Average water usage?

[Sunnyside42]

Hey folks,
We're still very early in our research for our next rig. One question I have is around average water usage / consumption. How much are you folks using when you're off-grid?

I was thinking between showers, cooking and bathroom use one could easily go through 8-12 gallons per person per day.

Thanks!

[Bedlam]

My truck camper has a 42 gallon fresh tank and 30 gallon gray. We typically shower outside when boondocking to reduce gray water tank fill. Because I have an enclosed trailer in tow with toys, it is outfitted with two more 42 gallon fresh water tanks and 30 gallon gray tote that makes our camper capacities comparable to a toy hauler (which we previously owned). The gray tank contents fit perfectly into the tote and the additional water tanks refill the camper or are used directly through a transfer pump run off batteries in the trailer. We have found places where it is not legal to dump gray tanks in the environment yet outside showers and vehicle wash downs have not been restricted - Using the additional tote capacity even allows us to shower inside if the weather turns bad.

I had considered using compressed air to drive water out of my tanks, but I typically only carry a low volume high pressure compressor which would be running longer than my transfer pump to access water.

[nayther]

There are methods to transport water if your campground has it on site, bladder type tanks you put on the roof of the truck, think small waterbed mattress. Or another easy way is a 30 gallon drum in the truck bed, then use about 10 psi compressed air to push it through the hose into the trailer, had a friend build that setup when he had a motorhome with small tank and it worked very well.

[Sunnyside42]

Thanks everyone for the awesome responses.

I think we can probably estimate 10 gallons a day for our use. The Mrs. isn't going to skimp on water unless absolutely necessary. However camping in some of our favorite campgrounds, they only have power, so a few extra gallons of water will come in handy.

I'm actually glad to hear that others are getting by with less. I'm probably the only one in my family that would do serious off-grid camping at RC flight festivals (SEFF, Nall, etc.).

Thanks folks!

[Y-Guy]

Sunnyside42 do keep in mind that some/many of the posters are not necessarily toy hauler owners. So depending on what you do with your toy hauler your needs will vary dramatically. When we did rides in the desert or mud with our ATVs we chewed threw water. We can stretch it when needed too, it just depends. I don't function well unless I have a shower to start my day.

Water is refillable, but grey/black tanks are not as easy to dump.

[Dirtclods]

Well if the wife coming 33 gallons a day!

[eDUBz]

We have a 50 gallon tank and we never use all of it and we are a family of 4. It will last us easy 4 days dry camping. Sometimes we over conserve and come home with most of our water especially on weekend trips.

[tonyandkaren]

Four gallons per person,per day. That includes daily showers,cooking,cleaning and drinking.

[Ivylog]

We do 7 days without cutting back on anything (OK, shorter showers) for two people on 100 gallons... 7/day/person.

[Bedlam]

5 gallons a person per day for us. We pretty much live like we do in the stick and brick when boondocking. I carry extra water to wash off toys before heading home, so a nine day trip typically uses 120 gallons between personal and vehicle use.

[scrubjaysnest]

tonymull wrote:
Where we camp there are always lakes to take water from for bathing, hand washing and flushing. All our toilet trips are to the outhouse except those middle of the night ones. Cooking and drinking water we take in jugs. We only use about a gallon a day, two tops. I haven't used water to brush my teeth for years. But I doubt you can use us for an example. Hardly anyone camps like we do.

+1
This is the way we do it, maybe a gallon a day wit two pots of coffee for the two of us. A little for instant oatmeal, 1 1/2 cups maybe. We have even used lake water for coffee at times as we perk on the stove.
2 oz each for brushing teeth.

Boondocking is all about conserving. We have 2 2 1/2 gallon water jugs to take to the hand pump. Worst case also have a 5 gallon.
When out west if the CG doesn't have water, we refill the water jugs during a town run.

[tonymull]

Where we camp there are always lakes to take water from for bathing, hand washing and flushing. All our toilet trips are to the outhouse except those middle of the night ones. Cooking and drinking water we take in jugs. We only use about a gallon a day, two tops. I haven't used water to brush my teeth for years. But I doubt you can use us for an example. Hardly anyone camps like we do.

[lincster]

5 days in the dunes and use about 75 gallons with 4 of us.
Never wash dishes, just showers, toilet and wash hands.

[Old-Biscuit]

2 adults.....drink/cook/wash dishes/shower/toilet etc. 70 gallon fresh water last us 7 days.

USA avg. water usage in a S&B is 80-100 gallons day/per person (that does include dishwasher/washing machine and water for landscaping)

Need to change mindset about water when camping
Water for toilet ......good
Water left running when brushing teeth/shaving/washing face/rinsing dishes/long hot steamy showers.......not good


You're on the right rack.............you are thinking about it so that is good.

[owenssailor]

With extreme care we can get over 2 weeks with 40 gallons.