Most motorhomes will have a built-in fresh water tank and a waste (grey) water tank. The fresh water tank will serve the kitchen sink and, if fitted, the washbasin and shower as well as the toilet’s flush (although a few vehicles have loos that have their own reservoir for flush water). A separate switch on the motorhome’s control panel will isolate the water pump and, when this is switched on, water will flow as soon as a tap or showerhead is turned on.
Most models will also have a hot water system, with a boiler heated by either gas or diesel (and often 230V, too, when you’re hooked up). Some motorhomes will have an external shower (sometimes cold water only), which is useful for washing down pets or boots.
When choosing a new ’van it’s important to consider the size and location of the water tanks, as well as the type of hot water system used.
HOW DO MOTORHOME WATER SYSTEMS WORK?
Most motorhomes and campervans have a fixed fresh water tank that’s filled up by physically moving the vehicle to within a hosepipe-filling length of a water tap. The fresh water tank is connected to a pump and series of hoses and taps, as well as feeding the hot water tank (often built into the heating system with a Truma Combi unit).
When you open a tap, the pump is activated – either via a pressure switch or a microswitch in the tap body – and water flows. It exits back through the vehicle’s plumbing into a grey waste water tank, which can then be drained by driving over a suitable drainage point on a campsite and emptying it.
