Full Water Tank vs Deisal usage ?

[sweet caroline]

Hi guys, you lovely merry men/women out there !

When I go onto the many forums I belong to, and people say that OFF GRID is the way to go, as the sites have become so expensive, (which is TRUE! even CL sites, with no facilities are expensive !).

Well my question is ? I am up for a 2-week holiday driving from Suffolk to the Penines and the Lake District, but this time I am going to go via Britstops! But the problem is there is no water or electricity in their carparks for most, but some yes, but majority No!

Now as a lady, I like to shower everyday, so where do I get the water from?, to fill my tank up. Was told, NEVER drive with a full tank of water, as your consumption on deisal will skyrocket ! So not too sure, what the heck I do now! Trying to save money on the every increasing sites , or putting water into my tank, which at present, not too sure, where I would get that from anyway ? As most carparks don't have that facilities,

HELP please Advise please, if you have the time, during this xmas rush? hahah

 

[Lenny HB]

We always change the shower head to one with a trigger on it it allows you to leave the shower valve set to the temperature you like once its warm

Our van came with one I took it off easier to flip the tap leaver up and I also fitted a TMV which saves wasting water getting the right temperature.

 

[nicholsong]

An 80L tank should last you four days without too much frugality. The other consideration is getting rid of grey and black which is often tricker than finding fresh. C&CC sites allow members a "splash and dash" visit which includes using the shower block for, I think, £7, so you can do a "housekeeping stop every 3-4 days. Needless to say, visiting aires with these water and waste facilities is so much easier on the continent. I've kept overall site/aire costs down to less than £11 per night this year, 42 nights abroad including some posh sites and 29 in the UK, a mixture of car parks, CLs and sites.

Spendthrift!

We have just come back from 3 months in Italy and Greece and did not pay anywhere, although some parking was at restaurants, but we would have eaten there anyway.

 

[Barriesimpson]

Always travel full of water.
7 Day supply.
Always fill up when you find it, for a further 7 day travel.
However on the run home we do not fill just count your days.

7 days? Best I can get out of 100 litres is 4 days as both my wife and I shower daily and we have to do washing up and a little toilet flushing too.

 

[Barriesimpson]

Yes your right, i turn off water in between soaping up,then back on again, a definite ART hahaha

So do we, it's the only way.

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[pappajohn]

Don't forget, to begin you have a full 80ltr tank AND a full 10ltr boiler so actually 90ltrs.

 

[Barriesimpson]

Have you considered the adult shower wipes for a top to toe wash down rather than using the shower every day. There are numerous varieties available and the thickness/quality is quite good. I always carry a pack in my campervan

No, it's just not the same.

 

[Eyeballmike]

Been fulltiming now for 8 years. In the UK always travel with a full tank if your wild camping / off Grid. I don't use sites unless no other option. water is available you just need to be looking for it, and fill whenever you can, sometimes public toilet blocks have an outside tap, marinas, canal and river trust, fuel station, pubs, farms, even car wash places, some campsites allow a service only, always ask and always offer a donation, it's surprising how many places do want your money but happy to help.

 

[Eyeballmike]

* don't want your money

 

[quentinsf]

When I had a small van without a shower and was touring Scotland in mid-winter, I would sometimes seek out public swimming pools. Lots of showers, loos, plenty of hot water and there's nothing like a nice swim to freshen you up!

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[Jo662]

I always travel with a full tank of water. More convenient than trying to find water when you arrive at your destinations.
Also if you fill up with fuel at a petrol station,they will be more willing to allow you to top up with water

 

[Minxy]

Washing up can use a lot of water so I rarely do so instead wiping stuff with kitchen roll then a wet sponge if necessary, only the muckiest stuff gets water in it. We reuse cutlery so have different style ones for each of us so know who's is who's. Mugs are rinsed and reused. A lot of stuff doesn't need to be fully washed between uses, just every few days. Saves on washing liquid and also a lot less grey water to dispose of

Oh, and paper plates really make a difference, cheapo ones for most meals (reused if clean enough, eg sarnie at lunch, then good enough for tea), and plastic/plastic coated for saucy meals, eg curries.

 

[poppycamper]

Washing up can use a lot of water so I rarely do so instead wiping stuff with kitchen roll then a wet sponge if necessary, only the muckiest stuff gets water in it. We reuse cutlery so have different style ones for each of us so know who's is who's. Mugs are rinsed and reused. A lot of stuff doesn't need to be fully washed between uses, just every few days. Saves on washing liquid and also a lot less grey water to dispose of

Oh, and paper plates really make a difference, cheapo ones for most meals (reused if clean enough, eg sarnie at lunch, then good enough for tea), and plastic/plastic coated for saucy meals, eg curries.

Oh no Minxy... fat too much faff...
We just "Lick Plates Clean Wi Tongue"

 

[Minxy]

Oh no Minxy... fat too much faff...
We just "Lick Plates Clean Wi Tongue"

We used to let the dogs do that but it was counter productive as the players then needed a deep clean afterwards using more water!

 

[sweet caroline]

If it helps both me and wife can have a shower on a single 10l truma fill (we use hot/boost mode so it gets the tank nice and hot to allow 2 showers when mixed with cold). Do you have a shower heat that mixes air in, as if not you should look to get one as that lowers consumption (we have one).

