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Where can I find water in my motorhome?
You're off on a camping-car trip soon and wondering where to find water? Are you looking for places to refill your drinking water tank?
This article will appeal to you!
Camping cars have been very trendy in recent years, and even more so since the confinements. This last period brought back a taste for freedom and space after some particularly tricky months.
But if, at first glance, traveling by motorhome is a 5-star dream with (almost) all the comforts of home wherever you go, the fact remains that it requires a bit of preparation. The most important point to pay attention to, in addition to authorized parking spaces, is water management.
Where to fill up with water for your motorhome:
- Gas stations
- Campsites
- Camping grounds
- Public fountains
- Cemeteries
- In nature
While knowing these places is important, so are some tips for preserving your health. We will see:
- Why you need to be careful about the water you drink
- The importance of tank cleaning before setting off
Discover the rest without further ado.
Why water is a management issue
Even if you pack almost everything you need for your journey, you'll still need fresh water. Depending on the motorhome, the water tank capacity is generally limited to 100-150 liters, which are quickly consumed by cooking, washing up and showering.
Two people consume on average 60 to 80 liters of water per day. Filling the water tank should therefore be considered every two or three days when motorhoming.
But where to find fresh drinking water for your camper van?
When traveling in France, and more generally in Europe, filling up with water for your camper van isn't really an insurmountable hassle, at least, when you avoid going off the beaten track.
In fact, water can be found just about everywhere, in public places. In restaurants and stores, for example, where most managers are happy to provide fresh drinking water on request for a small charge.
But you'll see that these are far from the only good "addresses"!"
1. Service stations
At most service stations, there is often a freely accessible tap for filling the motorhome's water tank.
As a general rule, service station operators appreciate it when you fill up at the same time. If there is no tap freely accessible, simply ask the manager and offer to pay.
2. Campsites
Even small campings provide water supplies. Of course, if you've booked a pitch for several days or just one night, you'll have no problem refueling.
On the other hand, if you're just passing through the area, you can ask any campsite, for a fee, if it's possible to fill up your camping-car with water.
3. RV parks
There are also pitches for camping-cars at specialized service areas. You can stop off here for a night or a short stay, for example.
On these special pitches, there's not only an electrical connection, but also fresh water supply stations where you can fill up virtually at the dispenser for a few euros.
4. Public fountains
In some countries, particularly in the South, public fountains are part of the landscape. Most of the time, they're located in the heart of towns, so it's a good idea to always have a bidon transportable on hand if you ever need to park a bit far from them.
Doubtless don't expect to fill the motorhome's tank completely, the hundred or so liters will be far too much to carry, but for an emergency supply of drinking water, a few liters are sufficient. If this is the case, don't hesitate to ask local residents beforehand whether the water is safe to drink.
5. Cemeteries
These places have lots of plants and flowers that need watering in summer. That's why the urban cemeteries are equipped with taps that provide fresh, drinkable water. The water is generally very clean and can be used in the motorhome's tank without any problem.
Find out before you go: In low season, the water supply may be cut off in some towns and villages. This is usually the case between November and March/April.
Also, a cemetery is a place of quietude and recollection, so avoid wasting time there, making noise and going when there's already someone there.
6. In the wilderness
The water in our lakes, rivers and streams can sometimes be so clear that it could make us less vigilant about its potability, especially during hot spells, when we start dreaming of drinking it greedily. But it's not potable, unfortunately.
Only by tapping directly from the source can you be sure of clean water, potable and fresh. But most of the time, these sources are hard to find and are insufficient to fill a tank of more than 100 liters. That said, they are an excellent alternative for topping up.
Even if water isn't drinkable, that doesn't mean it's "useless". In mountain ruisseaux, for example, it may well be suitable for dishesor for shower. And if you boil it (very important!), you can feed yourself by cooking with it.
>>> To drink it, the healthiest and most hygienic solution is to use a suitable system, such as our filtering jug.
Where to reopen water points for motorhomes?
You now know where it's possible to fill up with water for your convertible van. But as all camping-car drivers say, it's not always easy to get into certain places, if you don't know you can turn around there safely... For that, the best weapon is anticipation!"
And technology makes it possible to free yourself from some tricky maneuvers and other time-wasters by offering very useful smartphone apps. Among the best-known are Maps.me and Freetaps.
- The first, Maps.me is an alternative to Google Maps, one of whose distinctive features is that it works offline, which is always useful when you're off the beaten track and losing the network. But above all, it offers maps showing water spots of every possible kind around you!
- Freetaps, for its part, is content to simply tell you the drinking water points nearest to you. Here, there's no risk of falling on a waterfall at an altitude of 1,600 meters, as the previous application might suggest.
With these two applications, equipment to treat water such as a filtering gourd and a little common sense, the supply of drinking water for your outfitted van should never give you the slightest problem.
Pay attention to water quality
In France, and more generally in Europe, we are normally sure of the quality of drinking water drawn from the tap. At least, up to a point. It is indeed possible that the piping systems are sometimes outdated and therefore the piping may be lead. Water drains away all sorts of harmful substances and the health damage caused by lead is well documented.
Also, you don't always know how long the water has been stagnant in the pipes and whether pathogenic microorganisms have already formed.
These questions also apply when the water comes from a well. In the latter, the water source is underground, and chemicals from agriculture can be found there.
It's for these reasons at least that it's important to pay attention to the quality of the water we drink.
To dispel all doubts, we need:
- boil water before consuming
- treat it with Micropur tablets
- use a filtration system integrated into a gourd.
Your choice.
Clean water tank and hose
.Before every van trip, it's essential to clean and disinfect water tanks and jerricans. Limescale and heavy metals can settle on the walls, providing an ideal breeding ground for viruses and bacteria.
During the preparation of your road trip: Palso remember to disinfect the water hose, an indispensable utensil for a motorhome trip, as you'll hardly fill a 150-liter tank with the campsite's only watering can. To be able to fill the tank over longer distances, you should take different lengths of hose with the corresponding fittings.
Enjoy your adventure and stay hydrated!
Taking a trip with a motorhome is like taking your home with you, with the exception of drinking water, which requires a regular supply.
To ensure that your time on the road is an experience you'll want to repeat, don't overlook this aspect above all. That said, with the advice provided here, you should have no trouble.
And in case your water tank is almost empty and you're having trouble finding drinking water, think of your body first by staying hydrated. To reduce the risks as much as possible, keep a gourd which will allow you to filter just about any possible water very quickly.
<> Find our filtering water bottles in 1 liter and 650 ml versions.