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James Thomas, Belen, New Mexico
Boondock Fresh Water Refill
2013 Ford F-350
2020 Northern Lite 10-2 EX LE
This mod was born out of necessity while boondocking during the pandemic. Camping in some areas limited our ability to fill our fresh water tank as water had been turned off in many areas where we camped. I normally carry an 8 and/or a 6 gallon water container for backup since we never know when we might need extra.
A secondary thought to this mod was to have a backup water pump should we have a failure of our primary pump in the camper. Even though the pandemic is behind us, I have used this freshwater refill method and have not had to break camp to drive our truck and camper somewhere to refill.
I have my backup water containers and can refill from the container on the ground as the freshwater refill is six feet off the ground when the camper is loaded on the truck.
I used a three-gallon-per-minute Seaflo water pump to pump water from my water container into my camper’s freshwater fill port. The pump is mounted to a small piece of 1” x 6″ board and hangs off the driver’s side jack by a nylon strap. I have two options for 12-volt power.
I can use the 7-pin plug on the side of the camper or I can use the truck battery. I have a cable made up for either method.
One of the primary reasons for using the Seaflo pump is that it has quick disconnects. Using a short piece of vinyl tubing to pump from the water container and another short piece from the pump to the freshwater camper fill port, I can refill my freshwater in just a few minutes without having to manhandle heavy water containers.
The pump and all its components fit in a 16-inch long tool bag and are stored in a compartment next to the bed inside the camper.
This mod has worked great and really saves us from having to handle heavy water containers or break camp and drive some place to refill our water. I have power options and water container options, and I have a secondary water pump now for backup in case of failure of the camper’s primary pump.
The whole system is easy to assemble, breaks down for storage, and takes up little room. I was able to use some old landscape lighting cabling and had my water containers already to help save costs. My cost estimate included some extra for the cabling and containers I had on hand.
Materials Used
Seaflo 3 GPM 43 PSI water pump with quick disconnects. Found online at Amazon.
10 feet of half-inch vinyl tubing with two half-inch hose clamps
Approximately 30 feet of 16/2 lamp cord for two power options, two male/female quick connect 12-volt plugs and one 10 amp inline fuse with an on/off switch for the 7-pin power method. (battery clamps to the truck battery are used for the battery power method)
Water container sizes/quantity of your choosing (from Walmart)
Electrical, plumbing parts and wood dowel rod to keep tubing straight in the water container, all from Lowes Home Improvement
It took me three hours to complete this modification and cost me approximately $95 post-pandemic.
Disclaimer: The modifications above are submitted by Truck Camper Magazine readers. It is your responsibility to make sure that any do-it-yourself modification project you undertake is safe, effective, and legal for your situation.
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