4WD & Remote Touring Setups: Water, Fuel and Camp Gear That Fits

Work out your number

Use your own figure. Track what your household goes through on a normal weekend away, divide by people and days, then add a buffer for the days you can't refill.

Example: 2 adults and 2 kids using 6 litres each a day is 24 litres a day. A 5-day stretch between refills is 120 litres. Add 1 spare day and you're at 144 litres.

Write the number down before you look at bladders. It decides everything else.

Water weight adds up fast

1 litre of water weighs about 1kg. That 144-litre example is roughly 144kg before you count the bladder, the people or the fridge.

Check your vehicle's payload and GVM (gross vehicle mass) on the compliance plate or in the owner's manual. A modified wagon with a drawer system, rooftop tent and bar work can have far less spare payload than the brochure figure.

Footwell, across the seat, or in the tray

The Niche Outdoors Slim water bladders are shaped for the cabin of a standard 4WD:

• 60L Slim ($119.99) fits the footwell behind a seat, so the middle seat and one rear seat stay usable. You can run 2, one behind each front seat, for 120 litres.
• 100L Slim ($139.99) runs across 2/3 of the width, leaving 1 rear seat free.
• 130L Slim ($149.99) runs across the full width of a standard 4WD.
• 180L Slim ($169.99) is wider and taller than the 130L, made for larger 4WDs.
• 70L Jimny Slim ($119.99) is shaped for the Suzuki Jimny rear footwell, and fits other vehicles with narrow footwells.

The Wide range, from 100L up to 1400L, suits trays, trailers, boats and base camps.

What each bladder has

All Niche water bladders are food-grade PVC with thickened seams, a fill point, a ball valve outlet and 4 reinforced tie-down points. They take the shape of the space they sit in, and fold flat when empty. The full detail is in the Water Bladders for Camping guide.

Do the range sum

Find the longest stretch between fuel stops on your route. Then work out your real consumption with the vehicle loaded, which is usually higher than the unloaded figure on the dash. Sand, corrugations, headwinds and low range all push it up.

Example: a loaded wagon using 16 litres per 100km on a 900km stretch needs 144 litres. If the main tank holds 90 litres, you need at least 54 more, before any margin. Add a margin on top, such as 20 percent, and adjust it for your vehicle and the track conditions.

Fuel bladder sizes

Niche Outdoors fuel bladders come in 20L, 40L, 60L, 80L, 110L and 240L, from $119.99 to $329.99. They're made from TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) laminate, and the V2 bladders have 316 stainless steel fittings and tie-down D-rings. Every bladder is leak-tested before it leaves the factory.

Diesel and petrol

Read this before you buy. The bladders are ADG code compliant for diesel transport and storage. The material and fittings are compatible with petrol, but the bladders do not meet Australian Standards for petrol transport or storage.

You're responsible for following local regulations and standards for storing and handling fuel. If your vehicle runs on petrol, check the rules before you plan a trip around a bladder.

Getting fuel into the tank

The SeaFlo lithium battery fuel transfer pump ($159.99) charges by USB and has an explosion-proof motor with overload protection. Buy it with a Niche fuel bladder and the adaptor that joins them comes free. The Fuel Bladders guide covers storage, filling and safety in full.

Low, central, tied down

Keep the heaviest liquid as low as you can and as close to the middle of the vehicle as you can, ahead of the rear axle where possible. A footwell is a good spot for this reason. A roof rack is the worst spot for water or fuel.

Use every tie-down point. A bladder that can slide will shift its weight in a hard turn or a sudden stop.

Protect it from sharp edges

Drawer systems, seat runners and tools all have edges. The Protective Bladder Bag (from $55.99) is PVC with adjustable straps and carry handles, sized for the 60L water bladder and the 40L, 60L, 80L and 110L fuel bladders. For fuel bladders there's a heavy-duty PVC Protective Cover too, from $35.99.

On larger bladders the bag handles are for shifting it a short way. They're not rated for lifting a full bladder.

Keep fuel and drinking water apart

Store them in separate places, and keep a fuel bladder away from food, bedding and the cabin air where you can. Use a different hose and fittings for each, and label them. A fuel bladder only ever holds fuel.

A shower from a bucket

The All-in-One Camp Shower ($89.99) has the pump, battery and switch built into the shower head, plus a light. Drop the intake into the 10L collapsible bucket ($24.99), fill it from the bladder, and you've measured your shower before it starts. It's handy for rinsing off after the beach, washing gear and doing dishes.

Read the Camping Showers guide for setup and water use.

Filtered drinking water

The Inline Water Filter ($39.99) is a 3-stage filter that fits upstream or downstream of a bladder: polypropylene for sediment, KDF for heavy metals, and activated carbon for chlorine, taste and odour. Fill the bladder with water you know is safe to drink, then let the filter handle sediment, taste and odour.

Pressure at a tap

For a tap on a canopy or trailer, the Seaflo 51 Series pump ($159.99) runs on 12V, moves up to 18.9 litres a minute, is self-priming and has a pressure switch that starts and stops it as you open and close the tap. A battery clip wiring kit or car adapter wiring kit ($34.99 each, both with a switch) gets it running without permanent wiring.

Pegs that hold in hard ground

WA ground swings from beach sand to pindan to rock in a day. The Heavy-Duty Peg Bundle ($22.99 for 4, $29.99 for 8) uses 20cm screw-in pegs, 8mm thick, in electro-galvanised steel. The hex head takes a drill with the 13mm socket bit ($7.99), and the high-vis handle lets you turn them by hand. Keep them in the Canvas Peg Bag ($14.99).

Overhead storage

The Cargo Net Organiser ($39.99) straps to the roof lining of a 4WD, a caravan or a rooftop tent. Support straps run underneath to stop it sagging, and it doesn't block the rear view when it's full of soft gear. Use it for jackets, towels, hats and anything light that otherwise ends up on the floor or on top of a bladder.

Suzuki Jimny, 2 people

70L Jimny Slim in the rear footwell, a 20L or 40L fuel bladder if your route needs it and the fuel rules suit your vehicle, the camp shower and bucket, and a cargo net for soft gear. Space is tight in a Jimny, so every litre counts.

Dual cab ute or mid-size wagon, family of 4

2 x 60L Slim bladders, one behind each front seat, for 120 litres with the middle seat free. Add a fuel bladder sized to your longest stretch, the inline filter on the drinking water line, and pegs for sandy sites.

Full-size wagon, long range

A 130L or 180L Slim across the rear floor if the second row isn't needed for passengers. Pair it with a 60L to 110L diesel bladder in a protective bag, the transfer pump with the free adaptor, and a Seaflo 51 pump for a tap at the back.

Ute with tray or trailer, base camp

A Wide bladder, 240L or 350L, strapped to the tray floor gives a group a week or more at one spot. Keep a smaller Slim bladder in the cabin as the day supply.

Water

• Water number worked out, with a spare day.
• Bladders filled and checked for leaks at the valve and fill point.
• Tie-downs fitted and tight.
• Filter fitted to the drinking water line.

Fuel

• Longest stretch measured and loaded consumption known.
• Bladder suits your fuel type and the regulations for your trip.
• Transfer pump charged, adaptor packed, separate hose labelled.

Load and camp

• Total liquid weight added to payload and checked against GVM.
• Heavy items low and central, nothing loose on top of a bladder.
• Shower battery charged, pegs and socket bit packed.
• Someone at home knows your route and return date.