Water containers.

[Soxandjeff]

One of the stipulations for classifying your van as a motorhome / campervan is that it has to be fitted with a minimum size 5 ltr water container.
Does anyone else find this a bit of a pain in the arse?
I am more often away on my own so I find buying a pack of twelve small bottles of water (or a couple of big bottles) easier as it`s only used for the odd hot drink, washing up, dogs and washing in.
Water in a container never tastes the same the next day or the day after.
How do you `lone wolves` manage with your water and containers?

 

[st3v3]

Surely it only needs to be there for the duration of the process of classifying as a MH?

 

[n brown]

what's the problem ? a container in a cupboard.

 

[yorkslass]

As above.

Just cos it's there doesn't mean you have to use it. Nothing to stop you taking it out.

 

[vwalan]

use black plastic water jerry cans . ideal keeps water good for years .
have a look in ex army style stores .
for water tanks they should be black as well.
best dont use hose pipes they give off a taste .
water if uk tap water should keep for ages in a black plastic container.
mind i never buy water taps in every country i go.
or catch rain water ,or use local font drinking water.

 

[Soxandjeff]

what's the problem ? a container in a cupboard.

It`s space I could use for something else!
A 5ltr container is a little OTT for a bloke on his own.

 

[Soxandjeff]

Surely it only needs to be there for the duration of the process of classifying as a MH?

The condition says it has to be fixed in place as with any furniture in a self build.

 

[n brown]

It`s space I could use for something else!
A 5ltr container is a little OTT for a bloke on his own.

5 ltr- 1 gallon ? anyway take it out after the photo

 

[Dowel]

One of the stipulations for classifying your van as a motorhome / campervan is that it has to be fitted with a minimum size 5 ltr water container.

Where do you get the figure of 5 litres from? I cannot see that anywhere in the government guidance:
Converting a vehicle into a motorhome - GOV.UK

I would not take the requirement for water storage to be “fixed” too seriously either. As long as it is secure and can not “escape" to cause damage or injury it should be ok. It can be helpful if your plastic jerry can is easily removable for cleaning if required.

 

[Soxandjeff]

Where do you get the figure of 5 litres from? I cannot see that anywhere in the government guidance:
Converting a vehicle into a motorhome - GOV.UK

I would not take the requirement for water storage to be “fixed” too seriously either. As long as it is secure and can not “escape" to cause damage or injury it should be ok. It can be helpful if your plastic jerry can is easily removable for cleaning if required.

Agreed .. I got the 5 ltr bit wrong.

 

[shaunr68]

Interesting, I'm sure there was a requirement for a minimum 25L water storage container the last time I went through the re-registration process with DVLA. It isn't unreasonable as far as I'm concerned to expect a vehicle registered as a Motor Caravan to have sufficient onboard water capacity to at least allow for a few cuppas, cooking a meal and washing up.

They're not expensive, I bought one of these 20L jobs recently as it is slim enough to fit behind the driver's seat and will carry spare water in case my onboard tank runs out.

20 Litre Plastic Water Jerry Can Carrier Container Storage With Pouring with tap | eBay

 

[malagaoth]

5L is hardly 'over the top'
mug of tea = 0.4L say three mugs per day = 1.2L
I assume that you intend washing so thats at least (at the very least) another 1L (more if you wet shave or want to brush your teeth)
wash a plate/ rinse out your mug at the end of the day another 0.75L

thats 3 litres and I that has to be the absolute minimum!

We use about 10L per day each (assuming we dont shower)

as pointed out 'fixed' can mean held in place with a strap

 

[helen262]

One of the stipulations for classifying your van as a motorhome / campervan is that it has to be fitted with a minimum size 5 ltr water container.
Does anyone else find this a bit of a pain in the arse?
I am more often away on my own so I find buying a pack of twelve small bottles of water (or a couple of big bottles) easier as it`s only used for the odd hot drink, washing up, dogs and washing in.
Water in a container never tastes the same the next day or the day after.
How do you `lone wolves` manage with your water and containers?

