Where can I find water in my motorhome?

Are you about to set off in your motorhome and wondering where to find water? Looking for places to fill up your drinking water tank?

You'll love this article!

Motorhomes have been very much in vogue in recent years, and even more so since the confinements. The latter period has brought back a taste for freedom and space after some particularly tricky months.

But while, on the face of it, traveling in a motorhome is a 5-star dream with (almost) all the comforts of home wherever you go, the fact remains that it requires a bit of preparation. The most important point to pay attention to, apart from authorized parking spaces, is water management.

Where to fill up with water for your motorhome :

1. Service stations
2. Campsites
3. Motorhome parks
4. Public fountains
5. Cemeteries
6. In the wild

If knowing these places is important, so too are certain tips for preserving your health. Here's how:

• Why you need to be careful about the water you drink
• The importance of tank cleaning before setting off

Find out what happens next.

Why is water a management issue?

Even if you pack almost everything you need for your trip, you'll still needfresh water. Depending on the motorhome, the water tank capacity is generally limited to 100-150 liters, which are quickly consumed by cooking, washing up and showering.

Two people consume an average of 60-80 liters of water per day. The water tank should thereforebe topped up every two or three days in the motorhome.

But where can you find freshdrinking water for your camper van?

When you're traveling in France, and more generally in Europe, filling up your camper van with water isn't really an insurmountable hassle, at least when you avoid going off the beaten track.

In fact, water can be found just about everywhere, in public places. In restaurants and stores, for example, where most managers are happy to provide fresh drinking water on request for a small fee.

But you'll find that these are far from the only good "addresses"!

1. Service stations

In most service stationsthere is often a freely accessible tap for filling the motorhome's water tank. water tank.

As a general rule, service station operators appreciate it when you fill up at the same time. If there is no freely accessible tap, simply ask the manager and offer to pay.

2. Campsites

Even small campsites offer water supplies. Of course, if you've booked a pitch for several days or just one night, you'll have no problem refilling it.

Otherwise, if you're just passing through, you can ask any campsite, for a fee, if it's possible to fill up your motorhomewith water .

3. Motorhome parks

There are also pitches for motorhomes at service areas service areas. Here, you can stop off for a night or a short stay, for example.

On these special sites, not only is there an electrical connection, but there are alsofresh water supply where you can fill up with fresh water for a few euros.

4. Public fountains

 In some countries, particularly in the South public fountains part of the landscape. Most of the time, they are located in the heart of cities, which is why it is advisable to always have a can if you have to park a little way from one.

Don't expect to be able to fill the entire motorhome fuel tankA few liters are sufficient for an emergency supply of drinking water. In any case, don't hesitate to ask the locals beforehand if the water is safe to drink.

5. Cemeteries

These places have many plants and flowers that need watering in summer. That's why urbancemeteries are equipped with taps that provide fresh drinking water. The water is generally very clean and can be used in the camper van's tank without any problem.

Find outbefore you go: In the low season, thewater supplymay be cut off in some towns and villages. This is usually the case between November and March/April.

Also, a cemetery is a place of peace and quiet, so avoid wasting time, making noise or going there when someone is already there.

6. In the wild

The water in our lakes, rivers and streams can sometimes be so clear that it could make us less vigilant about its potability, especially during hot spells when we dream of drinking it greedily. But it's not drinkable, unfortunately.

The only way to ensure clean, fresh, drinkablewateris to tap directly into a spring. But most of the time, these sources are hard to find and are insufficient to fill a 100-litre tank. That said, they are an excellent alternative for topping up.

Even if water isn't drinkable, it's not "useless". In mountain streams, for example, it can be used for washing up or showering. And if you boil it (very important!), you can cook with it.

>>> To drink it, the healthiest and most hygienic solution is to use an adapted system, such as our filtering gourd.

Where can I find water points for motorhomes?

Now you know where you can fill up with water for your converted van. But like all motorhome drivers it's not always easy to get into certain places if you don't know that you can turn around safely... The best weapon is anticipation!

And technology has made it possible to do away with a few tricky maneuvers and other time-wasters by offering some very useful smartphone applications. Among the best-known are Maps.me and Freetaps.

• The first one, Maps.me is an alternative to Google Maps, one of whose distinctive features is that it works offline, which is always useful when you're off the beaten track and lose the network. Above all, it offers maps showing water points of every possible kind around you!

• Freetapsfor its part, simply points you in the direction of nearest drinking water nearest to you. Here, there's no risk of stumbling across a waterfall at an altitude of 1,600 meters, as the previous application might suggest.

With these two applications, water treatmentequipment such as a water filter and a little common sense, supplying your van with drinking water should never be a problem.

Paying attention to water quality

In France, and more generally in Europe, we're usually confident about the quality ofdrinking water from our taps. At least, up to a certain point. The fact is, however, that piping systems are sometimes outdated, and may therefore be made of lead. The water thus carries away all kinds of harmful substances , and the health health damage caused by lead

Moreover, you don't always know how long the water has been stagnant in the pipes, and whether pathogenic micro-organisms have already formed.

These questions also apply when the water comes from a well. In the latter case, the water source is underground, and agricultural chemicals may be present.

For these reasons at least, it's important to pay attention to the quality of the water you drink.

To dispel any doubts, you need to :

• boil water before use
• treat with Micropur® tablets
• use a filtration system integrated into a water bottle.

It's up to you.

Clean water tank and hose

Before every van trip, it's essential to clean and disinfect water tanks and jerrycans. Limescale and heavy metals can settle on the walls, providing an ideal breeding ground for viruses and bacteria.

When preparing your road tripRemember also to disinfect the water hose, an essential tool on a motorhome trip, as you'll be hard pressed to fill a 150-liter tank with the only watering can on the campsite. To be able to fill the tank over longer distances, you should take different lengths of hose with the corresponding fittings.

Enjoy your adventure and stay hydrated!

Going on a trip with a motorhome is like taking your home with you, except for drinking water, which requires a regular supply.

To ensure that your stay on the road is an experience you'll want to repeat, don't neglect this aspect. That said, with the advice given here, you should have no trouble at all.

And in case your water tank is almost empty and you're having trouble finding drinking water, think first of your body by staying hydrated. To reduce the risks as much as possible, keep a water bottle on hand to filter almost any type of water very quickly.

>> Our water filter bottles are available in 1 liter and 650 ml versions.