How much fresh water do you need on board?

[thomasinnv]

we are 2 adults and 2 kids.  our 5er had a 50 gallon tank and we would go about 4 to 5 days boon docking with washing dishes.  if we used all paper and plastic then maybe 7 days.  in the bus i have a 110 gallon fresh so we should be good for 10 days or so.  i figure after 10 days it's a good idea to fire her up and run her anyway.

[PSmith]

We have 85 fresh and we get 5 days out of it.   Our 57 gray is maxxed out at 5-days, so I've got a 24v transfer pump to move some of the gray to the black tank(45).  Need to get that hooked up someday.

We go camping 5 or 6 times a year for long weekends, so boondocking is our normal use.

[artvonne]

  I Guess how much you need is better asked as how much do you want and how much do you want to carry around. Not too many places ive gone where I cant find some. Ive taken on water at truck stops, gas stations, campgrounds and rest areas. When the floor under the water tank gave way, I couldnt trust filling it up full, so I only took on about 30 gallons. With 4 of us conserving it, it lasted several days. I even got a hot shower out of it. I think its nice to have the capacity in case you want to rough it, but learning to conserve it and not needing to carry 1000 pounds of it up and down hills is a great thing to learn.

[kyle4501]

I've had the unpleasant experience of filling up with what the locals called 'good water' but was well below my standards - even for use as bath water. 

We carry all our drinking water in gallon jugs & use the tank water for almost anything except cooking & drinking. The 4 of us can go almost a week on 30 gal of black - 4 days on 30 gal of grey if we're carefull.

I will have as large a capacity of tankage as space will allow - that will provide me with more options. I'll have the flexability to carry the water I want depending on my needs for the trip. 

[Mex-Busnut]

We lived in a 32-foot fifth-wheel for five years. Travelled all over U.S., Mexico and southern Canada. Had just 65 gallons of fresh and 40 each of black and gray.

Question: Has anybody thought of using the same water TWICE? For example, the water from sinks and showers could be used for toilet flushing? That is the way some of the new "green" houses do it.

And the black water for bathing politicians.

[steve wardwell]

this summer we put in a RO and hp pump (for efficiency) This is our last word in a discushion about various water quality. 2  fixtures and icemaker line, tasty!

[bevans6]

I have reverse osmosis on my house drinking water / ice maker line, and it cycles about 10 gallons of water down the drain for every gallon that it stores in it's pressure tank.  On a well, who cares - but do you revert that waste water from the reverse osmosis back into the fresh tank or to waste?

I have 100 gallon fresh and 100 gallon gray/black.  I like having the gray/black combined since it seems to make dumping a better experience.  I also can honestly say that I've never filled the fresh tank past half way, never needed to yet.  Nice that's it's there, though.

Brian

[steve wardwell]

I thought it was four to one? anyway it works out for us as we're out 2-3 days at a clip between docks. no we don't recycle excess water at this point, although very doable it has a risk if accidentally left on  at the dock while using dock water (Could blow the tank)....so far so good besides why would I want to drink water???

[Joe Camper]

Living in the Chicago area we are spoiled with very very good drinking water.

Like Kyle we too have had some experiances with other sources.Not just bad water but over and under pressure as well.

I have 125g and I plan on adding another 100 in the base of the bed.

We always leave full the weight is not a concern for me. We do not take on any water from any outside sources unless nessessary. We always run off our pump never city pressure. We drink it, make ice,no different than home. This makes the camper very comfortable and convienient for us.

IMO put in as large as a tank as you can you will not regret it,specially if you have very good water that you enjoy on the homefront.

[twocnusa]

we have 100 gal fresh 100 gal black and 48 gal gray, we have been on the road for over 17 years full-time, with no home base. when we know we will be going into a camp ground we keep the tank about a quarter to a third full. when no campgrounds are pland we fill the tank about 90% . we do alot of boondocking, and we carry a 60 gal water bag in our jeep. so when we go to town we can bring back water as we need it. when we are in a area where we can drain gray to ground, we can stay out about 6 weeks before we have to go dump our black tank.  ron

[Ed Hackenbruch]

Speaking of water quality, if you are ever running on I-40 and going by Yucca AZ. ( just 25 miles from the Ca. border) they have a large beige or brown water tank on the north side of town where you can get 85 gallons of really good water for 25 cents. Been 6 years since we did that so the price may have gone up.   The water comes from a very deep well from what we were told and is about the best water we have ever found in AZ.

[Dirtball]

 Depends on your mission requirements. Going with smaller tanks gives you more space for other gear. The great thing is,  that you can chose what is best for you. I have huge tanks - 190 fresh, 170 gray/black, 300 fuel. With bus air I have limited storage beneath. Buying already done, I had no choice.  Gray/black is nice and easy to dump "anywhere"- almost. I have air valve dump switch at helm, plus macerator , plus standard dump hose. Living in the "sticks " with bus out back , provides full service backup to home well when water problems arise. Big fuel supply fuels my tractor.