Aquatank II Water Storage Bladder - Unpack and Demo
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ต.ค. 2024
- In this video, I unpack and test out my new Aquatank 2 water storage bladder. It has been on my boondocking wishlist for a while now. This Christmas Anne surprised me with one under the tree.
My new Aquatank will be put to use fetching extra fresh water to increase our dry camping time without breaking camp. I have the 30-gallon model, it also comes in 15, 60, 150 and 300 gallon sizes.
The Aquatank is made of nylon and food-grade polyurethane making it super sturdy. It weighs hardly anything and folds down small for storage. There are built in fill and drain hoses and nozzles.
The first run was a success! It was a snap to fill and with the aid of an old RV water pump, took about 10 minutes to transfer the water into the trailers freshwater tank.
Manufacturer Link - www.extrapacka...
Stuff in the video: (Amazon Affiliate links)
Aquatank II - amzn.to/2LPwbQa
Noco Battery Booster - amzn.to/2SBTv6N
Clearsource Filter System - amzn.to/2Ryw40L
Flojet RV water pump - amzn.to/2RvG9LL
NeverKink Water Hose - amzn.to/2BZ3Nqp
RV water filler - amzn.to/2VsGhLf
7 Gallon water jug - amzn.to/2RzJ8mo
Brass Water Hose Quick Connects - amzn.to/2Rvk8gg
Hummingbird Feeder - amzn.to/2LSDIOr
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I love your "How to" videos like this one. You always stick to the facts and no BS. Such a rarity these days. Thanks again.
Thanks. :)
Can't believe I sat and watched you fill a bag with water...
...and then drain it. (-:
Pretty slick way to transport water and solve storage tank problems. Thanks.
Seems like a happy hummingbird!
Great video!
I'm impressed the hummingbirds find the feeders out in the middle of the desert...but very cool idea.
Angie would have loved her new waterbed.
haha, she sure would have, would have been a good test with her toenails. :)
THANK YOU FOR DEMOING THIS! It's on my RV list as something to get for our future boondocking trips.
You're welcome. :)
I love mine! Used it a ton this past summer(40 days boondocking total)
Oh good...you gave me the answer to our water issues when boondocking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I was looking at a 40 gallon white plastic tank on Amazon to carry my fresh water in my pickup to bring back to the 5th wheel. Your system is more practical especially where storage is at a premium! Thanks for posting, Ray!
Thanks for the test. I've been looking at these for a couple of weeks.
I've had it over a year now and used it maybe 15-20 times, has worked great. Cheers, Ray
Great, looks like a very nice x-mas gift. 👍
Cheers
Volker
I use an Aquatank II as well.
Allow me to share two tips I have learned:
1.) I suggest adding a *Digital Water Flow Meter* to your setup, so you know how much water you are putting into the tank.
2.) Also, when you get to the end, instead of simply folding the tank up onto itself, physically pick up the tank, and you will avoid getting air in the pump.
Hope that helps!
Thanks!
Thanks for the great video! We love this product! Our RV has 110 ga. of grey tank storage, so we got the 60 ga. model.
One of those is on my list! Thanks for the demo, now I'm more sure of the purchase.
Great idea. Finally got to try my version of this today and it worked like a charm. No more heavy water containers or getting all wet. Thanks.
Nice got me a white plastic 55 gallon drum. I lay it on it's side in front of my 5th wheel hitch in the bed and do the same thing. White is nice I can see the water level. It has got us out of a bind many times! Our fresh tank on the trailer is a meager 40 gallons!
Man I love your videos but, “eh I’ve got all day” is such a slap in the face. Lmao I cant wait until I have all day!!!😂😂😏
Received my order of the GB150 and AquaTank, now have to try the pair out. Thanks Ray
This reminds me of my Army days when we'd put a black waterbed mattress in a jeep trailer and rig up a hot shower tent!
I have food grade barrels that I pump from (a 30 and a 55). Light when empty and make a handy outdoor table.
