driveway living-okay to have outside hose on all the time?

[BrianD.]

Hello everyone,

I am a newbie to the forums and to owning an Airstream.

I have recently bought a '76, 26' Argosy. I plan to do some driveway living in it for about a year or so in a friend's driveway.

I have been trying to think of all the possible things I need to buy and prepare for this kind of living.

I don't have the trailer yet as it's being repaired so I'm just getting info before it arrives.

I will have water run in a garden hose from the house that is not being used on the property to my trailer. I plan to use a 3 way splitter:

*one to have a smaller hose go into a filter and then the water inlet of the
rv,
* the other into an external tankless water heater that will be at the rv's
bumper area,
* and a third for hooking up a hose for when I need to wash down the rv.

I guess there needs to be a water regulator at one of these junctures right? I just saw that kind of device while buying things on the net and thought I might need it. I dunno.

I'm wondering if it will be okay to have the water from the house constantly turned on. Will this cause any kind of problems with the house or the trailer?

Thanks,

Brian

[loudruff]

Brian, My first thought was that I hope you have done your homework Have you checked to see whether driveway parking is prohibited by any local zoning ordinances? In our village, living in a trailer in a driveway is against village ordinances. Good luck with your move.

[BrianD.]

Thanks for thinking about that. I HAVE thought of that. Don't want to veer off this thread's question, but I will say this:

I originally had the idea to just find a vacant lot where I am currently living which is in a different county than my friend's place and just get the existing water and electricity on the lot hooked up to the trailer. I found out real quick the answer is 'no' when I first started this idea in my own county after visiting the county zoning department that this rv was not considered a 'permanent residence" and I wasn't building anything to live in it for a short time.

I guess I am taking a chance that there won't be a zoning person coming out to my friend's place. He lives in a different county. They probably have the same zoning ordinances. However, he lives down a long gravel driveway on an old horse farm. There are lots of trees along the front road and up to the house where I will be. So, I'm thinking no one will call about this since it is secluded and not in a neighborhood.

[Jammer]

Brian,

Whether you need a regulator depends on the water situation at the lot where you're parking.

By way of local example, I lived in rural Forsyth County for a few years and had a shared well. Some of the houses (not mine) were at the bottom of the hill, down from the well, and had really high water pressure. Most were fine.

If the water pressure stays below 60 PSI you don't need a regulator. You can measure it with a gauge, just go to the hardware store and get a gauge in the well section and fittings so you can hook it on to a faucet. Look at it every once and a while for a day or two and you'll see what the deal is.

Many Airstreams have a water pressure regulator built in. I'm not sure about your Argosy. Maybe one of our Argosy experts knows.

In general the only thing you have to worry about leaving the water turned on is having the hose freeze during the winter.

[BrianD.]

@ jammer: thank you. i believe the water will be from the city. he does have a well, but it's not working at the moment as he just recently pulled out the pump. That's a good idea about getting the pressure gage. I had no idea!

I'm thinking in the winter I will have to get some hose insulation like one puts on the a/c hoses all along the water hose.