water quality

I decided on a 10" filter (see my previous post) that would cost $20 to replace. It looks like a Watts regulator costs around $60. Using a $60 device to protect a $20 filter... Nah :) Good warning tho. I will call the company to have a spare on hand.

Edit: I do have one of those cheapo Valterra regulators. Guess I'll leave water running a stream if I suspect it's heavy pressure. Can ask at the CG.

cdevidal wrote:
Am thinking I may assemble my own under-sink system out of some 5" wall-mounted clear housings and various filters. Need to see what kind and how many.

If under-sink doesn't fit I'll build a small box for sitting on the ground.

I would check the specs on 5" cartridges carefully. Many of them don't have enough gpm and in some cases, putting them in series can reduce the flow further. I would look and see if you can fit 20" housing somewhere. I put 3 of them under our kitchen sink on the back wall and they don't really reduce the usable storage space.

Oh, and if you are using an exterior inline regulator, gift it to someone in need and install a REAL regulator like a Watts 560 series or 263A. These can be mounted outside or inside. The inline "regulators" on have a small orifice in them and at zero or low flow conditions (at night, ex.) the pressure inside your RV will be whatever the CG pressure is. IF the CG pressure goes up too high, it can damage filter cartridges.

Unless a CG drains water out of their distribution system to prevent freezing, the water stagnates in their piping over the winter, from the point of entry (from the municipal street, for ex.) to the point of use (at your RV's pedestal). Over the duration of the winter, chlorine in the water dissipates leaving the water unprotected and the opportunity for biological "stuff" to grow. A campground should flush all of their lines at the beginning of each season. The photo below is the filter screen on our city water inlet at the beginning of the season a couple of years ago. It is a biological mass that should be harmless, but who wants to ingest slime like that into your system? Many in the CG had that go straight into their stomachs. :E

It would be a good idea to ask the CGs you visit early in the season if they flushed their lines. If they don't, don't use the water for consumption or use a good filter.

After finding this, I spoke to the manager for the local public water district (in Wa.) and he said he would go talk to the CG. He said he has spoken to them in the past and told them they need to flush every season, but obviously they aren't. Shortly after talking to the manager, I spotted the sign in the photo on the way into our CG. Don't know if that meant the issue was worse than expected or not.



Water filtration for an RV is a lot more complex than many think and you can't just grab whatever is one the shelf at Walmart or CW and think you are fully protected. I could go into a long dissertation on filter cartridges, but it would take too many pages. A couple of brief points - don't use an exterior filter that removes chlorine as this will leave your interior system unprotected. If you don't like the taste or smell of chlorine, use a filter under the sink. Only buy an NSF certified cartridge otherwise a manufacturer can (and they do) make exaggerated performance claims. Chlorine does not kill everything, such as Cryptosporium & Giardi for ex. When looking at micron ratings, you want to go by the "absolute" rating, not the "nominal". A filter that is bacteriostatic and has KDF or silver in it to kill bacteria is only there to stop bacteria from growing in it but will not stop bacteria from passing through it.

This photo is a 4-stage filtration setup I installed in our TT Under kitchen sink at back). It starts with a 50 micron sediment filter, then a 5 micron string-wound sediment filer, then a 0.9 micron Doulton ceramic cartridge and the last is an "ultrafiltration" cartridge of 0.2 micron. This is as good as or better than what is in bulk water refill stations in stores.

I've settled on this item from RVWaterFilterStore.com. (He is also an RVer with a gorgeous TV and is clearly knowledgeable about water filters.) I priced the individual components to make this system and it costs about the same. I'm happy to support a small business when I can. Plus it's pre-assembled/tested/guaranteed.

Single White Canister, plus 1 F1pb filter cartridge
$47.95

Model: F1Pb (CFB-PB10)
Class: I (Best chlorine removal)
Microns: .5 (All but viruses, which aren't much of an issue outside the tropics)
Flow: 3-4 gallons/minute (I think that'll be fast enough)
Life: 6-12 months (Or years if used seldomly as we probably will)
Material: fiber block carbon (polishes taste, removes chlorine)
Notes: Removes cysts, lead and heavy metals, and is naturally resistant to stagnation due to fiber material
Replacement filters $19.95

I'll hook it to the side of the RV using a bungee or just lay it on the ground or a piece of tarp or something.

I would prefer to go with their reusable ceramic model but it would take a long time to recoup the cost as we won't be going RVing very often. So disposable it is. Full-timers would benefit from that, as well as a sediment pre-filter in-line before the carbon filter to protect the more expensive final filter. They have one micron reusable sediment filters as well.

Pros: Takes up no space inside, polishes the water for taste, uses no electricity, wastes no water like RO, filters for the entire RV, costs about $50, uses standard parts, offers a high volume, large surface area, small pore size eliminates most pathogens, reduces chemicals and metals, screws onto a standard garden hose.
Cons: Isn't reusable, and this isn't the $16 solution I thought it would be :B

Am considering also adding the Camco standard blue filter you see at Walmart, only because it includes the spring strain-relief hose connector, which has got to cost at least $6, and thus for $10 more I can have the blue filter to use upstream of the carbon I'm buying above as a sediment pre-filter, which extends its life and sweetens the water even more. So, for $66 plus shipping I've got better tasting and safer water, plus a hose strain relief. Not bad.

Cool Canuck wrote:
I'm not one to worry about the quality of campground water.

But . . .

Cool Canuck wrote:

I use a sediment and a charcoal filter for the whole trailer. I also have a Reverse Osmosis System mounted under sink for drinking water.

I think you do worry about water quality.

Cool Canuck wrote:

Before you think this is a great idea, you need to understand this doesn't get rid of bad bugs. It also dumps about 10 gallons of water for every gallon it makes.

However, at a 10:1 ratio, you have a really inefficient RO unit.

I'm not one to worry about the quality of campground water. I do spend my winters in the Rio Grande Valley and the water here is potable and safe to drink. It is also very "Rank". I use a sediment and a charcoal filter for the whole trailer. I also have a Reverse Osmosis System mounted under sink for drinking water.
Before you think this is a great idea, you need to understand this doesn't get rid of bad bugs. It also dumps about 10 gallons of water for every gallon it makes. It will fill your gray tanks in less than 24 hours if they are not open. You do not want to be paying for the water either.

Having said that, my water tastes good and makes great coffee.

Lynnmor wrote:
Are you feeling lucky today?



Left is from my tank, center from hydrant, right after Camco blue filter. Water was flushed for some time before taking sample.

At least there's NO lumps!!! hahaha

enblethen wrote:
I would not use an under sink style. You should be filtering before it gets into the rig's system. Keep it out of water heater, fresh water holding tank and check valves.

Yeah good point. I don't want new bacteria growing in the water heater. I'll put some filters in a rubbermaid box with garden hose female inlet on one side and male on the other. It can sit on the ground and not take up space inside.

I do use a charcoal filter to the camper and I'm how amaze on how well it works to the point of just using the water for showers and lav. I'll just bottle water from my home RO system to be on the safe side. From all the response it's valuable information that's out there. let's keep this post going.

We camped at our favorite local CG just after they opened last spring and we were the first to use the site for the season. I hooked up my filter and hose and purged the line as I always do before hooking up to the TT and I got a small rush of brown water. I attribute that brown to rust or sediment in galvanized pipes that have not been used for several months.