You have found the spot, the awning is out, and you are ready to settle in. Then you realise you have no idea how to connect the water. Or worse, you grab the first hose you find in the storage bay, hook it up to the drinking tap, and spend the rest of the trip wondering why everything tastes like garden hose.
Getting your caravan water setup right is one of those things that seems complicated until someone explains it clearly. This guide covers exactly what you need: the two hoses every caravan requires, the right inline filter, proper hose storage, and the accessories that make the whole system work properly. Less time at the van door, more time enjoying camp.
The Two Hoses Every Caravan Needs (And Why You Cannot Use the Same One for Both)
The single most important thing to understand about caravan water setup is this: you need two separate hoses, and they are never interchangeable.
The first is your drinking water hose. This is the hose that connects your caravan to the tap at a powered site or fills your fresh water tank. It is made from food-grade materials specifically designed so that nothing harmful leaches into the water supply. It should be clearly marked and stored separately from everything else.
The second is your sullage hose. This is the hose that carries grey water away from your caravan. Grey water is the wastewater from your kitchen sink, shower, and bathroom, and it needs to go to a designated drain at the caravan park. Sullage and grey water mean the same thing in the Australian caravan context. Both terms refer to wastewater from your sinks and shower, as distinct from black water, which is toilet waste. Your sullage hose handles the grey water side of that equation. Sullage hoses are made from different materials than drinking water hoses, designed for wastewater not drinking water, and should never touch your fresh water supply. Using the wrong hose for either job is a health risk and a common beginner mistake.
Most caravan parks require you to drain grey water responsibly into designated sullage points. Turning up without a sullage hose is not an option at most caravan parks. You will not be able to manage your grey water properly, and at some parks you will not even be allowed to set up.
Think of it this way: one hose brings clean water in, one hose takes dirty water out. Two hoses, two jobs, always kept separate.
Choosing Your Drinking Water Hose
Not all drinking water hoses are created equal. A standard garden hose from the hardware store is not food-grade and can leach chemicals, plasticisers, and unpleasant odours into your water supply, especially after sitting in the heat. For caravan use, you need a hose specifically rated for drinking water in Australian conditions.
How long should your caravan drinking water hose be?
For most powered sites at Australian caravan parks, 10 metres is enough to reach the tap comfortably. However, if you regularly stay at parks where the tap is further from your site, or if you do any off-grid travel where you need to fill from a more distant water source, a 20 metre hose gives you the flexibility you need without multiple connections.
OZtrail Pick: The Drinking Water Hose 10m is BPA-free with quick-connect fittings and reinforced construction, making it the right choice for most caravan park stays. For those who travel further afield or need extra reach, the Drinking Water Hose 20m delivers the same quality over a longer run.
If storage space is at a premium, the flat drinking water hose with a reel is worth considering. It lays flat when empty, rolls compactly onto its reel for storage, and is far easier to manage than a round hose that needs coiling. It takes up significantly less space in the van's storage bay, which matters on longer trips when every cubic centimetre counts.
OZtrail Pick: The Flat Drinking Water Hose with Reel is UV-resistant and kink-free with reinforced side walls for better water flow. The integrated carry handle makes it easy to move and the reel keeps it neat between sites.
Whichever length you choose, always flush your drinking water hose with clean water before first use and after any period of storage. A hose that has been sitting in a hot storage bay for weeks needs flushing before it goes anywhere near your water supply.
Choosing the Right Sullage Hose: What Size Do You Need?
Sullage hoses come in four diameters, and choosing the right size comes down to your caravan's waste outlet fitting. Getting this wrong means the hose either will not connect properly or will not drain efficiently.
Here is a general guide to what each size suits:
- 25mm: Suited to camper trailers and smaller vans without a full bathroom. Handles sink waste effectively but may not have enough flow capacity for a shower drain.
- 28mm: The standard outlet size on most caravans. Check the outlet fitting underneath or refer to your owner's manual to confirm.
- 32mm: The most common size for caravans with a full bathroom including a shower. The larger bore handles higher water volume from the shower and prevents the hose from struggling to drain grey water quickly.
- 38mm: Suited to larger vans with multiple grey water sources, or setups where fast drainage is important. If you have ever had a sullage hose struggle to drain fast enough, stepping up to 38mm will fix it.
If you are unsure what size outlet your caravan has, check the manufacturer's instructions for your specific model or look at the outlet fitting underneath the van. Most outlets have the size marked on them or on a nearby label. When in doubt, 32mm is the safe choice for a standard caravan with a bathroom.
All four sullage hose sizes are 10 metres in length, which gives you enough reach to get from your van to the drain point at most caravan park sites. The smooth bore interior keeps water flow consistent and reduces the chance of debris building up inside the hose over time.
