I left a message about the water system which took me a very long time to compose even though it was short because I have to use voice to text to write and it disappeared. Do you know what happened? was it because I left an Amazon link? As usual great video. I look forward to watching your videos every week. I kind of would like to know what happened to my comment.
@@TannyOHaley Hi Tanny, I'm sorry your comment was deleted. We dont take down comments unless they contain threats or violence, but TH-cam does have some comments deleted automatically or hidden as spam until we approve them. Weve had comments automatically deleted before when the link pushes the user to leave the platform and YT doesn't like that traffic loss. :/
@@michaelgonzalez8863 There is a Duran Duran video that challenges that notion... Duran Duran - "The Chauffeur" from AS THE LIGHTS GO DOWN, in case you're interested...
Great video as always ! We use the same 12 volt pumps in our work vans connected to baffled tanks for window cleaning, we always mount the pumps the other way round ( so they look upside down) as this helps to prevent air locks caused from driving when the pump is higher than the tank outlet. Just a thought from us in the UK
Ladi probably already thought of it, but in the summer as you drive and for a while after you park you will have a big heater dispersing heat from under your kitchen. As a result it should be insulated and I recommend a bypass valve setup so you can have a refreshing cool shower on those scorching days we are getting more and more of.
I have engine heated hotwater in my van, im using the ATI Boat boiler as the hotwater tank/heat exchange. It works awesome, piping hot water after 20min of driving. Its well insulated and has a mains power element inside. These have been around for ages in the boating community, you could try just buying this off the shelf
Margaret, you do such a great job on these explainer videos! So good. You and Ladi are the camper van power couple of all time. Seriously, you’re the BEST. 😊
I had a thought that might be right up Ladi's alley. I've seen other builds that dump excess solar through the water tank. Basically, when you're batteries are topped off, the 1500w heater in your tank turns on to siphon off energy and utilize the excess solar being generated. Would love to see how this is accomplished and can't think of anyone better to work it out than you and Ladi.
I’m a superyacht engineer and currently designing my own bus conversion. The design is good, it’s similar to what we use at sea in its basic form and bypasses are common for many systems. I also have a design similar to this with the addition of a recirculating shower as I’ll have some extra room that I can play with compare to this van
We use water from a stream in our house. It passes through a washable 80u filter that takes the 'larger' bits out to lengthen the life of the second filter which is a 10u. It then goes through a uv filter. All good. Personally I would definitely get a uv filter - making sure not to get one with glass components for a van. If you fill up from even the cleanest looking stream I would guess the 20u filter would clog if thats your first filter and reduce the water flow. I see what you are trying to do with the 1u filter, but uv is better. I would filter and uv any water coming into the tank and use it for showering and washing dishes. Much safer to have bug free water in your eyes and on your dishes. I don't see any reason not to filter all water, the filter cartridges will last a long time - especially if you put a washable one as the first. I don't understand why someone said you would need different uv light for different water sources, but then my house doesn't move continents.
Hi, given how thorough you have been with logging the items used during the build I think it would be really useful to track the performance, reliability and ‘break ability’ of said items. Great job by the way, keep up the good work.
I think this water system is so over complicated like basically with everything you do to this van - but I get it, It what makes people watch you channel and it is a good learning way for you two. 1.When thinking of heating your water while the engine is running: the best and the least complicated thing is just to use a voltage sensitive relay and a 12v heating element. When the car is running the alternator kicks in and the voltage rises - then the relay turns on and it starts heating the water - it takes a little longer but we have done this setup and a 15l is heated to 65C in about 40minutes. If you want to do it your way, try adding a disel water heater that warms your engine in the winter and automaticly warms your boiler. 2. Blowing hot air thrught that long pipe in the boiler. Its gonna have 2 side effects: Its gonna take ages to warm that water and its gonna take ages to warm the place up - try doing this when the water is cold and it is cold outside. You will be disappointed. 3. We were thinking about that sucking option you have mentioned for a long time. The problem with that is that you have to flush the whole system and change the water in your system everytime you suck water like that - the problem with alge, bacteria, dirt and debris is just not worth the hustle. 4. It is better to have a second tap at your sink that is a seperet line with a seperet small pump that you "plug" in the 5L water bottle that you buy in the store - and when the water bottle is empty, you just "plug" a new water bottle. It is such a space saver when you dont need to instal all those filters and you just need a little space for a water bottle with its own pump. 5. I cringe everytime I see those hose clamps on the lines (in any vanbuld) - you are doing a professional build - try finding another way to connect those pipes. There is a lot of systems that are more reliable. 6. oh... and I m pretty sure the boilers are meant to be cylinder by design - when the pressure rises in the boiler it needs to push to all the walls with the same force. I know it looks really cool the way you are doing things but on the long run when the thing start to break it is very crucial to have a simple system with easy access. Keep up the good work, I always learn something when watching your videos.
You're forgetting something really important. Everyone build the van according with their needs. They already travelled a lot in a Van so they created this van with all they need to resolve problems that they already experienced. There is no right way to build a van.
1. Sounds like a personal preference more than a better solution. This takes longer, stresses alternator more and requires massive cables especially for the length we would need. It’s not obviously better solution. 2. I’m open minded to learn this but 80 degrees hot air won’t come out cold and in my opinion won’t take much time to heat up the water. That will be tested for sure. 3. and 4. Sounds like a preference and I personally still like ours more. Sucking the water from any source, if suspicious than adding a chlorine tablet to our 150l tank. 5. Could you please point out what connections are much better we can use? We honestly don’t know anything better. Just please let’s not recommend the crimping system humble road uses, I’m not willing to spend that much money for few connection. I did not see a problem with these connections on 2bar system. 6. That’s right, they are cylinders for this reason. Very inconvenient shape when maximizing the space, isn’t it? 3mm stainless steel will hold it together, I’m sure. Thanks for the comment. Generally speaking we do thinks our best but nobody says we do them perfect. I like being challenged and educated, that’s the way to improve.
Starting a build soon and this is a serious non-confrontational question trying to educate myself. What is wrong with "those hose clamps" are they not the same ones used on every hose in the vehicles existing water coolant system?
I’ve been waiting for you guys to get to the water, you really think of everything. You guys work so hard to make these videos and get them out. Love the editing Margaret! ❤️
Just one thing that stood out was a corner case regarding the heater in the fresh water tank to prevent freezing. I don't know if you have resolved it already but if for some reason you run out of fresh water and the air temp is low the heating element will turn on and without water in the tank it will likely melt the fitting and destroy your tank as the temp sensor likely won't pick up the temp change fast enough. So a water leak on a cold night will result in a ruined tank and possibly even a fire. A couple redundancy checks that would help would be a water level sensor that disables the heating element, a local temp sensor to ensure the heating element isn't getting above a safe temp for your plastic or some additional logic on the heating element control to modulate its run time and sample the temp sensor to ensure the expected feedback is happening.
@@NathanYsp If it is a manual switch then there is still a concern that either someone will forget to turn it off or the tank runs dry while they are away or sleeping. Having a heating element in a tank that isn't heat tolerant just requires an automatic fail safe to avoid unpleasantness.
Very well done. For UV filter we have been using Guzzle H2O Stealth UV system on our cold drinking line for the past year. Compact - easy install and turns on with water pressure sensor.
My job is a "water operator". Basically, I filter and sterilize ground water that is distributed throughout my community for consumption (city water). While I know a lot of people have a negative view of chlorinated water, a naive view in my opinion, you can safely and completely sterilize all your water with just a few drops of chlorine. This would kill everything that may be harmful in your water eliminating the need for a UV system and the associated cost and maintenance. Combine this with your filtration system and all your water is potable. If you are really adverse to chlorinated water you can leave the water you will be consuming exposed to sun and air and the chlorine will basically disappear but this would be difficult in a van life situation. I do have a concern with pumping your water from the lowest part of the tank because that's where the sediment will settle. But on the other hand with all the sloshing around in a van the water may not be stationary long enough for everything to settle out. You are completely on the right track by shocking your tanks when they need cleaning. Feel free to reach out if I may be of any assistance on this matter.
