTO A TANK) You can't legaly dump water from a tank but you can never let it get there and go straight to sand.

We had a 70 Gallon tank on the moho and 80 on the cargo trailer. You can pump fresh water from the cargo to the moho and be good to go. That worked for us

Going Bigger on the moho is a lot of work depending on how much room you have..........I say do BOTH / Long glamis trips and easier "other trips" without the cargo trailer.

:poule:

 
We definitely want it on the RV as we won't be just using this in Glamis and definitely not always have the trailer.

I have thought about adding water and such to my enclosed at a later date.

We have a macerator on the RV black tank.  Other than needing a lot of water to flush it, I LOVE it.  It makes dumping and cleaning the black tank so much easier.
Will you be dry camping without a trailer?

 
I have 35gallons of fresh on the trailer with just a basic shurflo pump, 25ft water hose and fill when empty. Super handy to keep the  :dirtdiva:  happy.

My problem has always been the grey tank. Only solution I've used is to drip it slowly, so it doesn't pool up or smell.

I've seen extra water tanks connected in the under the bed storage area.
I've crawled under my rig plenty of time and there's actually a lot of room to add tanks, trouble is going to be plumbing all so it's easy to fill/dump/transfer.

 
  • Like
Reactions: Mac
Last trip I brought 4 of the blue 7 gallon water containers for a little boost. I bought a 110 pump to transfer. If you have room in your storage compartment or throw in your trailer that could help. Also if you don't really fill up your black tank you can add a valve after your dump valves and then let them equalize and fill both tanks. 

 
  • Like
Reactions: Mac
I've crawled under my rig plenty of time and there's actually a lot of room to add tanks, trouble is going to be plumbing all so it's easy to fill/dump/transfer.
I have the room to put an extra tank in, but yes, the plumbing has me thinking a bit.  "HOW" do you pipe it in to fill, vent and transfer as if it was "stock"?  I can figure it out, I was just hoping for some easy answers.

 
I have the room to put an extra tank in, but yes, the plumbing has me thinking a bit.  "HOW" do you pipe it in to fill, vent and transfer as if it was "stock"?  I can figure it out, I was just hoping for some easy answers.
My in-laws had a trailer that had 2 grey tanks on it because the logistics didn't work (front bath, rear-ish kitchen).  Each had its own dump valve that connected to the main 3" dump.  venting is done through the fixture plumbing anyway.  

 
  • Like
Reactions: Mac
 If you have the room for an extra tank, the easiest would be to just plump it to another pump and pump that into your existing water fill. Trying to make it all work together could be challenging. A simple pump and a hose and you would be good to go. Just like transferring from a trailer, but the motorhome carries the tank. 

 
 If you have the room for an extra tank, the easiest would be to just plump it to another pump and pump that into your existing water fill. Trying to make it all work together could be challenging. A simple pump and a hose and you would be good to go. Just like transferring from a trailer, but the motorhome carries the tank. 
Or hook the extra tank to the city water connection with a short hose and just use the pump for the aux tank to provide pressure.

 
Plastic-mart.com for the tank. I removed one of my basement slide trays and hung the tank beneath the frame rails. Pretty straight forward job. Transfer pump is easiest solution. You will need a tank with a fitting for a vent, a pick up, a drain and a fill. Fill can be used as a vent as well if you don’t want a separate vent.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thinking about this. You can also plumb it using the existing pump. Disconnect the PEX pipe from the inlet to your pump and install a shutoff valve on that line. Install a tee fitting between the pump inlet and shutoff valve. Install another shutoff valve on the tee and run PEX from this valve to the new tank pick up. Run the primary tank low, switch positions of both valves and you are now on your auxiliary tank.

 
if you install a shutoff to the dump where you hook the hose you can open your black and grey at the same time and equalize and use all the tank capacity that combined with a diverter valve for the shower you should have enough capacity. you could always call the honey cart for 100 or so will be cheaper and easier  to pay him than buy and install tanks. as for the fresh find a good quality bladder soft tank and put in the trailer or in the under storage if the coach is built strong enough to hold the weight     https://www.amazon.com/Containers-Foldable-Resistance-Prevention-Emergency/dp/B0BHZQ1VNF/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?keywords=Bladder%2BWater%2BTank&qid=1701123299&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1

 
Back
Top