I'm out of water!

[richvkansas]

There have been posts of folks dry camping and suddenly find themselves out of water. Several solutions have been posted, ie, bundle everything up and go to the water source; make a funnel and after many trips with a gallon milk jug, water restored. A couple of posts have mentioned distances such as the spigot was 30 or 50 yards away. Now, I don't carry 30 or 50 yards of water hose but I do have some. So my question is, if you would happen to run out of water and the source is 30-50-75 yards away. Would you:
1. Basically pack up like you were leaving, go to the water source and fill and come back and re-setup.
2. Have or devise a funnel and fill it that way making trips back and forth.
3. Figure out how much hose you have and how much you need and start knocking on other campers door asking to borrow their water hose.

Follow up question. If someone asked to borrow your water hose, would you let them use it in a dry camping area?

[texnet]

Not sure what choice I would make as I have never been in that situationbut probably unhook (not pack up) and go fill up.... However, I would like to add one more question :-) Normally holding tanks will only hold what the combined gallons is of the fresh water tank. So..... if you have used up all the water in the fresh water tank are you not also going to need to dump your grey or black tank as it would seem one of them is full!

[sdennislee]

I'd be careful borrowing hoses. I've seen people rinse their sewer hose with their white fresh water hose.
2 - 5 gallon jugs could make short work of refilling.
I agree with post above, if you are out of fresh water what is the status of holding tanks? Dump and fill in one trip.

[jhamihvfd21]

I carry 2 5 gallon jugs that are soft plastic so they don't take much room to store

[chasfm11]

We don't dry camp a lot but have occasionally found a COE park that is electric only. We know that the two of us can go a week using the tanks so the key is to make sure they are full before we park. There is usually a potable station so if we don't have enough on board (I try to carry about a half tank but it is hard to measure) we'll fill up on the way in.

I'm not a fan of funnels because the opportunity to introduce something bad into the water tank is higher than I want. Our system is just not set up for that.

And I would never, ever borrow a water hose. I carry two normal lengths and have a third one at home. I take care to keep the all sealed when not in use. Like the other poster, I've seen some folks handle fresh water hoses like sewer hoses and I don't want any part of that.

[flash1942]

Here's what I do on a 2003 Itasca.Near my water pump is a plastic hose that is meant to suck rv antifreeze into the plumbing to winterize rv.The valve at this hose must be moved from "normal operation" to "divert" position. At the normal fresh water hose connection,the valve must be moved from "city water" to "water tank fill".Now the water pump will suck water through the winterize hose from a container into the fresh water tank. I have a collapsible 5 gallon container that I use for this purpose. I added a switch right at this spot, so I can turn the water pump on and off as needed. The valves on your MH may have different names than mine.

[bluck]

We dry camp a lot and I don't like to ration water. We carry 90 gallons on board and I carry an additional 90 gallons in 15 gallon drums. Each drum has a garden hose connector with a shut off valve. I also carry enough hose to reach from the front of the trailer to the rear, where the fill is. I have a spare water pump I hook up to the end of the hose. I open the drum valve and as soon a the water reaches the pump I turn it on. It fills the tank pretty quick. If I need more water it's easy enough to refill the drums. I have had several people ask me to fill their tanks for them which I don't mind at all as long as they have 12 volts for the pump at their water inlet.

[Campingman]

I would just drive over to the water and dump at the same time. I boondocked in my class A and had plenty, but now have a class C with smaller tanks and I haven't boondocked with it yet.

Mark

[Yellowreef]

I carry two 5 gallon jugs and a foldable cart to lug them around if need be.

[richvkansas]

Thanks for all the answers. This question came about as on our last trip, we stopped at a COE electric only park for one night but then decided to extend for two more days. There was plenty of water for one day (about 1/4 tank) and I didn't top off the tank when we came in. There was a water spigot behind our rig about 90 feet away but I only carry 75' of hose. When we left, I dumped and also opened the drains on the fresh water so I could have all new and about 2 gallons came out. Close.

[bluck]

Most of the places we dry camp/boondock have neither water or dump stations. We have to provide our own resources for both. Thats why I carry so much water. Are sites with dump stations and water available really dry camping/boondocking?

[Tom-NC]

Flash 1942,

I have a 2004 Winnebago Adventurer and my divert valve does not fill the fresh water tank. If that was true when you winterize the unit you would put 40 gallons of anitfreeze in it. Yes you probably can use the divert valve to use the water in the system but not fill fresh water tank.

As for the original question, I would go and dump and fill the fresh water tank at a state campground or even just fill up at a potable water site.

Like previously asked if you are out of water your black and grey tanks must be fill or at least partially fill so where are you going to dump them?

If we boondock I always make sure I have a full fresh water tank and empty holding tanks then we can last at least a week after which I have to go to a campground and fill up fresh water and dump holding tanks.

Hope this answer was helpful

[Ed-Sommers]

55 gallon barrel laying on its side, bung type.

Hole is cut in the top and a bilge pump permanently installed emptying out the lower bung hole, all I have to do is connect to 12 volt batt to empty.

I full time and exclusively boondock.

Ed

[She and I]

Quote:

Originally Posted by richvkansas There have been posts of folks dry camping and suddenly find themselves out of water. Several solutions have been posted, ie, bundle everything up and go to the water source; make a funnel and after many trips with a gallon milk jug, water restored. A couple of posts have mentioned distances such as the spigot was 30 or 50 yards away. Now, I don't carry 30 or 50 yards of water hose but I do have some. So my question is, if you would happen to run out of water and the source is 30-50-75 yards away. Would you: 1. Basically pack up like you were leaving, go to the water source and fill and come back and re-setup. 2. Have or devise a funnel and fill it that way making trips back and forth. 3. Figure out how much hose you have and how much you need and start knocking on other campers door asking to borrow their water hose. Follow up question. If someone asked to borrow your water hose, would you let them use it in a dry camping area?

Which answer ........Did you do?