The 2 Most Vital Free Camping Resources

Free camping gives you a sense of adventure, freedom of choice and the feeling of getting back to nature that you cannot find in most caravan parks around Australia. Enjoying free camping also throws up a couple of issues that requires a lot of thought and planning to get it right and not find yourself in deep water with insurance companies and the law. I am talking about fuel and water and you cannot travel without either. Fuel and water are the two most important substances while free camping. One keeps your vehicle running while the other keeps you running. We will look at the storage solutions for fuel and water and help you in deciding what you need to enjoy the freedom of free camping. We will also ask experienced caravaners who enjoy free camping what challenges they face in purchasing fuel and collecting water, as well as the quality of fuel and water in free camping areas and what this means for you.

There is an Australian Standard for the design and manufacture of jerry cans: AS2906 Fuel Containers/Portable/Plastics and Metal. Ensure when purchasing a jerry can that is has the ‘AS2906’ sticker clearly attached. You should not use AS2906 marked containers for water nor use containers marked for water to carry fuel. Fuel jerry cans are formulated to be resistant to attack by petro chemicals. Water containers are porous and will allow vapour to pass through the plastic.

The Australian Dangerous Goods Code: ADGC (6) specifies that fuels are dangerous goods and that the maximum allowable quantity of petrol that can be carried by a recreational vehicle, including caravans is an aggregate total of 250 litres. However, as diesel is classified as a ‘combustible’ rather than ‘highly flammable’ you can theoretically carry as much diesel as you like, with caution. The aggregate total of petrol specifically excludes an approved fuel tank on your vehicle in its calculations. This is because fuel and long-range fuel tanks must comply with the necessary Australian Design Rules (ADR’s).

Where you can carry your fuel containers is a grey area, as some scenarios are not explicitly covered by existing legislation. Some states, such as Queensland, question the reasonableness of rear-mounted or side-mounted jerry cans containing petrol on caravans due to the potential hazard in an accident. The A-frame is considered as ‘inside’ the external dimensions of the caravan however it is not recommended to store LPG and fuel in the same area.

Storing fuel or water on your A-frame will increase the ball weight so it is recommended to have your vehicle and caravan weighed at a public weighbridge to ensure you have not overloaded thereby creating insurance and roadworthiness issues. Fuel or water stored on an approved roof rack is legal provided it is in approved containers and is adequately constrained and does not overload the vehicle’s roof load limits or roof rack’s load limit.

When it comes to the weight of fuel and water, as a rule it is 1 litre = 1 kg so it is quite easy to calculate what you are carrying once you decide what you are going to carry your fuel and water in. The full weight of gas cylinders varies based on the weight of the empty cylinder. The Empty Weight (E.W) is stamped on the collar of the cylinder. To calculate the full weight, add 8.5kg to the empty weight of the cylinder and the result is the full weight.

The other consideration is the payload of your vehicle and caravan as this is the single most important consideration when you are thinking ‘how much’. For example, a Jayco Expanda with shower has a payload of only 375kg, which includes the weight of water, and gas that is carried in the water tanks and gas cylinders. The Expanda has two 82 litre water tanks and two 8.5kg gas cylinders, so when full, these add up to 198kg, leaving only 177kg before the payload is reached. You also have to add the weight of camping gear, food, generator, solar panel, clothes and odds and ends so adding a couple of 20 litre jerry cans containing fuel or water will leave you on the edge. Again, it is a perfect opportunity when fully packed to take the caravan to a public weighbridge to ensure it is not overloaded.

FUEL

There are 2 ways to carry extra fuel; either in jerry cans or your tow vehicles fuel tanks. If your tow vehicle only has a small tank, it may be possible to have an aftermarket long-range fuel tank installed. If this isn’t possible, jerry cans will be needed and how these are contained will need to be decided. On your vehicle you can install a load rated roof rack that will allow you to safely transport and secure your jerry can. On your caravan you can get jerry can holders installed on the A-frame or the rear bar of your caravan as long as the rear bar is rated to carry the weight.

I spoke to C&M Readers Brendan and Corinna Filbey who are currently on a twelve month round trip and they carry an extra 25 litre jerry can on the roof rack plus 40 litres of diesel on the van for ‘longer hauls’. ‘I hope to add another 40 litres but weight becomes an issue’ Brendan said. When travelling in isolated areas, Dianne Watson and Brad Hooley from Farmstay Australia carry an extra 80 litres in jerry cans, two on the roof rack and two on the rear of their caravan.