As a Scoutmaster that has spent 1000s of days in the woods in my experience the simplest and old methods are best. For really questionable stuff boil then filter. If real bad distill water. Given the technological bent of these guys they need a solar still on the roof of their camper 😎
@@CreekRanger Boiling would certainly produce potable water. It would be a huge inconvenience and time suck to boil water every time they wanted a drink or to try to boil enough to fill their bulk tank. It is obvious from watching the progress of this build lLadi and Margaret want modern convenience while living full time in a van.There is no reason, in this day and time, one can't have water on demand.
@@CreekRanger The chlorine could be added after filtration. Filtration is to remove sediment and debris. Chlorine is for sterilization. It's two separate processes. Technically, the chlorine could be added before or after filtration. However, there is a danger of harmful nitrates being formed when adding chlorine to unfiltered water that is particularly high in organic matter. Especially in hot weather. Sanitizing the water after filtration would be my choice.
Another great video. It makes our Sunday morning. One comment and one question. Comment: Unless your quick disconnect has a good cover on it, where you have it located almost guarantees that it is going to be caked with dirt and mud making it one, difficult to connect to and two - well - dirty. Question: Is the heating loop from the engine to the water tank going to be a glycol system? Keep up the good work.
Awesome video, thanks a lot for sharing. I can't comment from a van perspective as I'm still planning my built, but I went on trekking trips for many years and totally rely on my portable uv filter to make water from all kinds of sources ready to drink. I used water from creeks, lakes, springs and if nothing else was available even larger puddles and not once got sick. As the system is pretty sore I really wonder how there would be different types of uv filters required 🤔. Only disadvantage is, that even though the water will be okay to drink, uv filters will do nothing about the taste, so depending on the water source you won't get sick but the taste can be really terrible. To avoid this you indeed need an additional filter system, but that's not an issue in a van and you already have it in place. For my build I intend to stick to the system that I know worked well from long term experience but I'll for sure add at least one additional filter based on charcoal for the taste. And put a filter in front to remove larger particles. Vanlife is so much more comfortable than trekking 😂
Guys, I’m new to the channel, but I really believe I finally got my inspiration! I’m from Brazil, and I’m loving your vídeos and the insights! Everything you do, all the details, all the tiny things are really meaningful. I mean, in here I’m not 100% confident I will be able to assemble from scratch, but with all your tips, and everything you’ve done, I’m really excited to kick it off. We are still in the planning and project stages, still understanding if this fits to us, but Im already seeing us in the road with several details you mentioned. I’ll keep you posted in the following steps, but thanks for sharing and for the step-by-step guides! Hope you are well, can’t wait to see the final version of your project!
Wouldn’t drawing water from a stream to store in your fresh water tank, affect any fresh (clean) water you store afterwards. I would assume you have to treat your tank after each time you draw from a stream.
Very nice system. We use a standard kitchen vented propane tankless heater installed in a vented gas cabinet under the bed. Exhaust pipe to the outside supported by PC fan. No waiting or driving for hot water at all. To prevent wasting cold water in the 10-15 sek. until the tankless heater is actually producing hot water we installed an recirculation loop that circles water through the heater back into the tank until it's immediately hot out of the tab. Works like a charm for two year full time vanlife.
Absolutely obsessed with your channel first of all, infinite thanks for sharing your journey and knowledge! Some things I've been wondering all the way throughout the build series: -how are the plastic tanks holding up? I don't remember seeing you insulating them after all, is that giving you trouble? Or if you did end up insulating them, kflex? -another smaller concern, isn't the water freezing in the lines that come from the tank a problem, or does it get sufficient heat flux from the van interior to keep liquid? -finally, does the stainless steel hot water tank hold up well? That immediately raised some alarm bells in my head seeing how heavily corroded commercial boilers go within their lifetime, even with a sacrificial rod. Keep in mind all of these questions are from a naive mind looking at building a first camper van in the "near" future, I'm not trying to poke holes into your systems, which are incredible all around! Also I realize writing this you haven't really spent a full season in the completed van yet, let alone a freezing one, so these durability/cold questions can't really have an empirical answer 😅
Killer video editing, great thorough explanation too. Nice one! A thought, might be cool to switch off the circulation from engine on hot days so you don't heat up the space with it.
Great job 😎 only problem I see is the heating element on the tank turning on when it’s empty. Assuming you guys have thought of this and have got the thermostat looped in the with the tank level switch?
Travelling through Europe there are many springs by the side of the road where you can fill up drinking water. They often have a low flow rate but the water is lovely. I'm thinking of having a 20 litre dedicated drinking water tank as well as a 100 plus litre fresh tank for dishes, laundry, showering or cooking. You could fill the larger tank from a stream with your method and keep the drinking water circuit sanitised with only spring or town water. I have a small submersible 12v pump with a 10m 12v cigarette extension lead. It's easy to keep this clean for the drinking water. Put a bowl under the spring water pipe, let it fill, turn on the pump, wait and repeat.
You both are crazy! In a good way, of course. I pray I will have a chance to meet you on the road some day... When I get to van life in a far future... Thank you so much for being you! Love you, guys! xx
I was considering doing a coolent loop to heat my water tank in my 4wd but decided i’m just going to put a 250a alternator on instead and a 600w water heater. That way if the cars running it automatically heats the water and when my battery reaches 99% it will turn the heater on and turn off when my battery goes below 97%. I also have a manual switch to turn it on if I want. Would think with your massive battery you wouldn’t need the coolant loop. My only decision is whether I make a custom tank that can reach 95 degrees as others only reach 70 degrees.
Hopefully this comment won’t be deleted like the last one. I believe the 1986 Vixen RV TD 21 solved the problem with heating water. It used a diesel heater that also heated liquid. In this case it heated food grade glycol which was pumped to a heat exchanger underneath the sink and shower. Today there are a number of diesel heaters there also heat liquid, food grade glycol or water for hot water. Unlike a hot water heater it’s lightweight and instant. The only thing that I would add would be a modern residential anti-scald valve so you can set how hot the water is and never get burned or have cold water. As usual a great video. I look forward to watching your videos every week.
Hi, that seems to be too complicated. I made it so the diesel heater heats up the whole enclosed space with the water tank. No additional circuit or pump needed. Super simple.
All I can say is wow. Well thought out, intelligent way to get good, fresh, and warm water in a van. Couple of ideas. 1 if you are using the heating element, and the water goes below the element, it will burn it out in a few seconds. You can use a level sensor to cut it off before it gets too low. And 2, a much easier option is to use a On Demand tankless water heating system. That way you go from cold water to the propane on demand heater and bypass the tank altogether.
Love It! "Humble Road" TH-camr has a similar set up, may be watch it. He has been fitting it to vans far a little while now and the tank is different. Might be good & useful to see a tried and tested model, It's great to see new ideas develop and change with new perspective.
Very curious and excited about build my van some day, with all the knowledge you're currently gathering! Soo cool ideas and successful realizations of them! Just wow.
Love the complexity and over-engineering as always! Heating from the engine is such a good idea. I think I saw someone mention this, but one concern I'd have with sucking water from creeks or other water sources is the algae, bacteria, and sediment which would then contaminate your whole system. You'd have to flush with chlorine each time, and even then, I'd worry that sediment would build up. Having the drawing hose be in the lowest point of your tank means it will draw water from where the most sediment collects. If you really filtered all the water coming in (which now I think of it, you are, but I don't know how thorough the non-drinking filter is) this would address the problem, but it will likely still mean more maintenance. I also don't know who said you need different UV for different locations, and they could be right, but in my experience UV treatment or chorine droplets work in all contexts (mostly thinking of backpacking) and it might be nice to include one of those options to be absolutely safe. Excited to see what you end up with!
