Bad design or lack of thought in caravans.

[CustardAvenger]

I admit, putting 2x Aquaroll in their waterproof bags in between the front seats and the Wastemaster under the fixed bed, isn't a massive hardship, but its like there is zero concession for these accessories from manufacturers.

A collapsible 40L aquaroll and a collapsible 40L wastemaster would be ideal.

Collapz, maker of collapsing watering cans, came out with a product for fully serviced pitches, this replaced the Aquaroll in its intermediate role as a cistern.

I'm sure with a bit of thought a new shape 'Wastemaster and Aquaroll' - and with the co-operation with caravan companies - could be designed to be fitted in a carrier underneath the van. Empty that is.

Wastemaster could go underneath with virtually zero modification. With some kind of "Piggy-Back" rear panel device for an Aquaroll or two; they only weigh about 5KG each.

Lot of people talking about on-board tanks... you still need a way of getting water to the caravan, if you have non-serviced pitch.

 

[Thingy]

This has made me think, Im considering now a roof rack for aquarolls and wastemaster. Any thoughts. There is no real weight in them.

 

[Dustydog]

The benefits of an on board tank are numerous,
You paid for it , so use it.
They don’t freeze up. And yes we do insulate the aquaroll(s) but depends how bad the temperature is.
The onboard pump produces higher pressure from the OBT than aquaroll. Good for a shower😉
What else would you store up front😜
On FSP it’s not so relevant but otherwise it can be a real bonus. What is there to dislike🤔🤔

 

[Dustydog]

This has made me think, Im considering now a roof rack for aquarolls and wastemaster. Any thoughts. There is no real weight in them.

Just the air resistance😜

 

[Thingy]

I dont worry about air resistance with my Grocklebox on the back, nor fuel consupmtion with a Shogun. If I did I would be suicidal.

 

[Dustydog]

I dont worry about air resistance with my Grocklebox on the back, nor fuel consupmtion with a Shogun. If I did I would be suicidal.

🤣🤣

 

[Jcloughie]

I wasn't suggesting that having the water containers stored underneath the van would be where they are used like an on board tank. View it in much the same way as having an underslung spare wheel. At the rear of my van there appears to be enough clearance that the wastemaster - without its larger end piece - could slide into a retained carrier and pulled out when needed. A flatter water carrier might similarly be able to be stored there.

Given that manufacturers are always on the look out for differentiators this could be one.

It just seems a tidier solution to me than having them rattle around in the van. I don't see it as any trouble to use if designed properly. Just undo the retainer and slide out.

Have you seen how close the rear of your van gets to the ground when beginning to climb a small hill!

John

 

[Jcloughie]

After seeing the build up of slime in onboard tanks. I never want one again.

John

 

[Dustydog]

After seeing the build up of slime in onboard tanks. I never want one again.

John

But regular cleaning with the the usual stuff?

 

[Beachball]

After seeing the build up of slime in onboard tanks. I never want one again.

John

Totally agree with that comment

 

[Beachball]

I admit, putting 2x Aquaroll in their waterproof bags in between the front seats and the Wastemaster under the fixed bed, isn't a massive hardship, but its like there is zero concession for these accessories from manufacturers.

Collapz, maker of collapsing watering cans, came out with a product for fully serviced pitches, this replaced the Aquaroll in its intermediate role as a cistern.


Wastemaster could go underneath with virtually zero modification. With some kind of "Piggy-Back" rear panel device for an Aquaroll or two; they only weigh about 5KG each.

Lot of people talking about on-board tanks... you still need a way of getting water to the caravan, if you have non-serviced pitch.

That your choice if you like a non service pitch but me i prefer service pitches because you have your own tap and drain and it a lot easier for me .

 

[Dustydog]

Totally agree with that comment

BB, do you have an on board tank?

 

[Beachball]

BB, do you have an on board tank?

DD my seasonal caravan what we use to own had a on board tank

 

[JTQ]

After seeing the build up of slime in onboard tanks. I never want one again.

John

You could if you knew what they get like, make exactly the same comment about the whole of the pipework system through the van.
At least with our tank, we have a hand hole to get an arm in to wipe it out, something we can't do with our piping system, nor indeed our Aquaroll.

We can of course sterilise everything, then the gunk and debris will just be corpse of what they were, at least for a few hours before they are the nutrient for a whole new colony!

Having had more than a little to do with providing potable water systems, I accept the system in vans is far from good. Therefore, we don't drink any taken from the system that has not been boiled, keeping fresh drinking water in the fridge.

 

[Buckman]

On a fully serviced pitch, your hooked up to the mains, so why worry about the on board tank, except in the middle of winter when the supply could freeze up.

