Van Life Essentials: How To Get Water on the Road While Living in a Van
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2024
- One question I am asked frequently is "How will I get water when I am on the road." Fortunately, I've found it very easy to find water in most places I travel to on a circuit. In this video I'll share the most common places I've learned about and how likely I am to recover my health and my Sandy.
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Thanks for watching!
Use an extra water filter for you own safety. Those water dispensers are hooked up to the store supply and often don't get regular service. I used to work for the oldest plumbing company in Los Angeles, so trust me on this. Also, DON'T EVER USE THE BLOWDRIERS for your hands in public restrooms
Don't ask, it's like knowing how Law's are made!
Laundromats are another good place to fill your gallon jugs. Almost all have a sink where you can fill your containers, while you wait for your wash to finish.
+CheapRVliving....you left out an idea.....Many folks living in cars, vans or RVs are vets or the descendant of a vet. For a very small yearly fee you can join the American Legion, VFW etc. Walk in, show your membership card and you can have all the water you want. So if you are staying in a specific area for several months you've got your water covered at no cost. Same applies to fraternal organization like Moose, Elks etc. Just a thought. There are American Legion and VFW locations all over.
Thank you!
Great advice!
Great idea, who would've thought! Along with rodeos, aquatic centers and fire stations!
As usual, info you can definitely use from Bob. We are stronger when we share and swap info adding to our growth in knowledge and its applications
Don't forget homeowners. I would never say no to someone in need of water.
Yes! A few times when in serious need of water and couldn’t find it in a small town I simply knocked on the door of a local resident and asked. Only once was a fellow hesitant but then allowed me when he realized I needed only a few gallons. Like Bob said, the worst that can happen is they say no. Most people are more than gracious and the situation allows for meeting someone new as well as some shared good feelings - as I have a legitimate need met and the other person gets to be my angel for the day! A win-win!
What an amazing person 🤗
@@michaeldautry 😐
"...train yourself..." THAT is exactly why I'm subscribed to your channel! You don't give me a single answer, you tell me the formula for problems, then that mindset can be used in various situations. Thank you!
FYI! The Taos, NM Walmart does NOT have a water machine. We have to go to Smith's grocery store down the street. Hope this helps someone down the line.🙂
It did! Thanks
A travel Berkey or other water filter should be with every traveler. It's above solar panels on my list of needs.
I also have discovered Berkey - have the smaller counter top size and plan on getting the sport bottle I plan to take with me when I do hit the road as soon as I retire in a few years
@@kathyworden9009 good plan!
Amen sister! I got one and still filter this water through it
If I have room & it's less expensive than CLEARLY FILTERED bottles & pitchers ,I'd definitely want a Berkey
I used to pay all the time for those vending machines. Then I thought about one day the water coming out of the spigots at the fuel stations are free. In the USA they have to label water if it is not drinkable. So all those places Bob mentioned for free water are the best. I rarely pay for water and I carry one of those water filter pitchers just in case I get some off the water. I can filter and pour in a sealable jug. You can tell Bob uses his jugs and mine are also looking a bit grungy from long term use. Also, remember to keep the water covered away from sunlight when storing.
I appreciate Water more after watching this video and somehow I got thirsty :)
I have found potable water at rest stops, it was clearly marked.
Bobbi Webster indeed. rest stops are great for free parking, trash disposal and water. some rest stops even have free WiFi (the only ones I've seen are along Hwy 287 between Wichita Falls, TX and Amarillo, TX, but that leads me to believe there are likely others that I don't know about).
Bob Wells you are such an awesome teacher. My husband is retiring soon and we will travel. I have learned so much from your videos. I really hope we meet you someday! 😁
Hi Bob, I loved this video on finding water because along with air to breathe that's top necessity for maintaining life and health, so very very helpful,
Thanks so much and be well and safe out there!
Regards!
