How To Determine Your RV's Daily Water Usage
How To Determine Your RV's Daily Water Usage
Posted on March 2, 2021
An RV might offer all the comforts of home, but if you want to enjoy true freedom on the road, dry camping is an experience you can't miss. With no hook ups and no hassle, you can truly appreciate the tranquility of the wilderness. But of course, the lack of external amenities means you need to plan your supplies carefully unless you want your trip to be cut short.
One key consideration is your water supply. How much will you need to keep you going through your trip? Here's how to work out your daily usage, so you can set plenty of supplies down before you head out into the boondocks.
1) The Manual Method
For a rough estimate of daily water usage in your RV, empty your grey tank and then take a shower of the usual length. Afterwards, transfer the grey water into a five-gallon bucket or other container with measurements, and make a note of how much water your shower has used.
Repeat the same steps but this time washing a typical sink full of dishes, and then repeat for other typical daily uses such as cooking a pan of pasta. Add up the total amount, and that's your typical daily usage for non-drinking water.
For a final figure, simply take a note of how much water you typically drink in a day - you can do this either at home or in your RV - and add the two totals together. The final figure will give you a rough guide to how much water you need to store for each day of your trip.
2) The Electronic Method
A simpler and more accurate method is to fit an electronic water meter to your inlet hose. At the start of the day, fill your tank completely, and then reset your meter or take a note of its reading. Spend a typical day in your RV, taking a shower, cooking a meal, washing up, and so on.
At the end of the day, fully refill your storage tanks while measuring how much water passes through the meter. This will give you your typical daily water usage for the particular water supply you're using.
However, this figure may not be completely accurate due to changes in water pressure affecting the reading. For a more reliable measurement, attach the water flow meter to the outlet side of your RV's water pump, and measure a full day's use by doing your regular activities from showers to dish washing to flushing the toilet.
Calculating the Days
Whichever method you use, once you know your daily water requirement, it's much easier to plan for your dry camping trips. Keep an eye on your water tank, and once you have only a couple of days' typical use left, it's probably time to break camp and go in search of a refill.
Don't leave it until the last minute in case finding a hook up takes longer than you assumed. Dry camping can be great, relaxing fun, but the wilderness is an unforgiving place if you find yourself short of water.