But a pack of 12 small bottles of water is 6 litre, and will fake up as much if not more room than a 5ltr container,plus you will then have twelve empty plastic bottles to dispose of, where as having a container it will be used over and over many times.
So I would have thought that a container would be better than having to keep buying bottles of water, and cheaper in the long run

 

[peter palance]

what,what

use black plastic water jerry cans . ideal keeps water good for years .
have a look in ex army style stores .
for water tanks they should be black as well.
best dont use hose pipes they give off a taste .
water if uk tap water should keep for ages in a black plastic container.
mind i never buy water taps in every country i go.
or catch rain water ,or use local font drinking water.

for use at front of house were are u ha ha. pj

 

[wildebus]

When I had my first conversion reclassified I had no water storage and it was not a problem.
There are multiple versions of the Motor Caravan requirements on various .gov.uk websites. The one that is intended for companies doing conversions as a. Commercial enterprise has more stipulations then the one that seems to be aimed at individuals.

But having said that, a water container in a cupboard is hardly a hardship to comply with (you can get 2L water bottles as well)

 

[n brown]

i think it's a mistake to take these 'requirements' too literally. i see them more as guidelines. if you were 4'6'' you'd be fuming at having to build a 6' bed ,for instance, not to mention the fact that it isn't possible to have a 6' bed across most vans, but it's common practice in many self-builds. i have never shown a pic of water storage either. i think that if the pics show that the van is obviously a camper ,then that is all they need.
the only paperwork i have ever sent is a short note with the v5 saying ''as shown in the accompanying [6] photos , i have converted this vehicle to a motor caravan , and include the v5 for amendment , yours etc

 

[peter palance]

water water

One of the stipulations for classifying your van as a motorhome / campervan is that it has to be fitted with a minimum size 5 ltr water container.
Does anyone else find this a bit of a pain in the arse?
I am more often away on my own so I find buying a pack of twelve small bottles of water (or a couple of big bottles) easier as it`s only used for the odd hot drink, washing up, dogs and washing in.
Water in a container never tastes the same the next day or the day after.
How do you `lone wolves` manage with your water and containers?

bee ceful ov thee jeeries in the tank ,pj

 

[Soxandjeff]

But a pack of 12 small bottles of water is 6 litre, and will fake up as much if not more room than a 5ltr container,plus you will then have twelve empty plastic bottles to dispose of, where as having a container it will be used over and over many times.
So I would have thought that a container would be better than having to keep buying bottles of water, and cheaper in the long run

I quite agree but if I`m on my own then I prefer bottles as water in a large container can taste `fousty` after a couple of days.

 

[Dowel]

Our last van had 10 litres in a plastic can below the sink with a whale sub pump feeding the tap. We bought a 19 litre tank for the new project, conversion in progress. If you look at the camping shop web sites you will see various sizes and shapes of water container, tall and thin to wide and low.

We take drinking water in 1 litre plastic bottles (re-used squash bottles) which we freeze before setting off and store in the electric coolbox. It is all very low tech, close to camping with a tent but without the misery of pitching the tent in a damp field in the pouring rain.
.
I bought an expensive SMEV combi sink and hob for the new project as an easy way to comply with the DVLA req’s but we really only ever used one burner of our hob in the old van. A 907 Gaz cylinder can last a long time for us but we like to eat out which gives my better half a break from cooking.
Other people want large fresh, grey and black tanks, cookers with four burners an oven and so on. It is all entirely up to the individuals.

DVLA recently said this in response to a FOI request:

“The guidance you refer to is not prescribed in law but has been established, by the
Department for Transport, to assist motorists when they carry out “do it yourself”
conversions of their motor vehicles into “camper vans”/ “motor homes”.

You can see the rest, which confirms a one burner hob would be acceptable here:
TO 00565878 minimum requirement of cooking facilities.pdf

 

[malagaoth]

I prefer bottles as water in a large container can taste `fousty` after a couple of days

puzzled by this, water in a large plastic container goes 'fousty' after a few days but the same water will happily sit in a smaller plastic bottle for months with no ill effect?

how large does the plastic container have to be to have this effect - you can buy 5L bottles of water in many supermarkets, 2L bottles are every where

As I said in another thread my only water storage is the 100L water tank installed by the builder under the floor and providing that there is a turnover of water it seems to be fine.

I dont have the most discerning of palates obviously