Help with Water Hookup in Comp Trailer

[cbagby64]

I'm trying to figure out the best way to hook up water to the sink in my comp trailer. The sink is a basic utility sink and I currently run waste water through the drain into a gray water tub under the trailer. Ideally I would have both the gray water and fresh water tanks under the trailer during the contest and not in the actual trailer(it's only a 7x14 cargo trailer). I'm assuming I need to hook up a pump or something to get the water to pull out of the fresh water tank and into the faucet. Anyone done this before or have a good idea on how to do it?

Thanks in advance-

[roksmith]

Research RV water pumps. I believe most are 12v and are ondemand, which I believe means that when you open the valve, pressure on the outgoing side of the pump drops which activates the pump.

Now having said that, we operate without a freshwater tank and just run the water hookup on the outside of the trailer to our sink/water heater. Keep in mind, we are strictly comp and don't follow any type of HD regs.

[Ford]

this is more complicated than you think. The pump can be 12v or 110 (costs more). It will be on demand so you turn on the tap and it pulls water. To do this the sytem needs to be bacically sealed with a intake for air as water is removed.

Talk to an RV dealer about this. That's also the best place to get a tank. Having tanks under the trailer means mounting them there. Not sure you can do it with your trailer but might be possible.

Some comps really frown on running waste from a trailer out thru the bottom even if it's into a catch basin.

[Rub]

I've got a home installed setup on my trailer. 15 gallon fresh tank in the front, fill and vent holes on the front outside of the trailer. Water in to tank, then 12v pump (with switch), out to sinks, etc. When attached to a hose at a contest I turn my pump off and it all works off the pressure of the hose. If there is no water, I turn my pump on and it pumps when needed. Pretty simple set up, my friend did it for me. Pick up the parts at a RV place.

[redneck cooker]

I have a 20 gallon weed sprayer tank, with a 12 volt pump going from the fresh water, to the faucet, have a 12 volt water heater plumbed in line for the hot side ,(if needed), all grey water goes on ground if cooking on grass and in a 5 gallon bucket if on pavement...works great...

[Brewmaster]

I went out and bought a 15 gallon 12volt garden sprayer. It pumps 2.7 gal/min.



I removed the wand and put on a garden hose end.

I use one of these to power the pump.



Then I installed a RV water hookup on the outside of my trailer.



This way I can use my garden sprayer or if the contest has running water I can use that.

Inside I have this split to go to the cold water side and a propane tankless water heater.

Works perfect.

[redneck cooker]

thats what i got

[Smoke'n Ice]

Have a 22 gal retangular rv water tank under the sink with fill hose, vent hose and drain hose plumbed to the outside of a 6 X 12 Vnose trailer. On the right in the picture is a Shure 110 volt 2.6 gpm pump feeding into an accumulator with has three connections. The first goes to the cold water of the sink, the middle goes to the inlet water of the on-demand hot water heater and the end one goes to a check valve protected inlet for external water hook up. Been using this setup for years with no issues other than the water heater froze up this past winter and had to be replaced. Did not properly drain it at the end of the season.

[cbagby64]

Thanks for the info!

[CBQ]

The setup on my Klose offset doesn't require a pump or air inlet. A well expansion tank is used to hold water under pressure. The tank feeds an on demand water heater and a cold water line to the sinks. There is a 20 gallon grey water tank under the sinks.

I normally run with a hose as a water source, but I can get 6-7 gallons of running water without a hose connected.

Since it's a pressurized system, no air inlet or pump is needed. I just connect the hose. I don't have to fill the tank, ever. It fills when the hose is connected, stopping when the air pressure in the tank equals the water pressure in the hose. When I open the water tap, water flows from the hose if it's connected, and from the tank if it's not. There are no values needed to make this work, so would be easy to do yourself. (I do use a check valve on the hose though to prevent backflow from the tank into the hose.)

Of course one should be prepared to answer the question "what is that thing?" at contests. Most people think it's an elaborate system for keeping the Q moist, and they are let down when they find out it's for washing dishes.

[Smoke'n Ice]

One other consideration for a water system, be it in a trailer or on the smoker, a method whereby to fill it at the comp site or at a very close location to the cookoff. The weight of water is 8.34 pounds per gal at 20 degree C and one atmosphere. Math tells us that 10 gallons of water weights 83.4 pounds. This equals extra weight on the trailer and also the tongue and don't even think about the cost of gas to haul water from home unless it is part of your recipe.

I know that some may think it extreme but, I will stop near the cookoff and buy the gallon jugs of water is use for marinades just to keep down weight and cost as most of my trips are greater than 200 miles and as Ben said, "a penny saved is a penny earned."