{"id":211,"date":"2026-03-26T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.buslife.site\/garage\/?p=211"},"modified":"2026-03-14T17:47:23","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T21:47:23","slug":"how-do-you-get-water-in-a-converted-bus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.buslife.site\/garage\/how-do-you-get-water-in-a-converted-bus\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do You Get Water in a Converted Bus?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n

You’re planning your skoolie build and the water system feels like the most mysterious part. Where does the water come from? How does it get to your faucets? Where does it go after? I had the same questions when I first started digging into this, and the good news is it’s way simpler than you think.<\/p>\n\n

Most converted buses carry a freshwater tank (30-100 gallons) that you fill up at RV dump stations, campground hookups, or any outdoor spigot. A 12V water pump pressurizes the system and pushes water through PEX tubing to your kitchen sink, bathroom sink, and shower. Used water drains into a gray water tank under the bus. You dump the gray tank at RV dump stations. The whole system costs $500-$2,000 to set up depending on tank size and how many fixtures you’re running.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

How do they get water? How do they connect to a water source?<\/h2>\n\n\n
\"How<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are three main ways skoolie owners fill their freshwater tanks, and I was honestly surprised how straightforward all of them are.<\/p>\n\n

RV hookups at campgrounds.<\/strong> Most RV parks and campgrounds have a water hookup at each site, just a standard garden hose connection. You hook up a food-safe drinking water hose (the white ones, not a garden hose) and either fill your tank or run directly from the hookup while you’re parked. If you’re curious about staying at RV parks with a bus, we covered that in our article on whether you can park a skoolie at an RV park<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

RV dump stations.<\/strong> Many gas stations, rest stops, and truck stops have potable water fill stations alongside their dump stations. Free or a few bucks.<\/p>\n\n

Any outdoor spigot.<\/strong> Friends’ houses, laundromats, churches, fire stations. Anywhere with an outdoor faucet and a willing owner. Carry a 50-foot drinking water hose and you can fill up almost anywhere.<\/p>\n\n

Some people also carry 5-7 gallon water jugs as backup. They’re cheap, portable, and you can fill them at any water fountain or store. I talked to a guy at a campground in Arizona who said he barely touches his main tank most days. He fills two 7-gallon jugs at the campground spigot every morning, uses those for coffee and dishes, and saves the big tank for showers. Said it cut his fill-ups in half. I thought that was pretty clever, honestly.<\/p>\n\n

How big are your water tanks? What size tank should I get?<\/h2>\n\n\n
\"How<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tank size depends on how many people you’ve got and how long you want to go between fills.<\/p>\n\n

A solo person using water conservatively (short showers, minimal dish washing) can get by on 30-40 gallons for about a week. A couple needs 40-60 gallons for the same duration. A family of four should look at 60-100 gallons. If you’re traveling with a bigger crew, we have a whole article on bus life with a big family<\/a> that gets into the logistics.<\/p>\n\n

Most full-size skoolies run a 50-80 gallon freshwater tank. Short buses usually have room for 20-40 gallons. The tank sits either under the bus (bolted to the frame) or inside the bus, usually under a bench seat or in a cabinet.<\/p>\n\n

Here’s the thing people forget. Water is heavy. One gallon weighs 8.3 pounds. A full 80-gallon tank adds 664 pounds to your bus. That matters for fuel economy and for staying within your GVWR. If weight management is on your radar (and it should be), check out our guide on skoolie weight and GVWR management<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

Why isn’t the water tank underneath the bus? There’s so much storage under there.<\/h2>\n\n\n
\"Why<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Skoolie
A typical skoolie water filtration setup. The whole plumbing system is simpler than most people expect.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Under-bus mounting is common and works great in warm climates. The tanks bolt to the frame rail and free up interior space.<\/p>\n\n

But there’s a big catch: freezing.<\/p>\n\n

If you ever plan to be anywhere below 32 degrees, an under-bus tank will freeze. Frozen pipes and a frozen tank mean no water until everything thaws. You’d need heat tape on the pipes and either a heated tank or a tank blanket, which adds complexity and electrical draw. We go deeper on cold weather prep in our article about keeping a skoolie warm in winter<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

Interior tanks avoid the freezing problem entirely. Your bus’s insulation and heat keep the water liquid. The tradeoff is losing some interior space, but most people find it’s worth it for the peace of mind.<\/p>\n\n

A lot of builders compromise by putting the freshwater tank inside and the gray water tank underneath. The gray tank can freeze without causing real damage since you’re not drinking from it. I found this setup comes up again and again in forum posts and build videos. It seems like the sweet spot for most people.<\/p>\n\n

Where do you get water to run the washer, shower, etc.? What about water pressure?<\/h2>\n\n\n
\"Where<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Same tank, same pump. A 12V RV water pump (Shurflo and Flojet are the popular brands, $50-$100) pressurizes the entire system. When you turn on any faucet, the pump kicks on and delivers water at 40-60 PSI, similar to what you’d get in a house.<\/p>\n\n

The pump is automatic. It senses pressure drop when you open a faucet and turns on. Close the faucet, pump shuts off. That’s it.<\/p>\n\n

For hot water, most skoolies use either a tankless propane water heater ($150-$400) or a small 6-gallon electric or propane tank heater ($200-$500). Tankless heaters are popular because they don’t waste space or energy keeping water hot when you’re not using it. If you’re weighing propane versus electric for your appliances in general, we’ve got a breakdown of propane vs electric vs diesel appliances<\/a> that covers the tradeoffs.<\/p>\n\n

The plumbing itself is PEX tubing, the same flexible plastic pipe used in modern houses. It’s cheap, easy to work with, and freezing won’t crack it like rigid pipe. You can plumb an entire skoolie in a weekend with basic tools and $100-$200 in PEX and fittings. I’ll be honest, this was the part I expected to be really complicated, and it’s genuinely not. If you want the full walkthrough on building out a bathroom, we cover sinks, showers, and toilets in our guide to building a skoolie bathroom<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

How long does 50 gallons of water actually last?<\/h2>\n\n\n
\"How<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Longer than you’d think if you’re mindful. Here’s typical water usage in a skoolie:<\/p>\n\n