Water Systems


I will outline two water systems the first a simple one which is good for off-grid campers and does not cost very much and the second is more substantial and can support showering.

Small Water system

Ideal for budget builds without a shower and the desire to keep it as easy as possible for getting water from public taps.

The tap in this system is essentially a switch and will need to be wired up to your 12v supply and via the tap (switch) – to the submerged pump.

The tap turns on the submerged pump and sends water to the tap.

The rucksack bungee is a little bit of a hack for flexible waste pipes (if it is long enough). You can use it to force a U bend into your waste pipe – stopping smells from your tank coming up into the van. To empty the ‘U’ – just pull it straight and its done.

Cost – approximately $135 with the following components;

  • 2 Jerry cans ($45)
  • Submerged pump ($30)
  • Pipes ($10)
  • Tap (with 12v switching) $50

You can get hand-pump taps, which do not require wiring in, but they are a little annoying for if you want to use both hands with the water.

Large Water system

The following system is what I built into my latest van.

Because I installed a hot shower out the back of the van I needed a larger water tank. Check out the video guide below with more information on installation.

VIDEO GUIDE

Main Components

  • Fammia 70L water These popular tanks can be used in many directions to fit your space requirements.
  • Shurflow 40PSI pump – this pump turns on when the pressure drops (for example when you turn on a tap). It is a little noisy but works well and the tap is not on an awful
  • Fammia A20 Accumulator – this is essentially a rubber balloon inside the plastic container which softens the kick from the pump and makes your water run more smoothly

Key features

  • The waste water has two options;
    • Through a waste pipe to under the van; often you are in nature and a bit of toothpaste and washing up water is OK to let run under the van (use biodegradable soap)
    • Into a 20 liter Gerry can – for when you are in places you cannot let your van leak water (have to keep an eye on it!)
  • The shower; I installed a hot shower out the back of the van (this I why I chose the 40PSI pump – the lower pressure ones would not quite be
  • The level tube – this essentially allows you to see your water level – I put a fishing float in mine to make it easier to
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