water ?'s from a newbie.

[Lil'Darlin1972]

<span class="ev_code_PURPLE">We have well water at home and it goes through a softener for the water inside the house. The outside hoses are not attached to the softener. We want to travel with some water onboard so we can use the toilet and sinks. We aren't going to be drycamping for long periods of time...I'm a full hook up kind of girl I am wondering if well water is ok to use in the MH. I am thinking that most CG's hookups would be well water too since they usually aren't in city limits, right ?? The second part of my question is other than home, are there other places you can fill up with water on route ??</span>

[Lil'Darlin1972]

<span class="ev_code_PURPLE">We have well water at home and it goes through a softener for the water inside the house. The outside hoses are not attached to the softener. We want to travel with some water onboard so we can use the toilet and sinks. We aren't going to be drycamping for long periods of time...I'm a full hook up kind of girl I am wondering if well water is ok to use in the MH. I am thinking that most CG's hookups would be well water too since they usually aren't in city limits, right ?? The second part of my question is other than home, are there other places you can fill up with water on route ??</span>

[smlranger]

Your well water is fine for your holding tank. Any reliable source of potable water is fine. That said, we don't drink water from our holding tank. We always carry a couple gallons of spring water for drinking, water for the dog, while we are on the road. When we get to a CG with hookups, we use a full house water filter on the hose.

Filling options for the trip...Flying J Travel Centers...they usually have a specific 'RV' island in front with a dump station, fresh water, LP and fuel pumps (diesel and gas). Many Love's Travel Centers have dump stations and fresh water. Also, some states (Iowa, Minnesota, SD..those we know of) have dump and fill stations at interstate rest stops. There is a helpful website listing locations of dump stations:

www.rvdumps.com

[Bagger97]

Buy a portable filter that connects inline with your hose. Different kinds for different water issues. CW carries most. Any potable water source can be used to fill the tanks, just use your own white hose.

[Hikerdogs]

We've used non-softened water from the faucet in our garage as long as we've owned our coach. In most cases the cold water going to the kitchen sink in a house isn't softened either. While softening makes soap suds up better it also can leave a bit of a taste in the drinking water.

In almost 7 years and 50,000 miles we haven't had any problems. We normally carry between 1/3 and 1/2 a tank of fresh water onboard. When we get to the campgrounds we use their water.

I drink the water from any of the faucets, but the wife and dog prefer the taste of the water that's been run through the onboard filter and spigot in the galley sink.

As far as getting water along the way we've occasionally stopped at Flying J RV islands or state rest stops. There aren't as many rest stops with potable water as there used to be so we generally take enough with us to get to the final destination.

[Lil'Darlin1972]

<span class="ev_code_PURPLE">smlranger- great link...thanks

Bagger97- I put water filter on my CW shopping list !!

Hikerdogs- glad you know you haven't had any problems with it and all those miles. Whew. We drink bottled water here at home and so that is what we take when we travel as well.

Thanks everyone !! </span>

[John_Canfield]

You are fine with your well water as others have indicated. We always drink the water from the tank, but we were going through it quickly since we were fulltiming. If your use is more weekending and the occasional two week vacation, you should start with a sanitized tank by adding bleach to the water - I don't remember the strength, maybe others will chime in.

Many trucks stops will convenient water fills, Flying J is especially RV friendly. Actually with a little planning, you should be able to go from campground to campground with them as your sole water source. Whenever we left a campground, we always made sure we had about 1/3 tank of water.

We fulltimed for a little over a year, and I thought it would be valuable to carry a portable water softener with us. If we were at a campground for more than one night, out came the softener. Out west especially, the water is very hard and besides the obvious problem of using more soap, you will accumulate mineral deposits in all of the plumbing and the water heater.

I also made a two stage water filter from parts at the DIY store. The filters were the standard cartridge type; one was a sediment filter and the other one was a charcoal filter. After about two months of use, the formerly pure white sediment filter was a dirty rusty brown. Some campgrounds have water systems that are pretty crude so the filters got a good workout, especially in some very rural areas of Canada and Alaska.

[depchief]

I use a full house water filter on the coach. This is a portable devise I purchased at Lowes. You will find it is cheaper the CW. The filter body has pipe threads you will need adapters for the hoses, also at Lowes in the plumbing dept. The filter and housing are separate items. Suggest a filter to remove chlorine taste and sediment.
The filter can be hooked to the hose bib fill in a camp ground or between two hoses. I carry hoses coiled and the filter in an old milk crate with the bottom cut out to set the filter in while the milk crate is upside down at camp sites or while filling tank at home.

Some camp grounds have really bad water for smell and taste and the filter has worked very will.

[Y-Guy]

Do you have a spigot in the garage? I have one which allows me to fill up using softened water. Most of the time we've filled up at campgrounds or en route. I personally don't like filling up at most gas locations, at least I don't use their hoses if I do. Many rest stops have spigots too, at least here in the Northwest. I also use an inline filtration system too, though we usually drink bottled water our dogs don't and we use it for cooking so I like to make sure its as safe as possible.

Don't forget to bleach your tanks before the first trip, complete directions are in the owners guides.

[AFChap]

Like John, we are fulltimers and we don't hesitate to drink from our fresh water system. We use a sediment filter outside, and have an Everpure filter under the sink for drinking water and the ice maker. When we were part-timing, I would sanitize the tank with Sodium Dichlor (hot tub chlorinating crystals) once a year when I de-winterized the water system. We normally travel with about 1/3 tank of fresh water. We normally add water to the tank only at RV parks or friends/family member homes. If at a park where the water smells, I avoid filling the tank. But we still use the water through shore connectiong with the filters. The only times we have used bottled water was when the rig was totally winterized, or when we were in a location wtih bad tasting water. That has been very rare.

