Pressurize my AEV bumper tanks? Need some advice!

[MattJ]

I saw a post where someone used onboard air to pressurize the AEV bumper tanks that hold 4.8 gallons of water. I'd like to pressurize mine, but use my portable 12V compressor instead. I think it would be straightforward to punch a hole in the tank cap and add a spare tire air valve into it, then seal with silicone. I also think it should be easy to connect the two tanks with elbow fittings and a hose, as AEV instructs. It looks like the right side tank has a hole for a short "ventilation hose" which I assume I will have to seal shut, right? I am assuming that just 5psi or 10psi of pressure in those tanks will make it much easier to get the water out and purge them when it is time to drain the bumper. I've heard that the hand pump that AEV supplies doesn't work very well to pump the water out of the bumper cap, squirt by squirt.

My questions:
1) Anyone out there tried this? Or have a better fix for the AEV bumper tanks?
2) Any suggestions for a spigot, valve or extension hose that I could quick-connect to the hose that runs between the two tanks so I don't have to crawl under the bumper when I want to access the pressurized water?
3) Any obvious flaws in my plan?

 

[comptiger5000]

You could plug the vent hose and use pressure to drive the water out, or you could leave the vent, put in a port at the lowest point on the tank and use a 12v water pump to get a pressurized feed from the tank. If you want higher pressure water for anything, the second option would be best (you can use a pump that'll build 40+ psi without worrying about the bumper being safe to pressurize to that level).

 

[MattJ]

Closing off this thread. I decided to go with a gravity spigot instead. Photos are here:

http://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/183787-AEV-Bumper-Water-Tank-Gravity-Spigot