*Extended Camp Water Supply*
This has been a project waiting for completion in my workshop for quite awhile. I tend to gather the parts over time, with some project in mind and when all are acquired, I get around to putting it together when I can, or in this case when winter approaches and I need room to get my truck inside. I have wanted to have a dual purpose water supply for some of our extended family camping trips as well as to provide a pure water de-con station for use when needed. The base of this project is a 55 gallon plastic food grade drum with two bungs on the top. To this I added a 12 volt supply type water pump from a decommissioned camper, some odds and ends of pipe and fittings and volla!
To start, I cut a piece of 2x12 board to a length that just fit on top of the drum. I drilled 3/8 holes through the wood and the drum top and then with some tricky maneuvering with a wrench with a nut inside the drum (through the open bung) and a bolt from the outside in, I bolted the wood to the drum top. This would be easier if you had a child that could help you by holding the nut inside their hand would fit through the hole where yours probably wont. To the wood, and using the rubber mounting feet, I mounted the pump near the center of the platform. I drilled out a hole in one of the bungs and with a combination of plumbing parts from my parts bin I put a Ύ PVC pipe into the tank with its end near but NOT touching the bottom of the drum.
From the top of the tank tube, I used some flexible tubing to connect to the input side of the pump. Use flexible tubing to help minimize vibrations. Then from the output side of the pump, I added a ball valve and then enough Ύ pipe to take the plumbing just over the edge of the drum and then turned 90 degrees toward the ground. I wanted a support for the end of the pipe that was not too solid to help keep vibration down. I used a square of 2 solid foam with a Ύ hole drilled in at the correct position and glued to the wood platform.
Then hooked to the end of the pipe is a 15 coiled water hose with sprayer. Once a 12 volt battery is connected to the connector block and the tank has water in it, all you have to do is open the ball valve and squeeze the sprayer. The pump automatically senses a drop in line pressure and starts pumping. When you release the handle, the pump shuts off automatically too.
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