During my lifetime, I've been to every state in the US except Alaska, and several foreign countries. I've been careful with drinking water in other countries (Mexico, Korea, etc), but have drank local water in other overseas locations and all over the US with no ill effects. If it's doesn't smell or look good, I am careful. Otherwise I don't worry about it unless I know of other warnings about the water.

[Trek-Cyclist]

I never used a water softner until last year. I always used a full house carbon filter and the ADC Drinking water filter for the sink.
After all the faucets and shower heads and water heater tank, etc. were getting clogged with lime deposits we went and bought a portable water softner. Now we have the full house carbon filter inline before the water softner and the ADC filter in the kitchen for drinking water...
Some say recharging the softwater tank is a pain in the butt, but I wouldn't even think of being without one anymore... Total time 20 minutes...
We fulltime and if I need to recharge the unit once every two weeks I really don't feel that is a lot of work... Especially out here in the southwest, USA....
Use hardwater and flush your hotwater tank after 3 months, you'll be surprised to see what comes out of it...NOT GOOD!
After using the softner I flushed after 6 months and nothing!
When we leave I only carry 1/3 tank of water... we don't dry camp much but if we needed I would fill using the portable water softner... It's like night and day. It's like driving a Dodge M400 gas motorhome 20 years ago and now driving a Workhorse... Big DIFF!

[Lorna]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by depchief:
I use a full house water filter on the coach. This is a portable devise I purchased at Lowes...The filter and housing are separate items. Suggest a filter to remove chlorine taste and sediment...I carry hoses coiled and the filter in an old milk crate with the bottom cut out to set the filter in while the milk crate is upside down... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
We did the same thing. Started out with a pricey "filters out everything" filter becasue we were in Cordele, GA at the time and the soil is very porus combined with the fact that we were (and are currently) in a heavily farmed & fertilized place with lots of pesticide use. I just felt more comfortable with a filter that will remove at least some pesticides. Added a "sand" filter (no replaceable cartridge, sand just settles out) because we filled up the pricey filter with sand at my Mom's place in about 2 weeks time (her well dips low at times). I took a 5 gal food service bucket (pickle chips from Huddle House) and cut a couple of holes in it to allow the hose hook-ups (used "quick-connects") to attach thru the side of the bucket. Drilled a couple of weep hole to allow any water that leaked or condensed to drain and then lined the bucket's interior with Reflectix with a flap over the top. Stick the lid on and it is nice and portable. I disconnect the hoses from the quick-connects (long hose in; short 4ft hose out to RV), and set the whole thing in the shower to travel. So far I haven't needed any pipe heat tape since we have only had freezing temps overnight. But when I do, it will take a 6ft one for the 4ft hose plus a little bit to curl around the filters to keep that part from freezing. We would need to size the heat tape to our long hose(s). But we haven't done that yet (my short hose has only a rubber -not foam- pipe insulation tube on it right now) as we are curently running a 100ft hose to the nearest hose bibb (currently staying in a friend's driveway).

At a minimum, you need to be running an inline sediment filter (like those little blue Camcos that Wal-Mart sells). Use a permanent marker to note down how many days you have used it on each trip. We use a more complete system because we hit really bad water at a campround once. I suspect it make my antique cat sick and she never fully recovered (died a year later).

[jcar6109]

I bleach the fresh water tank and lines every spring after winter storage. We also have well water and I also have installed a spigot in the garage that I can get soft water from to fill the tank. I also have made a two stage filter system like others have stated because of a particular campground that we go to has brown looking water and I will not allow that water in the RV without being filtered. We also have the Everpure filter under the sink and I don't hesitate to drink from that.

I have been considering a portable water softener. Does anyone have any recommendations in a portable water softener?

[depchief]

Forgot to mention that I use a hose wye fitting before the water filter. The open end I use for a hose to the black tank wash out. No need to use filter water for this procedure.

[Tom-NC]

Shannone, I agree with all the responses made to your question. I use a house filter at Cg's or wherever I obtain water, plus I usually fill up at home from outside faucet. Flying J's are very good too. For drinking we use the everpure filter faucet at kitchen sink. MAke sure if you store unit for awhile that you remove filter and install new one when you go out again. CW sells little smaller ones if you don't use your RV much. One thing I suggest you get at CW is a water pressure regulator and when hooked up to Campground water put that at Bib before your white hose. One thing more do not use any other hose for water other than the white hose. The use of a "wye" fitting at bib is great idea and I use it all the time as you can use it for other things plus when you disconnect water you can use it to bleed off pressure before disconnecting.
Enjoy and good luck with your new rig and welcome to the forum.

[Trek-Cyclist]

jcar6109,

We use the RV1200 made by TravelSoft.
With the hardest water it lasts for 10 to 14 days before recharging. 2 showers a day washing dishes all that needs to be done in and around the Site...
I use quick disconnects between the tank and CG hookup and tank to MHome... When I flush the TS Tank I flush the black water holding tank. If the Black Water Tank doesn't need flushing I use a clear tankflush hookup on the gray water tank...
It takes about 5 minutes to backflush the TS Tank. After you drain it and add rock salt about 10 cups. Hook the system up and run water through the system using the kitchen fauset on cold water it takes about 10 minutes... The slower the better... The time from disconnect to fresh treated water is about 20 to 30 minutes which includes walking! We would never RV without one anymore!
CampingWorld...

[Lil'Darlin1972]

<span class="ev_code_PURPLE">Thank you everyone for your replies </span>