Flexible (very) lightweight hose for filling water tank?

popotla

popotla

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Come to Germany! It's great for motorhoming/van life.
We decided to try to improve on the "two buckets and watering can" method of filling our tank and are thus looking for a suitable hose, as described in my thread title. # (1)Just about everything that appears on the internet includes a spray head - there may be a correct term for this, which I don't know - but we don't need that. I assume, though (am I right?) that this could be unscrewed and discarded. #(2) Also, we are a bit concerned about the matter of adaptors for fitting to taps (mostly in Germany, also in France and Spain). Does one have to carry a set of these?

#(3) Can anyone please suggest one or two specific makes/items which would appear to fit our needs? Thanks.
 
Now you’ve done it. The food grade hose fans will be on here telling you that if you don’t buy food grade hose then the very first time you use it you’ll be dead by tea time.
I just have 25metres of garden hose and a couple of different sized screw on tap connectors. These have always fitted the taps I used in France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Belgium the Netherlands and here. It’s useful to also buy a double male connector for the few female outlets you may come across.
 
The expanding hoses are fine (light & compact) but don't fight with a long one. Don't let anyone tread on it, either. You should be able to remove the sprinkler bit, but cheap ones may screw-on rather than use the standard connector. I lost my Heos filler cap, so now use the hose end instead. Just make sure it's connected properly, they are a sod to recover from the filler pipe. I wouldn't fret about connectors. You may well find someone has left one on the water tap, or find someone else too willing to lend theirs. You can take as many as you like but may still come up with an oval-shaped spout with no thread. That's when you revert to watering cans (two are better than one). There's no harm in have extra tap connectors. I've 'donated' several to taps we've left behind (as with two Heos connectors, somehow).
Food-grade has never bothered me. I don't intend to eat mine.
 
popotla said:
We decided to try to improve on the "two buckets and watering can" method of filling our tank and are thus looking for a suitable hose, as described in my thread title. # (1)Just about everything that appears on the internet includes a spray head - there may be a correct term for this, which I don't know - but we don't need that. I assume, though (am I right?) that this could be unscrewed and discarded. #(2) Also, we are a bit concerned about the matter of adaptors for fitting to taps (mostly in Germany, also in France and Spain). Does one have to carry a set of these?

#(3) Can anyone please suggest one or two specific makes/items which would appear to fit our needs? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Ive just bought a flat hose that comes on a reel, Its very light and compact. Only downside is you have to completely unreel the hose to use it. Not a major issue as Ive only got a 15m one.

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knickam said:
The most flexible hoses are these type available in various lengths.
Come with a separate nozzle and tap connector that clip onto the hose
Very easy to handle and can be stored in the box it comes in.

Amazon product ASIN B07KQSBL1Z
Click to expand...
Like the yellow colour. Should stop anyone treading on it.
7.5m is long enough. Too long and someone will drive over it or you'll have it in knots and, if you start pulling it around, you may break it.
 
Have a male and female fitting on each end then once filled and hose emptied join both ends and no more wet patches , and you have both fittings for conecting to water as sometimes you need the male fitting
 
There have been many threads on this subject and as yet I have not heard a perfect solution. Not only are we all different in our expectations but the nature of our camping also has differing 'perfect' solutions. What is the ideal length? In my own case about 5 metres. I fill-up when I arrive, so can park near a tap. I rarely stay on sites for an extended time and carry a watering can to prevent moving if needed. A long hose can be a pain drying out and fills a big space.
The tap fittings do vary but less than you think. I carry three common sizes plus a larger fitting for occasionally there are council taps for Boule players or gardeners.
The ideal connections are the standard 'Hozelock' push-fit type which can be bought anywhere and following legislation a few years ago, I believe must all be of the same size.

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Don't buy the reeled micro flat hose, far far too slow zzzzzzzzzzzz
 
IMG_20200831_111930.jpg
no Shortish hose and a load of adapters. I have needed them all at some time
IMG_20200831_111930.jpg
 
We have used this very flexible and stretching hose for the last year or so on our trips. Comes in different lengths and has a simple carry bag. Highly recommended by us. We also have a good selection of hose / tap connectors (1/2”, 3/4” and 1” thread) and joining connectors so we can borrow another campers hose when ours is not long enough.

Amazon product ASIN B07BBJHGQ1
www.wilko.com

Wilko Multi-Thread Watering Tap Connector | Wilko

Shop for Wilko Multi-Thread Watering Tap Connector at wilko - where we offer a range of home and leisure goods at great prices.
www.wilko.com www.wilko.com

Amazon product ASIN B0002BUMY6
Amazon product ASIN B00NU3YSF2

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Last edited:
Mhambi said:
Ive just bought a flat hose that comes on a reel, Its very light and compact. Only downside is you have to completely unreel the hose to use it. Not a major issue as Ive only got a 15m one.
Click to expand...
Us too.