Awesome video. Water is definitely taken for granted in most places. I honestly would never have thought of all of those places to get water. I carry a LifeStraw just in case I can not get potable water. Adapt, Adjust, Improvise, and Overcome. Thanks Bob.
Dave Eddleman I love my lifestraw.
bla blahblah thank u
In all my years, I have one rule I have never broken.. never refuse anyone water .. ever.
Giving a Cup of living water in Christ's name
@@catherinehazur7336 👍🏽
We have a lot success at the back side of a building at stores / malls. Often you'll find a spigot. In the east coast we often fill water at the water drinking fountains or the beach showers. Another tip: you can also ask a garage. They'll check your tire pressure for free and you can ask them for water
I know from experience that here in Florida during hurricane scares when the shelves at the markets run bare from panic buying that I can still get water at liquor stores. Also many home improvement stores where people would normally buy hurricane supplies have also started stocking water.
An additional location is NPS, BLM, Corps of Engineers, or similar Fed recreation area. All of those places no longer sell bottled water for drinking: they want visitors to bring their own water bottles. To encourage this, they have fountains at several locations.
Please ensure that the cemeteries that provide water are "on the grid" , some cemeteries use ground water wells for watering lawns. You can imagine what is in that water. I have worked at cemeteries and warned not to drink from faucets from ground water wells.
Yikes!
In this area of California a lot of parks, cemeteries and golf courses are using recycled water for the lawns.
ooops! i think i drank grandma.
I'm amazed at how expensive water is in the Lower48. In Alaska water from a commercial source was 25c for 10-11gal.
Walmart has vending for water, but they are all the way back of the store, so I think your idea of the Glacier machine is brilliant. Great video as usual!!
Thanks Bob, good video lots of good advice. You are like a modern day cowboy wandering around looking for water. :)
Actually I did feel like I was in the desert.
I live in a tropical climate mild winters and very hot summers. We are continually reminded to drink plenty of water to cope with the heat. Most people in houses would not say no if asked. I saw a tradesman pull up at a neighbours house once and fill up just because there was a tap out front! Great vid Bob, thank you.
Public libraries usually have a water fountain you can use. You may not be able to fit a gallon jug under the flow, but something smaller will work, and every little bit you can get helps.
Another great place is to look for natural springs. We have several here we go full up at.
Look up free municipal water supplies too.
We are getting ready to set out in May and become van dwellers in a Prius. We love your channel and you have been very helpful with all of your wonderful tips and interviews. I wanted to add, that the quality of water one drinks and bathes with is important for health and proper hydration. We plan to bring a very health conscious mentality to the Nomad life. I am a Certified Nutritional Consultant, Master Personal Trainer, and retired Occupational Therapist.
Our skin is our biggest organ, if I can't drink it, I won't bathe with it. Many of the diseases we encounter stems from what we eat and how we interact with stress. Thank you once again for your channel.
TRTVs RealTalk two people in a Prius? wow! stay away from beans. :-p
Sweatblud Survival lol, we are vegans and do eat lots of beans, but no farting issues. We will be tenting mostly, and down sizing, total minimalist.
Oh wow. That should be pretty cool. I'm gonna have to tune in.:-)
Thanks for watching! I'm sure some folks would be interested in how you eat on the road. One of the biggest issues for vegans in remote areas is access to a variety of produce and vegan specialty items.
We absolutely love to watch your very informational interviews and videos. We recently used one of your blog posts about getting rid of stuff and escaping materialism. We have a web show that we do weekly and loved what you had to share.
I am so appreciative of your common-sense approach to so many topics. We are actually planning on using the information that you had about the Snowy Range region, we can't wait to visit there, it looks absolutely majestic! We would love to meet you for sure and I am sure that we will cross paths sometime in the future! Keep doing what you do, you are touching many lives!
