Morning all,

For a while, we've thought that the 30l fresh water tank in our '24 530 is probably a little small for more than 24h of fully off-grid camping.

Our thinking has been that we can always bring a couple of 10l water cans to increase the fresh water we take along to 50l, but during a recent trip to the Dalarna region of Sweden we got the most amazing site on the lake but it was a good schlep up the hill for fresh water (or to the kitchen block for washing up) in temperatures approaching 30C (yes, yes, but it is properly hot by Nordic standards ;)) so I thought perhaps now is the time to think about an upgrade so we can fill a decent amount of fresh water in one go (maybe 50 or 60l).

I can see three ways of managing this:
1. Stick with the 10l water cans.
- Pro: easy, cheap
- Con: you have to store them somewhere
2. Increase the size of the on-board tank
- Pro: Bigger water tank, opportunity to replace the TERRIBLE stock water level measurement system
- Con: more sloshing about when towing with a non-empty tank. Likely considerable effort.
3. Add a second on-board tank with a valve between the stock and extra tank to allow the second tank to be isolated (and empty when not in use)
- Pro: flexible way to expand water capacity
- Con: Fiddly, likely more prone to leakage. Likely considerable effort

(to head off any comments: my grey water tank is the usual 23l Fiamma job, so - if we're careful - will contain a few days of gray water. Also, I consider the Aquaroll - for all its strengths - just too big to store in our small home)

Any thoughts / experiences?

Edwin

I was going to suggest an Aquaroll (until I read your last sentence), however I'm still going to recommend it, because it's so much easier to move water around in it. There are (or were) two sizes - the original 25litre and the current 40lL. I upgraded to a 40L a couple of years ago and it fits into the Troll bathroom in a storage bag. 25L ones can still be found for sale in the UK secondhand (sometimes listed as 30L).

I have seen someone tow their Aquaroll to the site tap, hooked over the towball on the back of their car! Which is definitely easier than pulling it by hand.

Very envious of your camping in rural Sweden - on my bucket list!

Simon

Just found this - not really a solution for you, but a space saving solution for topping up without needing a hose or funnel...

Simon

I was told, a few years back, by the late Jean at Jandi that storing Aquarolls in bathrooms was the quickest way to damage the bathroom door. As the doors, in my experience, need no encouragement to detach I’m prepared to believe her.

I'd opt for the Aquaroll and even store it is the washroom, if necessary with apprpriate padding to ensure it stayed where it was put.

That's bought back a distant memory of a solo trip with our first 540. It had two plastic jerrycans for the sink and washroom wastes. They stored in the washroom when travelling. I was heading down the M5 when I needed a pee and I was busting by the time I pulled into an MSA. I jumped out of the car, unlocked the Eriba, scrabbled inside, opened the washroom door and was faced with a floor full of jerrycans. Doh!

My Aquaroll storage bag is padded and hasn't caused any damage yet in many thousands of Eriba miles. That's cursed it now, of course...