Scepter 05177 5 Gallon (20 L) Military Water Container, Green

Scepter 05177 Military Water Container Review: A Slim 5-Gallon Jug for Van Cabinets

Most van water setups start with jugs, and the jug's shape decides more than people expect: whether it fits under the counter, whether it slides around on the floor, how you refill it, and how a pump hose gets into it. The Scepter 05177 is a 5-gallon (20-litre) water container modelled on military jerrycans: tall, narrow and flat-sided, with a molded handle, a screw cap with a pour spout, and a separate breather. Scepter is a Canadian maker of military and consumer fuel and water containers, and this model sits in its military-products range with generic (civilian) markings.

This review is research-based. VanLifeKitchens doesn't test products hands-on. What follows comes from Scepter's product page, the Amazon listing we link to (green, part 05177), and how jug-based water systems are commonly set up in vans.

Choose this if:

• You want a fresh-water jug that fits a narrow space. At about 6.8 inches wide it slots beside a fridge or under a sink where a cube jug won't.
• You'd like the grey-water jug to look different from the fresh one: Scepter sells the same can in sand (model 05935).
• You refill at taps and carry the jug, rather than filling a fixed tank through a deck fill.

Skip this if:

• You want a built-in spigot for gravity dispensing. This can has a pour spout, not a tap.
• You need a jug with a threaded hose port for a pump intake.
• You can't comfortably lift more than 40 lb at chest height to refill or pour.

What you get

The 05177 is a single 20-litre container in green. Scepter's page lists the 5-gallon military water container in sand, black and "American green", and describes it as made from food-grade, BPA-free material with impact resistance. The Amazon listing gives the material as BPA-free high-density polyethylene and the dimensions as 13.7 x 6.8 x 18.8 inches.

The format is the classic military water can:

• Molded carry handle on top, designed for one-handed carrying.
• Main screw cap with a small pour spout for filling bottles and kettles.
• Separate breather cap, so air can get in while you pour and the can doesn't glug.
• Flat, parallel sides, so two or more stand together without gaps.

Specifications and sources

Scepter's page doesn't publish an empty weight, and retailer figures disagree, so we haven't given one. The weight that matters is full: 5 US gallons of water alone is about 41.7 lb, so a full can is over 40 lb.

About "food grade". Scepter's page says "Food Grade Material" and "BPA Free", and the Amazon listing says the same. Neither cites a certification such as NSF/ANSI 61. The accurate claim is that the manufacturer calls the material food grade, and that's what this review relies on. A clean food-grade container stores water. It doesn't treat it: water from a questionable source is still questionable once it's in the jug. See our water filtration guide for what filters and purifiers do and don't remove.

Why the shape works in a van

The most useful number on this jug is 6.8 inches. Cube-style jugs of similar capacity are usually 10 or more inches in both directions, which eats floor space in a sink cabinet. A narrow can:

• Fits beside things. It slots between a fridge and a cabinet wall, into a wheel-well gap, or into a sink cabinet with room for a grey jug alongside.
• Packs in rows. Two or three cans stand side by side flat against each other, so one strap can hold a whole row.
• Keeps weight low and against a wall, where restraint is easiest.

The trade-off is height. At 18.8 inches tall, measure the inside height of your cabinet, including the cap and handle, before you plan a layout. Our layout planner is a good place to check clearances.

Using it with a foot pump

A jug-fed sink pulls water from the jug through a hose to a manual pump such as the Whale Babyfoot GP4618, which takes 1/2-inch inside-diameter flexible hose. The Scepter can has no hose port, spigot or threaded outlet for a pump intake. So: The no-plumbing campervan sink guide covers the rest of a jug-fed setup, from keeping fresh and grey water apart to sanitising the jug.

• The intake goes in through the main opening. Remove the cap, drop the intake hose to just above the bottom of the can, and secure it so it can't pull out. Scepter doesn't publish the opening diameter. A 1/2-inch ID hose is small next to a typical jerrycan mouth, but check the fit yourself.
• Keep dirt out. An open mouth lets dust and insects in. Builders commonly cover the gap with a loose cap or a clean cover, or fit a cap they've drilled for the hose. Altering the cap is your modification, not a Scepter part, and a drilled cap no longer seals for transport. Keep the original cap for driving and refilling.
• Open the breather while pumping. As water leaves a sealed can, the pump fights a vacuum. With the hose through an open mouth this isn't an issue. With a drilled cap, open the breather.
• Never pump from the grey can. Keep the fresh and grey cans visibly different (see below).

Don't claim more than that for fit. There's no Scepter adapter that turns this can into a plumbed tank, and the pump and can don't share a fitting standard.

Fresh vs grey: use two colours

A jug-based system has two jugs, and the costly mistake is mixing them up. The cleanest fix is colour. Scepter sells this same 20-litre military water container as model 05935 in sand as well as 05177 in green. Make one colour your fresh water and the other grey, and the difference is obvious at a glance in a dark cabinet.