Where I live in Florida, the highway rest stations have free water spigots. Also clean rest rooms, and vending machines. Last November I had to evacuate for Hurricane, Matthew, spent 3 days and 2 nights at a rest station in my minivan, with a dog and a hamster - was fine.
saved this one too , you never know when you are going to need this kind of information -even if your just camping for the summer it is good to know. great videos
Great video Bob. Some of these places I would never have thought of to get water.
Thanks for watching!
I'm glad you're asking before you get it Bob. Too many people just find an outdoor tap and help themselves. That's actually stealing, and a good way to give all RVers a bad name.
I had a friend repurpose a small ice maker to make about 2 cups of water per day from the condensation on the evaporator on the ice maker. The water produced was close to distilled water quality at 4 ppm (tap water measured at about 30-40 ppm). With surplus solar and larger ice maker, this could be a great solution when you're not close to a water supply.
Your friend should do a video on that.
I was mistaken on what he did. He converted an ice maker to 12v from the original 110v, then tried to make it work for making water, but the quantities of water were too small.
Then he bought a dehumidifier at Home Depot for $150 and could make 2 cups of water per hour, but at much higher energy use (240 watts compared to 70 watts for the ice maker).
He said for $1100, you can buy a unit that is expressly made for producing water from air.
i repair dehumidifiers for a living. even the most energy efficient dehu will consume a steady 400 watts of power while providing about 1/4 liter of water per hour if the relative humidity of the air is at 60% with the air temperature around 80 degrees fahrenheit . unfortunately, that means it would only be practical in places that have steady sunlight all day long with high humidity, also all day long.
the water produced from a dehu is essentially distilled water, except that there will be some minute quantities of leached metals from the evaporator which is made from copper and aluminum...
Thanks for the information. I was thinking 240 watts was kind of on the low side for a dehumidifier. I guess I would also be a little hesitant to drink the water from a standard off the shelf dehumidifier.
I have no problem consuming only 1/2 gallon of water a day when I'm in conservation mode, so a water from air device might work for me, but most people are going to use way more water than that.
I had a glass of water watching this video :)
Great information Bob! Because we're in our Freightliner, we almost always fill our gallon water jugs at truckstops. But when we bobtail, it's great to know there are other places to fill up! Never thought of the Fire Department! God bless you my brother!!!!
Do you go inside to fill up or use the outside tap Margaret?
I don't know about the Southwest but many horse parks(like rodeo areas) in the Eastern US are not required to test their water for human consumption or label spigots in any way if used for livestock only. Wow. Your vending water is very reasonable. Even our Walmart vended water is nearly the price of regular stuff on the shelves so I find it cheaper at Aldi's. Happy trails Bob.
Vending water tends to be quite reasonable in the desert, but I've seen up to 40 cents per gallon here.
25 cents per gallon or 1 dollar for 5 gallons here in Southern California as well. Nice thing is it is reverse osmosis as well. not hard to find at all, most every grocery store has it out front.
Also another thing that is cheap and very handy to have. In fact I would go so far as to say all Van dwellers and RVers should have atleast one in the rig is a water bandit. www.walmart.com/ip/Camco-Water-Bandit/29764290 Makes getting water almost anywhere easy. good example would be any public drinking fountian. Just slip the water bandit over the fountain and fill up 2 oe 3 gallons into your jugs.
Rider4Life ....I had read that reverse osmosis water is bad for you since there are no minerals in it and it leaches minerals out of your own body.
Water is only 20 cents a gallon at my local Winco 👍
@@teakertown it's one of the ways to filter flouride from the water . I'm 66 years old and have been drinking pretty much nothing but r.o. water for about 6 years. I never felt better. I recently tried drinking tap water only and developed joint pain, it all went away after about a week of going back on r.o. water. The flouride that they put in water is the toxic kind, not the kind that can, in miniscule amounts, prevent cavities.
thanks Bob for everything you do for our family of nomads.
Thanks for watching Bill, it is my pleasure. :)
I brewed coffee at state welcome centers, office buildings, stores, warehouses, just a few to mention. Great list Bob! If there's a building, there's water, of course as long as the grid is up. After that, find nature's source. Always should have purification tablets!
