Hello and water quality?

[angie.timm]

Hello, I am new! I recently purchased a used western wilderness cab-over truck camper, for my f350 4x4. I am planning a trip with my three children (2,5,13) through the west and northwest this summer. We are very excited. I have a few questions for all you experienced rvr's... 1. Water quality? I have read so much on this topic that I am a little confused. What kind of system do you folks use? Having three kids with diarrhea is not my idea of fun, so... I need some advice.    is this guy on the money or too extreem? Maybe too much info is bad...    

an inexpensive (hardware store) canister filter with sediment cartridge for all water entering my RV. It's kept in a compartment and out of the weather. Flexible lines allow it to be pulled out for easy, no spills, cartridge changes. Replacement cartridges are available at any hardware store. They're inexpensive and I change them as often as needed. You do NOT want dirt and sediment in your water system or pump.

I do not fill my tank through the usual RV "hole in the wall." That's how RVers get insects and other nasties in their tank. I fill tank through the normal city water connection. Inside the RV are valves. One sends city water to the RV plumbing. The other sends water to the tank. Yet another opens a vent to under the RV so the tank won't expand and burst. Some RVers don't put a valve on the vent (thinking they might forget to open it). That's how bugs creep in to the tank. Note that some RVs don't even have a separate vent but rely on air escaping through the fill hole. That's chintzy. Adding a proper vent is easy.

Water for drinking and cooking (city or tank) is run to an under-the-counter composite filter. (I prefer the Multi-Pure brand -- though there are many excellent filters of this type -- because of its efficiency and quality of construction and use them in both house and RV.) From the filter, separate lines run to spring-loaded faucets at kitchen and bath sink made for filter use. Do NOT attempt to filter hot water except with shower filters that are designed to handle the temperature.

For a time I used the less expensive counter-top model filter. It's cheaper and performs identically to the under-the-counter, but securing it for travel was an annoyance. Counter-top models are not water savers either. They operate from a diverter at the faucet spout. You have to first turn on the faucet, then pull the easily-failing diverter (wasted water). They also let a little water run out after the faucet is turned off and tend to dribble at times (and then your pump comes on -- usually in the middle of the night). The separate faucets mentioned above, have a positive, crisp on/off and don't waste water.

I use a composite material shower filter. It's quite efficient and there's no crud or chlorine. Good ones are available in hardware stores. Read the specs on the box (they're not all that complex) but stay away from those that are obviously so tiny that the contact time is too short.

I am now planning to install an ozone purifier. Some are easily mounted and then easily dismounted and moved into the house, small, light and reasonably priced. Plumbing is simple

 

[Tom]

Welcome to our friendly forum. Personally, I don't go to those extremes. We use bottled water for drinking, don't worry about washing/showering/laundry use, and boil any water for other uses.

 

[Ron]

Welcome to the RV Forum Framily.  We are glad you found us. 

We have to regular filters on the incomming water line.  We do Disinfect the freash water tank occassionally, usually after setting in a campground for a long period of time.  We use the campground water for everyting except drinking and ice cubes.  Drinking water comes from our onboard RO unit.

 

[John From Detroit]

Hello, I am new! I recently purchased a used western wilderness cab-over truck camper, for my f350 4x4. I am planning a trip with my three children (2,5,13) through the west and northwest this summer. We are very excited. I have a few questions for all you experienced rvr's... 1. Water quality? I have read so much on this topic that I am a little confused. What kind of system do you folks use? Having three kids with diarrhea is not my idea of fun, so... I need some advice.    is this guy on the money or too extreem? Maybe too much info is bad...    

Well.. I also do not go to quite that extreme, I use a good size activated charcoal filter (You can get decent ones at most any RV store, complete with coupling hoses) downstram of the pressure regulator (I have seen city water supplies that would blow one of these apart)  The results have been good at every camptground I have been too from Michigan to the Atlantic ocean (Never camped west of Michigan..... Yet)  I do use it for drinking water.

