Community Forums

w9ran · 10-16-2022, 09:58 AM

I'm fairly new to boondocking with just two week-long off-grid trips under my belt, but have had good luck and a lot of fun so far. My question is about where to find place to fill the fresh water tank. I can carry 40 gallons which lasts quite a while but eventually needs to be refilled, especially before going into remote areas where no water is available. So far I've used a municipal park that has a few campsites, but that may not always be an option.

I tend to avoid interstate highways but know some rest areas might have potable water but are there other spots to keep in mind? Specifically, it is considered acceptable to pull into a state park just to fill up with water even if you don't intend to camp there? Thanks!

theboondork. · 10-16-2022, 01:35 PM

I boondock almost all the time, and if I have to pay for a night of camping and stay at a state park to fill up with water, I have no problem with that. I also fill up with water at some gas stations, I buy gallons of water at grocery stores, kiosks, and campgrounds in national forests will almost always have water and they are usually pretty inexpensive for the night.

Theboondork.com

Marine359 · 10-17-2022, 01:09 PM

OP, you didn’t state whether you travel with a towed or motorized with or without toad.
Makes a huge difference to us. We only have 37 gal fresh tank, but we carry two empty 7gal Reliant jugs. If we are running out of grease, and we don’t want to move our camper, I simply make a run to fetch more fresh water. Not hard to find it within 10 miles of most BLM camping locations. I use the same trip opportunity to dump gray water using our 27 gal tote. Never had an issue using fresh water and dump facilities at any state park, although some fed facilities may require a dump fee.

Souljourner · 10-17-2022, 10:37 PM

Just returned from an extended boondocking trip. Stopped into a state park that was along my route and they charged me $7 to fill my tank with water. I could have used the dump for the same $7 but didn’t need to at the time.

I also travel with two 4 gallon refillable jugs. I have a small rechargeable electric pump that I use if I need drinking water. I also travel with a long funnel with a wide top that I bought at an auto parts store that lets me easily add containers of water to my fresh water tank if I’m not able to use a hose from a spigot.

Jon_C · 10-17-2022, 10:44 PM

IOverlander app shows water availability, I used it on a 2 month trip to utah/AZ and we Boondocked the entire trip. Never had any issue finding water. I have 6 5.3 gallon wolverine tuff bottles from Amazon and pump into tank but lots of locations I could have filled tank directly.

Souljourner · 10-18-2022, 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon_C

IOverlander app shows water availability, I used it on a 2 month trip to utah/AZ and we Boondocked the entire trip. Never had any issue finding water. I have 6 5.3 gallon wolverine tuff bottles from Amazon and pump into tank but lots of locations I could have filled tank directly.

Just curious - why do you prefer the wolverine collapsible jugs over other less expensive choices? I’m looking to purchase some collapsible bottles and would welcome your experience.

Also - have you used ioverlander to locate camping spots, or only to find amenities? Some of the app reviews commented on inaccurate boondocking information and/or overcrowding due to the popularity of the app.

Sorry, OP, for pirating your thread a bit, but hopefully my questions are of interest to you too! 😊

Yosemite77 · 10-18-2022, 08:47 AM

I fill up our water tank/jugs at campgrounds. We just stay there for a night rather than stopping in to fill up. If you’re going to just stop in for water, I’d suggest checking with the camp host to see if there’s a fee.

I prefer hard sided water jugs to flexible ones. While they take up more room when not in use, they’re more durable. I use a Milwaukee transfer pump to move water from the jugs to the fresh water tank.

Jon_C · 10-18-2022, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Souljourner

Just curious - why do you prefer the wolverine collapsible jugs over other less expensive choices? I’m looking to purchase some collapsible bottles and would welcome your experience.

Also - have you used ioverlander to locate camping spots, or only to find amenities? Some of the app reviews commented on inaccurate boondocking information and/or overcrowding due to the popularity of the app.

Sorry, OP, for pirating your thread a bit, but hopefully my questions are of interest to you too! [emoji4]

I bought them because they take up very little space and I didn’t mind paying for a good product, these are very durable bags and that’s what I was looking for. I use the push in tubing connector with clear tubing over to my spare water pump to pump into the tank, 6 minutes per bag.

And yes I used IOverlander to find all the places we stayed on the trip its my favorite app. We’re retired and made the trip during the offseason and we had no issues with overcrowding or inaccuracies. I look at google maps satellite to help judge if we can get our rig in there or not. Then when we arrive we scout with the Jeep before taking the moho offroad.

Jimmy Jime · 10-18-2022, 09:11 AM

Lots of good info

JNSNWT · 10-18-2022, 09:23 AM

AFAIK all rv parks will allow you to dump the tanks and refill fresh water for a nominal price

JHinman · 10-18-2022, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JNSNWT

AFAIK all rv parks will allow you to dump the tanks and refill fresh water for a nominal price

Nominal is a subjective term. One place in McCall, ID wanted $40 or $50 to dump. Most places want $10.

Marine359 · 10-18-2022, 12:39 PM

I also carry a 12v transfer pump, but use it primarily to pump gray water into my tote if I need to put the tote in the truck bed to take it somewhere to empty it. Might not work for many, but Rather than pumping water into the gravity fill, it’s easier to put the jug inside the door and let it drain through an old cpap hose like this:

04fxsts · 10-19-2022, 05:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JNSNWT

AFAIK all rv parks will allow you to dump the tanks and refill fresh water for a nominal price

Not all,I needed a place todump after staying at a relatives house/driveway in MN several years ago. Called around and found one for $10.00 but I remember one that was only if you stay here can you dump. Jim.

w9ran · 10-19-2022, 08:38 AM

Thanks for all the good suggestions!

I have a truck camper so the water fill port is not easily accessible without a hose, so I'll be adding a 12V pump and suitable hose and water containers to allow me to transfer water if necessary from a water jug or collapsible bag. It's good to have options!
Bob