Nice info... Since we have a small travel trailer and we pull it with a 1/2 ton pickup I purchased a rigid polly tank in the bed of the truck I also placed an air valve in the lid and when i need to transfer the water to the trailer holding tank I put a small 12 volt air compressor on the air valve and this helps transfer the water.
I am interested in a follow-up as to how well it holds up over a year or two, especially since you'll be using it in the sunny/dry desert. Love your videos! Always top-notch.
Great video. I been looking at one for my truck roof rack and gravity feed to my RV.
Ray I use one of these for the last year...love it works great! thanks for sharing!
I have had mine for two years and still keep it in the same box it came in. Love it! I thing the instructions say that 12" in height when filling will give you 30 gallons.
Last winter we spent a lot of our time at Saddle mountain. and at the specific Ranch. We love desert Dave. the Aquatank2 is a fantastic product.
we dump & fill at the same spot for a couple of years. Dave is a "character" for sure. 15-20 minutes to dump & fill 1-3 hours of discussion afterwards... He's not shy about his opinions; but we do like him...
Keep up the great video production. We have always enjoyed your topics. We still expect to see Angie pop out of a cabinet when watching!
Great idea, hope they come up with a collapsible or deflatable black water transport tank too! Or one that is dual purpose that will open so it can be used as a storage chest when not transporting waste. When RVing it is especially important to conserve space and create things that are as multi functional as possible. Safe n happy camping
Cool, love the bird feeder.
Nice gadget! Thanks for the review. Hope to see you in Quartzsite!
Scrolled through the comments and didnt see anything on how to custom fit these into smaller containers. My issue was I converted an old gas tank into a bladder design tank (just cut the top off basically after degassing), problem was finding a bladder to fit inside. So I ordered the closest size (still too big on one end) which was the AquaTank 2 15 gallon. Pleasantly surprised myself after hot ironing the sample fabric they include along the edges forming a perfect seal. So I trimmed the AT2 to fit my tank... sealed the edges with a hot iron, and it doesn't leak. Holds about 12 gallons, perfect for my application.
Awesome Ray! No bulky containers! I love the portability! I'm kinda surprised you didn't have your flow meter attached for the fun of it. This bladder would fit perfect in the bed of my truck with my Goose box adapter setup.
Thanks Ray for sharing that I'm going to get me one of them putting it on the list now
Love the tank like the pump even more i end up putting jug in top of ladder. I'm getting pump before i get out again
thanks
Ya, much easier on the old back. :) I've seen some guys that boondock in on spot a lot build the pump right into the truck bed or on the back of the rig.
I used the adapter that came with it on the outlet and cover the inlet with the white thing. makes hooking it up to pump to my camper easier!
greetings from Turkey
Thanks for this excellent video Ray, I like that you show in detail the whole process, love the drive and the music :-0)) I am interested into the how to do the electrical connection between the pump and the Noco Booster.
Thanks, here is a closer look at the water pump setup from an older video - th-cam.com/video/5xhPXmkx6B4/w-d-xo.html
@@LoveYourRV Thank you :-))
Hi Ray, Looks like Christmas was a good one for you. I have been utilizing "Fold-A-Tank" 45 gallon bladders from Arizona RV Parts Center. I have two of them for 90 gallons. They fit perfectly in the truck bed.They come in handy. You can use that water flow meter you have when filling it to be sure you have the 30 gallons next time. Save that sample fabric piece to repair any holes you may get. We are sure you will get some very good use of the water bladder. Safe Travels and Happy Camping.
Amazing! Just Yesterday I was thinking of these.. Seeing one at the water hole, I was told however cats jumping off them seem to puncture, heh. We have the big blue plastic one but would like a change. Ours just fills the empty fresh water, travels very well down the road as yours did too. At the last of the water the drain is pulled over the tailgate and all the water is sucked out. I let the pump suck hard with the vent closed to draw the final water out while folding and raising the mostly empty end of the bag up. Box was replaced with a WalMart shopping bag. It's twice a week here... Nice video again in this RED sky morning..
