The threads on water filters got me thinking (dangerous). Here's a suggestion if you like to boondock with an RV but tend to run out of water. I keep an extra water pump in my TT, just in case. I figured out a way to refill the RV tank from a creek using the spare pump. I got a household filter similar to this photo, then got a 1 micron cartridge for it that's rated to clean out the gut bugs. Then I got a bunch of plastic tubing and 16ga. automotive wire. I drive to a creek with this setup and some 5 gal jugs (the collapsible kind don't take up any storage space). The pump runs from my truck battery. It pulls the water out of the creek, through the filter, then into the jugs. Then I just pour the water into the TT tank. If I feel lazy, I can also use the pump a 2d time to pump from the jugs into the tank.

I made a mistake the 1st time I tried it. I put the filter ahead of the pump. The pump won't pull water through filter. It has to push it through so the filter has to be after the pump. The end of the tubing in the creek will float so it won't get any water. At the same time, it needs to be kept out of the muck on the bottom. I taped a nut around it to keep it from floating, then make sure it's sitting on a clean rock or gravel under the surface. A screen on the end will clean out a lot of floaters but it has to be kept clean. Even clean flowing water has a lot of gunk floating in it.

I watched a YouTube video where a guy made up a pump filter system for doing exactly that. He used a plastic tool box so it was self contained. Pretty slick idea.

That looks good. A few chlorine tablets and your good to go!

I won't put creek water or even some well water in my rv tank..Doesn't take much to stink them up..I got a jug of spring water right out of the mountain side that was tested and taste great,went to open it a week later and it smelled like rotten eggs..


Jayco👍

My TT has a fresh water capacity of 160 gallons so I have not had an issue of running out of water. Our travel partner on their TT had a capacity of 50 gallons fresh plus he had a 55 drum in the back of his pickup and a pump system to fill his fresh water if he ran out.

I have four of these 50 gallon water barrels and two 25 gallon ones so I don't run out of water plus two 25 gallon propane tanks.



Jayco

We've used a similar setup when floating on the Grand Canyon. Partner Water Filter.

https://cascaderivergear.com/shop/aqua-partner-solar-filter-in-rocket-box/

It has two stages. One a course filter and the second for bacteria.

Been thinking of building my own as the Partner is expensive. Would like to add in a UV light for or finer filter for virus. But adding a cap full of bleach to every 5-6 gallons works. Carbon would also be nice.

Deer camp was on a private lease. Trailer stayed during hunting season. Clean fresh water was always a problem. Two 55 gallon plastic drums was the answer. They just made my Duramax ride smoother. Used small pump with pvc suction to transfer water from drums to trailer tank.
Hasbeen

What brand/model TT has a fresh water capacity of 160 gallons?
Thats over 1,300 pounds

We did exactly that many times in the ‘90’s. Now, we drag a trailer behind our 5th wheel with the Polaris Ranger, a 50 gallon propane tank, and. 55 gallon drum of water! memtb

Lots of ways to produce additional clean fresh water when boondocking but what do you do when you exceed your waste water holding capacity? Specifically your black water tanks?

That doesn't work for me. I have a bumper pull TT because the pickup is carrying our Polaris RZR. There's no room for a drum.

Cassette toilet, you can dump it in any outhouse

Some of those bigger fifth wheel RVs hold 150 to 200 gallons of fresh water.

https://www.fbtrailers.com/2020-atc-36ft-all-aluminum-fifth-wheel-toy-hauler-rv-3AWh%7CfOd.html

Homer that mudder fugger

Good option

I don’t carry around my dogs schit and I ain’t gonna carry around my own!

Seen that done plenty.

Nearest FS pit toilet works for me, as long as I can get within 100 ft of it with the motorhome.




Flojet RV Macerator Pump

There is a tank caddy you can get at most rv supply shops, just be careful when you filler up!

We boondock in the desert every spring and fall, always hit the camp limit before filling the 40gal black tank.

What is wrong with some you folks, going all soft in your thinking.

SSS

This is no help but ai wanted to add

When me and bud used to go catfishing all night and camping for one night/day out.

We would take a 5 gallon Igloo water cooler (like the bleck boys have to have at football practice)

Fill it full of the hottest damn tap water. Use it for hot hand washing. Nice to have clean hands when messing with slimey bottom feeders or handling stinky shad guts, worm shît, or liver blood.

How long are you folks going boondocking and how much water a day do you use?

Showers? Hair washing? Shaving?

Couple of 5 gallon jugs will get me through more than a week, but maybe 20-30 miles from the nearest paved road really isn't boondocking?:

That's most often the case with me as well, I'll boondock 3 or 4 months of the year but I move around.

Fresh water capacity vs holding tanks vs fresh produce and meats I keep in the RV and camping day limits all kinda work in harmony.

But even at that, there are plenty of areas where RV specific dump stations are rare. That's why I bought the pump.

We were having problems with the capacity of our gray water tank. I did some measuring and found a 14gal holding tank that I could fit underneath to let the water back up into it. Of course I needed an air vent to prevent an air lock. That extra 14 gal has worked great. We haven't filled it yet.

$2200 for that? I agree, make your own. The total of the parts will be a fraction of that price. They're charging a lot for the convenience.

I can do a month pretty easy without moving the motorhome if I can make fresh food runs on my motorcycle.

I gotta conserve water though. I only hold 45 gallons of fresh.
A few cases of bottled water for cooking and drinking helps.

But it's those showers and dishwashing that burn through the volume.

I've owned one of these for years and use it often.



ZODI Instant Hotwater Heater

A bucket of water from a nearby lake or river works for a shower and even dishwashing.
That both saves my freshwater supply and keeps from filling my holding tank.

I'd rather conserve than haul more.

I like that shower set up. I may have to look into one if I ever get back to longer trips.

