Eurovan Camper mods

How to build an adapter to connect a Sawyer Mini to your Eurovan faucet

Back

Updated 2016-05-25 : First version

Introduction

The Eurovan Camper conversion includes a fresh water tank of 12 gal capacity. But, like many fresh water systems, this can get gunked up from disuse, and/or be refilled from an unsafe source. In any case, it may become unsafe to drink. Wouldn't it be nice if there was an easy way to put a high-quality filter? It turns out that with a couple of parts which cost about $10, you can build an adapter to use a Sawyer Mini water filter.

Why use a Sawyer Mini? I chose this route because I already had two that were used for backpacking, and, unlike other water filters, I know that the Sawyer would work with the low pressure pump in the Eurovan. (I had previously tried using a home water filter and it did not work well given the low pressure. Also, most home filters are not safe to use with biologically contaminated water sources).

Parts:

Tools:

Step-by-Step:

(click each picture for full size)


  1. Unscrew the existing aerator from the ShurFlo faucet
    (not shown)
  2. Test assembly
    Screw together the two adapters in the right order and gently test fit them in the faucet. Don't screw them too tightly together or they will be hard to remove.

  3. Assemble with LocTite
    Once you have the assembly correct, use the blue LocTite to glue the two metal pieces together. This is important so that the smallest piece doesn't get stuck in the faucet when you remove it.
    (optional) wrap the threads with teflon plumber's tape.

  4. Using the filter
    Unscrew the aerator from the ShurFlo, screw in the adapter assembly, then screw on the Sawyer Mini filter. In this picture, I'm using a short piece of vinyl tubing to fill a tall bottle, but you could fill a shorter cup without the tubing.