A few grey-water rules carry over from our van water system guide and dishwashing guide:

• A grey can is a grey can forever. Once a container has held dish water, don't move it back to drinking water.
• Strain before it goes in. A sink strainer keeps food solids out, which is the main source of smell.
• Empty it every two or three days, not when it's full, and dump only at a dump station or where local rules allow.
• The narrow mouth suits a drain hose. The sink drain hose can drop into the opening without being sealed, so you can pull the can out to empty it.

Securing it while driving

A full can is a 40-plus-pound object. In a hard stop, an unrestrained can on the floor becomes a hazard. The can has no tie-down points of its own, so:

• Box it in. A cabinet sized to the can's footprint, with a front lip or a door that latches positively, stops sliding.
• Strap it. A cam strap or ratchet strap through the handle and around a solid anchor holds it in place. Bungees stretch and let a heavy can move.
• Load it low. Keep full cans on the floor, never on a shelf.

Non-slip liner such as Con-Tact Grip Premium under the can cuts rattle, but it's friction, not a restraint. It won't hold 40 lb in a hard stop.

Care, cleaning and storage

• Rinse before first use, and on a schedule after that. Builders commonly use a diluted, unscented household bleach rinse followed by thorough flushing. Follow published drinking-water sanitising guidance for the dose.
• Keep it out of sun. Polyethylene degrades with prolonged UV exposure, and light encourages algae growth in clear or translucent containers. Store it inside the van or in shade.
• Don't let it freeze full. Water expands as it freezes and can stress any container. In freezing weather, keep the can in the heated part of the van or leave headroom. Our winter kitchen guide has more.
• Store it empty with the cap off so it dries out between trips.

Limitations

• No spigot. For gravity dispensing on a counter, a jug with a built-in tap is more convenient.
• No pump port. You run the intake through the cap opening, and keeping that clean is up to you.
• Heavy when full. Over 40 lb to lift to a tap or a counter. Two smaller cans are easier to handle than one large one.
• No published certification beyond Scepter's "food grade" and "BPA free" statements.
• One-year warranty per the listing.

Which guides it fits

• DIY van sink setup: the guide suggests a Scepter-style can as the fresh and grey jug. This is the specific model we've checked.
• Van water system setup: the "DIY from food-grade containers" storage option and the portable grey-jug option.
• Van dishwashing system: grey-water handling.
• Storage guide: heavy items belong low and restrained.

Verdict

The Scepter 05177 is a sensible fresh-water jug for a van: food-grade, BPA-free polyethylene by the manufacturer's account, 20 litres, and a slim 6.8-inch profile that fits van cabinets better than cube jugs. Its limits are practical ones. There's no spigot, no hose port for a pump, and it's heavy when full. Pair it with a sand-coloured 05935 for grey water so the two can't be confused, strap it down low, and it does the job most jug-fed van sinks need.

FAQ

Is the Scepter 05177 food grade? Scepter's product page describes it as food-grade, BPA-free material, and the Amazon listing gives the material as BPA-free HDPE. Neither cites a specific certification such as NSF/ANSI 61.

How big is the Scepter 5-gallon military water can? The Amazon listing gives 13.7 x 6.8 x 18.8 inches for the 20-litre (5-gallon) can. Measure your cabinet height, including the handle and cap.

Can I connect a foot pump to it? Not through a fitting. The can has no hose port or spigot. The usual approach is to drop the pump's intake hose (1/2-inch ID for the Whale Babyfoot) through the main opening to the bottom of the can, and keep the opening covered.

What's the difference between Scepter 05177 and 05935? Both are 5-gallon/20-litre Scepter military water containers with generic markings. 05177 is the green version this page links to; 05935 is sand. Using one colour for fresh and the other for grey makes them hard to confuse.

How heavy is it when full? Five US gallons of water weighs about 41.7 lb, so a full can is over 40 lb. Scepter doesn't publish an empty weight.

Does a food-grade jug make water safe to drink? No. It keeps clean water clean. Water from an untrusted source still needs a suitable filter or purifier.

Can I use it for grey water? Yes, but once a can has held grey water, keep it as a grey can permanently and make it visibly different from your fresh can.

Sources and verification

• Scepter, 5 Gallon/20 Litre Military Water Container 05177 product page: food-grade and BPA-free statements, colours, generic markings, impact resistance. https://www.scepter.com/products/military-products/military-fuel-water-containers/military-water-container/5-gallon-20-litre-military-water-container-05177/ (checked 2026-10-09)
• Scepter, military fuel and water containers listing: model 05935 (sand) and 05177 as 5-gallon/20-litre water containers with generic markings. https://www.scepter.com/products/military-products/military-fuel-water-containers/ (checked 2026-10-09)
• Amazon product listing for ASIN B00ZLYUOP6, the listing this review links to: title, part number 05177, green, BPA-free HDPE, 13.7 x 6.8 x 18.8 in, 1-year warranty, availability (checked 2026-10-09)