The Complete Caravanners’ Guide To Carrying Water

Water is life on the road. Get it wrong and you’ll be rationing showers, hunting for taps, or worse — dealing with contaminated tanks and sick family members. Get it right and you’ll have the freedom to camp wherever you want for as long as you want.

The challenge isn’t just carrying enough water. It’s understanding the trade-offs between tank size, weight, water quality, and your camping style. A family of four doing remote camping needs a completely different setup than a couple who stays in caravan parks.

Here’s everything you need to know about water systems, from tank types to purification methods, so you can make the right choice for your big lap.

Fresh Water Tank Types: Poly vs Steel vs Fibreglass

Your fresh water tank is the heart of your water system. The material you choose affects weight, durability, taste, and price. Here’s the breakdown:

Polyethylene (Poly) Tanks

Poly tanks dominate the caravan market for good reason. They’re lightweight, impact-resistant, and won’t corrode. The downside is UV degradation if mounted externally without protection, and they can retain flavours from cleaning chemicals.

Expect to pay $200-400 for a 100-litre poly tank. Patriot Campers ~$350 and All Terrain Warriors ~$280 make excellent poly tanks with proper fittings and warranties.

Stainless Steel Tanks

Steel tanks are the premium choice. They don’t affect water taste, handle temperature extremes better, and last decades with proper care. The trade-off is weight — expect 30-50% more mass than equivalent poly tanks — and cost.

Quality steel tanks start around $600 for 100 litres and can exceed $1,200 for complex shapes with multiple outlets.

Fibreglass Tanks

Fibreglass tanks offer the best of both worlds — lighter than steel but more durable than poly. They resist UV damage and don’t affect water taste. However, they’re expensive and can crack from impact or vibration.

Only choose fibreglass if you’re building a custom setup or need a complex tank shape. For most caravanners, the cost doesn’t justify the marginal benefits over quality poly tanks.

How Much Water Do You Actually Need?

Tank size depends on your camping style, party size, and water discipline. Here’s the reality of water consumption on the road:

Daily Water Usage By Activity

• Drinking and cooking: 4-6 litres per person per day
• Basic hygiene: 2-4 litres per person per day
• Shower (2 minutes): 8-12 litres
• Dishes (family of four): 6-10 litres
• Washing machine cycle: 40-80 litres

A conservative family of four uses 60-80 litres per day with discipline. Add showers and dishwashing, and you’re looking at 100-120 litres daily.

Tank Size Recommendations

Solo travellers: 80-120 litres provides 3-4 days independence. Perfect for weekends away from facilities.

Couples: 150-200 litres gives you 2-3 days of comfortable living. This covers most remote camping scenarios.

Families: 250-350 litres minimum. You’ll burn through 100+ litres daily with kids. Consider dual tanks for weight distribution.

Extended remote camping: 400+ litres or dual-tank systems. Some big lappers run 600-800 litres across multiple tanks.

Tank Placement: Under-Floor vs External Mounting

Tank placement affects your van’s handling, storage space, and protection from damage. Each option has clear trade-offs.

Under-Floor Mounting

Under-floor tanks lower your centre of gravity and protect the tank from impact and UV damage. They’re hidden from view and don’t eat into internal storage. However, they reduce ground clearance and are harder to access for maintenance.

Most caravans come with under-floor fresh water tanks as standard. It’s the best choice for park-based travelling and sealed roads.

External Side Mounting

Side-mounted tanks are easy to access for cleaning and maintenance. They don’t affect ground clearance and can be removed for repairs. The downsides are higher centre of gravity, UV exposure, and lost external storage space.

Consider external mounting if you’re building a hybrid setup or need maximum ground clearance for rough tracks.

Internal Mounting

Internal tanks protect against all weather and impact but eat into living space. They’re common in motorhomes but rare in caravans due to space constraints. Only viable in large vans with dedicated storage areas.

Pressure Systems and Water Pumps

Your pump system determines water pressure, flow rate, and power consumption. The wrong choice creates frustrating low-pressure showers and constant pump cycling.

12V Pressure Pumps

Pressure pumps with accumulator tanks provide consistent water pressure and reduce pump cycling. They’re the gold standard for caravan water systems.

Quality pressure pumps start around $250. Add an accumulator tank ($80-150) to reduce cycling and improve pressure consistency. The Shurflo 4048 ~$320 and Jabsco Par Max 4 ~$280 are proven performers.

Pump Sizing

Match your pump to your water demands. A family shower needs 8-12 LPM flow rate. Kitchen taps work fine with 4-6 LPM. Undersized pumps run constantly and wear out faster.

