Campervan Water Systems: 5 Simple Setups from No Plumbing to Full 12
Quick comparison of the five setups
Getting running water in a campervan doesn't have to mean installing a large fixed water tank, pressure pump and complicated plumbing.
For many campervans, micro campers and weekend conversions, a much simpler water system is all that's needed.
The right setup depends on how you use your van, whether you have a 12V electrical system, how much water you want to carry and whether you need hot water or a shower.
In this guide, we'll look at five simple ways to set up water in a campervan, from a basic water container through to a fully plumbed 12V system.
Quick comparison
Water setup | Electricity required? | Permanent plumbing? | Running water? | Best suited to |
Water container | No | No | No | Very simple camping |
Gravity tap | No | No | Yes, gravity fed | Minimal conversions |
Foot pump | No | Minimal | Yes | Simple off-grid vans |
Rechargeable tap system | USB charging only | No | Yes | Micro campers and simple conversions |
12V pump system | Yes | Usually some | Yes | Vans with leisure batteries |
There isn't one system that's right for every campervan. The aim is to find the simplest setup that provides the level of convenience you actually need.
1. Water Container
The simplest campervan water system is simply a portable water container.
Fill a 5–20 litre food-safe container with fresh water and pour water directly from it when you need it.
Advantages
Very inexpensive
No plumbing
No electricity
Easy to remove and refill
Almost nothing to go wrong
Disadvantages
No proper running water
Less convenient for washing dishes or hands
You may still need somewhere to collect waste water
For very occasional camping, this may genuinely be all you need.
2. Gravity-Fed Water Tap
The next step is putting a water container above the sink and allowing gravity to feed a simple tap.
Opening the tap lets water flow without requiring a pump.
Advantages
No electricity
Very few components
Inexpensive
Easy to maintain
Disadvantages
The water container needs to be positioned above the tap
Turning on and off is clumsy
Heavy containers can be difficult to lift and carry
Takes up useful storage space
Water pressure is limited
Refilling can be awkward depending on the installation
Gravity systems work particularly well in very simple camping boxes and removable kitchen units but can be bulky and heavy to lift and carry.
3. Jerry Can and Foot Pump
A popular low-tech campervan setup uses a removable fresh-water container underneath the sink with a manual foot pump.
Pressing the pump draws water from the container and sends it to the tap.
Waste water from the sink can drain into a second removable container.
A typical arrangement looks like this:
Fresh water container → foot pump → tap → sink → waste water container
Advantages
No electrical system required
Very reliable
Helps conserve water
Removable containers are easy to fill and empty
Suitable for off-grid camping
Disadvantages
You have to operate the pump manually
Installation requires a foot pump and pipework
Doesn't feel quite like a normal household tap
Rate of flow can be unconsistant
This remains a very good option for people who specifically want a completely non-electric water system.
4. Rechargeable Campervan Tap – Running Water Without 12V Wiring
There is another option for campervans that sits between a manual foot pump and a traditional 12V water system: a rechargeable intergrated pump tap system.
Instead of connecting a water pump to the campervan's leisure battery, the pump is powered by its own rechargeable battery.
Fresh water can be stored in a removable container underneath the sink. The tap draws water from that container when required, while waste water can drain into a second removable container.
A typical setup is:
Removable fresh-water container → rechargeable pump/tap → sink → removable waste-water container
The tap's battery is periodically recharged by USB cable.
This provides running water without needing to install a fixed fresh-water tank, pressure pump or dedicated 12V pump wiring.
Who is a rechargeable campervan tap suitable for?
This type of system can be particularly useful for:
Micro campers
Small campervans
Weekend vans
Removable camper conversions
Vans without a leisure battery
People who don't want to install permanent plumbing
DIY conversions where simplicity is important
Because the water containers are removable, they can simply be carried to a normal tap for filling rather than requiring a hose connection to the van.
Waste water can be handled in the same way by removing the waste container and emptying it at an appropriate disposal point.
The Little Vanporium Rechargeable Campervan Tap Kit
The Little Vanporium offers a rechargeable campervan tap kit designed specifically around this type of simple water system with a years warrenty and batterey tested to over 4hrs of run time.
Rather than adapting a conventional domestic plumbing system to work inside a small van, the kit is intended to provide straightforward running water from a removable water container.
