For serviced pitches: Direct water feed (Ultraflow), or an aquaroll with a mains adaptor kit
For years, when on serviced pitches, we have used an aquaroll (or similar) with a mains adaptor kit ('ball cock type system') with the hose into the side of the aquaroll.
We have always avoided the 'direct feed' as we have read stories/ heard repots of some that have failed resulting in water on the inside of the caravan (over the floor).
Does anyone have any experience of 'direct feed' and how it works in practice. Has anyone personally experienced a problem with direct feed, or are we all relying on 'third party' reports?
David
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@DSB David, as you will well know I'm equally fond of SP. Up to two years ago we just used an aquaroll with a float device. I too was wary of the direct line in but having seen a great number of them being used, (at Melrose once it was everyone apart from us one night) and seeing how easy it was to set up and I began asking fellow campers at a number of sites what they thought of the system and any problems - if anyone remembers someone asking them it might have been me and sorry for bothering you thank you.
Everyone I asked said that they had had no problems, and while they too have heard of them they didn't actually know anyone who had experienced any. Everyone again said how much simpler it was to use them and they wouldn't go back.
So I decided to try one. To be safe, or safer, I bought the 'official' branded product. I can't remember what system I have (whale or truma) but I bought the one that matched it. And yes I am now converted. It is so simple and such a timer saver to set up, just unroll the hose and plug it in to the inlet. I found that often that I didn't need to switch on the on board water pump either unless I needed to. There is a pressure reducing value and this does what it says but I also don't open the supplying water tap up very much, maybe just half a turn and that's enough. And of course to pack away equally quick. I do also turn the tap off when off site but I did that with the float device anyway.
Maybe do what I did and ask around next time you're on site? The dealer said they had no reports of any problems or repairs due to flooding. Hope this helps.
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Thanks @Cornersteady. I'm just wondering about making 'the swap' for all the reasons you have stated. I'm all for saving time and for saving space and weight.
We used the small Colapz bucket for a time, which certainly saved on space/ weight, but they never really got the 'float valve' right. Since David Fannin sold the company, the new owners seem to have withdrawn the 'Fresh Mini' completely.... and it was still a bit of a faff get out and put away. (You really had to take off the lid and dry the inside of the container.... only a small job... but lots of small jobs add up... 😀 We still use their 'flexi-waste pipes', which (although they are expensive), I find really good.
David
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@DSB - whilst I accept that the danger of flooding with the direct connection is probably an urban myth - given that you already have the aquaroll set up - I can't see what you're going to save by switching over. I use the same set-up as you and the AR stays permanently in the van and I can't see me removing it in case we end up on a site without SP facilities. The cost of the Truma direct connection seems to be about £80 and that's for 15m of hose. I carry 20m - in three unequal lengths which are easier to coil up than a single 15m length would be and cover most pitch/tap layouts. That would cost about £28 and the ball valve is about £10 - but you already have those and £80 seems a lot to spend just to save the weight/space of the AR.
I do agree with you, however, about the Colapz waste pipe - although expensive - probably one of the best bits of kit I have bought😀.
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I carry my aqua roll as well, always. I would think everyone still carries an aquaroll in case the SP tap isn't working. Everyone I've seen with one still has one in the locker.
But he point is it is much quicker and easier to use the direct hose in.
One has to get the aquaroll out, which in my case is fiddly enough from the front locker where it's strapped in, then get out the hose and screw in the float device connect up get it half filled then connect to the caravan at some point.
It's even longer at the leaving end I've found. Either use up the half filled aquaroll or empty it somehow, then unscrew the float device. Then I invert it to fully empty it, then replace it into the front locker and strap it in again, then finally put the float and hose away
It really is far simpler and quicker to just connect the hose to the tap, plug in to the caravan and that's it. Similarly when you leave. The hose with it is just inside the locker and first thing in and back.
Is being quicker and easier worth the £90? Well it's a one off cost and compared to the cost of the whole outfit it's nothing.
And to me yes it is.
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We don't often use SPs but do have a direct feed mains system, "free" when we purchased the caravan, and I do use it where applicable if we are staying for more than 3 days on a suitable site. Never had one of the float type but do find it a bit time consuming, compared to using a standard aquaroll and pump, when packing up, having to ensure that it is completely empty, and then coiling it up, before storing it in the van's front locker.
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We have used direct feed into the caravan on numerous occassions. The only issue we have had is the Whale main water connection pipe failing (frequently) between the tap and caravan due to high water pressure on sites in France and Spain. I've now remedied this by reoplacing the Whale hose with a Gardena collapsible hose pipe. We use the direct feed to fill our onboard water tank and then turn the tap off.
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@DSB when we had our caravan we always used the direct flow method. It was the Truma system. It worked very well and we never had any issues with using it, except perhaps when there was a frost. Then, the hose is much more susceptible to freezing solid than an Aquaroll full of water. @Cornersteady - mentioned only opening the valve a small amount; this will limit the amount of water passing in the event of a failure, but in a no-flow situation, the pressure at the caravan is the same as if the valve is fully open. We found that the pressure reducing valve was effective and we never had any sort of failure, though probably sensible to turn the water off at the standpipe when away from the caravan.
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@heddlo Glad you enjoy using the direct line too, but just to be clear I said I only opened the supplying tap (the one on the pitch standpipe that supplies the water through the hose to the caravan) one the half turn to limit the pressure in the hose, and not the valve.
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Thanks for all the posts, folks. Still deciding what to do....
When we used the Colapz Fresh-Mini, we never used to take our aquaroll. In fact, we've only just started to use the aquaroll again, since we were finding the Colapz float valve increasingly unreliable.
If we went for the direct water feed, then the aquaroll would stay at home. There is only one site we stay on each year (when we have our once a year gathering with friends), when we have to use the aquaroll and wastemaster, as there are no serviced pitches at Conkers CCC site. Other than that, we use serviced pitches.
David
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Glad to help, and I know you have lots of experience but I have known service pitches, or rather their taps to fail. This has only happened twice in over 20 years, both times the supply to the SP was disrupted and the problem was fixed as soon as the site staff could fix it, but once was a late afternoon and overnight issue. We just got the aquaroll out and used it in the conventional way from another tap. If you leave your aquaroll at home it could be a problem?
Also have you tried Ebay for a second hand valve replacement ?
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