The camp I had set up was about 50 miles from where my bro lives and after a week or so I could go in and shower if it wasn't warm enough for a sponge bath.

I eat simply so washing dishes is like we did in the Scouts on desert trips. Very little water used.

Wife is no longer into camping rough, and we don't have a trailer and vehicle big enough to pull it, or a motorhome so I don't worry about little things like showering every day when hunting.

We have been camping for 14 days, twice a year, in the desert the last 3 years. We do a couple 7-10 day trips and some weekends throughout the year as well.

The trailer has two 44 gal freshwater tanks, a 6 gal water heater, and we bring 24 gallons of drinking water in 4 gal jugs. With 2 teenage daughters and the ol 'lady, that is enough for the 14 day camp limit on the public land we like to camp on. We have refilled a couple jugs of drinking water when needed, but we leave camp every couple days to float or bike anyway.

Quick, hot outdoor showers every couple days, an inside one every now and then if the weather is rough. Have not run out of tank space or fresh water yet, but we do get reallly close, lol.

Two teenage girls and a wife kind of explains your situation.

I resemble that remark +1.

Bingo

Am I the only guy left that'll still sheit in the woods?

See picture above of minimalist camp.

Do you see a porta-potty even?

Sometimes , especially if I'm moving around some while trying to locate game, I just sleep in the front seat.

I usually have one of these in the truck or Razor. It's more sturdy than most of the portable seats.

It is a Forest River Stealth 2916G. When my unit was ordered it was upgraded to 160 gal. fresh, solar, and a few other upgrades.

Pack out of all waste required on most arid BLM lands.

here in Florida, and up in Georgia, I only carry a few gallons of water. I use a hand pump Katadyn filter if I need more. There is no shortage of water here. Creeks and lakes, rivers and springs everywhere. Only car camping with a tent. Never had a desire for a camper.

Roughly like below. We hold 85 gallons of drinking quality water and 25 gallons of grey which we fill before setting out. My wife and I have spent 3 weeks at the foot of a mountain and not had to refill. With 2 boys added we use more but nothing extravagant. As you imply, managing water is a good skill to develop over just hauling more in.

Wow, that looks like a cool rig, got any more pics?

You can see all the pictures and videos of those Earth Roamers ya want right here.

https://earthroamer.com/

A word of warning.....they are a little spendy.

Each HD is a fully loaded luxury overland vehicle featuring every option we offer including lithium batteries, radiant floor heat, washer/dryer, dry bath, and so much more. The price of an EarthRoamer HD is $1,900,000 plus options. Our experienced design team will work with you to tailor the floor plan to your specific needs.

Yowza

I bought mine factory new for less than half that, pretty heavily loaded. The model I have can now be had used for roughly 1/4 of that.

We more or less lived out of the thing for 2 years so the depreciation didn't hit too hard.

Wow, those things are badass. Nice

I see they have a slightly used XV-LTi 043 listed for $720,000.00

https://earthroamer.com/pre-roamed/pre-roamed-lti-043/

Do they all have carbon fiber bodies?

That could be a bit of a problem! That’s one of the reasons we like 5th wheels. Of course they have their own unique problems! memtb

And were the matching dogs included?

They f'in better be, with 24kt gold collars.

Those Earth Roamers are uber cool.... kinda surprised at the depreciation though. Usually products of super high quality hold their value better

The LTi is the first one with a CF body that I know of. Mine is an XV-LTS which is fiberglass.

They've improved about everything about the thing....more water, more fuel, more battery, roomier, nicer interior, better MPG. Not enough to swing me but the new ones are for sure nice.

This must be Jim Conrad's rig.
That looks like Elon Musk’s EarthLink satellites cruzin' over his cow operation there in Montana.

No wonder he keeps bitching about them.




What looks like dust, dirt and scratches all over the one below is actually suppose to be a world map, nifty they carried the graphics on to the cab doors of that F750 4x4 chassis its built on. Must make it feel more like your getting your money's worth and all.



Oh look, they have one in camo, if they'd had a dead elk tossed over the hood in that picture I'd have considered buying one.

Somethings telling me not one of those three dressed up like bow hunters have a clue as to what an elk might look like.




Since this thread is about water I looked it up and the bigger Earth Roamers hold 250 gallons of fresh water.

Only problem is you have to fill it with Perrier®.

Looks like a windpower tower in that bottom pic.

Perhaps they might have taken that rig to a bit more remote location to show off its capabilities? I mean, there are usually roads to those windmills. especially on flat terrain like that.

I've seen the Earth Roamers cruising down the interstate and camped in National Parks campgrounds. Haven't seen any in the backcountry anywhere though. I imagine it would be a bummer to wallow one back into a remote area and find a young family with a forty year old Subaru and a tent trailer. GD

That made me laugh... probably a lot of truth right there... and the possibility of getting that behemoth stuck in the backcountry would give me cold sweats

Maybe in my dreams.

You would need a tree trimming truck, to clear head room, getting that through the pole thickets.

That they are big and heavy is unavoidable, so not exactly nimble enough for serious off road. The main advantage is the RV portion is not made from toothpicks and beer cans so it actually holds together under what off road they are capable of. That and the rest of the truck is an F550 so fairly stout for that kind of thing as well.

I solved a similar problem by going with a Ram 3500 4X4 with a bigfoot camper, I go down dirt roads to boondock away from the crowds , but no serious off road for me.
I was about 10 miles in on a semi serious road in the Black hills with it and the side X side riders were quite amazed, so I asked them, is this the way to Mt.Rushmore ?... got a good laugh

I am waiting for JeffA to post pic's of him bombing through snowbanks in his class C motorhome... epic

Nothing an uber winch and a mile of cable couldn't handle.

LOL attached to an uberlanche?