Camco water filter

[salem]

We usually drink bottled water and reserve the campground water for cooking, showering, etc. Now, bottled water is getting close to impossible to find. For that reason, I picked up a Camco Water Filter. The package says last up to six months. I'm not sure exactly what that means. Six months of continuous use, or six months of using while camping every few weeks. How often do you change your Camco filter? The cg water is regular city water so I'm not too concerned with bacteria. More a taste issue with us.

[salem]

Thanks all. Never even thought about a Britta or Zero water. We'll give that some consideration. Appreciate the comments.

[down_home]

Depends on water source for filter requirements.Fla, South Ga, La,Michigan needs lots filter capacity. The worse the water the more filter capacity required.
Th better the filter, the more they cost and the more frequent you have to replace them.
N way to cheat the situation.
A large whole house 10 inch filter housign with remote sensor to let you know it is full cost about 70,00 at Home Depot for GE or Lowes for Culligan. The less expensive 25 micron KDF filter of them will get just about all sediments and many bugs. Buy the filters on.25 micron kdf filter when if f lien and save.ng
Higher spec filters for those housings are available on line, and the variety confusing. Replace the large filter when led shows. A somewhat to a lot more expensive .5 micron or whatever,spected to get all the bugs won't have to be replaced so often.
In Michigan the well water at numerous campgrounds especially when the campgrounds are full will load up a filter in no time, like one day, if you wash clothes.
South Georgia, Louisiana, had .9 micron ceramic filter with a pre filter stop up in two days with stinky black and yellow sulfur and iron.
Those inline Camco filters load up fast and then everytime you turn on the tap flush sediment right past it and into your glass or shower, in Michigan per example.
Right now here in the desert we have just a half micron, high spec cartridge in small 10" housing. Cost was about 47.00. Don't remember the number right at the moment. But...nothing much gets through the filter, and the source has lots of calcium and magnesium, I think, but virtually no sediments.
All the KDF filters get the chlorine out of the water, I think, so I put some drinking water chlorine in the fresh water tank, and no taste if not too much is used.
No need or desire to buy bottled water with a shot of ozone in it to aggravate the palate.
On edit: I remember several years ago at a favorite campground in Michigan, a camper next to us, in conversation I showed him the sediment, mud, in clear filter housing. He said they didn't drink it but just showered and washed clothes in it. They drank bottled water.
His white t shirt and socks were a decidedly unlovely hue of yellow/brown. And his "tan" too.
yellow

[EV2]

If you do not already have a water pitcher for drinking, pass on the Britta and get a Zero Water.
The difference is amazing. The Brita usually leaves about 100 ppm and zero water leaves actual zero. If you already have a Brita, check into ordering a replacement filter for it from Zero. We cannot tell the difference between this pitcher water and pure bottled water.

[ScottG]

jdc1 wrote:

wa8yxm wrote:

craig7h wrote:
Your talking the blue in line filter? For the cost I replace at the start of the season. The six months is the same as the filters for home frigs. with water.

I use a home made activated charcoal filter for "Whole House" use. and like Craig I change the charcoal every six months.

For drinking I use a PUR pitcher filter as well.. and I drink a LOT of water.

Used to use a Britta till it failed to bounce once. (Broke)

I second the Brita pitcher. Why filter your shower water, unless it's REALLY bad water....then I would just find a different place to stay.

I pulled into a CG on a trip one time and found a plastic cup of water sitting on the picnic table. It was brown and disgusting looking. Some kind soul left that for us to see how bad the water was. Even if we didn't consume the on-board water (we do), I would not have wanted that nasty stuff contaminating our water system and depositing a bunch of dirt in our tank. So yes, it can be good idea to filter everything.

[jdc1]

wa8yxm wrote:

craig7h wrote:
Your talking the blue in line filter? For the cost I replace at the start of the season. The six months is the same as the filters for home frigs. with water.

I use a home made activated charcoal filter for "Whole House" use. and like Craig I change the charcoal every six months.

