Imagine. You’re at a campsite with no water available and your camper is getting low on water and you still have a week of your trip ahead of you. What can you do?
One option is to close up the camper and drive to a water source: pack up any loose items inside, retract any slide outs, roll-up your awning, disconnect any items such as a propane grill, hitch up the tow vehicle and drive to a water source. Once your campers water tank is full, you will drive back to your campsite and set up everything again.
There’s a better way.
On a recent camping trip I had to extend it for another 30 days. The camper was getting low on water. It was time to fill the tank. There were two or three water faucets in out campground that had 85 campsites. None were close to our camper enough to our camper even with the 200 feet of water hoses we store in it.
Out came the Fold-A-Tank and water pump. I don’t use this very often, but when I do, I sure am glad I bought it.
While I was filling the tank, it dawned on my that I have had this piece of equipment for 10 years. Time to do a review, as I like to wait for at least 10 years before I do a product review. This period of time allows me to judge durability and functionality. So out came the camera.
Components
Water Bladder
The tank came with a foldable water bladder (45 gallons) that when full is 35 inches wide by 50 inches long and 6 inches tall. It easily fit into the back of our Ford Expedition and our newer F-250 super duty. One warning: when it is full of water it weighs close to 400 pounds.
Fittings
I suppose that you could transfer the water from the Fold-A-Tank to the camper by gravity flow, but that would take a long time. So I bought a 12V water pump when I purchased the water bladder.
Filling the Fold-A-Tank
I suppose people will ask how long it takes to fill the bladder. It depends upon the water source. For most homes in the US the flow rate is typically 3-5 gallons per minute. So it would take 9 to 15 minutes to fill the water bladder. I didn’t time it and the time went by quickly as several people stopped to ask about the Fold-A-Tank.
Transferring the Water to the Camper
Water Pump
I have a dedicated water pump for the water bladder. If I were to do it over, I would buy the same water pump as the camper uses, and it would become my backup water pump in case the camper’s pump fails.
One thing I kept forgetting to do is buy a water strainer to protect the pump. After our last trip I bought a ShurFloWater Strainer.
The water pump comes with two 1⁄2”-14 NPSM-Male fittings. The strainer comes with a female and a male 1/2″-14 NPSM fittings. So I needed a 3/4″MHT female (standard water hose) to female 1/2″-14 NPSM fitting.
To power the pump, I used a female Bargman connector and wired it so the trailer provides power to the water pump.
The only place I know that sells the New World Fold-A-Tank is Camping World. The packaging on the New World product states it has FDA recipe material for potable water.
There are other significantly cheaper options on Amazon, but I can’t attest to their quality. However most do have good customer ratings. But a warning: all the ones I check state they are not suitable for potable water.
240 L/63.4 gal Water Bladder Storage Containers, Foldable Portable Water Tank Large Capacity Soft Water Bag, Drought Resistance, Fire Prevention, Emergency Water
$35.98 (as of October 16, 2024 09:13 GMT -07:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
113 L/30 gal Water Bladder Storage Containers, Foldable Portable Water Tank Large Capacity Soft Water Bag, Drought Resistance, Fire Prevention, Emergency Water
$29.98 (as of October 16, 2024 09:13 GMT -07:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
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SHURFLO 4008-101-A65 New 3.0 GPM RV Water Pump Revolution, 12V
5% Off $71.50 $67.99 (as of October 16, 2024 09:12 GMT -07:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
SHURFLO (255-313) 1/2″ Twist-On Pipe Strainer
46% Off $14.78 $7.89 (as of October 16, 2024 09:13 GMT -07:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)