The Complete Caravanners’ Guide To Carrying Water

Water is the single most critical resource on your big lap. You can stretch food for days, run electronics off solar, and sleep rough if needed, but without clean drinking water, your trip ends fast. The question isn’t whether you need water storage, it’s how much you need and how you’ll carry it safely.

Most new caravanners vastly underestimate their water consumption. A family of four can easily burn through 100 litres per day when you factor in drinking, cooking, washing dishes, and basic hygiene. Run that math across a week of free camping and you’re looking at 700 litres minimum. That’s nearly three-quarters of a tonne, and it all needs to go somewhere.

The water carrying systems you choose will dictate where you can camp, how long you can stay off-grid, and ultimately how much freedom you have on the road. Get it wrong and you’ll be tied to caravan parks or making constant runs to town. Get it right and you can disappear into the bush for weeks.

How Much Water Do You Actually Need?

Before you can choose tanks, you need to understand your consumption patterns. The standard advice of “20 litres per person per day” is conservative rubbish. Real caravanners use far more water than that, especially when you factor in washing dishes, brief showers, and the occasional clothes wash.

Here’s what actual water usage looks like:

Drinking and cooking: 4-6 litres per person per day. This includes morning coffee, cooking water, and proper hydration in hot climates.

Basic hygiene: 8-12 litres per person per day. A quick camp shower uses 6-8 litres if you’re disciplined. Face washing, teeth brushing, and hand washing through the day add up.

Dishes and cleanup: 10-15 litres per day for a family. More if you’re cooking elaborate meals or entertaining other caravanners.

Miscellaneous: 5-10 litres per day. Pet water, rinsing sandy feet, topping up the washing machine, cleaning the van exterior.

Total realistic usage runs 30-40 litres per person per day. A couple needs 60-80 litres daily, while a family of four burns through 120-160 litres. Plan your storage around these numbers, not the optimistic figures you’ll see in brochures.

Climate makes a massive difference to consumption. In tropical Queensland, you’ll drink more and shower more frequently. In arid zones, everything dries out faster and you’ll use more water for basic comfort. Budget an extra 20-30% for extreme weather conditions.

Fixed Tank Types: Poly vs Stainless Steel

Your main water tank choice comes down to polyethylene (plastic) or stainless steel. Both have loyal followers, but the practical differences are significant enough to influence your entire setup.

Polyethylene tanks dominate the caravan market for good reasons. They’re lightweight, relatively cheap, and available in custom shapes to fit your van’s chassis. Quality poly tanks like those from Team Poly ~$400-800 or Aussie Tanks ~$350-700 will handle decades of road vibration without cracking.

The downside is heat. Dark-coloured poly tanks sitting in the sun will cook your water to undrinkable temperatures. White tanks stay cooler, but even they’ll hit 35-40°C on hot days. You’ll also get a plastic taste initially, though this fades after a few fill cycles.

Stainless steel tanks solve the temperature problem completely. Water stays cool regardless of ambient heat, and there’s never any taste contamination. Aquatainer stainless tanks ~$800-1,500 are the gold standard, but you’ll pay double what a comparable poly tank costs.

Steel tanks are also significantly heavier. A 200-litre poly tank weighs about 15kg empty, while the same capacity in stainless hits 35-40kg. That weight difference matters when you’re trying to stay within payload limits.

Tank capacity varies enormously. Small pop-tops might carry 60-80 litres total, while large family vans can accommodate 300+ litres. The sweet spot for most couples is 150-200 litres of main tank capacity, supplemented by portable storage for extended remote camping.

Portable Water Storage Options

Portable water storage gives you flexibility that fixed tanks can’t match. You can leave containers at base camp during day trips, carry extra water for extended stays, or use them to ferry water from distant taps to your campsite.

Rigid jerry cans are the most common portable solution. The Scepter Military Jerry Cans ~$45 each hold 20 litres and stack securely. They’re tough enough for years of abuse, though they’re heavy when full and take up significant storage space.

Collapsible containers solve the storage problem when empty. Reliance Aquatainer ~$35 units hold 26 litres but fold nearly flat when drained. The downside is durability – flexible containers eventually develop leaks from road vibration.

Bladder tanks maximise space efficiency by conforming to odd-shaped storage areas. Flexible Tank Company bladders ~$200-400 can be custom-made to fit under beds, in boot spaces, or anywhere you have unused volume. They’re more expensive than rigid alternatives but pack serious capacity into tight spaces.

The key with portable storage is having enough containers to make water runs worthwhile. Three or four 20-litre jerry cans let you collect 60-80 litres per trip, extending your camping time significantly. Factor in the labour though – hauling full jerry cans gets old fast, especially for older caravanners.

Tank Placement and Weight Distribution

Where you mount water tanks dramatically affects your van’s handling, payload capacity, and accessibility for maintenance. Get the placement wrong and you’ll create expensive problems down the track.

Underslung tanks are the default choice for good reasons. They keep the weight low and central, improving stability and reducing impact on payload. Access for cleaning and maintenance is excellent, and there’s no interior space consumed. The downside is exposure to road debris and potential freeze damage in cold climates.