We have used it for about 7 years with no problems. We took it off the reel and simply wind it around one end to save even more space.

We do carry a watering can for if we stay on a pitch longer than about two days but normally use the hose on arrival.
 
We leave home with a full tank and find it effortless to top up once a day whilst travelling with one watering can full a day about 14 litres. Now on site the hard work begins,,every 2 days I have to put two watering cans of water in.😁. Not hard work if you do it every couple of days,,No need for hoses.BUSBY.
 
popotla said:
Also, we are a bit concerned about the matter of adaptors for fitting to taps (mostly in Germany, also in France and Spain). Does one have to carry a set of these?
Click to expand...
Surprisingly perhaps, the screw threads on taps are standard 'inch' sizes, right across Europe. The normal one is 3/4", and occasionally you come across 1", or even 1/2". You can buy these adaptors in any hardware store (bricolage) that does garden hose. The click-in 'Hozelok' type fittings are standard too, and again are readily available, with different brand names .

I also have flexible rubber adaptors, the type with a jubilee clip to tighten onto a non-threaded tap, one small and one larger.
 
Mr Mousy said:
We have used this very flexible and stretching hose for the last year or so on our trips. Comes in different lengths and has a simple carry bag. Highly recommended by us. We also have a good selection of hose / tap connectors (1/2”, 3/4” and 1” thread) and joining connectors so we can borrow another campers hose when ours is not long enough.

Amazon product ASIN B07BBJHGQ1
www.wilko.com

Wilko Multi-Thread Watering Tap Connector | Wilko

Shop for Wilko Multi-Thread Watering Tap Connector at wilko - where we offer a range of home and leisure goods at great prices.
www.wilko.com www.wilko.com

Amazon product ASIN B0002BUMY6
Amazon product ASIN B00NU3YSF2
Click to expand...
Another vote for the yoyo wouldn't be without it.
 
When we need to use a hose we use a Brunner flat hose on a reel. As others will point out it is a bit slow due to the three small bores. The advantage is you don't need to unroll it fully and it takes up minimal room. Most sites/aires provide their own hose for filling, so we don't get it out often. We also carry a variety of tap fittings for all (most) eventualities and a fold-flat 10-litre carrier if all else fails.

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maison posted:
Mhambi said: Ive just bought a flat hose that comes on a reel, Its very light and compact. Only downside is you have to completely unreel the hose to use it. Not a major issue as Ive only got a 15m one.
Click to expand...
Us too. We have used it for about 7 years with no problems. We took it off the reel and simply wind it around one end to save even more space.

maison, could you mention the make, please?
 
I bought one of these which has a tap on it, stays in the filler hole for solo use and so far so good though most of the time I still use a 20 litre jerrycan. I have several tap adapters bought in various countries and a combination of them normally works:

Florabest 15m Flexible Garden Hose

Florabest 15m Flexible Garden Hose at Lidl each;
www.offerscheck.co.uk www.offerscheck.co.uk
 
Have a read of this:

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

Hosepipe

Me again! The pitch we are going onto is fully serviced and last time we had a pitch like that, we needed a hose to fill up the water tank, but to date we haven't got one, so looking now. Is there any particular type, size i need to get and what length would you recommend please? Linda
www.motorhomefun.co.uk www.motorhomefun.co.uk
 
MyrtleGuru said:
When we need to use a hose we use a Brunner flat hose on a reel. As others will point out it is a bit slow due to the three small bores. The advantage is you don't need to unroll it fully and it takes up minimal room. Most sites/aires provide their own hose for filling, so we don't get it out often. We also carry a variety of tap fittings for all (most) eventualities and a fold-flat 10-litre carrier if all else fails.
Click to expand...
C&MC sites don't provide a hose for the drinking tap under the pandemic now so you will either need a hose or a container.
 
Thanks for all these super-helpful replies to my o. p.

We are in Germany, where our normal modus operandi is parking areas (Stellplätze)
which have paid-for (or occasionally free) water and electricity. Of course, not all Plätze have water and elec but we choose the ones which do and where parking is free.

Typically, water might cost an Euro for, say, 90 liters and also be timed. - cuts off after, for example, after 4-5 minutes. So we fill one bucket, transfer to the watering can while the second bucket is filling, and so on. Doing this two or three times a week is, actually, no big deal but we thought a hose would be a good idea.

I've followed up on your suggestions but find quite a lot of users have been dissatisfied with these expanding hoses and all in all I think we might well be sticking to our tried and trusted method. There's some wastage but also a bit of lifting and movement.

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We use a 15m flat hose on a reel.....but attach a short length of normal hose to the end where it enters the inlet to the van. Otherwise, the flat hose would flatten and drastically reduce flow.

Also carry 3 metres of normal hose for when close to a water tap (saves unravelling 15m of flat hose).
 

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