Make Your Own "Dometic Go-type" Water Can From a Scepter

[dstefan]

Been using a gravity system with a Scepter can which we’ve really liked:

One of the cons to Scepters is the odd size thread on the small cap. One of the big pros is the flexible spout Scepter makes.

Scepter Water Container Spout | REI Co-op

Don't get drenched while filling up your water bottle or pasta pot—the Scepter water container spout screws snugly to your Scepter water container (sold separately) to make pouring hassle-free.

www.rei.com

The spigot can be clicked on to run or very precisely controlled for water conservation.

The spout wasn’t long enough for me, so I put both ends on a longer hose. It just took a 1/2” SS barbed straight connector on the can end and pressing the spigot‘s barb into the new hose.

I put my Scepter on a riser and made a real vent hole sealed with a SS 1/4-20 bolt. The hole was tapped for the bolt. Scepter’s are plenty stout to tap a thread into. We have found the gravity feed to work far better with less water, weight and complexity vs an electric pump.
View attachment 770443
I set it up as a simple dispensing station that makes solo hand washing or other use simple — just tap the blue lever with arm or elbow.
View attachment 770444
The magnetic ball head is sturdy, but easily pulled off for use on the tail gate or inside the camper.


View attachment 770445
We often cook inside the camper (usually reheating or coffee, etc) but there’s plenty flow to fill a or cup or water bottle inside. We leave the whole system set up and ready to use with no setup with the spigot secured to a small steel plate magnetically mounted above the Scepter on the camper wall.

Its never come loose on even the roughest trails. No drips, no spills, no errors … so far!

Recently added a Dometic Go jug and Faucet with some extended tubing under our cabinet and have liked it enough to want to go with that system over the gravity and expand the capacity, so we added a permanent water line and some quick connects. In doing so, I realized that it should be pretty easy to make my existing 5 gal Scepter can compatible with the Dometic Go Faucet.

The “Go” quick connects appear to be made by Colder and can be bought from Freshwater Systems EDIT: and are 100% compatible with the Go quick connect. On further testing, the male connecters I used don’t fit firmly in the Dometic jug’s QC valve and will pop out. Everything else works great. My work around to be able to use the Dometic jug along with the the rest of the set-up as described is to make a simple “dongle with a short piece of 1//4’ tubing and the original Dometic supplied male QC with one of the valved female pieces that does fit with every thing else as described. A non-panel mount female fitting is part # PLCD 17004 at Freshwater systems. There are also non-valved versions if you prefer. Sorry for any confusion!

You can buy NSF61 rated versions for potable water with stainless steel push levers vs the Dometic plastic ones. They have a panel mount valved connect that can be installed in the thick top wa ll of the Scepter. I’ll link to all parts below, but here’s what I used:

Here’s the final fit:

Not shown: there’s a plug I’ll also list to seal the valve opening when not in use. I also haven’t added any sealant as I’m waiting on food safe silicon sealant from Amazon. The hole is 11/16 plus maybe a little extra done with a step drill. It was tight enough the valve actually threaded into it. The Scepter plastic is plenty thick to support this. The slight gap you can see is due to the step drill being tapered, so the top of the hole is slightly larger than the rest, but the valve body fits quite tightly.

You can sort of see the silicon washer I used and the SS retaining nut underneath. It wasn’t hard at all to get my arm/hand in to slide on the washer and the nut.

I added an unvalved barbed fitting to the 1/4” down tube to hold down the lighter silicon tubing, but not sure that’s necessary.

It works! Don’t judge me for my filthy kitchen window 😞— it actually rained recently in Phoenix!😆
I just sat the faucet on the flat part of the Scepter for the test; I’m not mounting it there, but you could stick one of the Dometic plates there if you wanted. The Scepter’s built in breather valve is a nice thing which makes this work just as well as the Go. Also, the Dometic faucet will draw water for a surprising distance. Three or four feet vertical is no problem.

If you want to make it cheaper, Fresh Water Systems also sells non-NSF rated versions of the parts listed and you can also buy an all plastic valve, but I’m not sure if those come in a panel mount, which is critical to do this.