We find our 100l tank does a shower a day for each of us minimum + our washing for around 4-5 days off grid, ie we use about a tank every 5 days.

Using a tank on 4 showers is effectively double our consmption, and yes my wife does wash her (long) hair as do I.

The biggest tip is getting the foaming shower gel from (Imperial leather foamburst or similar) as this massively reduces need for water, as you can just turn on wet hair and body, then foam, then rinse.

We also always carry a full tank of water in winter, if we are tevelling in summer we do not if we going to a site with water, but if we going for a festival/off grid place we are full. In winter it is becuase some taps will be shut/frozen on the weather and our tank is inboard so the heat in the motorhome keeps it from freezing. There is a minor impact to mpg, but it's probbaly half a mile per gallon if that.

Hi there,
Thank you for all yr tips above,I certainly feel more reassured. I will look into the device you have advised too. Merry christmas, n hopefully my First off grid experience will be stress free haha
Thank-you

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[PeterCarole29]

Been fulltiming now for 8 years. In the UK always travel with a full tank if your wild camping / off Grid. I don't use sites unless no other option. water is available you just need to be looking for it, and fill whenever you can, sometimes public toilet blocks have an outside tap, marinas, canal and river trust, fuel station, pubs, farms, even car wash places, some campsites allow a service only, always ask and always offer a donation, it's surprising how many places do want your money but happy to help.

Not relivent in the uk as I think standards are better than in Europe
We started to fill up with water at a garage on the roundabout in Roses in Spain it wasn’t an outside tap but the type on the end of a hose real
It was t mains and was filthy fortunately I realise and was very carefull after that

 

[starquake]

Hi there,
Thank you for all yr tips above,I certainly feel more reassured. I will look into the device you have advised too. Merry christmas, n hopefully my First off grid experience will be stress free haha
Thank-you

The air mix shower heads can be had from amazon for about £10-15 when I last checked. Ours is a Ecocamel Jetstorm:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/14578158...pid=5339023013&customid=&toolid=10001&mkevt=1 is it (this listing is for 2, but if you check the reviews you'll see many are motorhomers extolling the virtue of the lower water use). Ours came with the van from previous owner as an upgrade, but as you can see from the ebay listing they are not that expensive.

You may already have one (you can hear the shower head drawiing air in if you have one), but if you don't these may make an improvment to your water, and shower use.

 

[poppycamper]

Hi there,
Thank you for all yr tips above,I certainly feel more reassured. I will look into the device you have advised too. Merry christmas, n hopefully my First off grid experience will be stress free haha
Thank-you

sweet caroline .. good luck on your travels and remember...
1.. top up fresh water whenever you can..and
2.. wet whole body.. wash hair.. don't rinse hair yet... wash body... and then rinse whole body, including hair...

 

[Wildbill]

Hi guys, you lovely merry men/women out there !

When I go onto the many forums I belong to, and people say that OFF GRID is the way to go, as the sites have become so expensive, (which is TRUE! even CL sites, with no facilities are expensive !).

Well my question is ? I am up for a 2-week holiday driving from Suffolk to the Penines and the Lake District, but this time I am going to go via Britstops! But the problem is there is no water or electricity in their carparks for most, but some yes, but majority No!

Now as a lady, I like to shower everyday, so where do I get the water from?, to fill my tank up. Was told, NEVER drive with a full tank of water, as your consumption on deisal will skyrocket ! So not too sure, what the heck I do now! Trying to save money on the every increasing sites , or putting water into my tank, which at present, not too sure, where I would get that from anyway ? As most carparks don't have that facilities,

HELP please Advise please, if you have the time, during this xmas rush? hahah

I usually travel empty and when I get close to whare I want to go I fill up at a garage not all have free water bit hit and miss but in general we always seem to sort it public toilets cemetery churches sum pubs buy a drink or even food especially it you notice a out tap carry a watering can surprising where you can find a tap
We only use the water in the tank for washing and cleaning
We carry at least two gallons of bottle drinking water.
Sourced from drinking water taps
WB

 

[sweet caroline]

ahhh Great Advise, it is Only for a shower, and washing dishes, as I take drinking water rin another bottle in the MH

So TRUE! There is no way I would drink water from a 13 year old tank! yucky, so always have bottles of water with me, to drink or otherwise ! Albeit my daughter states, taking that taking plastic water bottles, is polluting the planet ! mmmmm

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[Dinosaur]

our shower head has a lever on it so it doent run while soaping ect then just push lever and rinse off Im sure if you havent got one you could get one and fit it, you just change the shower head over.

 

[Northernraider]

80 liters, enough for 2 showers, usually,

Are you showering using the water on get wet water off soap up water on rinse off method? 80 litres for 2 showers is madness.

A 100 litre tank used to last me 7/8 days showering daily. 10 litres max per shower and I have long hair.

Now I have a 200 litre tank I'm absolutely spoiled

 

[CAB96]

Hi there,
Thank you for all yr tips above,I certainly feel more reassured. I will look into the device you have advised too. Merry christmas, n hopefully my First off grid experience will be stress free haha
Thank-you

It will be interesting to know if you adapt your routine once you have completed your trip.

Enjoy!

 

[CAB96]

Oh, and what's all this wipes business?

Doesn't anyone use flannels anymore

 

[Barriesimpson]

Oh, and what's all this wipes business?

Doesn't anyone use flannels anymore

No.