A big one this, plumbing a van. Daunting! It’s incredibly easy to put off plumbing in your van because who even knows where to start. The idea that you can turn on a tap and water automatically comes out of it is almost mind bending when you are starting out.
Like everything you are going to come across on our guides, thankfully, it’s not actually too hard. We are going to break it down. This article is going to talk about how you get from freshwater outside the van to safely pressurised water that is ready to send wherever you want in your campervan (hot water heater/ sink/ shower).
In order to do that, first we look at the key components to a plumbing system. Then we will look at how to connect them up. Finally, as always we will show and tell exactly our set up.
Key components for your campervan plumbing system
Fresh water tank
A fresh water tank stores water for drinking, washing dishes, and showering. You feed water into them from the outside world and it sits ready to be used. Sometimes, you people drill holes in their van wall and affix an inlet, so you can fill up your water tank as if you were putting petrol in it from outside. Other times you have to open up van doors to get to water tanks, or even take them out completely (if they are small). Let’s look at the different types.
Exterior Water Tanks
Many van lifers choose to install a water tank underneath the outside of their van. This option is great for having more water available without taking up space inside the campervan, but it runs the risk of damage and freezing water.
Interior Fresh Water Tanks
Other people opt to have freshwater tanks inside their van, so the opposite is true. It shouldn’t freeze and it shouldn’t get damaged. By installing the tank and plumbing inside the van, it can be used in all seasons. If you’re serious about keeping your options open, you could use both, taking your interior tank and sticking it under your van, only to put it back into an interior set up for when it gets cold.
How to know what to water tank to buy
When choosing a water tank, several factors should be considered.
Sizing
The size of the tank depends on usage and how many days off grid you want. One shower (one person) uses a little less than 12 litres of water. You’ll probably dump between 8 litres of water down the sink every day. You’ll need to drink a couple of litres each. Plus, because of where the inlets and outlets are on your waste water tank, you might not be able to fill it up the whole way.
The recommended tank sizes are 30, 50, 75, 100, 120 and 150 litres.
It’s also important to be frugal with water when living in a van. Calculating water usage is helpful for sizing the water tank.
Small tanks are suitable for mainly staying in campsites with regular access to fill up, while larger tanks are necessary for going off-grid for several days. It’s not necessary to buy the biggest tank available, if you can get away with a smaller one. Save some money and some space. Remember, One litre of water weighs one kilogram, so if you haven’t checked out how to design a campervan go back to this article now. Your fresh water tank will be your heaviest single item.
Detachable
Two options for water storage in a campervan are detachable fresh water tanks and fixed fresh water tanks. The advantages of a detachable fresh water tank include portability and the very low cost, while the disadvantages include small storage capacity and the need for frequent refilling.
The advantages of a fixed fresh water tank include high storage capacity and durability.
If you want to go off grid for any length of time, best to fix in as big a tank as you can afford (money and space), and keep a couple of 5l bottles filled in the back, for emergencies.
Some non-negotiables
Food-safe materials should be used for the construction of your water tank, and, well, all of your water system components. We also only recommend tanks that are thick-walled.
It’s also important to check where the inlets are and make sure they fit your design. Custom tanks that sit over the wheel arch or underslung tanks can be better options depending on the van’s use and climate.
Grey water tank
What is a Grey Water Tank?
Grey water tanks are used for ‘dirty’ water from the shower and sink. Grey water is the wastewater that comes from sinks and showers in your campervan. It can contain soap, grease, and other ‘contaminants’. A grey water tank collects this wastewater and stores it until you can properly dispose of it.
Do You Need One?
Whether or not you need a grey water tank in your campervan depends on how you plan to use it. For example, people who plan on spending a lot of time on a campsite may want a grey water tank to avoid draining their water directly onto a pitch. Super embarrassing guys.
If your grey water will only be coming from your sink, and you are going to be wild camping the whole time, you may not feel the need to install a tank. However, if you plan on using your shower frequently or if you want to be eco-friendly and avoid harmful substances entering the environment, a grey water tank should be included in your water system.
If you don’t want to install a grey water tank but plan on spending time on campsites, you can always leave a container underneath your waste water pipe to collect the grey water and dispose of it before you leave.
Our advice is no matter what style of roaming you intend to do, you should have a grey water tank set up. Even if you only use eco-friendly products, you are still putting lots of things into the environment that are not supposed to be there. Whether it’s grease, bits of food or the last bit of cereal milk you never finish. Let’s be kind to the planet and leave no trace.