It is particularly suited to conversions where installing a leisure battery, fixed water tank and conventional 12V pressure pump would be unnecessary.
No permanent water tank. No dedicated 12V pump wiring. No complicated plumbing system.
For many small campervans, that can significantly simplify the water installation.
5. Traditional 12V Campervan Water System
For larger conversions, a conventional 12V system may be the better choice.
These typically use a fresh-water tank connected to either a submersible pump or pressure pump powered by the campervan's 12V electrical system.
A typical installation might be:
Fresh-water tank → 12V pump → tap → sink → waste-water tank
Larger systems can also supply showers and hot-water heaters.
Advantages
Good water flow
Convenient everyday operation
Can supply several outlets
Suitable for showers and hot-water systems
Larger water capacity is possible
Disadvantages
Requires a 12V electrical supply
More components
More pipework
More installation work
Fixed tanks can be harder to clean and refill
If your campervan already has a leisure battery and you want a more conventional installation, this can make sense.
The Little Vanporium 12V Campervan Tap Kit
For conversions that already have a suitable 12V electrical supply, The Little Vanporium also offers a simple cold water 12V campervan tap kit with submersible pump.
This gives builders the option of keeping the water installation relatively simple while using the van's existing 12V system.
What Size Water Container Do You Need?
You don't necessarily need a huge water tank in a campervan.
For a small camper used for weekends and short trips, removable containers in the region of 10–20 litres can be much easier to manage than a large fixed tank.
Remember that one litre of water weighs approximately one kilogram.
A 10-litre container therefore weighs roughly 10kg when full, while a 20-litre container weighs roughly 20kg before accounting for the container itself.
Smaller containers are consequently much easier to carry between the van and a water point.
Your requirements will depend heavily on how many people are travelling and whether the water is only being used for drinking, hand washing and dishes or also for showers.
Fresh Water and Waste Water
It's easy to concentrate on getting fresh water into a campervan and forget that the water also needs somewhere to go afterwards.
For simple installations, using two separate removable containers can work very well:
Fresh-water container: supplies the tap.
Waste-water container: collects water from the sink drain.
This keeps both sides of the system accessible and means you don't necessarily need to install tanks underneath the vehicle.
Clearly label the containers so that the fresh-water container can never be confused with the waste-water container.
Fixed Tank or Removable Water Container?
A fixed tank gives you greater capacity, but bigger isn't always better.
A removable container is often easier to:
Refill
Empty
Inspect
Clean
Replace
Protect during winter
Drinkable
You can also take the container to the water source rather than needing to get the campervan close enough for a filling hose.
Fixed tanks become more attractive when you need significantly greater water capacity or are building a camper with facilities such as an indoor shower but may not be suitable for drinking.
Do You Need Hot Water?
Not necessarily.
If your campervan sink is primarily used for drinking water, hand washing and washing a few dishes, a cold-water-only system is considerably simpler.
Hot water introduces additional equipment, energy requirements and plumbing.
For larger campers or people who want an indoor shower, a dedicated hot-water system may be worthwhile and will most likely require a 12v system.
For a small campervan used for short trips, cold running water can provide most of the convenience with considerably less complexity.
Which Campervan Water System Should You Choose?
Choose according to what you're actually trying to achieve.
For the absolute simplest setup:Use a portable water container.
For running water with no electricity at all:Consider a manual foot-pump system.
For running water without installing a leisure battery or dedicated 12V pump wiring:Consider a rechargeable campervan tap with removable fresh and waste-water containers.
For a campervan that already has a 12V electrical system:A 12V pump and tap system may make more sense.
For a larger conversion with a shower and hot water:A conventional fixed-tank system will usually provide the flexibility and capacity required.
The important thing is not to make the water system more complicated than your campervan actually needs.
For many micro campers and weekend vans or quick and simple set up. a removable simple battery tap system can provide convenient running water without turning the conversion into a major plumbing project.
Simple Running Water for Your Campervan
The Little Vanporium specialises in straightforward campervan water solutions designed for DIY conversions.
Our rechargeable campervan tap kit is designed for people who want running water without installing a conventional 12V pump system, while our cold water 12v campervan tap kit provides a simple option for conversions that already have a suitable electrical supply.
Or read our installation guide to see how a simple fresh-water container, tap, sink and waste-water container can work together in a campervan.
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