I don’t know if it came with instructions or not, Ray. I have had a similar bag that held 45 gal. I think you will find that it is intended to fill on the bottom connector and use the top connector as a bleed valve. Mine has a rubber nipple on top that you open and let the air out and also allows you to fill the bladder all the way without danger of damaging the bag. You fill from the bottom and leave the top valve open. Fill until you start to see water coming from the top and you are full!! My observations from experience!!!
Instructions say: " Aquatank II has two fittings - one for filling (female connection) and the other one for draining (male
connection). To fill, make sure the cap on the male connection is secure. Screw a garden hose* into the female
connection. Turn on the water supply. It would not be prudent not to leave the Aquatank II unattended while
filling. Fill your Aquatank II until it is the shape of a pillow (about 15 inches high) BE CAREFUL NOT TO
OVER FILL. Over filling may cause damage to the Aquatank II."
Very cool, may have to invest in one of those.
If the shut off valve fits the bottom hose, I think you will find that it is easier to fill from the bottom and safer. I like you, grumbled about the valve on the bottom. Mine had only a fill connector on the bottom and a nipple on top. Located just like yours. When you fill from the bottom the first time, it will become very apparent that is the way to fill a bladder full without danger of bladder damage.
Very cool, Ray.
_Just got mine yesterday, it's a 60 gallon one. Yes, it's a bit expensive $155.00 plus tax. But, I think it's well worth it._
Great video Ray.
Thanks!
Dual use water storage and water lounger....getting me one!
I lived in Phoenix, Scottsdale, and surrounding small towns for several jobsThe water always had the taste of lots of alkali
Neat water bladder
I had several bladders on my boat so I could have extra water especially during the winter months
I would buy a small tool bag to put it in to keep it protected
That's the same material that Therm-a-Rest makes their 'classic' inflatable backpacking/camp mattresses. In many years of use I only got one hole when I sat down with something sharp in my back pocket. While your truck bed is new and probably won't damage it, I suggest putting a tarp or blanket under it, to prevent it from holing itself on something.
A stuff sack would be great to store it in. That would protect it, prevent creases that might weaken it, and store small.
Good idea! I have an old blanket I keep in the truck in case of emergency. Have you seen this video? th-cam.com/video/Mdqab7MeXgk/w-d-xo.html Wow that's tuff. :)
Cheers! Ray
I've had my 60 gallon bag for 4 years. Get a meter to fill it and use the underside port to fill that way you can release trapped air via the top port. Mine had gotten 2 pin pricks in it the first year but has not grown since . Put the shutoff on the bottom port. Think about it. Your backwards. Sanitation is dune with a vinegar mixture not bleach. Bleach will harden the inner lining and you'll get seepage all over the place when it starts cracking. Make sure you press all the water you can out of it and make sure the exterior of the bag is dry before packing it away. The meter (water) I got off Amazon for $11, that way you can not over or under fill the bag. Never fill to the bag to the advertised amount, leave a 3-5 gallon buffer so a seam won't pop. 30 gallon is probably the biggest you can fit in your truck with the hitch taking 50% of you box, just means you have to make 2 trips to fill the RV.
I like watching you fool with it..;).It looks cool and 6 five gallons buckets thats alot..Roll Tide
Not that you would have the room in a RV fridge for this, but I keep the bladder from my dirt bike drink system in the freezer to keep gross things from growing. Somehow I feel it would be import to dry that bag out. Its not translucent, you can't really see what's inside. And stuff can grow. I also think it's a great idea.
I store it away from light inside a storage bin and when not using it for a while add a little bleach and water inside.
@@LoveYourRV I know that you know what you are doing. I was just giving my unasked information. I can't believe you could pack it so nice in the box again
Good video, Ray. One possible upgrade - if you buy a 7 pin RV pigtail you can plug the pump directly into the truck and not have to worry about a charged battery pack when boondocking.
Thanks, nice idea. Have you tried it? Wonder if the tow cable has enough amperage. I think the water pump draws 6-8 amps
@@LoveYourRV Yes. The wire in your truck that brings +12V to the plug is usually either #10 or #12. Either will handle 8 amps easy.
