City water hookup / fresh water tank

No. The water pressure from the city water feeds your system. The pump on the RV only pumps and pressurizes from your fresh holding tank.

It is always best to use the tank & pump. If you see the number of threads here on disasters from city water hookups, you will understand why.

Tequila wrote:
It is always best to use the tank & pump. If you see the number of threads here on disasters from city water hookups, you will understand why.

Very interesting. Been fulltiming since '06, same rig, always hooked up to city water when available, no disasters yet.

When I am at a campground where I am unfamiliar with the water pressure I sometimes fill my tank when I arrive and run off that and refill as needed. My pump works as well as City hook up and I trust it. Also I have been at campgrounds where the water system went down and didn't have water for extended periods. I can always count on my water system.

I always use a WATER TEE Adapter that has switch levers on both ports when hooking up to city water connection. Then I use a second water hose with a hand spayer on it hanging on my trailer front deck rail. Has all kinds of uses when camping...


I also more times then not go ahead and fill my fresh water tank using the water hose and use the trailer pump for our fresh water needs. I know what this pressure is and alot of time the city water is too low...

I can also squirt a squirrel or some other critter hehe...

Roy Ken

We always hook to campground water, I have a pressure gauge on my inlet fitting. We do however always keep the fresh water tank at least half full. That will give us water for a couple of days if the campground water shuts off, which we have seen a number of times in various places. Sometimes all it takes is a careless camper running over a water spigot and the whole campground is shut down.

Great answers and something to think about going ahead and filling tank and running off the TT system instead. Only other advantage would be not having to hear the extremely loud water pump in the middle of the night when anyone using the restroom.

I'm sure you already know this but just want to mention...

If using city water, make sure you use a water pressure regulator. We always use city water when available but also always use a regulator along with a good quality filter before it enters the RV. I have seen very high pressure at a few campgrounds. Would it have caused a problem? I'd rather not find out.

cbatteiger wrote:
Great answers and something to think about going ahead and filling tank and running off the TT system instead. Only other advantage would be not having to hear the extremely loud water pump in the middle of the night when anyone using the restroom.

It is usually easy to replace the pump with a better one that is not noisy. You certainly want to be able to hear it. A pump running when it should not is an indication of a plumbing leak. An occasional chirp from it every now and again is normal.

I spend 34 months a year in Mexico where water pressure is usually low so I am in the habit of filling the tank anyway. It is far safer. Road vibration can loosen fittings over time, and with city water hooked up, you may not know about it until it is too late.

I've never had a disaster hooking up to city water. Now when we first arrive at our campsite, I do fill the fresh water tank, but then run on city. Why? Well, we have on occasion been camping when a sudden thunderstorm popped up and power went out. The first time that happened, it was out for over 24 hours! And we had no water! Every time after that, I made sure we have water in the fresh tank. Now, at the end of the camp, I don't just dump it, or let it drain on the ground. Last morning of the camp, I'll go ahead and unhook the city water and put the hoses away. I'm not rushed this way. And then use whats left in the tank. Also, at the dump station it gives us a little to put in the black tank so it won't be completely empty. THEN, I open the valve and let it drain on the way home.