eatSleepWoof gets a Winnie

[eatSleepWoof]

I think where I have it at the moment will be more than enough for 98% of things I’ll ever want to do with it and that’s a huge win. I’ll give it the rest of this year and then I’ll reevaluate what we need/want from a camper and if the Casita hits 80% or more of that then it’ll stay.

I don't know the size of the water tanks on the Casita, but if they're anything like the grossly undersized ones on my Winnie, I'd suggest picking up a cheap 12v water pump, a dedicated (small) lithium battery for it, along with some hoses, and making yourself a portable water re-filling station. I'll be doing that this summer so that I can pump water from any river/lake into the trailer, and will also have a few 20L water cans on hand that can be used to transport the water to the trailer if the water source is too far.

 

[Tex68w]

I don't know the size of the water tanks on the Casita, but if they're anything like the grossly undersized ones on my Winnie, I'd suggest picking up a cheap 12v water pump, a dedicated (small) lithium battery for it, along with some hoses, and making yourself a portable water re-filling station. I'll be doing that this summer so that I can pump water from any river/lake into the trailer, and will also have a few 20L water cans on hand that can be used to transport the water to the trailer if the water source is too far.

I have a 25 gallon fresh water tank, I think that's plenty for the boon docking we plan to do. How big is it on the Winnie?

 

[eatSleepWoof]

I have a 25 gallon fresh water tank, I think that's plenty for the boon docking we plan to do. How big is it on the Winnie?

We've got 31 gallons, and I think that's a tiny amount.

I previously looked at an Outdoors RV trailer with an 80 gallon tank - now that's a proper amount of water!

 

[eatSleepWoof]

The lid is on and gas struts mounted.

I flipped the original piano hinge upside down so that the protrusion faces downwards, instead of into the mattress. Also replaced all hardware with much better screws.

My drawer unit ended up being 3-4 millimetres higher than it should have, so I cut a very thin piece of wood to place under the back side of the hinge, so that the hinge is level. This raised the hinge up and somewhat exposed the sharp corners. To ensure they don't dig into the mattress, I cut and placed a piece of rubber around the back side of the hinge...

... and then put some wide tape overtop. This should keep all hardware away from the mattress.

I used some of Winnebago's original plastic trim to make these corner caps, and glued them in place.

All done!

 

[Tex68w]

We've got 31 gallons, and I think that's a tiny amount.

I previously looked at an Outdoors RV trailer with an 80 gallon tank - now that's a proper amount of water!

Ehh, I guess it all depends on how you use it. When boon docking I don't shower every day, a whore's bath with shower wipes gets you by for an extra day and when I do shower it's back to basic training type showers where I had 90 seconds lol. No water wasted in this house, err I mean camper lol. So for me, 25 gallons is plenty of water for a weeks worth of camping, but if you have 4+ people washing hands, showering, using the toilet, etc I can see how you'd wish for more water in short order.

 

[Todd n Natalie]

Also replaced all hardware with much better screws.

Great ideas with replacing the screws and taping over the hinge. Might have to do that with mine. What did you use for screws? I thought I got good ones but the metal seems soft and whenever I used my cordless drill on them the bit ends on stripping the head.

I can tell you that there’s no way I’d want six people in here unless four of them are under the age of five lol.

I can tell you six adults would take up less room than six kids under age five, lol

 

[eatSleepWoof]

Ehh, I guess it all depends on how you use it. When boon docking I don't shower every day, a whore's bath with shower wipes gets you by for an extra day and when I do shower it's back to basic training type showers where I had 90 seconds lol. No water wasted in this house, err I mean camper lol. So for me, 25 gallons is plenty of water for a weeks worth of camping, but if you have 4+ people washing hands, showering, using the toilet, etc I can see how you'd wish for more water in short order.

That's an outright impressively low water consumption!

We've previously had a ~100L water tank, and it would last us about 2-3 days in camping (no showers). The last trailer had a 180L (40 gallon) tank, but also a more powerful water pump, and we managed to use up the entire amount and actually run out in 2 days. Again, no showers at all.

Time will tell how the 31G tank works out for us, but given that this is the first trailer we've had with an actual shower, I intend to use it, and suspect that won't help our water consumption! I'll definitely be making a portable water pump setup to refill from random water sources.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

What did you use for screws? I thought I got good ones but the metal seems soft and whenever I used my cordless drill on them the bit ends on stripping the head.

See those gold coloured, torx-head ones? Those are "GRK structural screws," commonly found at Home Depot. I use them whenever I can, everywhere I can - they're simply fantastic. I've never had one strip, and the grip is impressive. The bigger ones do get pricy, but even so, they're worth it.

The ones in my photo are 1 1/4" long, as that (far) side of the hinge can a wooden stud (joist?) below it and can accept this length. The other side of the hinge mounts into 1/2" plywood, so options there are more limited; I used these 1/2" stainless, truss head screws. The bottom of the screw head is flat and quite wide, so it acts like a decent washer. All these screws also gripped well and none tore out. Certainly a heck of a lot better than the countersunk screws that were there originally.

 

[Todd n Natalie]

That's an outright impressively low water consumption!

We've previously had a ~100L water tank, and it would last us about 2-3 days in camping (no showers). The last trailer had a 180L (40 gallon) tank, but also a more powerful water pump, and we managed to use up the entire amount and actually run out in 2 days. Again, no showers at all.