Thanks.
Pretty cool. I use a 12 volt pump from Harbor Freight. Works slick.
How much was the HF pump and do you have a gpm rating on it?
Here is one for $45 and pumps 290 GPH. However not sure if the pump is safe for drinking.
www.harborfreight.com/12-volt-dc-transfer-pump-63324.html
Do you think just pushing on bag would take water out without pump? Does it come in smaller size?
I think you would have a hard time pushing the water up much higher than the bag but if the bag was higher than the tank you are filling then I'm thinking gravity would do the work and the water could be siphoned out.
Is it crazy to think about getting that and using it (ONLY) to drain water out of the gray tank when necessary. I like that it folds down after use.
Thanks for the info!
Papa's Got a Brand New Bag 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂
It can also double as a water bed for your dog or cat! 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂
Thanks again!
Enjoyed the review.
That looks pretty nice for boon docking and not taking up space when you don't need it. Just an observation, but I would have left the inlet valve closed when you pumped the water out. There isn't really a need to vent a flexible bladder.
Absolutely. The pump can't draw air and it will suck the bladder completely flat ready to fold and put away.
I used to do that when moving a water bed so the mattress didn't get all messed up 👍
Very nice!
I do like it 👍
great info what a great idea
What about closing the fill so you get a vacuum in the bag when filling? Wouldnt have an air problem then?
I'm thinking the same thing. Keeping the fill valve closed should aid the pump in sucking out all of the water.
Great idea for carrying extra water! I used to carry a 55 gallon drum on its side wedged against the front of my truck bed as our first 5th wheel would only hold 30 gallons of fresh water (doesn't last long with females on board). I'd have to pressurize the drum with a 12v compressor to transfer to the RV (what a boring waste of time). Just thinking that the sample of material was possibly included as repair material for inevitable punctures. Anyone who has owned a water bed mattress knows about vinyl repair kits! Try to find a compatible repair adhesive in any hardware department. Have y'all gotten any snow in the desert? Tuscon Police posted a hilarious video! Safe travels, Ray.
Yes, snow twice in a week, got some beautiful photos and video or the freshly fallen snow in the desert, saw that video, too funny!
Glad it's back warm again now, a few days is good enough for me. :) Cheers, Ray
I was wondering if you still like this water tank after a year.
Yup, still have it and have used it quite a bit when boondocking. No problems, love that it is so small to store!
Here is a recent video it appeared in July - th-cam.com/video/o7GQ_E40DcM/w-d-xo.html Cheers Ray
Nice to see a BC plate. Yur vid is 2 years old. You still liking this Aqua2? I'm thinking about getting one. thanx,
Al from Nanaimo
Yes, love it. Use it quite often. Here is an recent video from last month www.loveyourrv.com/off-grid-water-fill-tips-aquatank-bladder-water-bandit-and-flow-meter/ Cheers, Ray
I have the 60 gal one even though our MH has a 105 gal. fresh water tank. Our grey is 80 and black is 60. Having either tanks larger that the fresh water one sound really dumb. We use a portable tank for dumping grey water and have never come close to filling the black tank. RVs in the 60s didn't even have grey water tanks on them, but few had shower either.
I would never drink water from my RV tanks anyway, but those bladders are nice.
Pretty slick, will be looking for a long-term review in the future. I have my concerns about storage, weight (one gallon of water is about 8 pounds makes 30 gallons up to 240lbs), shifting during travel, long-term durability, etc....
Many thanks again to you and the missus
250lbs
You have to have the spout pointed to the back of the truck so you can back up to your water tank let it pour out
The bag has two spouts, but I pump it out because I run it through a dual stage water filter before it enters my fresh tank
It's like a waterbed mattress? You know you're low on water when you head to bed and the pillows and covers are bundled in the middle of the bed :-D
How fitting you get your water the hummer gets his. Is that tank square? I wondered if the outlet would travel better pointing passenger side. But I believe you told Anne it stands up without putting any pressure on the bag. Sounds and looks like a winner. Food for thought. Cheer Joe
Yes, its a square.
