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This was a fun project that seemed like overkill at first but is proving to be pretty useful. It’s a bit of a knockoff of a similar system used by some of the RV manufacturers (Nautilus panel) but optimized for my situation and space constraints. The upper panel is 7”x21” and the lower hose storage is 7”x17”. The panel consists of 1) combination gravity fill + vent fittings, 2) diverter valves for managing water flow direction, 3) button switches for pumps on/off, 4) quick connect fittings for hoses, and 5) mixing valve for hot/cold exterior shower. I have two water tanks (5 gal. dedicated drinking water + 25 gal. utility water), so the size of the upper panel could be reduced by at least 35% if managing only one water supply.
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With the various hoses connected:
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Here's a picture of what the back of the panel looks like before making all the connections. It looks crowded but was not difficult to connect everything.
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Here's a deeper dive for those that are interested:
Diverter valves
This is the heart of the project and below is a flow diagram. The first valve is the “FROM” and controls whether water comes from the hose connection or the tank. The second valve is the “TO” and controls whether water goes go the fixtures or the tank. This facilitates multiple scenarios explained below. I also made labels for the panel to make it easy for the end user (used FedEx Office vinyl decal service).
Tank water. Turn on the pump and it will pump water from the tank to the fixtures.
City water. Connect hose to city water and directly route to the fixtures (bypass tank) with pressurized water from the city. Good for priming all the fixtures with water to get air out of the lines.
Fill tank (pressurized). Connect hose to city water and route the water to the tank (no pump needed).
Sanitize or fill tank from container. Connect hose and insert into container, turn on the pump, and it will draw the water out of container and route to the tank. Use with a chlorine solution for sanitizing either tank, or fill my drinking water tank with Walmart water jugs purchased on the road.
Winterize. Connect hose and insert into container, turn on pump, and it will draw water out of the container and route directly to the fixtures. Classic use case is if you want to put antifreeze in the system. More common scenario for me is to connect an air compressor to the hose fitting, open all the fixtures, and blow all the water out of the water lines (obviously do not turn on pump in this case). Using this fitting for connecting to compressor.
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Pump switches
I used SPDT switches both at the galley and the panel so that the pump can be activated from either location. While the switches are rated for 10A, I used relays at the pump and just used low current signaling between the switches and the relays. I connected each set of switches with 3 conductors of 22 AWG; two for the SPDT switching and one for LED lights at each location so you don’t forget to turn off the pump.
Hose quick-connects
I used stainless steel quick connects made by Easy Flow Flushing. The are pricey but they are very nice quality and maybe the only one I could find that have a female cap. The male connector is installed on the front of the panel, and I have a female GHT to barb fitting on the other side. When not using the hose, the female cap is then placed on the male connector, which keeps any remaining dribble in the line from spilling into the van. I used the quick connects both for the inlet hose connections to the tank, and the outlet hose connection for the shower.
Shower mixing valve
I used the Ambassador Marine Aidack mixing valve since it is very compact and matches the hose caps. Works great. Very nice to have both hot and cold water at the rear of the van, especially since my interior shower is not built yet.
Combination gravity fill + vent
I was not planning to have a gravity fill since I can pressure fill from the hoses. But you need to be careful when direct connecting a hose (you can explode the tank), which was driving me to have a larger vent hose. So I decided to just combine them and use a single 1-1/4” hose to act as both gravity fill and vent. I custom made a cap using the materials in the picture below. When the cap is on, it acts as a vent with the 3/8” hole in the center of the cap. When I fill the tank, I unscrew the cap which exposes the entire 1-1/4” diameter and makes for a safe pressure fill. I used the same female caps from Easy Flow Flushing, but drilled a 3/8” hole in the center and epoxied them to the custom washer; also epoxied 1-1/4" threads on the other side. I lined the interior of the cap with screen to protect from larger insects. This can be supplemented by stuffing gauze in the cavity of the cap.
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Water tanks
I purchased my tanks from Class A Customs and the quality is fine for me. Wall thickness is 0.2” which seems to be adequate for my size of tank. Price is great. I made my own spin weld drivers and installed my own fitting as per this post. All the fittings are on the tops of the tanks to minimize chance of leakage. I installed access hatches at the top of the tanks so I could inspect and clean out if necessary. Due to manufacturing the tops and sides of the water tanks are not perfectly flat but instead slightly concave. I purchased a sheet of 1/16" EPDM rubber from McMaster and made gaskets for the exterior of the tank under the hatch. I made a stainless steel ring via SendCutSend.com and installed on the interior of the tank (the gap in the ring allows you to insert in tank). I then attached the hatch with through bolts and lock nuts, which flattened everything out. The metal ring provided a nice solid base so that I did not risk cracking the plastic hatch ring. Also installed KUS tank level sensors on the tops of the tanks and again made stainless rings for through-bolting.
