12 volt water pumps and faucets

[goldcoop]

I had the JC Weenie pump in my trailer and took it out. Put in a hand pump and like it better because it always pumps. The thing is, if the water level is low, or the battery is not fully charged, the pump would not pump the water all the way up to the faucet. Just my opinion/experince.

I had the same experience with my JCW combo, I solved my loss of prime by
putting a check/foot valve on the end of my suction tube...

Probably better (in the long run) to look at Shurflo or the like for around $60; more consistent delivery and holds prime...

Cheers,

Coop

[bdosborn]

I used a Shurflo from Here. It has a pressure switch in it so it only runs when you turn the faucet on. I added a switch so I can turn it off when its not neeeded. Its not that much more expensive and it works great. I've seen them on ebay as well.
Bruce

[Nobody]

I have one of the Jabsco pumps & the push button switch faucet in my pop-up cabover camper. It still has the hand pump but I've never needed to use it since I installed the Jabsco. I simply mounted the pump at the outflow level of the water tank so water flows into the pump, & it never needs priming. My sink is approx 6' away & 3' higher than the pump. I've never had any problem with water delivery at the sink even when there is just barely enough water in the tank to flow into the pump. 'Course I've never let the batteries get so low that the pump RPM slowed either. Unless you're using a great deal of water, one of the small pumps like that should work fine, especially if you mount the pump where it will receive gravity feed .

[Ira]

I hadn't considered pumping from a container. That's not a bad idea. I have left myself the option of adding a sink later. I just need to find a place to put the container that's out of the way. There's always the under floor PVC tank idea.

Dale, the container doesn't have to go IN the trailer. You can plumb (is that a word?) a hose connectionr to the side or bottom of the TD, and have the water supply/container sit OUTSIDE. I plan on using a collapsible jug that collapses flat, and filling it when I get to the site.

[bdosborn]

Or you can mount a tank under the deck.



Bruce

[fornesto]

$10-15

plus

$20 on e-bay!

plus

$2-5 on ebay

equals my water system.

The push button is installed flush in the counter. I use a stainless steel bowl for a sink. I cut the battery-pack cord off the water pump system and chucked the battery pack. I wired the pump into my marine battery and put the arcade button in between. The pump puts out a lot of water - so much that I had to cinch off the water line to keep it from splashing out of the bowl. The pump is totally submergible and has about 5' of hose and cord. I use the 6 gallon water tank (mines plastic) which slides in under my counter. With a t-fitting and valve you can use the shower part out of it too! I used the faucet part that came with my $25 JCW pump (the rest is in my trash can). The switch corroded after one week of use.
The nice part of a removable water tank is I can walk over to the campground faucet and fill it up without moving the trailer. I also don't have to worry about mold growing in the tank when the trailer's stored (campground water can be funky). I found one with a real big mouth (about 2.5" dia.) so that the pump would drop into it. I can run it with the tank under the counter or off to the side. The cap for the water tank is also a spiggot. This took a little bit of hilblilly-innovation, but is exactly what I wanted.

[cracker39]

OK, what am I looking at? From left to right, the orange things look like battery pack, plug in socket, shower head, submersible pump. Am I right? Are those other 5 things push button switches?

[larryl]

I decided to go with the self priming hand pump because it was simple to use and simple to install. If I needed high volumes of water, like a shower, I would have considered a DC pump.

I believe I have $30 bucks total in the pump (Camping World) and 6 gallon container (Wal-Mart).

Also, borrowed an idea from this group and used a stainless steel salad bowl for my kitchen sink. Real simple to discard the used water.

Larry

PS see my pics for a picture of our galley @
larryl

[fornesto]

OK, what am I looking at? From left to right, the orange things look like battery pack, plug in socket, shower head, submersible pump. Am I right? Are those other 5 things push button switches?

From left to right..1) the end of the hose that screws onto the shower head, 2) battery pack, 3) 12V cigaratte light connection, 4) shower head, 5) the submersible pump, and 6) the suction cup clip for the shower head.

The other 5 multi-color things are arcade style push button-style switches. I chose this over a switch because it saves water and is easier to use.

[EZ]

Fornesto, that is exactly what I was looking for! Running water inside and a shower outside. $20. Found one on ebay and I will Buy it Now. Thanks. Now I just need to make a faucet.

Ed