Water Hoses - Stopping Bad Tastes

Avoid filling your tank up using an ordinary garden hose unless you love the awful plastic taste. All caravan accessory shops sell special drinking water hose. This is generally light blue or white. Bunnings also sell both of these slightly cheaper. The blue one is usually called TRANSFER hose. This means you can only use it for transferring water from a tap to your tank - never under high pressure. At home we have a short length of this always near our closest tap. You only need a fitting on one end. Now if you want running water in your van when you are in a park you need the white PRESSURE hose. Be aware that some towns have very high water pressure and this can cause leaks INSIDE your van. We have had this problem and it's quite a traumatic experience to come home to water flowing out the front door of the van!

Siggy carries rain water in 45 litre plastic drums for water

This type of funnel works best - can be used by one person and has a good strainer. You'll be amazed at the amount of gunk it traps!

Three piece funnel with strainer - about $6 from Bunnings

The answer as recommended by Jeff Van Baardwyck of A'van is to buy a pressure reducer and fit it in the hose line BEFORE it gets into the van. Very good advice it is too! The disadvantage of this system is it can easily be stolen. Be careful not get confused here and buy a "reducer" used for watering systems. All these do is reduce the flow and the pressure eventually builds up to 100% mains. If you are handy with plumbing you can also install one just after the water inlet inside the van. Best not to attempt this unless you know what you are doing. as if you get slow leaks etc. you can get major van damage over time. Whale seem to be the market leaders in this field and you will see them fitted as standard to just about all motorhomes and upmarket caravans - about $72.00 from either Carac or Camec. These do not come with a lockable cap as it is not really needed but they are easy to fit as they go through the wall very neatly and are far more substantial than the covers fitted A'van. For what it's worth we now only ever fill our tank up using a bucket we keep set aside just for water. It takes four and a half buckets to fill the A'van tank. We find a three piece funnel with filter works best and it only needs one person. If the only water you can get is awful tasting try putting half a lemon with it. You'll find this advice invaluable when all you can get is foul smelling bore water. Of course you can always buy bottled water at twice the price of petrol!