Teardrop Water storage

[western traveler]

I am getting ready to start building out my galley and I am questioning my plan to incorporate a Reliance water jug back there. I purchased a group 27 VMax battery (70#) and decided to move it center line. My TV is a full size P/U and I usually carry 1-3 jugs in the covered bed and then just find a place for one to set out in camp.
Now I am thinking about storage. I have been known to take along a 10” and 12” Dutch oven, a cast iron skillet or two etc.
Not interested in a sink at all as I would just not have a use for one. I like a collapsible dish pan or 5gal. bucket for that kind of stuff.
Not having the water back there is a significant weight savings.

My questions are do you store your water back there?
Is it that convenient?
If not, do you find it inconvenient to haul out the water when you stop?
Any other thoughts on the matter?
Thanks,
Ralph

[TimC]

I keep one of these in the galley on the countertop while traveling.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Igloo-2-Gallon-Sport-Beverage-Jug-with-Hooks-Blue/584600534

If a pint is a pound then that probably puts 17 or 18 pounds back there. When I'm at camp I have a side shelf on my td to hold the jug (see signature photo). I refill from another two gallon jug from my vehicle or the campgeound source. Two gallons last me two days or more - drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, washing hands...

My last trip I balanced a hand washing jug on my fender which gave me an idea to make a removable shelf for it. You may or may not want to put weight on your fenders. I mounted mine to accomadate 20#.

[halfdome, Danny]

We carry a Reliance 7 gallon water jug in the TV and fill it at the campground.
We have a removable side table on each side of the teardrop that are attached through custom receivers.
When in Yosemite we need to move to another campsite and just bungee chord the jug to the side table.
Got the inspiration from Doug Hodder, RIP.
Danny

[friz]

Blue jug on its side on a picnic table, tongue box, where ever.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[tony.latham]

Is it that convenient?

It is.

I had that same Reliance jug in the galley of my 2004 Hunter teardrop --thanks to a post on this forum. When I built my first DIY in 2013, I did the same:



Having "running" water in the galley is a big deal. And not having to unload and move 60 pounds of water during setup is also a big deal.



If I asked my wife what she thought, I know what she'd say, "yeah, we need the jug back there."

From a weight standpoint, it's fine. Fine going out full and fine coming home nearly empty.



Tony

[western traveler]

First, I want to say that I am sorry to hear that Doug Hodder had passed. He was here before I became active.
I am using a technique he had posted in narrowing my fenders and I had mentioned him in my build journal.

Tim, Danny and Friz thank you for your input. It is what I am thinking.

Awe Tony, You bring up the one point that matters most. How might my bride feel about it? The thing is no matter what I do she will say “that is great sweetie”….

[dbhosttexas]

Mind you, I am working on a foamie truck camper, so my requirements are a bit different, but some of the physics are the same...

I would be concerned about putting anything that heavy at the tail end of the trailer as I would be concerned it would contribute to trailer sway.

Secondly, and mind you this is a concern not everyone shares, but if you have spinal issues, having the water jug kept that low to the ground would induce a LOT of stooping in camp, which is FAR less than ideal.

Since you can carry water in the truck bed, hopefully in front of the axle, I would do so. Maybe using some tubing and plumb up to the tongue, and then qucik connect from the trailer tongue to the truck bed and draw from the jugs with a 12v pump? Minimze lifting, and make the best use of cargo / weight hauling capacity...

Just a thought.

[tony.latham]

I would be concerned about putting anything that heavy at the tail end of the trailer as I would be concerned it would contribute to trailer sway.

It doesn't --as long as the axle is in the proper 60/40 position. And that's with a 60-pound battery, A 50-pound cooler, and the 60-pound jug in the galley. I've been running teardrops rigged this way for nearly two decades. (Now, you put a couple of mountain bikes on a heavy rack back there and it doesn't feel quite as stable.)

...having the water jug kept that low to the ground would induce a LOT of stooping in camp, which is FAR less than ideal.

We really like having it right in the kitchen. No setup, no walking back and forth to the truck, and no plumbing. Gravity can be your friend. It works well.

Tony

[halfdome, Danny]

Our tow vehicle always has a 40 bottle case of water in it so depending on where we’re going that may be the only water we need to carry.
Danny

[working on it]

Our tow vehicle always has a 40 bottle case of water in it so depending on where we’re going that may be the only water we need to carry.
Danny

I used to carry two 7-gallon Reliance Aquatainers on every trip...plus lots of bottled water and ice. Even though I built a spot specifically for the 7-gallon unit in my galley (a cubbyhole under the A/C unit), I doubt I ever used even half of one during a 4-day trip.

Now, I just load up my coolers with 40-48 16.9oz water bottles, and leave the big containers at home (we rely on them during fairly frequent water service failures, mainly for flushing, dog water, and clean-up). I'll use them again, if I know I'll be gone for more than a week, or at facilities w/o water at the campsite, if ever.

[nevadatear]

We have a pull out slider for our water. Drinking water is @2.5 gallon water from gocery store. Also no sink.

[MickinOz]

The pictures I attach here show my 25 litre / 6.6 US gallon water container in the travel and the in-use positions.
Taken during different trips.
It works well. There is just enough depth in my galley to allow me to just tilt it over and stand it up again, with no need to slide the whole thing in or out.

As a person who has had to drink some less than pristine water from an old tank at sea, let me assure you it is also a great advantage to be able to drag that tank out to discard the stale water and give it a rinse occasionally, rather than constantly refilling a built in tank.

25 litres is 25 kg or 55 pounds, but it is tucked in behind the axle. The ratio of the distance from the tank to the axle, and from the axle to the hitch is at least 6 to one on my trailer.
So the difference between a full tank and an empty tank on the towball downforce is around 4 kg / 10 lbs.
Things are tough if that's all it takes to significantly affect the handling under tow.

Park.JPG (158 KiB) Viewed 1308 times

Ready to leave NYD.JPG (91.78 KiB) Viewed 1308 times

[Tom&Shelly]

We keep two 2.5 gallon tanks in the galley, and pull them out onto a little table at camp. The two smaller tanks makes them easier to carry and to refill.



So far, we've camped at places with water. If we go to a dry camp, we can fill additional 5 gallon tanks and keep them in the truck.

No road handling problems, but we did design the teardrop with the water weight in mind. Can't tell whether the tanks are full or empty by the handling.

Tom

[western traveler]

Thanks for all the responses. Great ideas!
I’ve decided to follow Tony’s plans (as I dry camp a lot) and feel it would be simple to alter things if it becomes necessary.

[TimC]

I was looking for a "better" way to dispense water at the campsite and found these. I don't know how well constructed they are but for $10-$15 each and USB rechargeable it might be worth a try. I think they fit carboys and the bottles that are sold all over for drinking water dispensers. Nice that you don't need to tip the bottle upside down.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Beenate-Portable-Water-Pump-Dispenser-Automatic-Electric-Water-Drink-Pump-Dispenser/240010225?athcpid=240010225&athpgid=athenaItemPage&athcgid=null&athznid=PWVAV&athieid=v0&athstid=CS020&athguid=880c4568-007-17b92639d4cad3&athancid=null&athena=true