When you’re on the road in a van, caravan, or motorhome, staying topped up on fresh water and having somewhere to dump waste is essential when trying to do free camping. Knowing where these points are ahead of time allows you to plan accordingly.

That’s where WikiCamps comes in. More than just a campsite finder, it’s an excellent app for locating dump points, potable water, and other essential services across Australia.

WikiCamps

Below is how I use WikiCamps to find dump points for the toilet waste and water for the caravan tanks. The most important thing to do here is to set the filters correctly.

Using the Filter Tool
Tap the filter icon, (round icon top right), next to the search bar (image 1). This is where WikiCamps becomes powerful. I only select the following options in the site type (image 3) panel:

• Dump Points
• Potable Water

Fee Category (image 2) is Show all

Site features (image 4) are not used, so clear everything from here.

Tip: We usually have site features set to Allow dogs. This makes all the dump point and water points disappear, other option may have similar results – clear them all.

Region (5): Show All, and Exclude sites that are Permanently closed.

Just tick the boxes for what you need, then hit Apply Filters. The map will refresh and only show locations that match.

In the Explore screen just pinch and zoom into the areas that you are interested in.

Below screen shots rotate from 1 to 5 so wait till the screen shot you want comes around again.

Check User Reviews
Before heading to a location, tap the pin and read what others have said. Check for:

• Water pressure
• If it’s genuinely potable (sometimes taps aren’t)
• Accessibility for larger vehicles
• Opening hours or locked gates
• Is the water free? Some are metered.
• Condition of the place, especially Dump Points, sometimes the conditions of these places can be bad.
• Have a short hose and tap fitting handy. At some dump points these items are missing, also hand sanitiser for when you have finished or use rubber gloves.

Bore Water

Bore water is something every caravaner should know about because it’s common around Australia, but not always safe or practical to use.

Bore water is groundwater pumped from underground aquifers, and while it’s often available at remote free campgrounds or remote fuel stops, it’s not always safe or pleasant to drink, so –

• Check signage first. If it doesn’t say “potable,” assume it’s not safe for drinking.
• It may be fine for washing or flushing, but even then, bore water can be high in minerals or salty, which can affect your plumbing over time, think hot water tank, water pump etc.
• Taste can vary, some bore water smells like sulphur or tastes metallic.
• Use a inline filter if you plan to fill your tank from a bore water source, and always read recent WikiCamps reviews to see what others say.

Better than nothing? Bore water can be handy at a pinch, but treat it with caution, and if in doubt always use bought bottled water for drinking and cooking.

Add to Your Trip Planner
Found a suitable dump point or water tap? Add it to your trip planner so you can build your route around key stops. It helps avoid running dry, or full.

Tips:

• Download maps offline before heading into remote areas.
• Double-check water labels — not all taps listed as potable are trustworthy; reviews help.
• In the outback, you can end up with bore water, an inline filter is recommended, some people wont drink it.
• Be a good Wiki-camper: Leave a review after using a site. That info helps others and keeps the app up to date.
• Save your filter for future use in WikiCamps.

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