Solo/couple: 6-8 LPM pump handles all normal activities

Family: 10-15 LPM pump for simultaneous use

Large setups: 15+ LPM or dual pump systems

Accumulator Tanks

Accumulator tanks store pressurised water to reduce pump cycling. They’re essential for consistent pressure and pump longevity. Size your accumulator to your largest single water draw — typically a shower.

A 2-litre accumulator suits most couples. Families should consider 4-8 litre tanks. The Shurflo Accumulator Tank ~$120 is the standard choice.

Water Filtration and Purification Options

Tank water tastes like whatever you put in it. Town water, bore water, and rainwater all carry different flavours and contaminants. Filtration improves taste and removes harmful bacteria.

Inline Filters

Inline filters install in your water line and filter all water entering your taps. They’re convenient but create pressure drop and need regular replacement.

Budget $150-300 for a quality inline system plus $50-80 per year for replacement cartridges. The Puretec CaravanPure ~$180 is popular with caravanners.

Under-Sink Filters

Under-sink filters only treat drinking water, preserving filter life and maintaining full pressure for showers and washing. They’re perfect if you’re only concerned about drinking water quality.

Quality under-sink systems cost $100-200 plus replacement filters. Consider the Berkey Travel Filter ~$320 for superior filtration without power requirements.

Water Purification Tablets

Purification tablets kill bacteria and viruses in questionable water sources. They’re essential backup for remote areas where water quality is unknown. Aquatabs ~$25 are NATO-approved and work in 30 minutes.

Filling Your Tanks: Hoses, Adaptors, and Accessories

Filling your tanks shouldn’t be a wrestling match with kinked hoses and leaking connections. The right gear makes the job quick and clean.

Water Hoses

Food-grade hoses resist kinking and don’t impart plastic taste. Cheap hoses collapse under suction and crack in UV. Buy once, cry once applies here.

Carry 20-30 metres total hose length. Many caravan parks have taps positioned for shorter vans. The Camco TastePURE ~$85 hose is worth the premium for taste and durability.

Hose Adaptors and Fittings

Australian taps use different thread pitches across states. Your universal adaptor kit should include:

• BSP male and female threads
• Snap-on quick connectors
• Reducing bushes for smaller taps
• 90-degree elbow fittings

The Camec Universal Tap Adaptor Kit ~$45 covers 95% of Australian taps. Add a Camco Water Bandit ~$25 for taps without threads.

Water Tank Level Monitors

Accurate tank monitoring prevents both running dry and overfilling. Ultrasonic sensors work better than float switches in moving vehicles.

Grey Water: Storage and Disposal

Grey water from sinks and showers needs proper storage and disposal. Poor grey water management creates environmental damage and legal problems.

Grey Water Tanks

Your grey water tank should match your fresh water capacity. If you can carry 200 litres fresh, you need 200 litres grey water storage. Anything less means rationing or illegal dumping.

Poly tanks work fine for grey water since taste isn’t a concern. Focus on easy drainage with large outlet valves. Gravity drainage beats electric pumps for reliability.

Grey Water Disposal

Legal disposal points include:

• Caravan park dump points
• Public dump points (check council websites)
• Home sewer connections
• Commercial disposal services

Grey Water Treatment

Biodegradable soaps reduce grey water environmental impact but don’t make ground disposal legal. Use them anyway — they break down faster in disposal systems and reduce tank odours.

The Ecostore Dishwashing Liquid ~$8 and Earth Choice Laundry Powder ~$12 are supermarket-available biodegradable options.

Our Water System Recommendations

Based on common caravan setups and camping styles, here are our recommended water system configurations:

Weekend Warrior (Couples, park-based travel)

A 120-litre fresh water system handles 2-3 days between fills. Perfect for couples who stay in caravan parks most of the time but want occasional free camping flexibility.

Tank: Patriot Campers 120L Poly Tank ~$320
Pump: Shurflo 4048 Revolution ~$320
Accumulator: Shurflo 2L Accumulator ~$120
Filter: Puretec Under-Sink Kit ~$150

Family Explorer (3-4 people, mixed camping)

Families need serious water capacity. This setup provides 2-3 days independence with disciplined use, or 1-2 days of comfortable living with showers and dishwashing.

Tank: All Terrain Warriors 250L Tank ~$480
Pump: Jabsco Par Max 6 ~$450
Accumulator: Shurflo 4L Accumulator ~$180
Filter: Puretec Caravan Kit ~$180

Remote Touring (Extended off-grid camping)

Serious remote camping demands serious water capacity. Dual tank systems distribute weight and provide redundancy. Consider 600-800 litres total capacity for week-long remote stays.

Tanks: Dual Ronco 200L Steel Tanks ~$1,600
Pump: Shurflo 5059 High Flow ~$580
Accumulator: Large 8L Accumulator ~$280
Filtration: Multi-stage Inline System ~$350