Awesome. Very comprehensive. We appreciate you and your channel.
Great info! Oxygen and water are the absolute musts for life. Never let your water supply get too low. 🚐💨
Great info on water resources Bob you always have the best information thank you.
Those are some good tips. I never thought about the Rodeo as a place to stop and I go by them all the time out west.
Wonderful tips and solutions. Now i just need to hit the road and get some water for my dream of living as a nomad :)
Wifes name and pic. Mark here. Subscribed today.. Remember seeing Dee's van from the past. I have a class a rv but had a camper for 16 years. Just like the people and everyone's ideas. Great channel. Peace
Just asked you yesterday, Bob, where to find water out west....and today ...theres the Video!!!😁
Thanks!
Thanks for the heads up!!!!!!!! Lots of great ideas, common sense really, but some places mentioned I never would have thought of.
Safe and happy travels to you!
Jane from CT and her wacky sidekick, Lola, the Boston Terrier.
Lol, on the road crew, we get water from cemeteries a LOT! We have never been told no. 😁💗
Another place is car washes. In our area, the car washes have a water dispenser as part of their business. Most around here are the same price as the vending machine you showed
hi,bob And once again a necessary information for all, thank you and drink plenty of cold water- rgds from austria
I use Berkey and Sawyer - (Lifestraw is about 5 ppm), I want 1 or 2 Parts per million filtration, (I also have one the filters down to .5ppm). I also have an AlexaPure (smaller size) gravity tank. The Big Sawyer has an accessory that will fit over a spigot.
The Berkey and Sawyer filter almost everything - BUT always BOIL your water from dubious sources - even mountain creeks/rivers.
Last year I spent $200+ buying water. I bought a Hydroblu jerrycan filter system for $150. I will be filtering from almost any water source.The hydroblu, and other systems out there,can filter to the same safety specs as city water without chlorine. Save money and trips to town and don't leave a great camp spot. Just filter water near you from a stream or lake, and be truly off-grid. It is a lot of work, it is slow, but , it will save a lot of trips to towns. When in town I still follow the advice in this video to get free water and top of all of my containers..
You mAke life easier for many people.
In Australia we lived for 14 months on the road. We made a simple funnel hose arrangement so that we could access water from the wash basins in public toilets.
You are the grand master wizard of van living.
Thank you Bob! 👍😍
So much inspiration and great tips. Thank you!! I working toward my nomad life and really getting excited, your videos really help calm my fears I had!
The cemetary by where I used to live had spigots for lawn watering all over, but all were tagged as "non-potable". I tried it once & it tasted bad. My dog would not even try it. Never did ask but I suspect they had a well and since was used for lawn watering it was not treated in any way.
DIY water from air: mildly heat one part of a copper tube or hard plastic; the other end goes to cold tube to plastic or glass bottle
FYI Bob. I'm from AZ, most of my life, and if you every have a chance to see one of the filters from those water machines outside of stores, you would drink out of a river instead. It actually looks like snot! I HIGHLY recommend a Water N' Ice Store. Most of them change their filters on a regular basis!!
Just love these inspiring and useful videos. Thanks for posting.
Publix grocery stores has those Glacier filtration machines. If you want cheap ice you can use a 52 ounce cup from quiktrip gas stations to get ice for 25¢. Or if you need more bring in your insulated 1 or more gallon water cooler and fill it up as much as you like. If they start to complain you can use your GPS software to find the next QT, go to it, fill up some more.
Thanks so much, Bob! That answers a question I've had for a while now. Very nice list--sounds easier than I thought it would be.
My husband and I lived on a sailboat in PC, it was nice to see it again. Thank you.
We have Glacier in stores in FL that's how I get water. And we have a rodeo in Davie, FL, although I didn't know I could get water there. thanks for the info!
