Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 05-06-2018, 03:34 PM   #1
Junior Member
 
dalemschultz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Soap Lake, Washington
Posts: 20
Is Water Filtration Necessary?

Hi everyone!

We retire at the end of May and are so excited to start using our fifth wheel extensively!

While thinking about our needs and additional items that might be nice to have, I wondered if having a water filter in-line with the kitchen, shower and lav. makes sense if we don't drink the water from these sources. Our Culligan filters only offer 250 gallon usage and I don't see the need to have this filtered water for dishes or showers. For drinking we use hard-sided water bottles that have filers built in to them. Is the primary purpose of a whole RV filter to help extend the life of the water pump or for possible water consumption?

Thank you!
__________________


2016 Rockwood Signature Ultralight 8289WS
2015 Ford F-250 Lariat Super Duty Crew Cab, 4X4, 6.2L V8
dalemschultz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2018, 03:45 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Cypressloser's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Alberta - East of the Rockies, West of the Rest
Posts: 1,785
IMO, a whole house sediment filter to keep the plumbing safe and a countertop Berkey water filter for drinking water should be sufficient.
__________________
2018 RAM 5500 Laramie CC
Sold: Riverstone Legacy 38RE, 960 Watt Solar, 6x6 Volt AGM Battery Bank, Freedom SW 3012 Inv/Charger
Ordered: 2021....
Cypressloser is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2018, 04:03 PM   #3
Junior Member
 
dalemschultz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Soap Lake, Washington
Posts: 20
I agree that generally, all the water going through a fine 5 or 10 micron expensive filter is not necessary. Can you tell me about your sediment filter? Is it outboard like my current Culligan filter?
__________________


2016 Rockwood Signature Ultralight 8289WS
2015 Ford F-250 Lariat Super Duty Crew Cab, 4X4, 6.2L V8
dalemschultz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2018, 05:39 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
Cypressloser's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Alberta - East of the Rockies, West of the Rest
Posts: 1,785
It's one of these, just to catch the gravel.
https://www.amazon.ca/Camco-40045-Ta...79KZ4HQVVKK8FV

Our previous trailers had a FR1 filter inside the basement storage, there are reports of them breaking or falling off, we never had this problem.
__________________
2018 RAM 5500 Laramie CC
Sold: Riverstone Legacy 38RE, 960 Watt Solar, 6x6 Volt AGM Battery Bank, Freedom SW 3012 Inv/Charger
Ordered: 2021....
Cypressloser is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2018, 05:51 PM   #5
Junior Member
 
dalemschultz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Soap Lake, Washington
Posts: 20
But $46 CDN for 2 filters (or 1 year if you're having extended seasons) seems rather high. Gotta be a less expensive filter @ 100 microns. Thank you!
__________________


2016 Rockwood Signature Ultralight 8289WS
2015 Ford F-250 Lariat Super Duty Crew Cab, 4X4, 6.2L V8
dalemschultz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2018, 05:57 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
Cypressloser's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Alberta - East of the Rockies, West of the Rest
Posts: 1,785
Quote:
Originally Posted by dalemschultz View Post
But $46 CDN for 2 filters (or 1 year if you're having extended seasons) seems rather high. Gotta be a less expensive filter @ 100 microns. Thank you!
Mmh interesting, it showed me something like $34, I think we paid $13 at Walmart - don't quote me.
__________________
2018 RAM 5500 Laramie CC
Sold: Riverstone Legacy 38RE, 960 Watt Solar, 6x6 Volt AGM Battery Bank, Freedom SW 3012 Inv/Charger
Ordered: 2021....
Cypressloser is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2018, 06:06 PM   #7
Junior Member
 
dalemschultz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Soap Lake, Washington
Posts: 20
That's certainly reasonable at $13 or even $20. I just found these at $10.49 US for a 4-pack.

https://www.amazon.com/1M-4PK-1-Micr...ilter+sediment


It says reverse osmosis. Is that compatible?
__________________


2016 Rockwood Signature Ultralight 8289WS
2015 Ford F-250 Lariat Super Duty Crew Cab, 4X4, 6.2L V8
dalemschultz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2018, 06:08 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
bubbles's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 7,645
Quote:
Originally Posted by dalemschultz View Post
Hi everyone!