Considerations before buying
We’ve shared that the correct answer here is that you should get a grey water tank for your campervan. So what do you need to consider?
Sizing
How often you will be able to empty it is the main factor. The grey water tank usually goes underneath your sink, and so won’t be anywhere near as big as the fresh water tank. Typically, you’d cap a grey water tank at half the size of your fresh because, ultimately, the size of the grey water tank you need depends on your water usage. A 30l tank may be sufficient for washing dishes and cooking, but if you plan to use your shower frequently, you may need a larger one.
Remember weight distribution and that a full 30l tank weighs 30kg.
Where to put it
You will also need to consider where to mount it – often people mount this directly under their sink so the waste pipe can go straight into it, and it’s easy to access for emptying. You’ll want to make sure that the tank won’t interfere with any other components of your build or cause any issues with weight distribution.
I’ve also seen some tanks (in womo’s) that have wheels, so you can wheel your tank when it needs to be emptied, which is pretty neat.
Inside or out?
There are both interior and exterior grey water tanks available, each with their own pros and cons. Interior tanks are more common among vanlifers, but exterior tanks can give you more space for grey water and means you don’t have to worry about dumping it as often.
Black tanks
Another tank for waste, but this time it’s of the human kind. Black water is any wastewater that contains human waste. This is the tank attached to your toilet. Black water needs to be dumped exclusively at campsite waste stations and kept separate from grey water.
Not having a black tank is the main reason lots of vanlifers shell out the money for a composting toilet.
Pumps
In order to get fresh water out of your tanks in a campervan, you need a water pump. There are three different methods for pumping fresh water around your system in a campervan conversion: manual water pump, submersible water pump, and external pressure-sensitive water pump.
The manual water pump is the simplest method, with a plunger built into the tap, and does not require electricity. It is low cost, quiet, and reliable, but may get strenuous if you need to pump a lot of water. You can find manual pumps that operate via hand or foot.
The submersible water pump is submerged inside the freshwater tank and operated via an external 12-volt power supply. It is usually controlled by an external switch. Pop the switch on and water comes out of your tap.
Meanwhile, the external pressure-sensitive water pump is the one where you turn on the tap and water comes out of it. It’s the most recommended option. Pressure sensitive pumps are automatic and self-priming (don’t worry, you don’t need to know what this means) they have a low amp draw, they are capable of running dry without damage and operate quietly. There’s little more you can ask for out of a pump. That does, however, mean they are the most expensive, and a good water pump will cost you £100. Still, this is the pump that we recommend for your plumbing system.
To perfectly pressurise the van water system you will need the 12V water pump and, optionally, an accumulator to smooth out the changes in pressure from the pump. The accumulator acts as a small water reserve to prevent the water pump from being triggered all the time.
The downsides of electric water pumps that start automatically is in allowing for a constant stream of running water; they use more water, so you might need bigger tanks for freshwater and grey water. They can be noisy when running, and should be switched off when possible to conserve power and you will need to add a mechanical filter to avoid small water debris getting inside the pump and damaging it.
Pipes
Pipes are an essential part of any water system in a van build. They are used to connect the water tanks and elements, allowing water to flow to where it is needed.
The choice of pipe material is crucial and depends on factors such as durability, ease of installation, cost, non-toxic, non-contaminating, taste-free, and approved for drinking water material, and suitable for pressurised or hot water if needed.
The most common types of pipes used in van builds are copper, PVC, and PEX. Each material has its advantages and disadvantages.
Whilst you can use whatever kind of pipes you like, we’re going to save you some time and just suggest that you use “push fit pipes”. We had never heard of push fit pipes (we are not plumbers) so just in case you haven’t let me explain.
They are plastic pipes that are very easy to cut. They are connected by a whole range of different connectors that are extremely easy to find and buy on Amazon or your nearest plumbing shop. They are very easy to use, extremely cheap, and actually kind of fun. The main brand you’ll find of push fit piping is “John Guest” or “JG” speed fit/ push fit.
We wouldn’t recommend anything else.
Fitting it together
I put this off for ages, because it felt so unattainable. It turns out it’s not that hard. Here’s what we’ll go through.
The fresh water tank is full of water. We need to get that water to the sink, so we’re going to add some pipes out of the fresh water tank, into a pump. Out the other side of the pump is another pipe that goes to underneath the sink, where it can attach to the tap.
Easy.