It is easy to pick up dirty fuel if you are not careful, and it is a good idea to install an extra fuel filter to further protect your engine. Where a petrol engine will generally struggle through if it is dirty, it will stop a diesel engine in its tracks. One hot tip is not to stop for diesel fuel if the fuel truck is in the driveway. The reasoning behind this is that as the fuel truck fills the storage tanks with fresh diesel, all the crud and water at the bottom is stirred up and therefore ends up in your tank. Brendan believes ‘large cities with newer fuel tanks’ supply ‘good quality fuel’ however ‘older small towns with fewer….fuel being ordered and fuel tanks in much worse shape…I generally stick to busier service stations.’

Brad has installed a Stanandyne Fuel Manager filter on their Prado as a ‘secondary filter’ and uses the standard Toyota filter alarm system if water is detected. Having seen a new 200 Series Landcruiser stuck at Home Valley Station on the Gibb River Road, Brad now feels ‘better protected’.

WATER

As with fuel jerry cans, where to store water containers needs consideration, but at least you can carry water inside the cabin of the vehicle, or inside the caravan. As space is always a premium, as well as weight being a major consideration the most efficient and safe storage of your water is imperative. Storing your water on the roof of your tow vehicle will increase the vehicle’s standard center of gravity. It is best to store water low in the tow vehicle. To minimise the risk of water contamination and distribute the weight load of storing your water, it is recommended to have at least 2 water storage solutions. If your van has water tanks, that takes care of one storage solution so what other options do you have? Here a just a few:

  • Jerry cans come in all shapes and sizes, but stainless steel is the best option and are more readily available from 4wd accessory suppliers and caravan accessory stores. This is because water in plastic can sometimes take on a strange taste and smell of the plastic container.
  • Stainless steel water tanks with 2 options for mounting, either underbody tanks or internal mounted tanks. Whilst some manufacturers offer a specific design for a standard location in your vehicle, you can also buy customised designs that will fit the most suitable shape for a specific vehicle.
  • Water bladders are designed to fit in the rear footwell or side panels of your vehicle, however these too can make the water take on the taste and smell of being in rubber.
  • Milk bottles or similar refilled with water
  • Purchase boxed or packaged water from supermarkets
  • PVC pipe attached to the A-frame or rear bar of your van

How much do you need to carry when travelling? Estimate 2L drinking water per person per day PLUS water for cooking and washing. You will be amazed at the high amount of “other” water you use as opposed to drinking water. Of course, your water usage will increase in hot climates compared to cooler climates, so this can be included in your planning. Dianne and Brad carry a minimum of 240 litres on their trips, with 170 litres in the caravan tanks, 60 litres in a water bladder on the rear floor of the Prado and 10 litres in a container in the rear of the Prado. Dianne says that for desert trips she allows ’10 litres per person per day plus 5 litres per day for our dog.’ This adds up to 105 litres per week or 420 litres for a month. Brendan carries 160 litres in his caravan tanks plus a 25 litre water jerry can plus 80 litres in a stainless steel water tank mounted under the rear of his Landcruiser, plus another 10-15 litres of drinking water in the rear of the vehicle. With a family of 5, Brendan would plan for all this to last a week, but if they had to go for a month without refilling, would ‘ration all water until stocks were replenished but take an extra 50 litres before weight became an issue.’

The best places to collect water are within towns from Service Stations, Caravan Parks, Council Parks with facilities and nominated water points, mostly next to the dump point. You can also collect water from flowing creeks and rivers and lakes but it is best to filter and boil this water prior to consumption. This type of water is also perfect for bathing and washing dishes or clothes. In regions where water is a rare commodity like Coober Pedy and the Nullarbor you can purchase water by the litre to refill tanks and jerry cans. Corinna has collected water ‘off our canvas roof once but I don’t advise doing this’ for consumption purposes. Dianne and Brad suggest that if the collection structure has a water tank and roof capturing rain and condensation, then most of the time that is suitable for drinking once boiled.

So when planning your next free camping adventure, this information should help you in planning how much you need to carry and how to do it legally, as well as where to get it when you are there.