Should You Filter Your Water? (Yes, and Here is Why)
Town water across most of Australia meets Australian drinking water guidelines and is safe to drink straight from the tap. The picture changes when you travel further from major centres. Bore water is common across regional and outback Australia, and while it may look clear, it can carry sediment, minerals, and bacteria that make it unsuitable for drinking without filtration. Even town water from older pipe systems in some regional areas can carry enough sediment or chlorine to affect taste.
An inline water filter fits between your drinking water hose and the tap or your van's water inlet, catching sediment, bacteria, and other particles before the water reaches your tank or taps. For remote travel where your water sources shift from town supply to bore water to tank water at free camps, an inline filter is not optional. It is your first line of defence when you cannot know the quality of what is coming out of the tap.
For everyday caravan park travel, the filter still earns its place by improving taste and protecting your tank from sediment buildup over time. Clean water flowing into a clean tank means fewer maintenance issues and better-tasting drinking water on every trip.
Inline water filter cartridges should be replaced regularly according to the manufacturer's instructions, typically after a set number of litres or a specific period of use. A filter that is past its replacement point can actually reduce water flow and in some cases become a source of contamination rather than protection against it.
OZtrail Pick: The Inline Water Filter reduces rust, dirt, algae, chemical tastes, and odours. It connects between your drinking water hose and your van's inlet, requiring no tools and no plumbing knowledge to fit.
Keeping It Tidy: How to Store Caravan Hoses Properly
How you store your hoses between trips matters more than most people realise. A drinking water hose and a sullage hose stored in the same bag is a contamination risk. A hose stored wet grows bacteria. A hose thrown loose into the boot gets tangled, kinked, and damaged.
The simple solution is a dedicated hose storage bag for each hose, stored separately. A small bag handles a 10 metre drinking water hose or a coiled sullage hose neatly. A large bag gives you room for a 20 metre drinking water hose or a full-length sullage hose with space for connectors and accessories alongside it.
OZtrail Pick: The Hose Storage Bag Small fits a 10m water hose or 5m sullage hose. The Hose Storage Bag Large fits a 20m water hose or 10m sullage hose. Both are made from heavy-duty mesh so hoses can air dry inside the bag between uses.
OZtrail Pick: If you want everything sorted in one go, the Caravan Trio Storage Bag Kit includes three colour-coded, labelled bags: one for your drinking water hose, one for your sullage hose, and one for your power lead. Made from 600D UV-resistant material with a mould-resistant coating, it keeps your hoses separated and clearly identified every time.
A few habits that make a real difference:
- Always flush both hoses with clean water before packing them away. A quick rinse removes wastewater residue from the sullage hose and any sediment from the drinking water hose.
- Let both hoses drain completely before storage. A hose stored with water sitting in it is the ideal environment for bacteria growth, particularly in warm Australian conditions.
- Store your drinking water hose and sullage hose in separate, clearly labelled bags. If it is not obvious which is which at a glance, label them. It is a two-second job that prevents a nasty mistake months down the track.
- Check hoses for leaks and cracks before each trip rather than after you have arrived and connected everything up. Run your hand along the length of the hose while water flows through it to feel for any drips.
The Rest of Your Caravan Water Setup
Once your two hoses and inline filter are sorted, there are a couple of other accessories worth knowing about that complete a well-set-up caravan water system.
Caravan Sink Pump
If your van has a kitchen sink that relies on a manually operated pump to draw water from the tank to the tap, a quality sink pump is essential for smooth and consistent flow. Reduced output or difficulty pumping is often a sign the unit is wearing out or needs replacing. It’s worth checking your pump is in good working order before a long trip, rather than dealing with the hassle at a remote campsite.
OZtrail Pick: The OZtrail Caravan Sink Pump is a practical replacement or upgrade for vans using a manual water system, helping you reliably move water from tank to tap with minimal effort.
Caravan Magnesium Anode
If your caravan has a hot water system, the magnesium anode is one of the most overlooked maintenance items in the whole van. It sits inside your hot water tank and sacrificially corrodes to protect the tank walls from rust and deterioration. Once it is used up, the tank itself starts to corrode. Replace it according to the manufacturer's instructions, typically annually or every couple of seasons depending on usage. It is one of the cheapest ways to protect one of your van's more expensive components.
OZtrail Pick: The OZtrail Caravan Magnesium Anode is a straightforward replacement that keeps your hot water system protected trip after trip.
Complete Your Caravan Water Setup
Getting your caravan water setup right is one of those things you only want to figure out once. Two dedicated hoses, an inline filter, proper storage bags, and a few minutes of care after every trip is all it takes to keep your water system clean, reliable, and hassle-free across every adventure.
Explore our full range of Caravan Gear and complete your setup with everything you need for the road ahead. We also offer:
- Camping Furniture
- Camp Cooking Gear
- Camp Lighting
- Fridges & Coolers
- Gazebos
- Gas Appliances
- Rooftop Tents & Awnings
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