When the water comes out the tap, and into the sink, we need to install the grey water tanks for it to go into. So, we attach some more pipes from the sinkhole that goes into the top of a grey water tank. The tank will overflow after some time, so some additional pipes need to go from the bottom of the grey water tank to the outside of the van.
And that’s what we’re going to talk through in this article.
Designing your system
At this point, you should have decided:
- How much water you need per day
- How big your fresh water tank is
- How heavy your fresh water tank will be when full
- Where you are going to put your freshwater tank (remember the weight distribution of the van)
- The placement of your sink
- The placement of your bathroom
- How big your grey water tank is
- How many outlets you need (water/ shower/ external shower)
- And have bought all the components you need.
Fitting the water tank
Prepare the tank: Start by finding your anchor points (ribs/ framework/ metal) on the wall and the floor, near where you are going to install the water tank. Use threaded bars, nuts, and washers to secure the tank in place. This will prevent the tank from shifting during travel and ensure even weight distribution.
Install a fill point: Mount the fill point higher than the tank and at a safe distance to prevent spills during steep inclines. Use a convoluted hose that matches the size of the inlet and jubilee clips to attach the water inlet to the water tank.
Inlet continued: If the tank does not have an inlet spot, use a drill to make one and seal it with silicone to prevent leaks.
Install a removable bung: Ensure the water inlet comes with a removable bung to let the water system breathe and prevent air pressure buildup.
Securely mount the tank to the ply with threaded bar, nuts, and washers to prevent any movement while driving. Ensure the fill point is mounted higher than the tank and at a safe distance away from it to prevent water spills during steep inclines. Use convoluted hose and jubilee clips to attach the water inlet to a sturdy piece of ply inside or outside the van. Lastly, make sure the water inlet has a removable bung to allow the water system to breathe and prevent any air pressure buildup.”
Your fresh water tank will have an outlet, it will be at the bottom, usually in a corner.
You will need a tank outlet valve. Luckily, you can get one in the pushfit range.
Screw the outlet valve into the fresh water tank.
That’s it for now.
Connecting fresh water to the pump
First you need to choose a pump that meets the demands of your water system. The one we’ve added below will almost definitely do just fine.
Next, we need to position the pump. It needs to be mounted somewhere secure, because it vibrates.
We also need to think about the pipework, and where that is secured to. The most obvious answer here is that we put the pump along the wall near to the fresh water tank. There needs to be enough distance from it, though, that you can run the pipes at their various right angles to it.
Find an anchor point on the framing. Or, if you can’t do that, screw some 12mm ply to create a plate for the pump to sit on, that is attached to one of your Van’s wood or metal frames.
The pump screw’s in using normal screws. Remember to get the pump the correct way around, otherwise it will suck fresh air into your fresh water tank, instead of pulling fresh water into your system.
To complete the fitting, we need to protect the pump by fitting a fresh water filter on the fresh water side. This acts as a strainer and picks up any bits of debris that might have accidentally got into your water system.
This is done using a small piece of pipe to connect it on. See a link below to the one that we used.
On the other side, if you chose to (you should) you need to add an accumulator. The accumulator helps pressurise the system. What that really means is it keeps an even flow of water coming out of your taps. They are worth their cost.
The accumulator should screw in close to your water pump, and you connect with a small piece of piping. We’ll look at pipes next.
Connecting up the pipework
We are only going to discuss John Guest Push Fit here, because it’s the best and easiest pipework for the job.
This is like adults Meccano.
You need to connect up a line of pipework that gets the water to the pump in the most efficient manner, using only straight lines (plastic pipes) and right angles (elbows/ connectors).
To connect a pipe into a connector, you just push it in. Literally. That is it.
Our tip, because the van is moving around a lot, is to buy a few packs of ‘inserts’.
Inserts go into the pipe before you push it into the connector. They are designed to help the end of the pipe keep its structure and its water seal.
If you need to remove the pipe, you can do that by unscrewing one part of the connector (best to practise on one before attempting to fit the system.
We recommend when fitting your pipework, that you push in but not all the way, and have it all resting together before fully fitting.
Also remember, that the fittings to keep the pipework secure protrude out of the wall, so best to screw those into the wall before you run your pipes.
The cutting tool is perfect for the job, and for a few quid will make this much easier. All you do to use it is open it up, put the pipe inside, close it, squeeze it, turn it.
Make sure you have a sharpie to draw on the pipework.