Most quality caravan manufacturers position main tanks between the axles, directly under the kitchen or bathroom areas. This centralises the weight and keeps plumbing runs short. Avoid vans with tanks mounted behind the axles – they’ll create dangerous weight distribution as the tank empties and fills.

Internal tank placement protects your water from temperature extremes and road damage, but creates other challenges. Internal tanks consume precious interior space and make weight distribution harder to manage. They’re also much more difficult to clean and maintain properly.

If you’re retrofitting tanks to an existing van, consider professional installation. Mounting points need to handle not just the weight of full tanks, but the dynamic loads from cornering and braking. Amateur installations frequently fail, dumping 200+ litres of water and potentially damaging the van structure.

Water Pumps and Pressure Systems

Your water pump determines flow rates, pressure consistency, and overall system reliability. The standard 12V diaphragm pumps fitted to most caravans are adequate for basic needs, but serious remote camping demands better performance.

Diaphragm pumps like the Shurflo 2088 series ~$150 are self-priming and handle air bubbles well. They’re relatively quiet and draw modest current, making them suitable for solar-powered systems. Flow rates typically run 8-12 litres per minute, which feels adequate for washing dishes but frustratingly slow for showers.

Gear pumps deliver higher flow rates and more consistent pressure. The Jabsco Par-Max 3 ~$280 pushes 15+ litres per minute and maintains pressure better under varying demand. They’re noisier and draw more current, but the performance difference is dramatic when you’re trying to rinse soap off quickly.

Accumulator tanks solve the pulsing pressure problem that plagues most 12V pump systems. A small pressure vessel like the Shurflo Accumulator Tank ~$85 smooths out flow and reduces pump cycling. The improvement in shower comfort is immediately noticeable.

Pump placement matters more than most people realise. Mount pumps as close to the tank as possible to minimise suction head, and always below the tank outlet level. Priming problems are almost always caused by air leaks or poor pump positioning.

Water Filtration and Treatment

Tank water quality depends entirely on what you put in. Town water is generally safe but often tastes terrible due to chlorination. Bore water can be high in minerals or contaminated with bacteria. River and dam water requires serious treatment before it’s safe to drink.

Inline filters provide basic protection against sediment and improve taste by removing chlorine. The Puretec Caravan Filter Kit ~$120 installs between your tank and taps, catching particles and reducing chemical tastes. Replace cartridges every 6 months or when flow rates drop.

UV sterilisation kills bacteria and viruses without adding chemicals. Davey UV-C Steriliser ~$280 systems treat water as it flows to your taps, providing safe drinking water from questionable sources. They require 12V power and lamp replacement annually.

Tank sanitisation prevents bacterial growth during storage. Add 25ml of unscented household bleach per 100 litres when filling from questionable sources. Let it sit for 30 minutes, then flush the system until you can’t smell chlorine. This simple treatment kills most harmful organisms.

For extended remote camping, consider portable filtration like the Katadyn Pocket Filter ~$350. These ceramic filters handle seriously contaminated water, letting you safely fill tanks from creeks, dams, or other natural sources when properly treated.

Water Level Monitoring and Management

Knowing exactly how much water you have left prevents the disaster of running dry at remote camps. Basic tank senders and gauges work, but modern digital monitoring gives you much better information to manage consumption.

Analogue gauges are simple and reliable, but notoriously inaccurate. The traditional 12V tank sender and dash-mounted gauge will tell you roughly whether you’re full, half, or nearly empty. Don’t expect precision – these systems are accurate to perhaps 20% at best.

Digital monitoring systems like the Setec Seelevel II ~$180 provide precise readings and multiple tank monitoring from a single display. External sensors mount to tank walls without penetrating the structure, eliminating leak points while giving accurate level data.

Smart monitoring takes water management to the next level. Systems like the RV DataSat WaterLoc ~$450 track consumption patterns and predict when you’ll run dry based on current usage. Some integrate with smartphone apps to send alerts when levels drop below preset thresholds.

For basic monitoring without electronics, calibrate your system by draining known quantities and marking the tank or gauge. A simple permanent marker on the tank sight gauge gives you accurate reference points for quarter, half, and three-quarter levels.

Our Water System Recommendations

The best water system depends on your camping style, van size, and budget. Here’s how we’d spec systems for different types of caravanners:

For weekend warriors and caravan park tourers: A simple 80-100 litre poly tank with basic diaphragm pump covers most needs. Add a couple of jerry cans for flexibility and you’re set for trips up to a week. Total investment around $800-1,200 installed.

For serious remote camping: Invest in a larger stainless tank (180-220 litres), quality variable-speed pump, and substantial portable storage. Add UV sterilisation and digital monitoring for maximum capability. Budget $2,500-4,000 for a complete system.

For families or extended travel: Focus on capacity and convenience. Large poly tanks keep costs down while providing the volume needed for 4+ people. High-flow pumps and accumulators make daily use more pleasant. Expect to spend $1,500-2,500.

Remember that water systems work as a whole. A great pump won’t fix inadequate tank capacity, and massive storage is useless without proper monitoring. Design your system around your actual camping patterns, not what you think you might do someday.