Time will tell how the 31G tank works out for us, but given that this is the first trailer we've had with an actual shower, I intend to use it, and suspect that won't help our water consumption! I'll definitely be making a portable water pump setup to refill from random water sources.

We just started using the shower in our trailer last year when we got a different trailer. Previous one had a tiny shower. Used it once or twice when it was just the two of us due to small water tank. Pretty much just used the area for storage. This trailer has more water storage and having a shower that's usable is a game changer! You'll love it!

Thinking one of those portable water pumps made out of a cordless drill?

 

[eatSleepWoof]

We just started using the shower in our trailer last year when we got a different trailer. Previous one had a tiny shower. Used it once or twice when it was just the two of us due to small water tank. Pretty much just used the area for storage. This trailer has more water storage and having a shower that's usable is a game changer! You'll love it!

Thinking one of those portable water pumps made out of a cordless drill?

That's handy, but no, not that.

Note that in the video he said the pump is not designed to run dry for more than 12 seconds - probably worth keeping mind. Most RV water pumps are self-priming and don't have such limitations.

I'll get a normal, 12v water pump, a small (20-40a) lithium battery, a bunch of hoses, and a plastic tool case (like a no-name, Chinese copy of a Pelican) to house it all. It'll be self-powered, completely portable, and I'll recharge it at home when/as needed. Even a 20a battery will likely be more than enough for a few weeks' use.

I already have five, 20L Scepter water containers which conveniently fit quite nicely into the pass-through storage compartment (at least, according to my measurements). I'll probably figure out a way to secure them in there, and that'll give me an extra 100L that I can put into the trailer without too much hassle. Between 140L in the main tank and this extra 100L, we should be good for (I'd hope) 4-5 days. At that point I can put the (now empty) Scepters into the car, drive up to any water source, fill them up using the portable pump, and bring them back to the trailer. A bit of a hassle, but it's doable.

Of course, provincial parks typically have running water, so in those cases it's just a matter of having a long-enough garden hose (ideally one rated for potable water). My next-door neighbour mentioned that he always brings a 200ft hose when he goes camping, and that's always enough to reach his trailer.

 

[Todd n Natalie]

At that point I can put the (now empty) Scepters into the car, drive up to any water source, fill them up using the portable pump, and bring them back to the trailer. A bit of a hassle, but it's doable.

Of course, provincial parks typically have running water, so in those cases it's just a matter of having a long-enough garden hose (ideally one rated for potable water). My next-door neighbour mentioned that he always brings a 200ft hose when he goes camping, and that's always enough to reach his trailer.

This is what we normally do. (Bring empty containers) Like you said a pain but doable.

If it's just the two of us, we can go a week on just what the tank holds without having to refill. (49 gallons / 185 liters) We bring water bottles for drinking and making coffee. So tank water is for brushing teeth, toilet, dishes and showers.

The hose is a good idea too. I've seen one person run it from the water source to their RV to refill.
But I guess it just depends on how far away your site is from the water source.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

The hose is a good idea too. I've seen one person run it from the water source to their RV to refill.
But I guess it just depends on how far away your site is from the water source.

Yup, you never know how far you'll be or what obstacles will be in the way. Can't hurt to have one, but not 100% reliable for every situation. Finding a long, potable-water rated hose is also somewhat challenging - they get real expensive, real quick. Then there's the question of where to store it, the room it'll take up... everything's a trade-off.

 

[Kingsize24]

The lid is on and gas struts mounted.

I flipped the original piano hinge upside down so that the protrusion faces downwards, instead of into the mattress. Also replaced all hardware with much better screws.

My drawer unit ended up being 3-4 millimetres higher than it should have, so I cut a very thin piece of wood to place under the back side of the hinge, so that the hinge is level. This raised the hinge up and somewhat exposed the sharp corners. To ensure they don't dig into the mattress, I cut and placed a piece of rubber around the back side of the hinge...

... and then put some wide tape overtop. This should keep all hardware away from the mattress.

I used some of Winnebago's original plastic trim to make these corner caps, and glued them in place.

All done!

Looks fantastic!

We just got back from 5 days in Arkansas. 2 adults and 2 kids, we used around 40 gallons total with us all taking showers, hand washing, and dishes, etc. I carry 61 gallons total RN, with plans for an additional 26 gallons. We like you use alot of water. But that's only because our kids are filthy hounds currently, that love to take a roll in the dirt from time to time. 😂😂😂 Hopefully that changes some as they get older.

 

[Gravelette]

I've found the waste holding tanks to be more limiting than the fresh. There are few places in Eastern US where you can randomly dump gray and obviously none for black. It might be different in the Far North but in the US you wouldn't want lake water in your fresh tank.

 

[eatSleepWoof]

I've found the waste holding tanks to be more limiting than the fresh. There are few places in Eastern US where you can randomly dump gray and obviously none for black. It might be different in the Far North but in the US you wouldn't want lake water in your fresh tank.

That's disappointing to hear. Have you considered converting to a composting toilet, or one of the many other options? Might make life easier for you.

Thankfully it sounds like we have decent infrastructure for dumping the tanks (from what I see/hear - I haven't actually used a sanidump even once in my life) and lots of clean, fresh water around.