Water, an essential component in the life of the motor home driver
The principle is simple: when the waste water tank is full, you have to drain it, and when the clean water tank is empty, you have to fill it! Be sure to anticipate when you will run out of water. Clean water tanks hold at least 100 liters, and it is considered that a person consumes 20 liters of water per day in a motorhome. Often less, with experience, such as learning to wash dishes with a minimum amount of water. 100 liters of clean water for family use is a minimum. Provide the same capacity between the clean water tank and the dirty water tank. A small pump of 6L/minute is sufficient. The addition of an expansion tank avoids jolts in the water circuit. Mixing taps save water. To fill, there is nothing better than to be two people: one outside holding the hose and pressing the tap if it is automatic; the other watching the water flow to prevent it from overflowing.
Where to find the water?
Don't panic, in France, it's easy to get water! Most freeway service stations have a water point. The numerous motorhome service areas are obviously the ideal place to make your technical stop. You can empty your dirty water and fill your tank. Keep one or two jerry cans in your hold, which will be useful if you need to collect water, for example from a public fountain. Asking permission from the owner of a plot of land or a barn often opens the coveted tap. Sometimes harbor masters will grant access to motorhomes. Stadiums, markets and even cemeteries can provide you with water if necessary. You can use the water in your tank, but many motorhome owners prefer to use mineral water bottles or a separate water can to drink. When you return from a weekend or vacation, you will drain your vehicle to keep your tank clean. Water purification tablets or bleach (1 liter of bleach per 100 liters of water) will clarify the water you fill. This also prevents bad odors from rising.
Grey water
This is all the water collected from the shower, sink and kitchen. It is stored in the wastewater tank, which must be emptied regularly. And the sooner or more often the better, to respect basic hygiene. The service areas have an adapted emptying station: avoid using the draining grids, which communicate with the waterways. And of course, no unauthorized dumping in the middle of nowhere. With all the service areas, in campsites as well as in municipalities, there are plenty of dumping stations spread throughout the territory.
Black water
This is all water... from toilets.
The most common are chemical toilets. Most of them have extractable cassettes. The cassette is reached through an external trapdoor to empty it. Do it regularly, even if the cassette is not full, to avoid odor problems. After emptying, a chemical must be used to break down the material, eliminate odors and prevent gas formation.
Water closets are fixed and require an independent tank, with a greater autonomy. They work on the principle of grinding.
The contents of the toilet are collected in special emptying tanks or in a watertight pit. Modern motor homes are equipped with mobile tanks or cassettes. The material can thus be transported to an emptying point.
Some campers, but especially vanlifers, have installed dry toilets instead of the chemical cassette. It consists of a bucket and a biodegradable garbage bag filled with wood chips. Dry toilets are more environmentally friendly and odorless, despite what one might think at first glance. The waste is disposed of in composting areas, more discreetly in nature, by digging a hole (but less recommended). The bucket is rinsed with grey water.
Electricity: the basics
An auxiliary battery of 75A/h is a minimum. With a large compression refrigerator, two auxiliary batteries of 90A/h and a solar panel allow to be really autonomous.
The electricity is supplied by the batteries of the motorhome. There are two batteries (sometimes more): the first one, the engine battery (or starter battery) is specific to the carrier and its operation. It looks like the battery of your car. The second battery, called auxiliary (or semi-stationary), is specifically dedicated to the cell's equipment. The lighting of the cell, the refrigerator, the television, the freezer, the pump, the heating ventilation, the electronic ignitions (heating, refrigerator and boiler) are provided by the auxiliary battery. The two batteries are connected to each other by a separator-coupler that regulates the charge. To recharge your batteries, drive, but also think of connecting to the 220 V during a stop on a service area (if it allows it) or a night in a campsite. Solutions exist to increase the autonomy of your batteries: solar panels or a fuel cell. Once you have a rough idea of your consumption, think about saving. By not running your equipment together, you reduce your consumption. Turning off a ceiling light during the day is a good idea! Be careful, in winter, the days are shorter, we use more electricity in the cell than in summer.
To connect to the 220 V you will need a cable with CEE standards, female plug for the motorhome exit, an extension cord, or even a male 3-prong plug to connect to the electrical panel (not always, but it is better to have several adapters with you). The small cable diameter (2.5 mm2) is suitable for motorhomes. You should think of forming a 8 on the ground under the vehicle to avoid overheating and rain. The reel with 4 plugs is ideal for sharing electricity between motorhomes, as there are very rarely enough plugs.
Gas for heating, feeding, preserving food, taking a hot shower
The gas supplies the stove, boiler, refrigerator and heater. To avoid running out of gas, always have a second cylinder available. In fact, most gas bottle boxes have two spaces. Choose a gas box that is not high up, which is usually the case, rest assured.
Propane, which can withstand temperatures of -40°C, has gradually replaced butane. If you go in summer, a 13 kg bottle will last more than a month. But beware of winter and heating: count on a lifespan of 2 to 6 days for the same 13 kg cylinder! You can opt for 5 kg bottles, easier to handle, but with a much shorter autonomy, as you may have guessed.
Be careful with the deposit and the compatibility between the supplier and your bottles. Sometimes there is only one supplier, which can be a problem if you go abroad. The best is a universal format. A 13 kg bottle costs about 30 €. You go to the service station at the cash desk, you ask to change the bottle. You will be asked to put the old one upside down before taking a full one.
A diesel heater + a compression fridge allow a good autonomy with a 6 kg bottle. In the case of 2 cylinders, foresee an automatic inverter (useful especially in winter when, during the night, one of the two cylinders has been emptied).
As far as safety is concerned, make sure that the seals are not crushed, place the regulator and then the hose connecting the cylinder to the regulator. Installing an automatic diverter allows you to connect two cylinders and automatically switch from one to the other after exhaustion. Gas is serious: if you have any doubts, consult a professional!
Hot water
The water heater is identical to the wall-mounted water heater that we have at home. It exists only on old motor homes. It is rarely used for reasons of space and sudden changes in water temperature. The boiler is a storage device that can store 10 or 14 liters of hot water. Powered by gas, its operation is simple. Press a button and allow fifteen to thirty minutes for the temperature to rise. The combined system combines forced air heating and hot water production.
Heating
Longer showers due to more comfortable cabins, larger family refrigerators, freezer space: the evolution of comfort has increased gas consumption. But THE main consumption item is heating. Unless you only go out in the sun during the summer, heating is strongly recommended. The temperature can quickly drop at night, and spending a vacation without heating when it's cold is a real hassle! An experience that will make you disgusted with motorhome vacations.
The convection system is the most common, due to its low cost and reliability. It works with a burner with manual or electronic piezo ignition. The burnt gases are evacuated through a chimney, which brings fresh air to the base of the appliance. The combined system combines the hot water boiler and the heater. An air circulation around the boiler pulses warm air into the interior. The system is gas intensive. The central heating is almost identical to the one at home. The circulation of hot water in the pipes provides heat everywhere in the cell.
Here again, safety is paramount and you must be very careful about the evacuation of burnt gases and the supply of fresh air under the motor home. Don't hesitate to meet with a heating expert who will be able to advise you, but above all install or repair your installation in complete safety. There are three solutions in terms of heating:
the combined heater/water heater, whose interest is its space saving.
the heating + boiler. This is a classic system that has the advantage of being low on electricity, simpler to manufacture and therefore less fragile. Each system is independent, which, in case of empty battery, allows to heat again (without ventilation)
the diesel heating + boiler. The system is quite compact and avoids the need for large gas cylinders (13 kg) as it uses the fuel of the carrier. Each time it starts, it requires electrical power. It is noisier than the other systems.