Love this so much! Do you plan to put a cover over the quick connect on the back? I’d be worried about it getting muddy or damaged while driving since it seems a bit exposed.
Hotwater system is awsome. We use similar tech on superyacht, heat from engine, cascade hotwater vessels- different temp, when needed. Additionally possibility to electrical heat, when vessel stops engine and if needed. For the fresh water from creek and other sources. Keep in mind bacterias etc start to grow. On membranes every system, should at least every two weeks in operation, otherwise fouling on membrane. Ultrafiltration more safe. But keep in mind. no organics in the water, it will pass membranes and your micron filters for sure. Chlorine destroys membranes. But you have to keep your system clean. UV will help in front of filters, after a first strainer. That's probably the best position for UV. It works only correct by low turbidity. Nice videos.
You are such a great teacher Margaret and your editing is awesome, especially for being rather new to this!! Can you recommend video equipment for me to start filing my 2024 build? Does your part list work for a Ram ProMaster and someone just starting out with only basic tools and no experience (no 3d printer or cnc or special sanding machine (-:)
Have been imagining to do this once I do my build, the only thing I want to be able to add to this is a hydronic floor heater. Would love to see that add to the system.
I love the idea of using the engine heat ("cars are just heaters on four wheels") - maybe you could even benefit more from the motor, charging the battery by the light machine and even by regaining power by the brakes. And I wonder if a little aircon might also save a lot of heating energy.
Hi, Really good videos and some great innovative features. One thing I do like is the position of the fresh water output pipe which takes water to the van. From the video looks like you have brought the pipe into the tank from the top surface of the tank, which is different to the normal position of low down on the side of the tank. Obviously I want to do the same! How did you fix this pipe to the tank and does it work ok? Thanks Ron.
We have a ball cock in a tank design which enables permanent connection to the van. It by-passes the pump as it's already pressurised. It flushes our tanks and we leave with full tanks. We treat with Aquasol. Decided against any filters with the current build and simply use a Brita carafe for drinking water. Love the camera on the electric drain valve. Agree completely with Ladi's surprise!
ive had a similar hot water system for many years , you can simply buy a twin coil calorifier tank ,gives you quick hot water from your engine or diesel heater ,and a 1kw immersion element that can be either used from mains electric or dump your excess solar in summer , so much easier and off the shelf
I was wondering if that heating element used to stop the water freezing will only work in the corner of the baffle. ? Insulation heating jacket just a thought I am no expert and am very interested to see how it all works out . Thanks for the content
In my rv (6,8m long) I have the hose connection (gardena) with a hose spool fixed to our rv. Easy to get water and leave fast. I also have like 10 different adapters for gardena connection and I never had any single issue. Now I can't send you a video because I crashed a few days ago and it's at the mechanic but if I can go in a few days I will send you a video :)
I’m planing on using the same type of retractable hose in my build, I already bought it when it went on sale but Ive been waiting for Ford to build my van since October 2021.
Great plan on the water heater. Looks like you built the tank from plastic, What did you use to install the lines through the tank from the engine? sealing the metal lines into the tank?
thanks for sharing. this is nice technical challenge! giving this thought myself, resources engineering of Tesla can make this heating of water efficient. potable water can be solved by many countertop solutions.
@6:48 - I am studying the layout; As I'm laying out mine, if my goal is to be able to fill the FWT with the same hose as I'd use for shore water pressure, then wouldn't I need a way to bypass the pump and FWT when I'm on shore pressure?, So if Shore Pressure = True then bypass pump, accumulator, and FWT; If Shore Hose Fill, then FWT = Open and Pump Circuit = Open... Wouldn't I need at least one more valve to shutoff the FWT tank completely when on shore water pressure?
Great system. Have you considered connecting your space heating system to the same coolant circuit? You would have to replace the diesel air heater with a diesel water heater, and add a “defroster” for converting hot water to hot air. This way you get three options for heating your van as well (engine, diesel-heater or electric). This kind of setup is used in boats.
@@ladiandmargaret Looks like you might be doing this already from the images shown from the Facebook group, but are you going to be using a heat exchanger on the diesel heater exhaust pipe? They get really hot! Great way to capture that energy whilst still keeping all the hot air for inside the cab.
I’m thinking about similar conception but using the heat exchanger and with isolated small tank under the car - your idea with custom made one is interesting and I wonder what would be the final efficiency of this solution.
For my vans water inlet, I'm going to use special "city line inlet". With this thing you don't need to turn any valves as it opens as you use water from your tank
What coolant will be going through your tank? The engine coolant? TH-camr and builder humble road has a few good points on the risks of using the engine coolant itself to heat water. You should have the engine coolant heat something else that will then heat your tank to prevent loss of coolant, risk of getting water into your coolant, and possibly poisoning yourself with coolant.
As someone who had to work with UV (UVC/germicidal) tubes recently, I observed them to be a bit power hungry, which might have been an odd occurrence though. Also, they tend to warm up themselves and generally raise the surrounding temperatures to noticeable levels. (if you are working with UV tubes, use adequate eye protection - it is not a pleasant feeling for the eyes. Imagine diving on to sand on a beach with your eyes wide open...)
A bit of a challenge might be the building of the hot water tank, as this is a tank under pressure when i understand the system. And the plastics used for the other tanks combined with hot water will most likely de-form. good luck any way! For my build i have choosen the square 16 from Isotherm.
Water system extraordinaire!! U teach others to do Van builds with so many sensible ideas, very generous! As usual Margaret excellent editing …are u self taught computer tech programs? It is amazing that all this water heating etc can fit inside! 👍🤗❤️🇦🇺
Regarding post-filtration processing, I've not done the analysis, but from a health perspective (licensed civil engineer here), you'll need some kind of disinfection process (typically UV or chemical) unless you are extremely picky about where you fill your fresh water tanks. I've got thoughts from the level of a municipality, but no idea on van specific implementation. I'll say that UV typically doesn't affect taste the same way that chemical disinfection does. You can also consider getting a reverse osmosis filter, but those can power intensive, and you have to be careful or the water will actually leach minerals from your body as it passes through you, as the water from an RO process is pure at the molecular level. Also, regarding option 3 for intake, there is a theoretical max length that you can suck - about 30 ft or 9m. This is due to the way vacuums work
Here's the total system that I'm using since 2010 for the water recycling: Sink and Shower have drain strainers with 1/8" (3 mm holes) . Then shower uses a marine shower bilge pump to run water across the two drawer strainers under the kitchen sink that just get dumped as needed. First drawer is stainless with 1/16" (2mm) holes, second is No-See-Um 20 mesh (841 micron) , then to the 40 gallon grey water tank. From grey water tank water pumped (through 50 mesh pre filter) at 1 gpm thru the following filters back to fresh water tanks. Rusco "Spin-Down" 100 mesh (152 micron) strainer, 500 mesh (30 micron), 1000 mesh (15 micron), 2 gallons VITROclean crushed glass inside 3' length of 4" diameter stainless tubing (5-10 micron), 0.2 micron ceramic, Granulated activated carbon (3' x4") , powdered activated carbon (3'x4"), finally passes UV water purifier. The washer/dryer comb has a Filtrol 160 lint filter before running through the rest of the filters. It has a sock filter that gets turned inside out and cleaned about every 4 loads. It's probably overkill but full time use would have us changing the crushed glass, and carbon once a year for about $50. I installed pressure guages between each stage to monitor changes and cleaning schedule. We have 220 gallons of total capacity and we usually fill that before parking at a festival or race for a few days because our inflatable jacuzzi needs 135 gallons. Sometimes to get rid of it we run the water cooling misters under the awning that needs about 5gph.