And that the pipe needs a cm or so into the connector, don’t cut the pipes too small.
Measure up the longest distances between your fresh water tank and your water pump filter.
Splitting pipes
Is really easy with push fit, but it has to be done at right angles.
You can buy an ‘equal Tee’ push fit that is basically a T shape. You push in the pipework, making sure you have inserts in the pipes, and away you go.
You will likely want to follow up each split pipe with a push fit ‘equal 90 degree elbow’ to get the water flowing back in the original direction of travel.
No go backwards
If you don’t want your water to travel backwards for any reason, push fit also for a ‘non-return valve’ which for some reason is called a check valve.
Turn on and off
Pushfit does a switch to stop the water flowing. In plumping these are called valves. They are connected in the same way as all the others. Push the insert into the end of the pipe, push the end of the pipe into the end of the valve.
What we did
Our fresh water tank
Our fresh water tank is 100l, we think. Because of where the inlet is, we can only fill it to about 70-80 litres. 70-80 litres will typically last us 4 – 5 days before we need to fill it back up again.
The tank is located in the garage, on one side of the van. We have secured it with two bits of 2×1 on the floor.
We also keep a 5l of water in the boot which we have needed when we’ve turned on the tap and nothing has come out!
Our grey water tank
Our grey water tank is underneath our sink. It’s a 30 litre water canister and is accessible if we take out all the kitchen cupboards.
It allows us to collect grey water without dumping it, and then releasing it in appropriate places, like at campsites. A straight through dump of grey water out of the sink isn’t even worth considering for us, as it kills all stealth, leaves a mess, gives van lifers a bad name and could be bad for the environment.
The tank is connected to the underneath of the sink via a standard kitchen P trap.
We had to force the plastic tube into the neck of the canister, because it was a bit too fat. That meant cutting a slit and squashing the pipe work together. Luckily it’s flexible. We also taped up the connection, because grey water tanks smell.
To get water out of the grey water tank, there was a hole in the bottom of the water canister, designed for a plastic spout. We pulled that off and added a copper push fit outlet. To that we added a small length of push fit pipe, into a valve (on/ off connector). Out of that, and because we were working with holes that were already cut in the van for the removed hydronic, we have added garden hose. The garden hose travels in a bendy line to the hole, where we have a little ‘willy’ that can be pulled out of the bottom of the van and placed into the grate of a campervan grey water dump.
This is not perfect. But it has held.
We have had some issues with this set up. First, we forgot about it once. And the bad water came up through the P trap and into the sink, as we were doing the dishes.
When it subsided it left all the gunk that had been festering in the bottom of the grey water tank in the hosing and the p trap and the sides of the tank. This was very unpleasant to clean. It stunk.
Also, as we are fitting standard housing products into non standard housing products, it doesn’t fit very well. If you do not have a tight seal, be prepared for your van to stink after a while.
We are very careful with what we put down the sink (for instance, we never allow dairy products (leftover milk in your cereal bowl etc) to go down there, we never drain the juice from cans of beans, and we catch as many food bits as possible. But. It’s going to get gnarly in your grey water tank.
We are replacing our grey water tank at a cost of £35 after 6 months of travel, because we haven’t been able to figure out a good way of cleaning it. (we have tried coca cola/ bleach/ removing and shaking etc.). And I guess this is a cost we will bear every six month stint we are in the van.
Connecting everything together
We use push fit. It took us a little while to figure out how it all works, and all the plumber jargon, but we got there in the end.
A few tips, always remember the inserts. They are cheap and might just save your entire system. We have some in our spares box whilst we travel.
Remember water runs downhill.
Consider where things might go wrong, and if they do, how easy is it to change that part. For this reason, we have a valve (on/off) after the fresh water tank. If for any reason I need to take the tank out I can turn the valve to the off position, and none of the water sitting in the system will rush back at me when un-do the valve. Same thing for the water pump. Same thing for the calorifier. And the water filter.
The little tool to cut pipework is amazing.
Wiring in your pump
If you have an electric pump you will need to give it power somehow. It also makes a lot of sense to have that power on a switch, so you can turn it off when you don’t need it. You are unlikely to get much power drain from a pump, but sometimes ours goes off in the night if we leave it on, as it is re-pressurising the system.
Like all big scary jobs, this is really rather easy. You need to run a positive and a negative wire from your fuse box to your switch. From your switch, you run the same red and black wires to your pump and connect on the terminals.
And that is it my friends.