Air Pressured Fresh Water Tanks

[Borrego_70]

I'm fascinated with this concept as I just like the idea of being off-grid and relying on simple physics for running water rather than electricity.


Thoughts? Anyone use these at all?

[Aerowood]

Why would you want to, first you would have to have a pressure rated tank (heavy) that would have to be completely sealed and non vented. Then you'd have to have a regulated air pump to recharge the tank. It gets overly complicated and heavy fast. A water pump and a vented polyurethane tank would be lighter and simpler.
Simple physics would to put the conformal tank in the ceiling and let gravity do the work, but that would really make the trailer top heavy.
Someone correct me here if I'm wrong but didn't Airstream try this on the really early models. I could be mistaken here.

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[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by Borrego_70

I'm fascinated with this concept as I just like the idea of being off-grid and relying on simple physics for running water rather than electricity.


Thoughts? Anyone use these at all?

Our first AS, a 63 Safari, had such a system, OEM at that time.
I MacGyvered it using the original limit switch on a newer style pump and used it 18 season's.
We just had to get used to the declining flow rate and longer pump run as the level lessoned.

Bob
🇺🇸

[dieralle]

Hi
I've also thought about such a compressed air system, the problem I see is to seal the entire system airtight, right down to the filler neck. So that the mini compressor does not start up every few minutes (which can be very annoying). I wanted to do a test setup, but I haven't gotten that far yet, so it's only in my head so far.


Ralle

[HiHoAgRV]

I have a '61 with the original pressurized system still in use. There are a couple of draw backs, there is no such thing as a 'little leak'. Its going to empty the tank since you cant turn off the pressure. Most annoying, there is no way to see how much water you have!

It is nice and quiet once the system is pressurized.

[ROBERT CROSS]

Originally Posted by HiHoAgRV

I have a '61 with the original pressurized system still in use. There are a couple of draw backs, there is no such thing as a 'little leak'. Its going to empty the tank since you cant turn off the pressure. Most annoying, there is no way to see how much water you have!

It is nice and quiet once the system is pressurized.

Turning off?
I just took out the schrader valve in the fill cap.

We got to know when to fill by how long the pump ran. No faulty sensors involved so we never ran out of water...

Bob
🇺🇸

[Borrego_70]

Maybe it's just me, but I like the idea of hand pumping pressure into the tank and not relying on electrical.


In fact, the restoration I was thinking about was to literally remove all electrical from the Airstream.



Whereas it seems most rebuilds put it modern and complex power systems, I just wanted something as simple and basic as possible.


Lights=battery op. TV=laptop. Appliances=propane. Cooling=evaporative. Outboard solar for recharging the batteries.



Seriously, I don't know what's wrong with me to want everything to be so contrarian!

[fiftysafari]

My '54 Safari had an air pressure tank.
No pesky water pump needed!
Am in renovation process...will be installing a "pesky water pump"...

[crispyboy]

My grandma and grandpa 1968 Norris white box trailer had such a system back in the day. Quite the pain in the rear compared to a 12v water pump. You can do it but you may want to think this out a bit more.

[gypsydad]

https://www.amazon.com/Brio-Universa...092311Y4Y?th=1

With a 3ga or 5ga fresh water jug, this works great for drinking water, coffee, tea...Don't have to worry about re-inventing anything.

[BigAl]

Put in a manual hand pump faucet like they use on sailboats if you want to boondock and not use 12 volt pump.

[dieralle]

Originally Posted by Borrego_70

Maybe it's just me, but I like the idea of hand pumping pressure into the tank and not relying on electrical.


In fact, the restoration I was thinking about was to literally remove all electrical from the Airstream.



Whereas it seems most rebuilds put it modern and complex power systems, I just wanted something as simple and basic as possible.


Lights=battery op. TV=laptop. Appliances=propane. Cooling=evaporative. Outboard solar for recharging the batteries.



Seriously, I don't know what's wrong with me to want everything to be so contrarian!

I know exactly what you mean, my first idea was to use a foot pump to build up the pressure as well.


Ralle

[richard5933]

No matter which system you use there is going to be a 'pesky' bit to it.

A friend of ours has a summer cottage on a lake in Wisconsin. They never upgraded the water system from when her grandfather built the house decades ago - still has the original hand pump on the kitchen sink used to bring up water. Every year the simple hand pump become pesky and more difficult to prime.

No matter how low-tech you think you're going, there will still be a weak link that needs attention every year.

Seems to me that a simple system with a tank and reliable electric pump is going to be less pesky in the end than one which relies on a pressurized tank and compressor. Still using electricity to move water through the faucets, just in a more complicated setup.

A foot pump for moving the water sounds okay, but it doesn't seem like it will add any enjoyment to using the trailer than just turning on the tap when you need water (or a shower). If the foot pump or manual air pump were the only ways to get water moving in the system, then I guarantee that those will become 'pesky' at some point, and probably sooner than an electric water pump will.

[dieralle]

Yes, there is some truth to it, you should weigh all the pros and cons. It's good that we can talk about it here.
Here is a picture that also fits the topic.

This is a Bowlus Roadchief from 1935. The predecessor of the riveted aluminum Airstream, so to speak.

Borrego_70, let us know how you decide and what progress you are making with it.

Greetings Ralle

[Ndcctrucks]

Possibly there was some misunderstanding of the original proposal.

I think you meant to apply air pressure to the main fresh water tank?

If so, then as was stated, you would need a pressure-rated tank. The plumbing would be fairly simple, except for fresh water fill. Unpressurized fresh water would require venting all the air in the tank, so you’d have to re-pump that.

Also as stated, when the tank is nearly full you would deplete the pressurized air quickly, requiring frequent re-pumping.

-Ken

[Borrego_70]

Originally Posted by richard5933

doesn't seem like it will add any enjoyment to using the trailer than just turning on the tap when you need water

Personally, I want a camper with minimal amenities. Our goal is mostly off grid camping/living in isolated spots, so the less I can do with electricity the better.


Also, anything that makes me move, like using a hand pump, is actually a welcome chore.

[Aerowood]

Like an "aluminum tent"?

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[Borrego_70]

Originally Posted by Aerowood

Like an "aluminum tent"?

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Yeah, that's not too far off. Compost toilet, solar, a few bats, propane; pretty modest.

[richard5933]

Originally Posted by Borrego_70

Yeah, that's not too far off. Compost toilet, solar, a few bats, propane; pretty modest.

But if you have solar and a few batteries, then why not the electric water pump? What will the solar & batteries actually be used for?

I understand the desire to not be reliant on technology when out in the middle of nowhere dry camping, but things like electric water pumps are overall pretty reliable and will probably fail at about the same rate as a hand or foot pump being used regularly on a daily basis to get water flowing. About the only type of system water delivery system that won't require maintenance or encounter problems with moving parts is one which has no moving parts like a gravity fed system, and that's difficult to accomplish with the water tank mounted in a location to provide safe towing.

[Boxite]

Install this in the shower and another at the galley: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=foot+pump...f=nb_sb_noss_2