Liquid transfer pump

skids · 09-09-2020, 07:16 AM

Most of you will find this non-technical. A while back I bought a new FloJet water pump because the OEM installed one failed to hold pressure. I repaired that pump and received the new one a day or two later. So I decided that a transfer pump would be better than hoisting and pouring big jugs of water into the holding tank. I pull the trailer with only half a tank of FW, so there is sometimes a need at National Forest campgrounds around here because their shared water supply is not amenable for hoses.

An easy project. Mount the pump on a 2X6, rig an electrical switch and fuse, rig wiring and clamps to reach from the TT battery to the FW inlet. Lengths of tubing and brass connection to pump antifreeze through the city water connection hose and through the black tank flush. It was good that I had long enough wiring for that.

This does not take the place of pumping antifreeze through the original pump.

QCMan · 09-09-2020, 08:29 AM

Have you tried the Camco water bandit to hook your hose to the unthreaded water spigot? A whole lot less fuss than a transfer pump and hoses and jugs and wiring.

skids · 09-09-2020, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by QCMan

Have you tried the Camco water bandit to hook your hose to the unthreaded water spigot? A whole lot less fuss than a transfer pump and hoses and jugs and wiring.

I have seen those but not used one. The well pumps that I have seen at the Nat Forest campgrounds will not fit that water bandit thing.

KimNTerry · 09-09-2020, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by QCMan

Have you tried the Camco water bandit to hook your hose to the unthreaded water spigot? A whole lot less fuss than a transfer pump and hoses and jugs and wiring.

At the USFS campgrounds I frequent you will get a talking to from the camp host if you park your rig next to the spigot and use a water bandit to fill you rig. There are signs posted for not filling RV units. There are often bulk water sources near by if you ask the camp host. That being said, breaking camp to fill with water can be a hassle. I carry some collapsible 5 gallon water containers. I recently had a similar pump failure (Turns out it was some crud in the pressure switch). I repaired the old pump and put it back in service as a transfer pump. It came in very handy at Yellowstone this year and helped me load 20 gallons of fresh water without having to play the balancing act of lifting the flimsy water jugs to the fill port and use a funnel. BONUS: I also have a spare water pump if required.

Canonman · 09-09-2020, 11:25 AM

I have not yet been told I could not fill the Cougar FW from spigots along the road to the camp site. Usually the camp host is in one of the first spots coming in. I'll always ask if there is a fresh water source. Sometimes they have a dedicated spigot for filling FW tanks directly. Sometimes there is a fill station in a campground close by. More often, they simply say there are FW spigots along the way, "just don't block the road while you are filling up". So far no hassles and the Bandit works really well on those spigots w/o threads.

QCMan · 09-09-2020, 11:27 AM

What are the spigots for if they cannot be used???

**JRTJH** · 09-09-2020, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by QCMan

What are the spigots for if they cannot be used???

Around here, most state forest campgrounds do not have "pressurized running water". They have a "shallow well hand pump" and a water bandit is too small to fit the pump water outlet. The pumps can be used, but with some, depending on the air temperature, you may sweat more water than you pump out of the ground.

Canonman · 09-09-2020, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by QCMan

What are the spigots for if they cannot be used???

I'm guessing they are to fill 5 gallon water cans so you can carry water to your campsite. For sure they don't want you to attach your hose and use it like you would at an RV park, but you'd think they'd be OK with 5 minute tank fill. Like I said, never really had a problem over the years.
Haven't run in to any hand pump supplies yet either. Maybe an East vs West thing

skids · 09-09-2020, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Around here, most state forest campgrounds do not have "pressurized running water". They have a "shallow well hand pump" and a water bandit is too small to fit the pump water outlet. The pumps can be used, but with some, depending on the air temperature, you may sweat more water than you pump out of the ground.

True. The last manuel pump I used had stick action even though it looked greezy. It took about 15 minutes to pump 6.5 gallons in the jug. To make matters worse, it was hard to hit the funnel with a 1 + foot drop.

Javi · 09-09-2020, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Around here, most state forest campgrounds do not have "pressurized running water". They have a "shallow well hand pump" and a water bandit is too small to fit the pump water outlet. The pumps can be used, but with some, depending on the air temperature, you may sweat more water than you pump out of the ground.

We had one of them in the kitchen until I was 10 years old..

**JRTJH** · 09-09-2020, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skids

True. The last manuel pump I used had stick action even though it looked greezy. It took about 15 minutes to pump 6.5 gallons in the jug. To make matters worse, it was hard to hit the funnel with a 1 + foot drop.

Same as my experience... My DW and I usually fill two 6 gallon "walmart water containers". We use two 1 gallon buckets, a big funnel and as I fill the bucket, she swaps them out, pours the full one into a water jug and then replaces that empty one with the full one. My arms get a workout, she complains that I'm too slow I complain that she's too fast, but we finally pull the wagon with all our "stuff" and 12 gallons of water back to the trailer in the folding wagon we always have with us.

**JRTJH** · 09-09-2020, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Javi

We had one of them in the kitchen until I was 10 years old..

We did too, Javi, until Dad ran a water hose from the neighbor's house to ours and routed it through the kitchen window.

When we had the pump, we had to prime it every morning or it wouldn't start pumping. It took about 3 quarts of water. My younger brother used to sneak into the kitchen and drink the prime water and we'd have to go to the neighbor's house, prime their pump and get water to prime ours. Sure was glad to see that green "Western Auto garden hose" in the window when we "upgraded"...

Javi · 09-09-2020, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRTJH

We did too, Javi, until Dad ran a water hose from the neighbor's house to ours and routed it through the kitchen window.

When we had the pump, we had to prime it every morning or it wouldn't start pumping. It took about 3 quarts of water. My younger brother used to sneak into the kitchen and drink the prime water and we'd have to go to the neighbor's house, prime their pump and get water to prime ours. Sure was glad to see that green "Western Auto garden hose" in the window when we "upgraded"...

Our well still had a bucket draw and we just had to go get momma a bucket... can still her hollering Mikeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee get me a bucket.... NOW

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