17' Series River water for showers

[Digger12]

Gday guys,
just wondering if anyone has rigged up something on there expandas where you can use a bucket of water or hose into river for showering instead of using fresh water from your caravan tanks. We camp on the murray alot and use the murray water where possible, but wondering if i could put a valve within the water line coming from one of the tanks with a hose/line into a bucket or even a longer hose straight into the water of the river???
I thought by having a shut off valve of some sort in the main line i could bypass taking water from the caravan tank and feed a new hose line into a large bucket/tub for showering and keep the tank water for drinking etc.

Thoughts???
Cheers

 

[MDS69]

I haven't but are you going to heat the water via the van HWS and use the van water pump for pressure.

 

[Drover]

Your van pump wouldn't lift the water, best way is to just set up an outdoor shower using river water in a Jerry can with a 12v shower dropped in it.
Any set up using your vans plumbing would lead possible contamination of your system besides the van pump wouldn't lift the water.
Did see a fella the other day who had a small pump which he would put on the waters edge and pump water to his van with a seperate shower head , the shorter the lift the better the pump will work, they will push further than they can draw.

 

[Bellbirdweb]

Yep I have done it. I purchased a little Honda firefighting pump (which is a little noisier than I was hoping) and pump from the river or dam via a particulate filter into the van mains inlet.

It worked well but was a bit noisy to use so at Easter I'll probably just use the pump to fill my tanks, and I'll add in the BEST filter after the particulate filter.

 

[17triton]

I remember @relgate doing this on his van to use river water hopefully he can shed some light on what he did and how it's going?

 

[Drover]

That would certainly get the Genny Lovers crowing for sure.

 

[Bellbirdweb]

That would certainly get the Genny Lovers crowing for sure.

I was thinking a 4 stroke Honda engine would be nice and quiet, but when it's cranked up, it will put any genny to shame

 

[Drover]

I had a 5hp Honda Fire fighter on the dam, could put out a good bit of noise, a lot quieter when I put a bigger muffler on it but would be a bit too noisy for a camp site better off with a small electric pump run off a genny, be a lot lighter for carrying also. Lot of stuffing around, think I would rather a bladder in the truck.

 

[Bellbirdweb]

I had a 5hp Honda Fire fighter on the dam, could put out a good bit of noise, a lot quieter when I put a bigger muffler on it but would be a bit too noisy for a camp site better off with a small electric pump run off a genny, be a lot lighter for carrying also. Lot of stuffing around, think I would rather a bladder in the truck.

My little pump only weighs 5kg.

If I could find an appropriate electric pump I'd be happy. I've got a little quiet Honda that would be much more camp site friendly.

 

[Drover]

Gee 5kg, thats not too bad another muffler would probably be the shot, might have a looky, at that weight I might have some room........

 

[WHHEMI]

We had a 12v socket fitted oi the ensuite of our 17.55.8 Journey OB when made so we could heat river water on the fire and use a 12v primus camp shower and bucket in the van shower.

 

[Dobbie]

Similar approach in the past.

Large bucket....heated water either on gas stove or fire....12v bilge pump into bucket....use shower tent if shy....and a decent hand shower attachment.

The cheap 12v shower stuff they still sell is just cheap and nasty and the pump might work once or twice. A bilge pump works fine and doesn't cost much.

 

[Drover]

Full Jerry Can laid on side in the sun will provide enough hotters for about 4 for a shower, have to mix with cold.

 

[Bellbirdweb]

My little pump only weighs 5kg.

If I could find an appropriate electric pump I'd be happy. I've got a little quiet Honda that would be much more camp site friendly.

I found a 240v pump at Bunnings that might work https://www.bunnings.com.au/ozito-600w-transfer-water-pump_p4816178

With the little Honda genny could be a good quiet solution for getting the water from the dam/river

 

[Bellbirdweb]

I just purchased one of these pumps from Bunnings, so will be giving it a try at Easter pumping from Wyangla dam so I can have a long shower

 

[Dobbie]

Good idea. ..I'll be interested in the results....been thinking of this as a solution for a while so will happily leave it to you to do the testing.

What distance do you need to pump from?

.

 

[Bellbirdweb]

Good idea. ..I'll be interested in the results....been thinking of this as a solution for a while so will happily leave it to you to do the testing.

What distance do you need to pump from?

.

Not really sure till I get there. I'm going to play with it using a garden hose and see if it works ok.

The manual says minimum 3/4" hose, but I'm hoping it works ok with the 1/2"

 

[bigcol]

The manual says minimum 3/4" hose, but I'm hoping it works ok with the 1/2"

might need that size hose (3/4) for the amount of water it moves
I have a submersible pump I brought for emptying my Spa out - coughed and spluttered with a smaller dia hose, so I brought one of those "roll flat" sullage hoses to use

didnt work too well as a sullage hose, but damned fine for emptying the Spa

 

[Drover]

You would need to have about a 30mm suction hose and have the pump as near as you can to the water, then you get the max flow, short suction is best and a 20mm hose run up to the van, allows better volume with a long 240 lead with no joins so you don't get curly hair if it pops a connection.................................been looking at the river here and thinking if I had a pump instead of a bucket....!!!!!!!!!...fired up the genny to run the washing machine had to make about 8 trips to the river with a bucket to fill the machine, the book says 24lts but I think thats for just one wash it certainly takes damn more when you add in rinse cycles.

 

[Bellbirdweb]

might need that size hose (3/4) for the amount of water it moves
I have a submersible pump I brought for emptying my Spa out - coughed and spluttered with a smaller dia hose, so I brought one of those "roll flat" sullage hoses to use

didnt work too well as a sullage hose, but damned fine for emptying the Spa

View attachment 48700

Bunnings sells a lay flat hose kit for it, but I'm going to testing in the pool today and see how it goes. My little petrol pump works fine using the garden hose, so fingers crossed this one will as well.

Because I don't know how close I'm going to be able to get to the water it's a bit hard guesstimating how much layflat I might need.