- Two water tanks (20 gal and 5 gal, Ebay)
- Water pump (Flojet 2.9 gpm, Ebay)
- Water strainer (Shurflo, Ebay)
- Water fill port (Ebay)
- Water pipes, valves and flex connectors (CPVC, Lowe's)
- Water heater (Truma AquaGo Comfort Plus, Ebay)
- Inside shower faucet (Ebay)
- Outside shower (Ebay)
I started from putting the 20 gal (36"x16"x8") water tank next to the pass side rear wheel well. There was a space left between the tank, well and side wall. So I decided to put additional 5 gal canister, which I connected to the main tank and the drain valve to be able to drain water if needed. The top of the tank is connected to the water fill inlet.
I mounted the water pump right onto the wheel well and connected it to tank via the strainer and flex connector. The water pump then was connected to the CPCV pipe the goes to the front of the van and to the city connection in the inlet. then I tested the installed part of the system.
Many builders use PEX plumbing. I was also considering it in the beginning. However, after I learned about the cost of PEX connections (angles, T's, unions) and multiplied it by the number I need for the full system (about 40 angles was used), I rejected this idea because of high cost and went to CPVC. These pipes are much thinner then PVC, relatively flexible, fittings are cheap, and you do not need any special tools except glue.
To continue plumbing, I needed to connect it to the kitchen sink and water heater.
I was lucky to get the most advanced propane water heater currently on the market - Truma AquaGo Comfort Plus - at the attractive price on Ebay. The main features of this heater are:
- It is on demand heater - you can have hot water any time momentarily.
- Additionally, it has a small tank (about 1L) that keeps the water inside always hot, and sends it first when the water flow is turned on while the heater fires up, thus significantly reducing the initial cold water shot.
- Additionally, it has a warm water loop. All distribution points are tied in a loop, where the heater maintains constantly hot temperature by periodically circulating the water with internal pump and heating it. This feature completely eliminates the cold water bursts at the start.
The plumbing for that heater is more complicated as you need to run three pipes everywhere: cold water, hot water from the heater and the hot water return to the heater.
Installing heater was simple: I cut the hole in the driver side wall behind second row seats, made a small wood platform and screwed the heater to the van wall.
After the kitchen cabinets have been bought, their exact position was determined, and the base was installed (see separate page), I was able to run the pipes to the kitchen and then to the water heater. On the pictures you can see that the hot water pipes are in the loop. Red valves are temporary, for testing the system without the bath/toilet connections.
Stage 3.
This was the final stage, which was possible after the kitchen cabinets have been fully put in place and details of the bathroom design have been elaborated. Now I was able to connect water to the kitchen sink, put outside shower and do the inside and outside shower and toilet plumbing.
The kitchen cabinets are described on separate page. For the bathroom. I first determined position of the shower pan, toilet, and outside shower. Then I cut the holes for the toilet cassette and outside shower and installed the shower box and cassette door.
After that I connected the water pipes to the sink and did the drain, which I made from the rubber hose about 1"OD. The choice of the hose was determined by the drain outlet of the sink. I ran this hose from the sink to the outside wall of the cabinets making a P-trap, and then through the hole drilled in the bottom frame at the very bottom left of the sliding door to the van's underneath. The hose will go later to the grey water tank. The red valve at the bottom is provided to be able to drain water out of the system when needed.
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