I live on a boat, I buy 6 X 5lt bottles of drinking water 1Euro a bottle. My water tank is for showers & cooking. No filters are required, safe bottle water to drink. The engine heats the water for showers. KISS system always works.
Hey guys, can you tell me how is the water sucking from a creek going? I am interested in doing this in my van, but I think that those small van pumps are not made to suck water from more than roughly 2m away. That doesnt leave a lot of hose length. How did it work for you?
Sucking water doesn’t work. Problem is the pump only can suck around 1m height difference. This is the problem. I‘ve a pump for the accu drill, sucking side short hose, other side can be so long as you wish.
They would need to bring the pump to the water. The pumps can push better than they can pull. Can they push up a steep creek bed? Depends on how deep that creek bed is.
You are tapping in directly into the cooling system of the engine ? Or you have a seperate heat-exchange element under the hood ? If there is one thing you dont want leaking, it is your engine cooling.
You don't mention it in the video but will you be using the same Polyprop use used in the external tanks for the hot tank? Under the presumptions you are here my thouhhts: Your water will reach 90°C which is right at the limit of conventional PP or HDPE (again unsure of your thermoplastic used but it appears to be PP) excluding any internal pressure which you will also have unless your PRV is set to atmospheric and then you'll be losing all of your water to vapour. It might work fine initially but the material will likely fail via creep caused by elevated temperatures under internal pressure. I know this all sounds negative but I thought it was worth pointing out to avoid issues further down the line. Further reading can be done from searching "Simona design manual". Any thermoplastic tank questions hit me up 👍
Great video, my only concern still the moment is the pressure in the hot water tank, especially with the box design of it. If there is any pressure it will distort and possibly fail, if its going to be vented with a header tank then that should be OK.
Great ideas but you are likely to have a major problem if you fill your fresh tank with river water. You are essentially turning your fresh tank into a black water tank. This is because any dirty water flowing through your water pipes will leave bacteria and protozoa that will end up back in the fresh water tank. This is a really bad idea. Those risks will end up on your plates and mugs, which you will eat and drink off, will end up being used for washing which will end up in your mouth and nose and ears allowing for infections. Your clear water stream will have UV light from the sun helping keep issues down but in your dark water system they will be able to grow rapidly to dangerous levels.
Coo coo for cocoa puffs! My favorite phrase in this video LOL. All cool ideas. I've seen a water heater commercially produced that uses the vehicle engine for heating the water. However, it is very expensive and cylindrical. Your custom built one is nice because it will be easier to locate wherever you want it (space wise). Good idea. Maybe some insulation around your custom heating tank would be a good idea. Question regarding the 3D printed items in your van. Do they use a plastic that can withstand the heat that can build up in a vehicle? I have a friend who was 3d printing items that started to melt when left in his vehicle during scorching hot days. Maybe you can comment on that in a future video??
nice video guys, very clever, I recommend that you move the suction hose for the fresh water tank to a position between the heat sensor and heating element, so you ensure that you always get water in it`s liquid state.. the suction hose currently far away fro1m the heater
You have more space on your roof bellow your solar. You could heat some water there as well :) heating water takes a lot of energy. Using 48V element makes a lot of sense. I pushed whole water problem to side and went for vacation with water jugs and uncompleted van. I learned so much on the trip with my family :) Could you share the group you were consulting on fb?
In boats, heating water from the engine is quite common, and you might find an of the shelf heater that is more efficient in a marine store. That said, I hope you do not, looking forward to the build 😉
I have seen quite a few boats that even had in-floor heating or radiators using the heat from the engine and a diesel water heater. I’m from Norway, so heat in the boat extends the season for us 😉
I basically have the same water set up. I use a 7 gallon jug with the siphon function to fill my main tank almost 90% of the time, espically when in a city and you don't need to fill the tank all the way or the hose doesn't reach, It's also a lot quicker and inconspicuous than dragging out the hose. You could introduce some air into the system, so the faucet *might* spit the first few seconds, but my valve set up is slighly diffrent, so you may not encounter that.
Advice from experience, if you still can, install a extra non electronic way to empty your grey water tank. Thank god you are building the van and you know how and where everything goes. You are putting in it so much electronic stuff that will stop working in the future. That will be a hell van for someone that does not know all that stuf.
I would think the filtration system would work just fine for drinking water from creeks. People who backpack use filters or treatment tablets when they get water from natural sources and are typically fine even with the different microbes in different water sources. You can add bleach into the tank when you fill from natural sources as an additional treatment option.
Good point, but backpacking filters are not necessarily the same as what they have, also we often use UV light, iodine tablets, or chlorine drops, which are other options they could consider button anything they have now. Also, please don't use bleach to sterilize drinking water! That's definitely not good to ingest. You may be thinking about small amounts of chlorine which are used in most people's drinking water and do work well.
@@sorchaoconnor3750 Bleach has chlorine in it and can be used to treat water, at least the plain stuff. It's one of the things recommended in emergency situations and for storing water long term-- that and boiling. The filters should remove most of it. The EPA and CDC actually gives guidelines on how much bleach to use for the amount of water being treated. Bleach plus filtration is actually very effective for drinking water.
If connecting tap water you need to take pressure into consideration. My house has 6 bars pressure, but not all RV pipes and fittings are rated for this. So you might need to incorporate a pressure reduction step.
Very good point. On boats, when directly connected to the water tap on the dock, we use a very small brass pression reduction valve. A half inch diameter is perfect for the small water setup in a camper. Set up the valve about 2.8/3 bar and you are good.
You're so excited about that hot water aren't you. Love it. You know you can buy a heat transfer plate that you connect to your radiator hose. What you are doing is like a calorifier. Please make sure you have a good pressure relief on that and not trapped air etc. They blow quite well when they go. Also if the pipe leaks you will be showering in coolant 😬
Leave your every thought below! THANK YOU!!
I left a message about the water system which took me a very long time to compose even though it was short because I have to use voice to text to write and it disappeared. Do you know what happened? was it because I left an Amazon link?
As usual great video. I look forward to watching your videos every week. I kind of would like to know what happened to my comment.
@@TannyOHaley Hi Tanny, I'm sorry your comment was deleted. We dont take down comments unless they contain threats or violence, but TH-cam does have some comments deleted automatically or hidden as spam until we approve them. Weve had comments automatically deleted before when the link pushes the user to leave the platform and YT doesn't like that traffic loss. :/
TH-cams no nudity is BS
@@michaelgonzalez8863 There is a Duran Duran video that challenges that notion... Duran Duran - "The Chauffeur" from AS THE LIGHTS GO DOWN, in case you're interested...
Great video as always ! We use the same 12 volt pumps in our work vans connected to baffled tanks for window cleaning, we always mount the pumps the other way round ( so they look upside down) as this helps to prevent air locks caused from driving when the pump is higher than the tank outlet. Just a thought from us in the UK
Ladi probably already thought of it, but in the summer as you drive and for a while after you park you will have a big heater dispersing heat from under your kitchen. As a result it should be insulated and I recommend a bypass valve setup so you can have a refreshing cool shower on those scorching days we are getting more and more of.
I have engine heated hotwater in my van, im using the ATI Boat boiler as the hotwater tank/heat exchange. It works awesome, piping hot water after 20min of driving. Its well insulated and has a mains power element inside. These have been around for ages in the boating community, you could try just buying this off the shelf
I don’t believe anyone else could’ve gotten me to pay that much attention to advanced water systems 😊
Margaret, you do such a great job on these explainer videos!