For drinking I use a PUR pitcher filter as well.. and I drink a LOT of water.

Used to use a Britta till it failed to bounce once. (Broke)

I second the Brita pitcher. Why filter your shower water, unless it's REALLY bad water....then I would just find a different place to stay.

[JesLookin]

We also use the Pentek CFB-PLUS10 Replacement Filter Cartridge. The carbon block filters are supposed to be the best way to go. We mount ours under the edge of the camper to keep it out or the sun and also easy to reach.

[ScottG]

Lasting "up to" is the important part. That's not a minimum time, it's the most it will go. If everything is perfect and the water is clean to start with, it can last 6 mos. If the water is terrible, it may last a few hours. Certainly sitting in the sun doesn't help either.

[Second_Chance]

Full-timers' perspective here. Our previous fifth wheel did not have a built-in water filter. We used the blue Camco filters and left them in place for three months of full-time use (had a reminder in the calendar that popped up). Our new Solitude has a built-in cartridge style filter (like in a house) and we'll follow the manufacturer's recommendations on that. For drinking and making coffee, we have a separate water filter pitcher we keep in the frig. Municipal water supplies (and the well system at the park where we are now) are safe - they just don't always taste good. With the double filtering (including at least one carbon filter element) what we drink tastes as good as anything we can buy at the store - and this method greatly reduces plastic waste.

Rob

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

We are full-timers.

Camco doesn't list a gallon life for the KDF 'Blue' filter sold in many places. The company web site says 'Large Capacity Filtration: Large capacity in line water filter lasts an average of 3 months.'

We use one as the first step in filtering our water, and I change them on the first day of each quarter. I also change both the charcoal caratridge and the sediment cartridge on our two stage filter the first of each month. About $60 a quarter in costs.

I would say on average day after day, we run about 15 gallons a day through the filters when we are hooked up to sewer, which is about 80% of the time. Guessing between 1,300 and 2,000 gallons per quarter.

What I've been able to research is that is a pitifully small amount of water to run through a filter and think it needs to be changed.

I was more concerned before we went full-time, because the water filter would sit wet for weeks between trips. Supposedly there will not be anything grow inside the filter, but it is a perfect environment for that to happen.

And we have experienced some water systems that make the filter useless after only a couple weeks.

It's an experience thing. After a while, you should get a feel for changing it. One thing I strongly recommend is buy TWO. Always have a spare, and if the water tastes or smells in the slightest 'funny' go change it right then. Then flush the lines is you have a sewer connection or the gray tank capacity.

[Cummins12V98]

"We use a blue camco on the hose to the trailer."

I see these things a lot with the HOT sun beating down on them. Much better to have a 3/4" whole house filter plumbed into the RV or in a box under the RV.

I use this US Made filter. Pentek CFB-PLUS10 Replacement Filter Cartridge

Watch out for those filters that give months instead of gallons rating.

[wanderingaimles]

We use a blue camco on the hose to the trailer. But, we also use a Brita filter dispenser for our drinking and cooking water. dispenser
Our trailer has some years on it, and even though the water going into it is filtered, and we have run chlorine through the tanks and lines, were still more comfortable with the additional filtering for drinking water and ice.

[wa8yxm]

craig7h wrote:
Your talking the blue in line filter? For the cost I replace at the start of the season. The six months is the same as the filters for home frigs. with water.

I use a home made activated charcoal filter for "Whole House" use. and like Craig I change the charcoal every six months.

For drinking I use a PUR pitcher filter as well.. and I drink a LOT of water.

Used to use a Britta till it failed to bounce once. (Broke)

[PartyOf_Five]

We source water for usage the same way you do but use gallons rather than dispose bottle plastic. Those can be filled easily at grocery stores and water fountains, though we prefer natural springs. 🙂

[craig7h]

Your talking the blue in line filter? For the cost I replace at the start of the season. The six months is the same as the filters for home frigs. with water.