Another one I have found is on some highways, they have spring water fountains/faucets. I know one in Oregon is on Highway 28, towards the top of the pass near Camp 18, on both sides of the road, fresh mountain spring water.
Thank you so much for this video Bob!!! 😁👍 It was very helpful. Safe and happy travels. 👍😉💓😄🚐
Another excellent video with lots of great information, thank you Bob
HI BOB!!! We love your tips thanks !!!! STAY SAFE !!!!
Dollar stores have bottled water. Be sure to filter your bottled water, no matter what the brand. It's not always spring water. If you have tap water, filter it, but if you are an RVer or camper,always filter any drinking water. You can get a single serve water tumbler with a built-in filter.
Thank you Bob for this info, I'm learning a lot through you I want you know I really appreciated all the way here from Manchester Michigan
Since our walmart and Krogers didnt have dispensers, Stockman Liquor had one outside, dispensing 1 gal., 3 gal or 5 gal.
Liquor stores either have a machine or they can tell you who in town does
One of my favorite areas to boondock near Randsburg, CA I have often gotten water at the local fire station.
That north/south highway that cuts through Quartzite has two water stations at this propane place on the east side. It's the one with the big round propane ball. Ice is also MUCH cheaper there.
One water station is reverse osmosis for 25 cents per gallon and at the north end they have a deep well water station that you can get FIVE gallons for a quarter. It may have a touch more minerals and electrolytes in it (not sure), but at that price you can spoil yourself once in a while with a camp shower or bath on the cheap. You can also mix the two types of water there to lower overall cost if deep well is too 'wild' for you.
Oh, on the side, the laundromat/restaurant on the south side of the east/west main drag you can get nice hot 20 minute shower for half of what they charge at the truck stops. Last year it was 8 bucks and include towels, wash rags, soap and shampoo.
Also, get a water spigot key! The key to the water kingdom.
I know in Michigan that the water taps in cemetery are not filtered. There is a sign at the spigot or the front gate with a warning. Be careful!
Cemeteries are an iffy source. Some have their own wells just for watering and therefore don't go to the trouble and expense to worry about water quality. In cemeteries, ground water can have a lot of contaminants from chemicals, concrete vaults, etc. leached into the water. Very often, the spigots provide water that is not safe for drinking. I've seen in many cemeteries signs at each water outlet stating to the effect "For watering only. Not safe for drinking." If they aren't marked, I'd ask and be positive.
I'd avoid cemeteries' water supplies and stick to anything with a city water source. I'll reserve my use of cemeteries for visiting, attending a somber event or when I need to reside there.
Awesome info 👍🏼
My local post office has a working spiggot on the side of the building available to the public 24 / 7, and it works! City water I imagine.
Natural springs & day use areas at National Forests have well pumps. Best tasting waters. I load up from natural springs, but it is not always easy. Pumps at Federal Land Campsites work well and are easy. Also, can get water from streams, creeks and rivers near mountain run offs. However, this will require purification which is a breeze if you have the know how.
Thank you. This info is golden, absolutely 100% accurate, fyi. I LOVE this channel!
Bob have you done or would you do a video on Water filtration in case you have to get water from a creek?
Great advice Bob.
Big Berkey gravity fed water filtration system. Park next to any water source like a river or lake, and you are good to go! Glacier Water is great too!
Thank you Bob for your helpful response. I'll definitely look these up
Love those vending machines, none here in Australia. Fill it with BEER and sit in alcove with head raised with mouth open ! :D
chuckle fellow Aussie..was going to comment as well that our shopping centres/department stores don't do water vending machines..you CAN get water from garages, generally over near the air pump..Fire stations seems a good one..maybe even CFA's if they're manned..l know you can get water from cemeteries because people want to fill up vases for their flowers but l don't know how drinkable it would be..probably at a pinch, if you knock on someones front door and ask if they could get a few litres from their front tap you may get a yes more often than a no..hmm..charities...l suppose they won't say no if you tell them you're living out of your vehicle..