So good.
You and Ladi are the camper van power couple of all time. Seriously, you’re the BEST. 😊
I had a thought that might be right up Ladi's alley. I've seen other builds that dump excess solar through the water tank. Basically, when you're batteries are topped off, the 1500w heater in your tank turns on to siphon off energy and utilize the excess solar being generated. Would love to see how this is accomplished and can't think of anyone better to work it out than you and Ladi.
That sounds like a "thermal battery" for the wintertime too... a heat ballast.
I’m a superyacht engineer and currently designing my own bus conversion. The design is good, it’s similar to what we use at sea in its basic form and bypasses are common for many systems. I also have a design similar to this with the addition of a recirculating shower as I’ll have some extra room that I can play with compare to this van
How did you get on with your recirculating shower?
We use water from a stream in our house. It passes through a washable 80u filter that takes the 'larger' bits out to lengthen the life of the second filter which is a 10u. It then goes through a uv filter. All good.
Personally I would definitely get a uv filter - making sure not to get one with glass components for a van. If you fill up from even the cleanest looking stream I would guess the 20u filter would clog if thats your first filter and reduce the water flow. I see what you are trying to do with the 1u filter, but uv is better. I would filter and uv any water coming into the tank and use it for showering and washing dishes. Much safer to have bug free water in your eyes and on your dishes. I don't see any reason not to filter all water, the filter cartridges will last a long time - especially if you put a washable one as the first.
I don't understand why someone said you would need different uv light for different water sources, but then my house doesn't move continents.
@831simon Do you use a carbon filter before your uv filter?
Hi, given how thorough you have been with logging the items used during the build I think it would be really useful to track the performance, reliability and ‘break ability’ of said items. Great job by the way, keep up the good work.
woah!! that custom tank is everything!!!
I think this water system is so over complicated like basically with everything you do to this van - but I get it, It what makes people watch you channel and it is a good learning way for you two.
1.When thinking of heating your water while the engine is running: the best and the least complicated thing is just to use a voltage sensitive relay and a 12v heating element. When the car is running the alternator kicks in and the voltage rises - then the relay turns on and it starts heating the water - it takes a little longer but we have done this setup and a 15l is heated to 65C in about 40minutes.
If you want to do it your way, try adding a disel water heater that warms your engine in the winter and automaticly warms your boiler.
2. Blowing hot air thrught that long pipe in the boiler. Its gonna have 2 side effects: Its gonna take ages to warm that water and its gonna take ages to warm the place up - try doing this when the water is cold and it is cold outside. You will be disappointed.
3. We were thinking about that sucking option you have mentioned for a long time. The problem with that is that you have to flush the whole system and change the water in your system everytime you suck water like that - the problem with alge, bacteria, dirt and debris is just not worth the hustle.
4. It is better to have a second tap at your sink that is a seperet line with a seperet small pump that you "plug" in the 5L water bottle that you buy in the store - and when the water bottle is empty, you just "plug" a new water bottle. It is such a space saver when you dont need to instal all those filters and you just need a little space for a water bottle with its own pump.
5. I cringe everytime I see those hose clamps on the lines (in any vanbuld) - you are doing a professional build - try finding another way to connect those pipes. There is a lot of systems that are more reliable.
6. oh... and I m pretty sure the boilers are meant to be cylinder by design - when the pressure rises in the boiler it needs to push to all the walls with the same force.
I know it looks really cool the way you are doing things but on the long run when the thing start to break it is very crucial to have a simple system with easy access.
Keep up the good work, I always learn something when watching your videos.
You're forgetting something really important. Everyone build the van according with their needs. They already travelled a lot in a Van so they created this van with all they need to resolve problems that they already experienced. There is no right way to build a van.
1. Sounds like a personal preference more than a better solution. This takes longer, stresses alternator more and requires massive cables especially for the length we would need. It’s not obviously better solution.
2. I’m open minded to learn this but 80 degrees hot air won’t come out cold and in my opinion won’t take much time to heat up the water. That will be tested for sure.
3. and 4. Sounds like a preference and I personally still like ours more. Sucking the water from any source, if suspicious than adding a chlorine tablet to our 150l tank.
5. Could you please point out what connections are much better we can use? We honestly don’t know anything better. Just please let’s not recommend the crimping system humble road uses, I’m not willing to spend that much money for few connection. I did not see a problem with these connections on 2bar system.
6. That’s right, they are cylinders for this reason. Very inconvenient shape when maximizing the space, isn’t it? 3mm stainless steel will hold it together, I’m sure.
Thanks for the comment. Generally speaking we do thinks our best but nobody says we do them perfect. I like being challenged and educated, that’s the way to improve.
@@ladiandmargaret fwiw, in Australia it is very common to use John Guest fittings and pipe in vans
Starting a build soon and this is a serious non-confrontational question trying to educate myself. What is wrong with "those hose clamps" are they not the same ones used on every hose in the vehicles existing water coolant system?
I’ve been waiting for you guys to get to the water, you really think of everything.
You guys work so hard to make these videos and get them out. Love the editing Margaret! ❤️
Just one thing that stood out was a corner case regarding the heater in the fresh water tank to prevent freezing. I don't know if you have resolved it already but if for some reason you run out of fresh water and the air temp is low the heating element will turn on and without water in the tank it will likely melt the fitting and destroy your tank as the temp sensor likely won't pick up the temp change fast enough. So a water leak on a cold night will result in a ruined tank and possibly even a fire.
A couple redundancy checks that would help would be a water level sensor that disables the heating element, a local temp sensor to ensure the heating element isn't getting above a safe temp for your plastic or some additional logic on the heating element control to modulate its run time and sample the temp sensor to ensure the expected feedback is happening.
They have a switch where they can turn of the heat system of the fresh water tank.
@@NathanYsp If it is a manual switch then there is still a concern that either someone will forget to turn it off or the tank runs dry while they are away or sleeping. Having a heating element in a tank that isn't heat tolerant just requires an automatic fail safe to avoid unpleasantness.
These are probably the absolute best van build videos out there.
The science of simple complicated stuff. Clever !
Your green screen work here was epic. So well done.
Very well done. For UV filter we have been using Guzzle H2O Stealth UV system on our cold drinking line for the past year. Compact - easy install and turns on with water pressure sensor.
Water tank in the toe kick is a really cool idea (pun unintended).
I recommend you watch Dan Grec's video showcasing his water setup that he used for 3 years through Africa. His TH-cam channel is "the road chose me".
My job is a "water operator". Basically, I filter and sterilize ground water that is distributed throughout my community for consumption (city water). While I know a lot of people have a negative view of chlorinated water, a naive view in my opinion, you can safely and completely sterilize all your water with just a few drops of chlorine. This would kill everything that may be harmful in your water eliminating the need for a UV system and the associated cost and maintenance. Combine this with your filtration system and all your water is potable. If you are really adverse to chlorinated water you can leave the water you will be consuming exposed to sun and air and the chlorine will basically disappear but this would be difficult in a van life situation.
I do have a concern with pumping your water from the lowest part of the tank because that's where the sediment will settle. But on the other hand with all the sloshing around in a van the water may not be stationary long enough for everything to settle out.
You are completely on the right track by shocking your tanks when they need cleaning.
Feel free to reach out if I may be of any assistance on this matter.
Won’t the chlorine damage the 3 stage filter elements?
@@ryanchristie5349 A Carbon filter will take out the chlorine except in some parts of the world they use chloramine which kills the carbon filters.
