My virtual Caravan Site 

Water

Water system on our Bailey Unicorn Valencia

for photos go HERE

 

Onboard Tank
as fitted to my Bailey Senator, but a typical installation

Click on images below for full size photo


A- pipe from inlet  B- pipe to/from onboard tank  C- pipe to Caravan
E- Valves  F- Smartflow Pump


Valve positioning


A-  pump mounting plate  B- surge damper

The pump and valves are mounted on a plate screwed to the floor, this can be one of the main causes of 'a noisy pump' as this transmits the vibration to the floor which can act as a sounding board, amplifying the noise. One solution is to remove the screws holding the plate to the floor and slipping a thin piece of foam between the plate and the floor. The screws can then be replaced 'loosely'


The Inlet arrangement.

A- The inlet to the caravan has an 'O' ring to provide a seal. However, this is the biggest cause of noisy pumps etc. because it does not necessarily provide an air tight seal and air gets drawn in to the water system. It should be lubricated with Silicon grease according to the Manufacturer, but many of us use Vaseline or Olive Oil.

B-  The plug needs to be inserted fully and the Flap C pulled down to it, this is designed to fully pull home the plug.

Why use an onboard tank?

For many years I didn't bother using the fitted tank, well it's only for winter use isn't it?
Well there are several good reasons to use it:

A- Yes it's ideal in the winter months as an external Water Container and more importantly the inlet pipe, can freeze up.

B-  It is a useful addition to an Aquaroll to give plentiful supply of water for showers etc.

C-  My main use is to use it on the last night of a stay. This enables me to empty, clean and put away the Aquaroll and inlet pipe the day before, less to do when getting off on the last day.

The reason I don't use it all the time is that after my initial setting up and filling the Aquaroll, I keep it topped up using 5 Litre bottles filled from the Site tap.