The good wife knows that in the desert, the bladder it matter
Did you happen to sample the water from the bag...any hints of plastic-type funk?
Not that I could detect. They coat the inside of the nylon with a polyurethane coating which is what a lot of drinking water safe hoses use.
Hi Ray, I'm just trying to decide on a drinking water system for my new RV, do you drink water right from your faucet or do you have another filter system under the kitchen sink with a separate tap like some RO systems that have a small secondary faucet at your kitchen sink?
Lots of options and opinions when it comes to drinking water. Ranging from drinking whatever right out of the tank to super filtration! Here is what we do.
My wife has a really sensitive stomach and taste buds so we buy water generally from the purification machines and fill jugs for drinking. We carry 2 - 7-gallon jugs and a small 2 gallon for the kitchen counter.
Usually, the machines charge about a buck to a buck fifty or so for 5 gallons. But if in the pacific northwest where they use rainwater versus well water we just drink out of the taps or fill jugs at a know good potable water source like a State Park. For the fresh tank water for dishes and showers, I run whatever water we get through my pair of filters, one 5 microns and one .5 micron.
Here is the system I have - www.loveyourrv.com/clearsource-rv-water-filter-review-install-mod/
Here is an update - www.loveyourrv.com/neglected-rv-water-heater-flush-clearsource-filter-update/
Cheers, Ray
Ray, love the video. Would there be this type of setup for handling grey water? Maybe pumping 30 gallons grey into a bag in the truck bed and going to a dump station? Just wondering if that would be easy than a plastic tank towed behind a truck in a campground.
Not sure, I guess it would work but could be messy and take a while to dump and stuff could clog things.
That's as handy as a pocket on a shirt. Cuts down on the amount of trips.
Good ... Very useful.....
Ray I have a shurflo 4008 12v. But I’m not sure how to connect a drinking hose to the little fittings on the pump. What did you use. Thanks bob
The one I have is a Flojet and came with quick connects fittings. I used hose clamps to attach the water hose to the pump fittings
- th-cam.com/video/5xhPXmkx6B4/w-d-xo.html
I also used hose clamps on my Shurflo in the RV - th-cam.com/video/uRbGmxun1LI/w-d-xo.html
With your new truck (I'm still jealous) an extra 1000 lbs in the bed should make it ride better when not towing.
It looks like we have the same Camco fresh water hoses and I'm forever fighting them because they're so stiff. Even leaving them on the pavement in the full sun won't make them any more flexible & I'm open to all suggestions - including buying another brand.
By any chance are you SW of Wickenburg & almost due South of Aquila? I'm planning on being in Quartzite on the 17th just to catch the tail end of the rally so hopefully most of the crowd will be gone by then.
The hoses I use are Apex Neverkink, though they do kink eventually. I recommended the 5/8th size. We are just south of Tonopah
I think you may have been better off with a clear rectangular container with a large mouth that could be left in the sun to evaporate moisture after use. The bag will make it difficult to remove all moisture from as well as visually inspecting and removing any mold or mildew growth inside between uses. The bleach mixture may help mitigate that but could also potentially degrade the delicate lining. Product is a cool idea but the downsides may outweigh it's folding convenience. Looking forward to your 1 year review to prove me wrong.
Bleach works well for my RVs fresh water tank, it's a 60-gallon plastic tank that never gets air dried.
@@LoveYourRV I'm guessing you use it frequently though
Sit unused for 4-5 months each summer when we are on full hook-ups. Before we are ready to leave in the fall I sanitize it with bleach flush it out a few times and we are good to go. 8 years now, never had an issue with bad water.
@@LoveYourRV Please know I'm not trying to troll you, just pointing out potential downsides. Your results may vary and like I said I am looking forward to a future review on how well it's still working and holding up for you.
No worries I will be sure to update. Cheers!
