Water carrier question
We're setting up with equipment for our first, 16year-new caravan. There's two of us, and it's a small 'van.
For water supply there could be a 40L Aquaroll, but I see 29L rolling carriers are available.
There's also the Fiamma squarer version, which I suppose might store more easily when on the move.
It's a how-long-is-a-piece-of-string question I realise, but are there big dis/advantages to each, given that you don't have to carry the weight with either of them?
And is 40L better than 29 for two people, or just overkill?
Thanks for comments,
Richard.
Comments
-
People who shower in their caravan have the largest aquaroll they can find - sometimes two of them linked . But you aren't going to shower in the caravan are you? I'm considered eccentric in U.K. by not having an aquaroll at all, but regarded as normal in mainland Europe. I usually wander out to fill the old Italian espresso coffee pot at the nearest tap. It's a lifestyle choice! Good luck with your new caravan. Enjoy it.
2 -
We've done the wandering across with plastic bottle thing, having forgotten our 8L water carrier while tenting before now, but we use enough water for cooking and washing to make all those journeys tiresome, so I feel we'll probably go for something a touch larger than the espresso pot... !
Thanks - we are looking forward to enjoying this :-)
0 -
Like Eurotraveller, we no longer use an aquaroll, but when we did we had the largest size. The weight difference between the two sizes isn't that much and if you use plenty of water then you'll appreciate the larger size. It's so much easier to transport a rolling carrier then a square one, so I would stick to the barrel shape.
0 -
Bigger is certainly better in this instance.
As for brand, Aquaroll is the original and the best. There are a lot of imitation products, but an Aquaroll will last you 'forever' so no point trying to save a couple of quid on an inferior product.
1 -
As a Solo Traveller I use the 40 litre - (I didn't know there was a smaller one available at the time and this caravan came with one as well) I use it to shower and wash up. If you are going to shower and wash up - I would definitely go with 40 Ls. If not the smaller one should be quite big enough. However I now no longer use the aquaroll for drinking purposes - many many posts as to why it is nigh impossible to keep the pipework clean enough - so a 5L bottle is used for that.
0 -
Hi Hedgehurst, I suppose the difference is that I don't wash clothes, or wash dishes, or seriously wash myself in the caravan. And I don't cook with water very often either - I'm a grill and fry man ! Apart from the coffee I only need enough water to wash hands in the wee small hours. That's about it. But British caravanners are wedded to their big aquarolls, and hauling water in is what they do - and then hauling it away again. It always starts conversations with the neighbours over in Europe where people wonder what the big round thing is. Cheers.
0 -
Thanks all, that's useful.
Maybe I need to look into these discussions you mention about pipework and drinking water ... maybe a smaller bottle in the van for just drinking but the main supply for boiling & washing, whichever we go for?
We'll definitely not be showering in the van - no shower! - but foresee stand-up washes being useful where sites have no showers, and since we do cook with water, I think something useful in size will be our own answer.
Maybe the Aquaroll gets less hygienic in hot and sunny places? After all, there is, rightly, growing concern about the unpleasant chemicals which leach into water from all those plastic bottles it's sold in. I'm no chemist, so don't know how the plastics used vary in their relevant ingredients.
Best wishes all round.
0 -
Just to agree with all the posters above. We've had our aquaroll since 1999 and apart from replacing the caps once or twice the rubber tyres seem hardly worn and we use it a lot. No matter how much water you use it will need re filling at some point so the 40L gives you that extra time.
No I don't think its gets less hygienic in hot conditions any more than the plastic hoses inside your caravan, but we don't use it for drinking or cooking and have a 3L bottled water (get Sainsburys own brand) refilled from the dish washing area. I also put those water purification tablets, sold at local dealers, into the aquaroll.
One more point if you see yourself using a service pitch in the future or its a possibility, then you will need the 40L one as it has an extra opening and cap on the side to attach the float mechanism. Actually this extra one is useful and you can leave the handle attached and use the side one for your inlet hose into the caravan.
Also recommend the wastemaster made by the same company. Again ours is still going strong
2 -
We are still on our original 1980's Aquaroll so that speaks volumes for the durability. We also wash, shower, cook, wash dishes in the caravan and generally speaking the aquaroll usually only gets filled once a day and its not that onerous. I would have bought a newer, larger volume but this one fit neatly along with rest of gubbins in the front locker box.
0 -
Perhaps a new challenge on COTY is: using only things found on a club site you have to destroy an aquaroll.
Boiling water?
hammer an awning peg into it? no too easy no points
put in on the cadac?
0 -
Two other points that some might feel worth consideration:
- The larger current 40 litre Aquaroll has a port on its side that brushes through any contaminated grass, with the health considerations from that. Not something I liked on its introduction so have kept to the older design.
- The smaller quantity of the older Aquaroll does mean more of the charge of sanatising chlorine put in by the water utility for health reasons, is retained in water used within the van.
0 -
That would be the case if the dissolved chlorine does not dissipate once leaving the constrains of the water main, but it does. Therefore a more frequently refilled Aquaroll means the water used is better protected as it holds more chlorine. Plus the larger Aquaroll has a bigger free surface to more readily dissipate the chlorine, making things a bit worse. Plus the residency time for nasties to grow in the now chlorine depleted water is longer.
It is better health-wise to more frequently have to get freshly drawn water. Probably low risks, but risks nevertheless and readily avoidable.
0 -
Add one twentieth part gin, that should either kill all the bugs or make them very happy.
0 -
My head hurts now, I'm glad I'm on the wagon with that water stuff. It's darned dangerous both outside & inside folk
0 -
Use BOTTLES for drinking !! 
.0 -
If you're worried about chemically contaminated water, use glass or stainless steel bottles. The plastic ones so widely in use have been shown to leach unhealthy chemicals into the water, especially when they're stored in the sun. (See lorry loads of the things in open sunshine every summer). There are also some foul political and financial issues attached to much bottled water, but we don't do politics here so I'll not go into that!
... though I realise you weren't talking about drinking the water ... !
0 -
2 x 50lt Waterhogs. Amazing how you get through it! - I have to fill them though which, I have no problem with - always been part of caravanning. While we are talking about drinking water which is the most important thing we can talk about - go to you tube - put in Distilled Water and take half an hour to watch the on The journey of water - Distilled water : The Only Water You Should Ever Drink Under Any Condition. Be prepared to spend some money on a water distiller!!
1 -
I wouldn't go for less than my aquaroll and its just me. 40 litres I think mine is.
Your water purification is going to cause a discussion I bet Merve - I just don't understand why anyone really wants to injest the chemicals which are on a parr with lead and arsenic!
0 -
We use aquaroll water for washing up, washing (us) - and cleaning teeth, hot drinks and cooking. Tend not to drink the water cold - there are more interesting cold drinks to be had. We're still alive!
If ever we want to drink cold water, we use bottled water, kept in the fridge)
David
0 -
That's fine David but it only kills bacteria- it doesn't remove filth, or any of the 80,000 chemicals that can be in it, It really is worth watching. You know me, I wouldn't say anything about it if it wasn't important. Just want the best for my fellow members.
0 -
We use a 40 ltr Aquaroll for all but drinking cold water, we use bottled water for drinking . We also have the smaller Aquaroll which we also use and we have been using that for 46 years and is still as good as new
0 -
We mainly drink boiled water, may be that's because we mainly drink coffee. On a side not distilled water can be toxic because it is lacking in electrolytes. I don't think a glass will do you any harm, but there have been cases of harm caused by over consumption.
0
There are usually only two of us too, these days.