As a Scoutmaster that has spent 1000s of days in the woods in my experience the simplest and old methods are best. For really questionable stuff boil then filter. If real bad distill water. Given the technological bent of these guys they need a solar still on the roof of their camper 😎
@@CreekRanger Boiling would certainly produce potable water. It would be a huge inconvenience and time suck to boil water every time they wanted a drink or to try to boil enough to fill their bulk tank. It is obvious from watching the progress of this build lLadi and Margaret want modern convenience while living full time in a van.There is no reason, in this day and time, one can't have water on demand.
@@CreekRanger The chlorine could be added after filtration. Filtration is to remove sediment and debris. Chlorine is for sterilization. It's two separate processes. Technically, the chlorine could be added before or after filtration. However, there is a danger of harmful nitrates being formed when adding chlorine to unfiltered water that is particularly high in organic matter. Especially in hot weather. Sanitizing the water after filtration would be my choice.
Another great video. It makes our Sunday morning.
One comment and one question.
Comment: Unless your quick disconnect has a good cover on it, where you have it located almost guarantees that it is going to be caked with dirt and mud making it one, difficult to connect to and two - well - dirty.
Question: Is the heating loop from the engine to the water tank going to be a glycol system?
Keep up the good work.
Such complexity! I think I might just buy a water heater, but I understand why you’d want to do it yourself. As always great content!!!!
That's a pretty intense system you're rockin' there Margaret! It's awesome how you two come up with these awesome solutions.
Love this system - simple enough to understand while complex enough to fulfill needs. In the toe kick - genius!
Awesome video, thanks a lot for sharing. I can't comment from a van perspective as I'm still planning my built, but I went on trekking trips for many years and totally rely on my portable uv filter to make water from all kinds of sources ready to drink. I used water from creeks, lakes, springs and if nothing else was available even larger puddles and not once got sick. As the system is pretty sore I really wonder how there would be different types of uv filters required 🤔. Only disadvantage is, that even though the water will be okay to drink, uv filters will do nothing about the taste, so depending on the water source you won't get sick but the taste can be really terrible. To avoid this you indeed need an additional filter system, but that's not an issue in a van and you already have it in place. For my build I intend to stick to the system that I know worked well from long term experience but I'll for sure add at least one additional filter based on charcoal for the taste. And put a filter in front to remove larger particles. Vanlife is so much more comfortable than trekking 😂
Guys, I’m new to the channel, but I really believe I finally got my inspiration! I’m from Brazil, and I’m loving your vídeos and the insights! Everything you do, all the details, all the tiny things are really meaningful. I mean, in here I’m not 100% confident I will be able to assemble from scratch, but with all your tips, and everything you’ve done, I’m really excited to kick it off. We are still in the planning and project stages, still understanding if this fits to us, but Im already seeing us in the road with several details you mentioned. I’ll keep you posted in the following steps, but thanks for sharing and for the step-by-step guides! Hope you are well, can’t wait to see the final version of your project!
Wouldn’t drawing water from a stream to store in your fresh water tank, affect any fresh (clean) water you store afterwards. I would assume you have to treat your tank after each time you draw from a stream.
Im so grateful you’ve shared this… so many amazing ideas that i will definitely utilize. Thanks so much
Very nice system. We use a standard kitchen vented propane tankless heater installed in a vented gas cabinet under the bed. Exhaust pipe to the outside supported by PC fan. No waiting or driving for hot water at all.
To prevent wasting cold water in the 10-15 sek. until the tankless heater is actually producing hot water we installed an recirculation loop that circles water through the heater back into the tank until it's immediately hot out of the tab. Works like a charm for two year full time vanlife.
Absolutely obsessed with your channel first of all, infinite thanks for sharing your journey and knowledge!
Some things I've been wondering all the way throughout the build series:
-how are the plastic tanks holding up? I don't remember seeing you insulating them after all, is that giving you trouble? Or if you did end up insulating them, kflex?
-another smaller concern, isn't the water freezing in the lines that come from the tank a problem, or does it get sufficient heat flux from the van interior to keep liquid?
-finally, does the stainless steel hot water tank hold up well? That immediately raised some alarm bells in my head seeing how heavily corroded commercial boilers go within their lifetime, even with a sacrificial rod.
Keep in mind all of these questions are from a naive mind looking at building a first camper van in the "near" future, I'm not trying to poke holes into your systems, which are incredible all around!
Also I realize writing this you haven't really spent a full season in the completed van yet, let alone a freezing one, so these durability/cold questions can't really have an empirical answer 😅
Killer video editing, great thorough explanation too. Nice one! A thought, might be cool to switch off the circulation from engine on hot days so you don't heat up the space with it.
Great job 😎 only problem I see is the heating element on the tank turning on when it’s empty. Assuming you guys have thought of this and have got the thermostat looped in the with the tank level switch?
Travelling through Europe there are many springs by the side of the road where you can fill up drinking water. They often have a low flow rate but the water is lovely. I'm thinking of having a 20 litre dedicated drinking water tank as well as a 100 plus litre fresh tank for dishes, laundry, showering or cooking. You could fill the larger tank from a stream with your method and keep the drinking water circuit sanitised with only spring or town water. I have a small submersible 12v pump with a 10m 12v cigarette extension lead. It's easy to keep this clean for the drinking water. Put a bowl under the spring water pipe, let it fill, turn on the pump, wait and repeat.
You both are crazy! In a good way, of course. I pray I will have a chance to meet you on the road some day... When I get to van life in a far future... Thank you so much for being you! Love you, guys! xx
I was considering doing a coolent loop to heat my water tank in my 4wd but decided i’m just going to put a 250a alternator on instead and a 600w water heater. That way if the cars running it automatically heats the water and when my battery reaches 99% it will turn the heater on and turn off when my battery goes below 97%. I also have a manual switch to turn it on if I want. Would think with your massive battery you wouldn’t need the coolant loop.
My only decision is whether I make a custom tank that can reach 95 degrees as others only reach 70 degrees.
Hopefully this comment won’t be deleted like the last one.
I believe the 1986 Vixen RV TD 21 solved the problem with heating water. It used a diesel heater that also heated liquid. In this case it heated food grade glycol which was pumped to a heat exchanger underneath the sink and shower. Today there are a number of diesel heaters there also heat liquid, food grade glycol or water for hot water.
Unlike a hot water heater it’s lightweight and instant. The only thing that I would add would be a modern residential anti-scald valve so you can set how hot the water is and never get burned or have cold water.
As usual a great video. I look forward to watching your videos every week.
Hi, that seems to be too complicated. I made it so the diesel heater heats up the whole enclosed space with the water tank. No additional circuit or pump needed. Super simple.
All I can say is wow. Well thought out, intelligent way to get good, fresh, and warm water in a van. Couple of ideas. 1 if you are using the heating element, and the water goes below the element, it will burn it out in a few seconds. You can use a level sensor to cut it off before it gets too low. And 2, a much easier option is to use a On Demand tankless water heating system. That way you go from cold water to the propane on demand heater and bypass the tank altogether.
Love It! "Humble Road" TH-camr has a similar set up, may be watch it. He has been fitting it to vans far a little while now and the tank is different. Might be good & useful to see a tried and tested model, It's great to see new ideas develop and change with new perspective.
Very curious and excited about build my van some day, with all the knowledge you're currently gathering! Soo cool ideas and successful realizations of them! Just wow.
Great timing. I was just planning the recirc system for my truck
Love the complexity and over-engineering as always! Heating from the engine is such a good idea.
I think I saw someone mention this, but one concern I'd have with sucking water from creeks or other water sources is the algae, bacteria, and sediment which would then contaminate your whole system. You'd have to flush with chlorine each time, and even then, I'd worry that sediment would build up. Having the drawing hose be in the lowest point of your tank means it will draw water from where the most sediment collects. If you really filtered all the water coming in (which now I think of it, you are, but I don't know how thorough the non-drinking filter is) this would address the problem, but it will likely still mean more maintenance.