On some FSP the water mains pressure can be low. The pump for the onboard taken ensure that you have a decent flow of water.

 

[Jcloughie]

You could if you knew what they get like, make exactly the same comment about the whole of the pipework system through the van.
At least with our tank, we have a hand hole to get an arm in to wipe it out, something we can't do with our piping system, nor indeed our Aquaroll.

We can of course sterilise everything, then the gunk and debris will just be corpse of what they were, at least for a few hours before they are the nutrient for a whole new colony!

Having had more than a little to do with providing potable water systems, I accept the system in vans is far from good. Therefore, we don't drink any taken from the system that has not been boiled, keeping fresh drinking water in the fridge.

I think the pipe work is easier to clean than most tanks. But take your point completely and do not drink the water either. The only onboard tank I have had in a van was in a Bailey Senator Arizona. It was built in. Not an impossible job to get out to clean but also not easy and certainly not designed to be done.

I don’t know if other vans have tanks designed for removal and cleaning, but we are very happy without one.

John

 

[JTQ]

I don’t know if other vans have tanks designed for removal and cleaning, but we are very happy without one.

Our Hymer's built in tank is not designed to be removed but designed and located that it can be wiped out in situ, you can get your hand and arm inside.
But unlike the pipework it can be fully drained so does not have to be left holding stagnant water, all but unavoidable with pipework if you don't use a blow through technique.
In reality as it is left drained whilst not in use, bio contamination is not an issue in our type of use of periods not exceeding six weeks stints. There is sometimes a fall out of sand and rust from the utility's mains, but the tank is designed with a sump to collect that and minimise its impact. The design is a carryover from their motorhome practices and so benefits from the attention to doing the job properly.

 

[Dustydog]

Is there a reason why our domestic water tanks don’t get slimed up ? I can’t remember the last time I cleaned the domestic plumbing with Milton or other proprietary sterilisers🤔🤔

 

[JezzerB]

I think they do! We always drink from the vans weve had and no issues. we drain down on every trip.

 

[JTQ]

Is there a reason why our domestic water tanks don’t get slimed up ? I can’t remember the last time I cleaned the domestic plumbing with Milton or other proprietary sterilisers🤔🤔

Open to the air tanks do, one reason why with older open tank hot water systems you are well advised not to drink water drawn from a hot tap.
Elsewhere in the domestic cold-water system, the contained water retains the chemicals, chlorine that utilities have to put there to suppress bio issues, basically it can't leach away as in the mains it is trapped there. They try to use only the very minimum, one reason not to taint it, so any loss quickly makes it ineffective.

Our caravanning problems come when we draw water, immediately and then progressively the chlorine leaches out into the air, as from filling and storing in the Aquaroll, the tank or any other non-sealed container. Hence why we lose as little as possible filling a container, sealing it and keeping it in our fridge for our drinking water, plus very little "light" gets to it there also a good thing. The use of fully opaque tubing for caravan water systems is a move in the right direction.

I doubt with caravans etc there is any great health risk, there can't be as you don't hear here of issues, just it really can be nowhere near the quality of water mandated for home supplies, so drinking it is IMO not wise.
Few I suspect would drink it if offered a glass along with a length of the system's pipe cut open to show the state of the pipe, in which it had earlier sat lingering.

 

[Beachball]

With my present caravan i prefer to the fill the kettle up at our own tap for my drink

 

[Hutch]

Straight from the caravan taps, tea and coffe boiled in the kettle. We have never had problems, I have the filters removed as well.

 

[Gozza2]

This has made me think, Im considering now a roof rack for aquarolls and wastemaster. Any thoughts. There is no real weight in them.

When I was learning to weld, one of the projects I thought about for the "original design and build" module was a roof rack tailored for an Aquaroll, a generic rectangular water carrier, and the fuel cans for the generator (petrol) and spare can for the car (diesel). It had sliding locking bars to take padlocks for the fuel cans, lashing points for the water carriers, locking lugs for the access ladder, and mounting points for HUGE off-road driving lamps. It would have been an item of extreme beauty.

I built something else in the end.

Mind you, now Gozza Junior is doing an engineering degree and he told me last night he'll be starting the welding module soon - given that he'll have access to better precision cutting and welding equipment than I do now, I may dig the old plans out and slide them his way...

 

[Beachball]

Straight from the caravan taps, tea and coffe boiled in the kettle. We have never had problems, I have the filters removed as well.

i do like fresh water from the tap for my drinks

 

[Hutch]

I have had to, twice , buy bottled wqter for the dogs as the sites water supply was so highly chlorinated.
I Still have a Fire Bucket of water at the front of the van, mostly for the water to vent of the chlorine for the dogs to drink.