Outrageous price IMHO, I'd buy the same containers you have B4 buying such
You'd need 4 containers, they are 15 bucks a piece so around $60 bucks versus $115 for the bag. For me, the much smaller storage footprint makes it worthwhile.
Can you just use alligator clips and snap the pump wires to your house batteries to run the auxiliary pump?
Sure, could, do that
just wondering how this 'water bag' is working out for you after a year.
Do you still use it? Would you recommend it, or something like it?
Cheers!
Yes, use it quite often, about a 1/2 dozen times in the last two months, using it tomorrow actually. Has held up fine and love that it folds away.
Great water bladder! Just curious about the dump tanks though? Can an extra 30 gallons be used without dumping one of the tanks? Or do you balance between gray and black tanks any?
Yes, Our waste tanks are roughly 40, 40 and 40 gallons, two gray and one black. Our fresh is roughly 60 gallons, add another 30 and we have used 90 to fill 120, so have some to spare capacity. The black tank is never a problem but sometimes the shower gets too full and I open it and the other gray (galley) tank and let them equalized. Also, we can collect used shower or dishwater and use it to flush toilet. Cheers, Ray
[ To love your R/V ] build your self a double ramp to sit the bag on that will clear the legs of your hitch and then the bag will drian better and not suck air
Thanks, if I leave the other plug on I found it sucks all the water out and leaves no air. Cheer, Ray
Great idea! Nice compact bag over a bunch of water jugs. Would a little vinegar in the water do as well as bleach?
Should do the trick, though I've read bleach is a more powerful sanitizer
Does it need any venting or does it just fill up and drain fine without it?
Doesn't need venting, works great.
Nice water bladder... so did it affect the water taste? Does your 2 stage filter work better than those single filters?
The inside bladder coating is food grade so doesn't affect the taste. Yes, my 2 stage system is much better but much more expensive. www.clearsourcerv.com/
Build a rack on top of your camper that can hold 2 of them and stop and fill them up just before you get to your camp site.
you have a video on how you filled your tank before the bladder??? nice video thanks
Yes, used to use a pair of jugs - th-cam.com/video/5xhPXmkx6B4/w-d-xo.html Cheers, Ray
thanks that helped alot
That's funny I was going to ask you if you ever see hummingbirds since you always put the feeder out, guess I got my answer!
Yes, some area more than others. See more the closer we get to Mexico border usually. Places like Yuma and down neat Ajo, AZ
Great now I gotta pee! 👍😬
That's a very handy tool for boondockers. We don't usually dry camp, but I can see how that would make it easy to extend your stay.
Great timing on the part of Mr. Hummingbird!
We love ours, but they do get holes and they will shift around while your driving. I found the SLIME brand patches work on this material. Maybe you discovered already, the little shutoff valve works better on the drain end :)
Awesome video i got tank works fine cost more but i got all day lol 🇨🇦
Yes, I can sit back with a cold one and watch it empty. Always a fan of less work! :)
Ray the male adapter coming out of the boost pro to feed the pump come with the boost pro or you made it.
Yes,mMy Noco Booster came with all the adapters - www.loveyourrv.com/noco-gb150-battery-booster-review/ I've also heard for 12V source some people wire up a plug that they can plug into the truck's trailer wiring receptacle.
Nice
Hey Ray, Love ya, I would have saved Ann a $100+ dollars and kept using the 5 gallon cans. Or, maybe just got a 50 gallon drum. I can get 35 and 50 gallon used pickle drums for $5 and $10 Now, if it was $20 or $30 dollars for the bladder, it may be worth it. Love your channel, see ya.
Thanks, big plastic drums and tanks are great for some, but I don't like the hassle of carrying them around during a 5 to 6 month snowbird trip, got enough stuff already. :) Most time we don't even need extra water as we are not staying long enough. This bag is a good solution for us. Its there when I need it and packs away super small and light for most of the time that I don't require it. Cheers! Ray
Ray, you always come up with some pretty good setups. Well done! I might have missed it but was the valve that you filled up the bladder stay open when you pump it out thinking of vacuum issues.
Yes, though it might be a good idea