Water systems are essential in getting the maximum comfort and utility out of your teardrop trailer. They keep you hydrated and make sure you can brush your teeth, clean your dishes, and put out your campfires.
Let’s break down everything you need to know about teardrop trailer water systems — from their parts to cleaning and fixing them to winterization and beyond.
What is a Trailer Water System?
A trailer water system is pretty self-explanatory — it’s what supplies your mobile home, teardrop, or RV with H2O. They pump water to various parts of the camper, such as the kitchen and other supply lines, like an outdoor hookup.
There are many advantages to purchasing a camper with a water system. The first is that you don’t have to lug around an external water supply. You simply fill your system’s tanks and have access to freshwater.
Secondly, in certain trailers, you can get a supply of fresh water to the bathroom for showers, flushing the toilet, and brushing your teeth. And of course, it makes washing dishes much easier with clean, running water.
Teardrop Water System Parts
A teardrop water system is just that — a system. As such, there are multiple pieces that work in unison to supply water to various parts of the trailer.
1. Freshwater Holding Tank
Freshwater holding tanks secure all of your drinkable water that comes out of the trailer’s faucet taps.
At a minimum, you should clean this tank every six months in addition to when/if you take your teardrop out of long-term storage. Also, if you notice your water tasting a bit off, it may be time to run a sanitizing routine, directions to which can be found further in the article.
This component is essential because you won’t necessarily have anything to drink outside of what you bring along — e.g. bottles of water. And, whether you’re camping down the street or exploring the remote wilderness on a boondocking adventure, these holding tanks are what supply you with enough water for your trip.
You can usually expect these tanks to hold anywhere from 8 gallons on a small teardrop and up to 100 gallons on larger RVs.
2. Grey Water Holding Tank
The grey tank is where used water from the sink is collected. It’s important to clean them at least once every six months and we recommend you empty them after each trip before putting your camper into storage to prevent unpleasant wastewater smells from developing.
How often you need to empty your gray water tank will depend on your water use. If you are using water freely, which may be the case if you are connected to city water, you may need to empty your grey tank every couple of days.
More conservative water users might not need to empty it for a week or longer. Since most teardrop campers don’t have gauges to monitor tank level, getting a sense for when to check it comes from experience.
3. Water Pump
The pump is the mechanism that pushes the water between the tanks, the lines, and the faucets. Before you use any of the water in your trailer, you’ll need to turn on the water pump switch so that there is pressure to push the water through the system and out the faucet.
4. Water Filter
Like the filter in your water system at home, this piece is crucial to ensuring your water is potable. Filters block all the debris from making its way into your water system and coming out of your taps. The small size of teardrops means large, high-quality filters are out of the question.
But that doesn’t let them off the hook! A simple solution to this problem is installing an in-line garden hose water filter in your teardrop’s system. It’s compact, works just as well, and ensures the water going into your tank is clean.
5. Sink, Faucet, and Sprayer
In a teardrop trailer like a Vistabule, the, sink, faucet, and sprayer are located in the back galley and kitchenette area. The user simply pops open the rear hatch to reveal a modern, streamlined kitchen, complete with all of the hydration components you need to pour yourself a drink, cook up some food or wash up for dinner.
6. Water System Inlets / Access Compartment
This is where you fill the freshwater tank or connect to a city water source with a garden hose.
Filling Your Teardrop Water Tank
How long is your upcoming camp trip? If you’re planning a long-term, primitive journey, you will need to adjust for how much water to bring. If your tank can’t hold enough to keep you hydrated throughout the trip’s duration, you may need to bring extra.
Filling your teardrop water tank is easy. Find a clean hose and water tap and connect the hose to the tap. Insert the other end of the hose into the teardrop water tank and flip the tap on. Wait until your tank is full, and then remove the hose.
Freshwater can often be found at gas stations, truck stops, campsites, or straight from your garden hose. Remember to use a clean hose and a filter if possible, to prevent contamination.
How is a Water Tank Different Than a City Water Connection?
Most teardrops can connect to a city water connection, including the Vistabule. This means that you hook your trailer up and can use a public water tap for an endless supply of freshwater.
Just be sure to remember to periodically empty your gray water tank since you won’t have an empty freshwater tank to tell you it’s time.
How to Take Care of Your Camper Water System
A teardrop water system is relatively easy to maintain once you understand the components. All it takes is a little know-how and you’ll be a pro in no time!
Draining Grey Water and Excess Fresh Water After Trips
Taking the time to drain the water, both fresh and grey, out of your system after each trip will go a long way in keeping things safe and clean. Standing water in your system leads to bacteria growth in tanks and water lines.
Simply draining your tanks and running any remaining water out of your pump minimizes the chance of issues developing, like mold or bacteria.
Cleaning Your Teardrop Water System
Although you can clean your teardrop water system as often as you feel necessary, you should stick to a cleaning regimen of about every six months.
To clean your water system, follow the steps below.
Turn your water heater off if you have one: If you don’t allow the heater time to cool before you drain the water, you could damage it.
Drain the freshwater system: Turn the valve to open or remove the drain cap from the water tank and drain the water.
Measure the bleach level and add it to the freshwater tank: Use a quarter-cup bleach for every 16 gallons of water. Add that quarter cup to a gallon of water to dilute it, and then pour that into the tank via a funnel.
Fill the rest of your freshwater tank with regular water: Fill it to the top and run the pump to push water through the rest of the system.
Turn on your faucets: This ensures the bleach-water mixture is running through all of the lines.
Allow the mixture to sit for at least half a day: Let 12 hours pass before you move on to the next step. This lets the bleach do its job.
Drain the tank and flush the system: Again, drain the water and then refill it with fresh water and start the water pump. Open your faucets and flush the system until there’s no lingering bleach odor. This step may need to be repeated multiple times.
Replace your water filters as needed and turn your heaters back on: It’s that simple!
Winterizing Your Teardrop Trailer
Winterizing your teardrop trailer water system is a slightly more complex process, with several steps involved. However, it’s important to do because it protects your camper from damage caused by leftover water that then freezes and expands within the system. Find out more instructions on winterizing your teardrop water system here.
So, Should You Get a Water System in Your Teardrop?
Your teardrop trailer water system is incredibly important for maximizing your comfort and enjoyment on your upcoming camping trip. Since it’s essential for supplying you with hydration, cooking and cleaning, including a water system in your custom teardrop trailer is a smart choice.
The alternative is carrying water jugs and accepting more of the traditional manual activities that go with managing water when camping. If you’re searching for the right teardrop trailer for your needs, Vistabule offers a number of fully personalized options that you can include in your final camper design.
Take a look at our pricing worksheet for more information.