Hi Bob listen I have done the road for over 20 years and found that you can really easy just go to the bath room's in the grocery store and take a cup and fill the cup and put it in the jug fast simple and easy its free and doesn't cost any thing the Deli also will go and fill your jugs if you ask them same way with the Bakery or meat market areas
Asking politely is the key. Thanks for sharing the tip.
Thanks for the information Bob..
bob scores, 20 cents a gallon cheap. excellent tips on water gathering.also lifestraw!
Even if you buy water, you should own a filter pitcher. it's worth the investment and you don't have to replace the filter every month. I have a Draggon filter pitcher that my daughter bought for me. I had a Brita, but she said the Draggon balances the PH in the water, so it's even better.
Hi Bob ,good seing you, wishing you the best always. Thank you for shering 💝💐💕 love from Dk 💐💝💐💝💐👍☕☕☕☕☕☕
In my town there is the parks but in particular the dog parks have water too. So do our community gardens. No one to ask in the cemeteries.
Thank you for the information. Great work Bob.
Nomad or not, you should seek and pay for the cleanest water possible! If you are ever near mountains such as Mount Shasta, CA, you can get free clean, energizing water from many local streams and designated water spots. Best water I've ever had and it was free! peace :)
I also get lots from planet fitness or libraries that have filtered water fountains
Divine Zeal another great reason to have a gym membership. workout, water, showers and access to restrooms 24x7 in the city (assuming of course the gym is 24 hours). Planet Fitness is going to be on my monthly list of expenditures when I get out on the road.
Yes thanks for mentioning gyms. :)
Thank you, again !
It's a good idea to carry a silcock key, which is a little tool that will open and control the spickets on the exterior of commercial buildings. Gives you another option. In the plumbing tool section of depot or Lowes for $8-10. Maybe not the most legal or potable, but an at your own risk option none the less.
most of the time, those spigots on the outside of buildings that require a key are there to prevent vandals from turning on the water and walking away, letting it run forever.. in the past i've gone into places like that and asked to use the spigot, was told that they didn't have a key, i told them that i had my own and they had no problem letting me have access to their water provided i didn't abuse the privilege.
Some of the places you mentioned are not potable water, like outside taps at truck stops and dump stations. It's OK to Bathe with, but I wouldn't drink it. Look at the color of the tap. A green tap is safe, potable water. Any other color is questionable.
Trucker Ray great tip, thanks!
Trucker Ray Its all tap water and yes it is all safe to drink. It wont taste as good as purified water but you can drink it all the same in a pinch
Trucker Ray It's possible, depends if the faucet is on a circuit where backflow is possible. Lots of stuff going on with water at truck stops, all the more reason to NOT fill from farmer Fred's frost free faucet! But, mostly the precautions concern external contamination, like at a dump station. I carry a bottle of bleach water, spray the faucet and use my own hose to fill my RVs fresh water tank. Nevertheless, I don't drink that water. Hell NO! Maybe brush my teeth... LOL.
Dusty Trailhead "Farmer Fred's Frost Free Faucet "? LOL.
y'all need to google "water spigot color codes" and look at the national guidelines for plumbers.
This great info for me I've been a Little Afraid I would run out of water so Yeah Thank you...
another great video, you are the man Bob !
Free water loading into gallon bottles at gym. But i use the glacier refills as well. Depends on where i am.
Thank you, your videos are always so helpful and informative
On the east coast, I recommend dog parks!
We often get it from water fountains or the beach showers
Laundermat. The one I used for years was self serve, no attendant. People would drive up, use the toilet and fill up a mess of gallon jugs at the big sink. Head on out, never even do laundry.
Highly recommend CLEARLY FILTERED products. Water bottles ,pitchers etc.
Can put any water from any tap ! ( the company says it'll even filter POND water to super CLEAN ! IMAGINE filter wouldn't last long that way......) I love my stainless steel bottle with filter inside.
Plan to buy a pitcher soon