The campground I stay at most often the water is very mineral laden, In fact I can not drink it (And I was raised on high mineral well water not 50 miles from that campground) This filter cleans it right up... Most any of the filters in this class work.

These filters are also excelent at removing chlorine from city water supplies

I also have plans on making my own refillable activated charcoal filter (use floos and charcoal from the fish tank store)

None of these will take care of bacterial infestation however.  There are filters that will, however they get very expensive. You can go all the way to distilled if you wish, It all depends on how much you wish to spend.

Good= Activated charcoal
Better= Carbon Block (Compressed activated charcoal which the water is forced through
Best=Reverse Osmosis filters (These produce lab grade distilled)

For drinking you might consider a BRITA or equivlent.  The Brita pictures (I do not know about the Brita Faucet model) use activated charcoal and then have silver in them as well, The silver is anti-bacterial (in fact, of all the heavy metals Silver is most unique in that it is basically non-toxic to humans (I mean, if a 10 pound block of silver falls off a 15th story window and clops you on the head it will likely kill you but the amount you can consume from a Brita Filter won't harm your health at all.. May improve it in fact) but it is deadly to most everything that is deadly to humans.... It is the current prefered treatment for burn victims in fact (Been there, expierenced that, I can tell you first hand it works.. Right hand in fact, and face, and chest, and ... Well you get the picture)

But even Brita filters are not recommended for infected waters... For those visit a good way outdoor store such as REI and look at some of the better filters they carry... These go way, way beyond what a RVer normally needs.. Some of these can darn near process raw seewage into drnking water (However I strongly suggest you don't try that)

 

[Ron]

You should be carefull with carbon filters since they can become a culture for bacteria unless you are using silver impregated carbon filters.  Best to replace them often.

 

[Carl L]

I hate to say it, but I do not use any purification or filtration and have never had any problems.  That is over a period of 20-30 years tent and RV camping.  Now all of my wandering has been in the 11 western states.  I also camp only at official public or commercial campgrounds with decent facility and sanitation ratings in Trailer Life's Directory.  In between such places, I operate out of the trailers fresh water tank  - filled at the last CG.    BTW the Directory has an annotation as to whether the CG uses municipal or well water.  I would tend to trust good old chlorinated municipal water.

 

[John From Detroit]

You should be carefull with carbon filters since they can become a culture for bacteria unless you are using silver impregated carbon filters.  Best to replace them often.

True and I do replace them often,  Brita is silver impregnated by the way (At least the picture filters are, don't know about their faucet models, they do make one small (Personal) unit which I belive is not)

I use a PUR on the water tap here at home... It was free, nice unit though, 'specially at that price

 

[John From Detroit]

I hate to say it, but I do not use any purification or filtration and have never had any problems.  That is over a period of 20-30 years tent and RV camping.  Now all of my wandering has been in the 11 western states.  I also camp only at official public or commercial campgrounds with decent facility and sanitation ratings in Trailer Life's Directory.  In between such places, I operate out of the trailers fresh water tank  - filled at the last CG.    BTW the Directory has an annotation as to whether the CG uses municipal or well water.  I would tend to trust good old chlorinated municipal water.

I have been in a few parks where I could not drink the water as it came from the tap,  No problem (no "revenge" for example) just so mineral laden it was undrinkable... The filters cleared it right up

 

[Carl L]

I have been in a few parks where I could not drink the water as it came from the tap,? No problem (no "revenge" for example) just so mineral laden it was undrinkable... The filters cleared it right up

Well yeah, I do carry a carbon filter but have not had the occasion to use it for 3-4 years.? Excess mineralization or chlorination usually is detectable by nose.? ?But in my experience it is rare.? ?Most mineral problems, like the arsenic in Nevada water is a problem over years of exposure.? ?RVers are generally birds of passage, tho if I snowbirded in NV I would definitely use a filter