I also don't know who said you need different UV for different locations, and they could be right, but in my experience UV treatment or chorine droplets work in all contexts (mostly thinking of backpacking) and it might be nice to include one of those options to be absolutely safe.
Excited to see what you end up with!
add an ozone bubbler. ozone acts as a bleach. It destroys bacteria, fungi and viruses.
I love that you're enjoying the design and creation of the Dream Machine ✨️
Van is looking sweet, can’t wait for the build update
Love this so much! Do you plan to put a cover over the quick connect on the back? I’d be worried about it getting muddy or damaged while driving since it seems a bit exposed.
Sure we’ll cover it.
Very well explained and great visuals! Interested to see how it performs once you're on the road
Hotwater system is awsome. We use similar tech on superyacht, heat from engine, cascade hotwater vessels- different temp, when needed. Additionally possibility to electrical heat, when vessel stops engine and if needed.
For the fresh water from creek and other sources. Keep in mind bacterias etc start to grow. On membranes every system, should at least every two weeks in operation, otherwise fouling on membrane. Ultrafiltration more safe. But keep in mind. no organics in the water, it will pass membranes and your micron filters for sure. Chlorine destroys membranes. But you have to keep your system clean. UV will help in front of filters, after a first strainer. That's probably the best position for UV. It works only correct by low turbidity. Nice videos.
Very impressive!
What's your thoughts about going all electric with a van?
You are such a great teacher Margaret and your editing is awesome, especially for being rather new to this!! Can you recommend video equipment for me to start filing my 2024 build? Does your part list work for a Ram ProMaster and someone just starting out with only basic tools and no experience (no 3d printer or cnc or special sanding machine (-:)
Have been imagining to do this once I do my build, the only thing I want to be able to add to this is a hydronic floor heater. Would love to see that add to the system.
I love the idea of using the engine heat ("cars are just heaters on four wheels") - maybe you could even benefit more from the motor, charging the battery by the light machine and even by regaining power by the brakes. And I wonder if a little aircon might also save a lot of heating energy.
Hi, Really good videos and some great innovative features.
One thing I do like is the position of the fresh water output pipe which takes water to the van.
From the video looks like you have brought the pipe into the tank from the top surface of the tank, which is different to the normal position of low down on the side of the tank. Obviously I want to do the same!
How did you fix this pipe to the tank and does it work ok?
Thanks Ron.
We have a ball cock in a tank design which enables permanent connection to the van. It by-passes the pump as it's already pressurised. It flushes our tanks and we leave with full tanks. We treat with Aquasol. Decided against any filters with the current build and simply use a Brita carafe for drinking water. Love the camera on the electric drain valve. Agree completely with Ladi's surprise!
ive had a similar hot water system for many years , you can simply buy a twin coil calorifier tank ,gives you quick hot water from your engine or diesel heater ,and a 1kw immersion element that can be either used from mains electric or dump your excess solar in summer , so much easier and off the shelf
I was wondering if that heating element used to stop the water freezing will only work in the corner of the baffle. ? Insulation heating jacket just a thought I am no expert and am very interested to see how it all works out . Thanks for the content
13:55 broke my neck. i will sue you... 🤣
awesome ideas I'm building a caravan and this really helps wow!!
In my rv (6,8m long) I have the hose connection (gardena) with a hose spool fixed to our rv. Easy to get water and leave fast. I also have like 10 different adapters for gardena connection and I never had any single issue. Now I can't send you a video because I crashed a few days ago and it's at the mechanic but if I can go in a few days I will send you a video :)
I’m planing on using the same type of retractable hose in my build, I already bought it when it went on sale but Ive been waiting for Ford to build my van since October 2021.
Great plan on the water heater. Looks like you built the tank from plastic, What did you use to install the lines through the tank from the engine? sealing the metal lines into the tank?
👌👍 very educational!
Now it's clear as a whistle.
Keep up the good work!
(for english lessons ask Ladi 🤭)
thanks for sharing. this is nice technical challenge! giving this thought myself, resources engineering of Tesla can make this heating of water efficient. potable water can be solved by many countertop solutions.
@6:48 - I am studying the layout; As I'm laying out mine, if my goal is to be able to fill the FWT with the same hose as I'd use for shore water pressure, then wouldn't I need a way to bypass the pump and FWT when I'm on shore pressure?, So if Shore Pressure = True then bypass pump, accumulator, and FWT; If Shore Hose Fill, then FWT = Open and Pump Circuit = Open... Wouldn't I need at least one more valve to shutoff the FWT tank completely when on shore water pressure?
Great system. Have you considered connecting your space heating system to the same coolant circuit? You would have to replace the diesel air heater with a diesel water heater, and add a “defroster” for converting hot water to hot air. This way you get three options for heating your van as well (engine, diesel-heater or electric). This kind of setup is used in boats.
I thought about it but I don’t think it would heat up as much as 5kW diesel heater. It’s kind of safety bet.
@@ladiandmargaret Looks like you might be doing this already from the images shown from the Facebook group, but are you going to be using a heat exchanger on the diesel heater exhaust pipe? They get really hot! Great way to capture that energy whilst still keeping all the hot air for inside the cab.
I’m thinking about similar conception but using the heat exchanger and with isolated small tank under the car - your idea with custom made one is interesting and I wonder what would be the final efficiency of this solution.
For my vans water inlet, I'm going to use special "city line inlet". With this thing you don't need to turn any valves as it opens as you use water from your tank
What coolant will be going through your tank? The engine coolant? TH-camr and builder humble road has a few good points on the risks of using the engine coolant itself to heat water. You should have the engine coolant heat something else that will then heat your tank to prevent loss of coolant, risk of getting water into your coolant, and possibly poisoning yourself with coolant.
As someone who had to work with UV (UVC/germicidal) tubes recently, I observed them to be a bit power hungry, which might have been an odd occurrence though. Also, they tend to warm up themselves and generally raise the surrounding temperatures to noticeable levels.
(if you are working with UV tubes, use adequate eye protection - it is not a pleasant feeling for the eyes. Imagine diving on to sand on a beach with your eyes wide open...)
A bit of a challenge might be the building of the hot water tank, as this is a tank under pressure when i understand the system.
And the plastics used for the other tanks combined with hot water will most likely de-form.
good luck any way!
For my build i have choosen the square 16 from Isotherm.
Hot water tank will be stainless steel
Water system extraordinaire!! U teach others to do Van builds with so many sensible ideas, very generous! As usual Margaret excellent editing …are u self taught computer tech programs? It is amazing that all this water heating etc can fit inside! 👍🤗❤️🇦🇺
Regarding post-filtration processing, I've not done the analysis, but from a health perspective (licensed civil engineer here), you'll need some kind of disinfection process (typically UV or chemical) unless you are extremely picky about where you fill your fresh water tanks. I've got thoughts from the level of a municipality, but no idea on van specific implementation. I'll say that UV typically doesn't affect taste the same way that chemical disinfection does. You can also consider getting a reverse osmosis filter, but those can power intensive, and you have to be careful or the water will actually leach minerals from your body as it passes through you, as the water from an RO process is pure at the molecular level.
Also, regarding option 3 for intake, there is a theoretical max length that you can suck - about 30 ft or 9m. This is due to the way vacuums work
Margaret great hair choice keep up the good work.
Great Video.
Love the creativity !
Here's the total system that I'm using since 2010 for the water recycling:
Sink and Shower have drain strainers with 1/8" (3 mm holes) . Then shower uses a marine shower bilge pump to run water across the two drawer strainers under the kitchen sink that just get dumped as needed. First drawer is stainless with 1/16" (2mm) holes, second is No-See-Um 20 mesh (841 micron) , then to the 40 gallon grey water tank.