Connector parts:

PLCD16004 NSF Valved Panel Mount Hose Barb Coupling Body 1/4 ID Barb

The 1/4" flow PLC Series is proven worldwide in thousands of applications and offers the widest selection of sizes and configurations. PLC quick disconnect couplings are injection molded from acetal thermoplastic and are resistant to most mild chemical solutions. Specifications: Material: Acetal...

www.freshwatersystems.com

22400 NSF Non-Valved In-Line Hose Barb Coupling Insert 1/4 ID Barb

Colder PLC Series Couplings are injection molded from acetal thermoplastic. This makes them resistant to most mild chemicals and durable enough to give many years of trouble free service. The PLC Series offers the largest selection of sizes and configurations and has been proven worldwide in...

www.freshwatersystems.com

PLC300 Coupling Body Plug

Specifications: Material: Acetal Color: White Pressure Range: Vacuum to 120 psi, 8.3 bar Mounting Option: Free Floating Valve Option: Non-Valved Temperature Range: 32ºF to 160ºF Seal Options: Buna-N Minimum Order Requirement: 100/pcs.

www.freshwatersystems.com

 

[Trail Talk]

Nice to see more hacks for the Scepter MWC

 

[dstefan]

FWIW, here’s how I set up the rest of the water system, which we’re attemping to keep as minimal, but as useful, as possible:

In use, I’ll have two adapted Scepters with quick connects under the cabinet to the right of the Dometic in the picture. I put a valved QC in the line to my counter top so I can move the faucet around on the counter and put it outside. The blue circle is where I have a “T” connection that goes along the camper wall to the back barn doors.


I made a bracket from spare angle aluminum for the panel mount valved QC and VHB’d it to the camper sill. The QC connector going into it also goes into the valved QC in the first photo that leads to my counter top. Sorry, no pics of the faucet on the counter top, but you can imagine easily what it looks like. I’ll post a picture if anyone wants, just don’t have on hand.

The faucet in outdoor use mode for hand washing, etc, which we do mostly outside. (I don’t currently have a sink in my counter, except for a collapsable one, without a drain, which we can use when stuck inside and dump out the door/window). The fabric is my camper cover just moved aside for testing.

The reason there’s a valved QC on the short tube from the faucet is twofold: one, so the faucet won’t leak retained water when we disconnect it, and two, so I can purge the line so water isn’t sitting in the tubes as the valved QC’s are only open when there’s a mating male piece inserted.

The shelf that holds the faucet is 1 1/2” x 1 1/2” aluminum angle. The Dometic magnet “seat” is VHB’d on. It’s plenty strong even with the overhang that’s not supported. The bracket is attached to a very strong rubber covered gun magnet with 3M’s Low Surface Energy VHB. I also put some paint protective film on the fender.

I may eventually buy another faucet when they’re on sale (or a cheaper knock off) so we don’t have to switch from outside to inside when camped. They’re pretty light and packable.

 

[Noahtjensen]

The “Go” quick connects appear to be made by Colder and can be bought from Freshwater Systems EDIT: and are 100% compatible with the Go quick connect. On further testing, the male connecters I used don’t fit firmly in the Dometic jug’s QC valve and will pop out. Everything else works great. My work around to be able to use the Dometic jug along with the the rest of the set-up as described is to make a simple “dongle with a short piece of 1//4’ tubing and the original Dometic supplied male QC with one of the valved female pieces that does fit with every thing else as described. A non-panel mount female fitting is part # PLCD 17004 at Freshwater systems. There are also non-valved versions if you prefer. Sorry for any confusion!

What you need are the APC style connectors from Colder Products Company. The PLC style connectors have slightly different groove dimensions. The PLC use a thin metal latch. The APC use a thicker plastic latch which is what's on the Dometic jug.

APC series PLC series

 

[dstefan]

Thanks, that’s helpful to know. For someone building around the Dometic jug(s) that’s clearly the best way to go.

For my purposes, I’m just going to stick with the one dongle I made for the Dometic jug since all the other connectors in my system are the PLC version and I have already have two converted Scepters (5 and 2.5 gals) and another 5 gal in the wings to convert if I need. I may eventually get rid of the Dometic jug, since the Scepters fit better in my system and once converted, I find them much easier to fill, handle and to be more leak proof.