Vehicle H2O Systems Shower/sink

[flyingwil]

Well on my drive to work today I passed as the water slide park and thought back to when I was a kid and we would have water fights with the old style fire extinguishers. You know the kind that takes water and is charged by compressed air... Bingo the light bulb went off, why not integrate this into the vehicle water system?

Some pro's:
Reduces weight, no electrical draw when charged, variable flow and pressure.

Some con's:
Might be subject to leaks, increases compressor work, might need to add a air tank (cancels out the reduction of weight) and might want an electrical back up for redundancy.

I know my list of cons outweigh the pros, but what do you all think?

Wil

[Nullifier]

Well could be good if ya have enough ports to run a line from the air tank to the water tank. Obviously there wold have be an in line pressure fitting but the big question is would you have to go to a metal tank? My guess is no since a water tank should be sealed even if it's poly. Just wonder if the fittings could be mounted into a poly tank. Scott what do you think. I like the idea

[+ d]

conceptually i like the idea...i don't think that much air pressure would really be needed. if you already have onboard air it seems like an easy move. but i wonder if air quality control would be an issue, would it affect water taste? one wouldn't want air compressor oil drizzling into the water supply...


but all this just so you can have water fights wil!?

[flyingwil]

conceptually i like the idea...i don't think that much air pressure would really be needed. if you already have onboard air it seems like an easy move. but i wonder if air quality control would be an issue, would it affect water taste? one wouldn't want air compressor oil drizzling into the water supply...


but all this just so you can have water fights wil!?

No just planning my shower/sink options...

Just wondering why I have not seen it done yet, it is old school water pressure, and I am sure it has been done. Just making sure I do all my homework first before it gets built!

Wil

[HongerVenture]

Its very interesting that you would post on this idea... I've been giving it thought lately as well. I’ve been looking to fashion a hot water solution that is pressurized for showering.

My thought has to been to get a 4’ piece of 4” black ABS plastic pipe and cap it off on the ends. I would secure this to my roofrack so that it would receive heat from the sun during the day, effectively serving as a water heater of sorts. This pipe would essentially be a tank with a filling hole, an air filling valve, and a quick-connect for a shower hose. I’d fill the tank about 3/4 full with water and allow it to warm by direct sunlight exposure during the day. At end of day I’d pump compressed air in the tank with a compressor and then hook up the shower hose for a quick warm shower.

My biggest hang-up is the weight issue. It is probably better to just grab one of the 12V shower kits Mr. Bajataco has sourced and boil your water at end of day.

[awalter]

Why not just hook-up an on-demand RV waterpump? They are relatively small & lightweight.

[njtaco]

I agree with AWalter... a 12V RV pump would probably be better. That said, campers (trailers and RVs) had a similar system to what you are suggesting, even into the late 70's, that I have seen had the poor fortune to have worked on. Possibly even more recent models...

A 30 gallon galvanized steel tank, or aluminum or stainless (rare) was coupled with a 40(?) PSI air pump. To run off shore water, a "garden" hose would supply both pressure and water. Dry camping one would use the air pump. The fill neck often had a pressure guage on it.

Many of these parts are still available at a good RV parts department. The trick may be finding a parts rep who will take the time to help.

+d, these air pump were oil-less, IIRC. No taste issues, except the old tanks.

Regarding using a plastic tank under pressure, I have seen (not just heard of ) plastic tanks splitting under shore water pressure when filling with a regulated water supply. As little as 40 PSI, give or take, is enough pressure to rupture some of these tanks. If you go this route, make sure the tank you buy is rated for your max regulated PSI or better. Can you even get these affordably? I don't know.

A better option, though, would be a RV demand pump coupled with a bladder tank (like a house with a well) for quiet, consistant, reliable pressure. I really like Scott's setup for simplicity and reliability. Research the pumps a bit. There are a variety available, with various GPM ratings, and some will even self-prime up to 4 feet! Most common pumps are rebuildable in the field.

Good luck with the project.

Bob

[Desertdude]

I have one like this - Zodi ? This may seem like a barbaric set up - but it is simple - effective - and has very little moving parts.

to add - after all my work setting up a hot water shower - I am not sure it is all worth the time and effort - compared to something much simpler - I do still like the Polytank/12vpump setup I designed - but it is maintenance + time & $$ and weight!