From grey water tank water pumped (through 50 mesh pre filter) at 1 gpm thru the following filters back to fresh water tanks.
Rusco "Spin-Down" 100 mesh (152 micron) strainer, 500 mesh (30 micron), 1000 mesh (15 micron), 2 gallons VITROclean crushed glass inside 3' length of 4" diameter stainless tubing (5-10 micron), 0.2 micron ceramic, Granulated activated carbon (3' x4") , powdered activated carbon (3'x4"), finally passes UV water purifier.
The washer/dryer comb has a Filtrol 160 lint filter before running through the rest of the filters. It has a sock filter that gets turned inside out and cleaned about every 4 loads.
It's probably overkill but full time use would have us changing the crushed glass, and carbon once a year for about $50.
I installed pressure guages between each stage to monitor changes and cleaning schedule.
We have 220 gallons of total capacity and we usually fill that before parking at a festival or race for a few days because our inflatable jacuzzi needs 135 gallons. Sometimes to get rid of it we run the water cooling misters under the awning that needs about 5gph.
I live on a boat, I buy 6 X 5lt bottles of drinking water 1Euro a bottle. My water tank is for showers & cooking. No filters are required, safe bottle water to drink. The engine heats the water for showers. KISS system always works.
Hey guys, can you tell me how is the water sucking from a creek going? I am interested in doing this in my van, but I think that those small van pumps are not made to suck water from more than roughly 2m away. That doesnt leave a lot of hose length. How did it work for you?
Yeah that idea did not work out. I used a separate pump with a portable battery closer to a creek.
Sucking water doesn’t work. Problem is the pump only can suck around 1m height difference. This is the problem.
I‘ve a pump for the accu drill, sucking side short hose, other side can be so long as you wish.
They would need to bring the pump to the water. The pumps can push better than they can pull. Can they push up a steep creek bed? Depends on how deep that creek bed is.
@@jeffsteinmetz7188 Pull a step creek dependent on the strength of pump, but should be no problem.
You are tapping in directly into the cooling system of the engine ? Or you have a seperate heat-exchange element under the hood ? If there is one thing you dont want leaking, it is your engine cooling.
I would like to hear your opinions on atmospheric water generators.
You don't mention it in the video but will you be using the same Polyprop use used in the external tanks for the hot tank? Under the presumptions you are here my thouhhts:
Your water will reach 90°C which is right at the limit of conventional PP or HDPE (again unsure of your thermoplastic used but it appears to be PP) excluding any internal pressure which you will also have unless your PRV is set to atmospheric and then you'll be losing all of your water to vapour. It might work fine initially but the material will likely fail via creep caused by elevated temperatures under internal pressure. I know this all sounds negative but I thought it was worth pointing out to avoid issues further down the line. Further reading can be done from searching "Simona design manual". Any thermoplastic tank questions hit me up 👍
I would definitely recommend using an air heater matrix along side a erbespacher S3 D5e instead of an air deisel heater illustrated in your plans.
You two ARE THE BEST!
Great video, my only concern still the moment is the pressure in the hot water tank, especially with the box design of it. If there is any pressure it will distort and possibly fail, if its going to be vented with a header tank then that should be OK.
It has a pressure release valve so it should be fine.
Great ideas but you are likely to have a major problem if you fill your fresh tank with river water. You are essentially turning your fresh tank into a black water tank. This is because any dirty water flowing through your water pipes will leave bacteria and protozoa that will end up back in the fresh water tank. This is a really bad idea. Those risks will end up on your plates and mugs, which you will eat and drink off, will end up being used for washing which will end up in your mouth and nose and ears allowing for infections.
Your clear water stream will have UV light from the sun helping keep issues down but in your dark water system they will be able to grow rapidly to dangerous levels.
Maybe you can change the manual valves to electrical 3 way ball valves and do the switching at the press of a button? :)
Coo coo for cocoa puffs! My favorite phrase in this video LOL. All cool ideas. I've seen a water heater commercially produced that uses the vehicle engine for heating the water. However, it is very expensive and cylindrical. Your custom built one is nice because it will be easier to locate wherever you want it (space wise). Good idea. Maybe some insulation around your custom heating tank would be a good idea.
Question regarding the 3D printed items in your van. Do they use a plastic that can withstand the heat that can build up in a vehicle? I have a friend who was 3d printing items that started to melt when left in his vehicle during scorching hot days. Maybe you can comment on that in a future video??
nice video guys, very clever,
I recommend that you move the suction hose for the fresh water tank to a position between the heat sensor and heating element, so you ensure that you always get water in it`s liquid state.. the suction hose currently far away fro1m the heater
I am not sure but it seems you expect external pressure to push the water through the pump and that might not work with diaphragm pumps?
You have more space on your roof bellow your solar. You could heat some water there as well :) heating water takes a lot of energy. Using 48V element makes a lot of sense. I pushed whole water problem to side and went for vacation with water jugs and uncompleted van. I learned so much on the trip with my family :)
Could you share the group you were consulting on fb?
You Two clean up real good...
In boats, heating water from the engine is quite common, and you might find an of the shelf heater that is more efficient in a marine store. That said, I hope you do not, looking forward to the build 😉
I have seen quite a few boats that even had in-floor heating or radiators using the heat from the engine and a diesel water heater. I’m from Norway, so heat in the boat extends the season for us 😉
I basically have the same water set up. I use a 7 gallon jug with the siphon function to fill my main tank almost 90% of the time, espically when in a city and you don't need to fill the tank all the way or the hose doesn't reach, It's also a lot quicker and inconspicuous than dragging out the hose. You could introduce some air into the system, so the faucet *might* spit the first few seconds, but my valve set up is slighly diffrent, so you may not encounter that.
Is that fresh water tank you made available for purchase?
Advice from experience, if you still can, install a extra non electronic way to empty your grey water tank. Thank god you are building the van and you know how and where everything goes. You are putting in it so much electronic stuff that will stop working in the future. That will be a hell van for someone that does not know all that stuf.
Great Video as always, I just miss the cat content 🐱
Hot water system in cabinet. Does it need insulation to keep it from heating up the interior? Just a thought
Sure, can be insulated to keep the water warmer longer
I would think the filtration system would work just fine for drinking water from creeks. People who backpack use filters or treatment tablets when they get water from natural sources and are typically fine even with the different microbes in different water sources. You can add bleach into the tank when you fill from natural sources as an additional treatment option.
Good point, but backpacking filters are not necessarily the same as what they have, also we often use UV light, iodine tablets, or chlorine drops, which are other options they could consider button anything they have now. Also, please don't use bleach to sterilize drinking water! That's definitely not good to ingest. You may be thinking about small amounts of chlorine which are used in most people's drinking water and do work well.
@@sorchaoconnor3750 Bleach has chlorine in it and can be used to treat water, at least the plain stuff. It's one of the things recommended in emergency situations and for storing water long term-- that and boiling. The filters should remove most of it. The EPA and CDC actually gives guidelines on how much bleach to use for the amount of water being treated. Bleach plus filtration is actually very effective for drinking water.
If connecting tap water you need to take pressure into consideration. My house has 6 bars pressure, but not all RV pipes and fittings are rated for this.
So you might need to incorporate a pressure reduction step.
Very good point. On boats, when directly connected to the water tap on the dock, we use a very small brass pression reduction valve. A half inch diameter is perfect for the small water setup in a camper. Set up the valve about 2.8/3 bar and you are good.
Such a clever system👍
Love your channel
Missing you guys 👍😀💕
You're so excited about that hot water aren't you. Love it.
You know you can buy a heat transfer plate that you connect to your radiator hose.
What you are doing is like a calorifier. Please make sure you have a good pressure relief on that and not trapped air etc. They blow quite well when they go. Also if the pipe leaks you will be showering in coolant 😬