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Have run everything through extensive testing and took it on a weekend trip. Thankfully everything works as planned!
With the various hoses connected:
Here's a picture of what the back of the panel looks like before making all the connections. It looks crowded but was not difficult to connect everything.
Here's a deeper dive for those that are interested:
Diverter valves
This is the heart of the project and below is a flow diagram. The first valve is the “FROM” and controls whether water comes from the hose connection or the tank. The second valve is the “TO” and controls whether water goes go the fixtures or the tank. This facilitates multiple scenarios explained below. I also made labels for the panel to make it easy for the end user (used FedEx Office vinyl decal service).
Tank water. Turn on the pump and it will pump water from the tank to the fixtures.
City water. Connect hose to city water and directly route to the fixtures (bypass tank) with pressurized water from the city. Good for priming all the fixtures with water to get air out of the lines.
Fill tank (pressurized). Connect hose to city water and route the water to the tank (no pump needed).
Sanitize or fill tank from container. Connect hose and insert into container, turn on the pump, and it will draw the water out of container and route to the tank. Use with a chlorine solution for sanitizing either tank, or fill my drinking water tank with Walmart water jugs purchased on the road.
Winterize. Connect hose and insert into container, turn on pump, and it will draw water out of the container and route directly to the fixtures. Classic use case is if you want to put antifreeze in the system. More common scenario for me is to connect an air compressor to the hose fitting, open all the fixtures, and blow all the water out of the water lines (obviously do not turn on pump in this case). Using this fitting for connecting to compressor.
Pump switches
I used SPDT switches both at the galley and the panel so that the pump can be activated from either location. While the switches are rated for 10A, I used relays at the pump and just used low current signaling between the switches and the relays. I connected each set of switches with 3 conductors of 22 AWG; two for the SPDT switching and one for LED lights at each location so you don’t forget to turn off the pump.
Hose quick-connects
I used stainless steel quick connects made by Easy Flow Flushing. The are pricey but they are very nice quality and maybe the only one I could find that have a female cap. The male connector is installed on the front of the panel, and I have a female GHT to barb fitting on the other side. When not using the hose, the female cap is then placed on the male connector, which keeps any remaining dribble in the line from spilling into the van. I used the quick connects both for the inlet hose connections to the tank, and the outlet hose connection for the shower.
Shower mixing valve
I used the Ambassador Marine Aidack mixing valve since it is very compact and matches the hose caps. Works great. Very nice to have both hot and cold water at the rear of the van, especially since my interior shower is not built yet.
Combination gravity fill + vent
I was not planning to have a gravity fill since I can pressure fill from the hoses. But you need to be careful when direct connecting a hose (you can explode the tank), which was driving me to have a larger vent hose. So I decided to just combine them and use a single 1-1/4” hose to act as both gravity fill and vent. I custom made a cap using the materials in the picture below. When the cap is on, it acts as a vent with the 3/8” hole in the center of the cap. When I fill the tank, I unscrew the cap which exposes the entire 1-1/4” diameter and makes for a safe pressure fill. I used the same female caps from Easy Flow Flushing, but drilled a 3/8” hole in the center and epoxied them to the custom washer; also epoxied 1-1/4" threads on the other side. I lined the interior of the cap with screen to protect from larger insects. This can be supplemented by stuffing gauze in the cavity of the cap.
Water tanks
I purchased my tanks from Class A Customs and the quality is fine for me. Wall thickness is 0.2” which seems to be adequate for my size of tank. Price is great. I made my own spin weld drivers and installed my own fitting as per this post. All the fittings are on the tops of the tanks to minimize chance of leakage. I installed access hatches at the top of the tanks so I could inspect and clean out if necessary. Due to manufacturing the tops and sides of the water tanks are not perfectly flat but instead slightly concave. I purchased a sheet of 1/16" EPDM rubber from McMaster and made gaskets for the exterior of the tank under the hatch. I made a stainless steel ring via SendCutSend.com and installed on the interior of the tank (the gap in the ring allows you to insert in tank). I then attached the hatch with through bolts and lock nuts, which flattened everything out. The metal ring provided a nice solid base so that I did not risk cracking the plastic hatch ring. Also installed KUS tank level sensors on the tops of the tanks and again made stainless rings for through-bolting.
Have run everything through extensive testing and took it on a weekend trip. Thankfully everything works as planned!
