DIY Camper Van Water System Guides

Compared to other systems like electrical, and heating, your camper van water system is one of the more simpler ones to understand and install! There are only a few decisions:

What piping is best for your rig?
What points of use will you have? Think: faucets, showers, etc.
How do you want to fill your water tank?

Once you make those decisions, the rest falls in to place. In our guides, we walk you through those decisions and provide you with the knowledge you need to DIY your water system with confidence.

Looking for more 1:1 help?

We offer Virtual Van Build Consulting! Whether you don’t know where to start, just want a sanity check on your thoughts and diagrams, or anything in between. We provide time and space for all.

System Upgrade

[Optional] Add on to a standard system for filtering and filling from off grid sources such as streams and lakes.

Deeper Dive

How to perform a water audit. Further in depth discussions on grey water, water system components, and more.

Frequently Asked Questions about Camper Van Water Systems

What are the components to a camper van water system?

A camper van water system is composed of:

Fresh Water Tank: To store fresh water on board
12V Water Pump: To pump water out of the fresh water tank and to your points of use.
In Line Accumulator: to smooth out water delivery from water pump
Points of Use: Sink, shower, etc.
Pex Tubing and Brass connectors: For assembly.
Grey Water Tank: For catching used water.

What is the best type of plumbing line for use in camper vans?

In houses, copper pipe is most often used for plumbing. However, in a camper van, this is much too rigid so you will need something more flexible. The cheapest option for flexible water piping is braided vinyl tubing. This is easy to work with and very flexible for getting around the funky curves of a van build. Something more durable, and what we personally use, is PEX A or PEX B. These are similar tubings; however, where they differ is the type of connectors each needs along with the fitting type.

Pex A:

Uses Uponor fittings
Fittings are less expensive than Pex B, but tubing is more expensive
Tubing is less likely to burst in extremely cold temperatures as the fitting expand
Joining method maintains pipe diameter

Pex B:

Uses push-to-connect fittings
Tubing is cheaper than Pex A, but fittings are more expensive
Joining method downsizes the diameter of pipe
Joining method is more likely to cause leaks, or burst, because the fittings don’t expand

What type of water filter should be used in a camper van?

A 3 stage inline filter that filters to at least .2 microns is going to provide you with confidence in your drinking water. Additionally, you can install a UV Water Purifier faucet at the point of use for extra confidence. It is important to have proper water filtration in your camper van because of the sheer number of different water sources you will fill up from as a van lifer.

Read in depth about your Camper Van Water Filtration options.

How can you set up hot water in a camper van?

There are several options for hot water in your camper van:

A hydronic system produces hot air and hot water on demand via heat transfer from a coolant loop. This is an excellent form of hot water as it saves space by being tankless. However, these systems are complex and can be expensive.
Propane Water Heaters are simple to install and sit at a reasonable price point. However, they require that you have propane onboard, and hot water is limited to the storage capacity of the system.
Electric water heaters are simple to install. However, hot water is limited to the size of the tank, and these tend to draw a lot of power which can be unreasonable for some electrical systems. In our first camper van, we had one of these and were only able to heat water while we drove and our alternator was pushing charge.

Head on over to our in depth Hot Water Heaters for Camper Vans guide to learn more.

How big should a water tank be in a camper van?

Solo van lifers tend to have water tanks anywhere from 20 to 30 gallons, while couples have water tanks between 30 and 50 gallons. You can run a complete Water Usage Audit in our Camper Van Water System guide to determine your individual needs and to see water tanks we recommend. As a van lifer, you will be consuming far less water than you do in a house, and limiting water usage will become common.

DIY Camper Van Water System Guides

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