water when wild camping

Rich c

Guest
hello folks wondering if you could help me with a water issue
I’m leaving UK end of march to travel down the west coast of France maybe onto Spain and Portugal
ill be wild camping most of the time in our stealth low line movano van which has a water tank capacity of 150 litres
I have never wild camped for longer than 2 weeks and normally fill up with water from windscreen filling points at petrol stations (washing only):scared:I buy bottled for cooking and drinking.

in France where is best to get water? ill be moving slowly with a tight budget mainly along the coast. ill try to use beach showers but its always nice to have some onboard.

your knowledge and experience will be much appreciated

Rich
 
Rich c said:
hello folks wondering if you could help me with a water issue
I’m leaving UK end of march to travel down the west coast of France maybe onto Spain and Portugal
ill be wild camping most of the time in our stealth low line movano van which has a water tank capacity of 150 litres
I have never wild camped for longer than 2 weeks and normally fill up with water from windscreen filling points at petrol stations (washing only):scared:I buy bottled for cooking and drinking.

in France where is best to get water? ill be moving slowly with a tight budget mainly along the coast. ill try to use beach showers but its always nice to have some onboard.

your knowledge and experience will be much appreciated

Rich
Click to expand...

Hi Rich

Most towns have an Aire or Motorhome Carpark. Might cost you 2euros to fillup. Some have a village tap with Potable water. Supermarkets sell it as cheap as here.

Richard
 
thats great maybe ill grab a water hog then which will save me lugging water 100s of meters
thanks for the fast reply.
 
Rich c said:
thats great maybe ill grab a water hog then which will save me lugging water 100s of meters
thanks for the fast reply.
Click to expand...

You need a hosepipe with a screw on conector, maybe about 12/15 foot long and a watering can (doubles up as a shower) for when thats not long enough.
 
Rich Have a look at ELSIL it is a water treatment product from ELSAN its very good and it is postage free from them, perhaps you could fit a water filter from Water filter systems by Franke, Pozzani, Whirlpool these are 1/2 price we got the Claw tap unit (these are free )

Good luck on your trip
Alf
 
Hi,

In France you will have no problem getting fresh water.

Even though we stayed on Aires nearly all the time, we soon started to follow the locals who used watering cans and 10ltr water containers and filled up from any available tap.

I have since got a two meter hose pipe with a push on adapter, which i use to fill the container from sinks.

I wash/ drink & cook with any water I put into my tank.

Spain & Portugal I don't know about.

Matthew
 
If you can find water taps in the UK OK then you will have no problems at all finding drinkable water anywhere in the known world. Only time you will have problems is during the winter if outside taps are turned off because of freezing.

France is extremely easy - as others have noted - while Spain and Portugal are well sprinkled with village public water points. All clean water unless posted non-potable and if there is any doubt with the quality of water from mountain springs then it is easy to add some non-chlorine sanitiser as you fill.
In several years full-time motorhoming in close to 20 countries, we always drink the local water and never been crook because of it. We do carry a bottle of bought water but that is only in case of a leak or freeze-up making it impossible to have my morning cup of coffee.
 
totally agree with the others . we never really have trouble finding water..like tony we carry a 5ltr just in case . i also have a safari filter but only on an odd occasion have used it. certainly in eu there should be no probs . always we drink the local water never had any probs .every town village as taps ,fonts etc. if really in the country ask at a house or something they never mind letting you have 10 ltrs .
 
Tbear said:
You need a hosepipe with a screw on conector, maybe about 12/15 foot long and a watering can (doubles up as a shower) for when thats not long enough.
Click to expand...

thats cool i have hose pipe and all types of connectors and rubber connectors for all sorts.
 
your all such great people thats a great response to my question.
it seems silly but it is just one of those little worrys i had about this journey as i have never wild camped over 2 weeks.
Thank you to you all
Rich:D
 
:welcome:: 'ting is the French are parsimonious with /about water rarely free tho' often free water taps are hidden. But ..for emergency gallon or do cemeteries...always water for flowers!!!!OR just have a gallon container...no one will refuse you especially in a bar:beer: if you buy a drink or wherever. :goodluck:
 
water in Spain and Portugal is very easy, most villages have a Fuente where locals still get their water even though most now have piped water to their homes, if you use a town Fuente think about the locals feelings, don't get it at Noon for instance when the locals are there, use a bit of decorum and common sense so as not to upset the locals, you are fully entitled to get water at the Fuente but some locals may object to a van getting gallons through a hose.Beaches have cold showers and foot wash sprays, this is town water so is OK to use, ingenious methods are used to collect this water , I will let you work that one out, in the Mountains there are usually Fuentes where water is coming out direct from a pipe in the rock, good sweet water. Petrol Stations, Cemeteries, Public Toilets, etc are all good sources of water, someone will always be able to tell you where the water is, there are Aires also in Spain and Portugal where you can get free water,Other Campers will also tell you where to find the Sewer Drain [ Escotas ] in Portugal and Sanimento in Spain, where you can safely empty your toilet, it is all very easy really, just watch what others do and don't be afraid to ask someone, There are lots of public Wash Houses in Spain and Portugal where locals still do their Laundry , find them and do your Dhobi there too, the water is usually potable too.
 
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I've cycle toured through France a couple of times and ran out of water and rode from village to village to buy some.

Then some-one mentioned "Cemetries" couldn't believe the number i'd rode past gasping for a drink.!
So if ya in the back wacks....Don't forget the "cemetries".!

jt
 
Rich c said:
hello folks wondering if you could help me with a water issue
I’m leaving UK end of march to travel down the west coast of France maybe onto Spain and Portugal
ill be wild camping most of the time in our stealth low line movano van which has a water tank capacity of 150 litres
I have never wild camped for longer than 2 weeks and normally fill up with water from windscreen filling points at petrol stations (washing only):scared:I buy bottled for cooking and drinking.

in France where is best to get water? ill be moving slowly with a tight budget mainly along the coast. ill try to use beach showers but its always nice to have some onboard.

your knowledge and experience will be much appreciated

Rich
Click to expand...

Where ever you decide to fill up your water in France, make sure it is fit enough to drink, only fill up with "Eau Potable"
 
Building sites are a good source of water too, always a hose somewhere on them.:cool1:As for purification, we use ASDAs own tablets, very cheap, just drop a couple in your tanks from time to time , more often if you are doubtful about the waters source, the tablets are available in the Baby goods aisle, and are also used as a Baby Bottle steriliser, sometimes I use a drop of Milton in my tanks too, this keeps them sweet, some will say Milton can damage the Stainless Steel linings of you water heater, I have been using Milton for close on thirty years in small doses and never had any problems and the water can be used straight away with the additives in it.
 
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