We retire at the end of May and are so excited to start using our fifth wheel extensively!

While thinking about our needs and additional items that might be nice to have, I wondered if having a water filter in-line with the kitchen, shower and lav. makes sense if we don't drink the water from these sources. Our Culligan filters only offer 250 gallon usage and I don't see the need to have this filtered water for dishes or showers. For drinking we use hard-sided water bottles that have filers built in to them. Is the primary purpose of a whole RV filter to help extend the life of the water pump or for possible water consumption?

Thank you!
The built in water filter is between the pump output/shore input for filtered water to the fresh water plumbing system (water heater/toilet/faucets/shower etc.), thus a whole house filter. It has nothing to do with prolonging the life of the water pump. I like the built in filter and it uses the simple 10" inexpensive ($8) 2 pack carbon filters.
bubbles is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2018, 06:38 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Cypressloser's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Alberta - East of the Rockies, West of the Rest
Posts: 1,785
Quote:
Originally Posted by dalemschultz View Post
That's certainly reasonable at $13 or even $20. I just found these at $10.49 US for a 4-pack.

https://www.amazon.com/1M-4PK-1-Micr...ilter+sediment


It says reverse osmosis. Is that compatible?
It could be compatible with a small under sink system, IDK.
We had a whole house RO system on the farm, where the replacement filter was $1,300 every 3 months but the water would still make you glow in the dark (50 ppm uranium from 360' depth, aquifer from the earth's middle ages).

The reason we use a filter at all is just to catch particles that could plug the aerator screens in the taps or get stuck in the water pump when we use the freshwater tank.
We drink unfiltered water from our own well (not the well on the farm), on the road we use a Travel Berkey for drinking, coffee, cooking.
__________________
2018 RAM 5500 Laramie CC
Sold: Riverstone Legacy 38RE, 960 Watt Solar, 6x6 Volt AGM Battery Bank, Freedom SW 3012 Inv/Charger
Ordered: 2021....
Cypressloser is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2018, 06:43 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
Cypressloser's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Alberta - East of the Rockies, West of the Rest
Posts: 1,785
Quote:
Originally Posted by bubbles View Post
The built in water filter is between the pump output/shore input for filtered water to the fresh water plumbing system (water heater/toilet/faucets/shower etc.), thus a whole house filter. It has nothing to do with prolonging the life of the water pump. I like the built in filter and it uses the simple 10" inexpensive ($8) 2 pack carbon filters.
It depends on the setup.
When you fill the freshwater tank externally then you're right, but if the water system is configured to fill the tank through the city inlet then it would likely pass through the filter.
__________________
2018 RAM 5500 Laramie CC
Sold: Riverstone Legacy 38RE, 960 Watt Solar, 6x6 Volt AGM Battery Bank, Freedom SW 3012 Inv/Charger
Ordered: 2021....
Cypressloser is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2018, 06:51 PM   #11
Junior Member
 
dalemschultz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Soap Lake, Washington
Posts: 20
I re-looked at the Culligan filters prices and found some that were only $10.50 US currently. I was wondering if it might just be easier to eliminate the whole filter from the water inlet, but I think your caution about sediment and "gravel" are worth leaving the system in. Thanks for all your inputs!
Dale
__________________


2016 Rockwood Signature Ultralight 8289WS
2015 Ford F-250 Lariat Super Duty Crew Cab, 4X4, 6.2L V8
dalemschultz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2018, 07:12 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
bubbles's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 7,645
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cypressloser View Post
It depends on the setup.
When you fill the freshwater tank externally then you're right, but if the water system is configured to fill the tank through the city inlet then it would likely pass through the filter.
Could be. So is the valve selection before or after the filter? Still wont help the pump.
bubbles is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2018, 07:20 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
Oaklevel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Virginia
Posts: 9,732
Quote:
Originally Posted by dalemschultz View Post
Hi everyone!

We retire at the end of May and are so excited to start using our fifth wheel extensively!

While thinking about our needs and additional items that might be nice to have, I wondered if having a water filter in-line with the kitchen, shower and lav. makes sense if we don't drink the water from these sources. Our Culligan filters only offer 250 gallon usage and I don't see the need to have this filtered water for dishes or showers. For drinking we use hard-sided water bottles that have filers built in to them. Is the primary purpose of a whole RV filter to help extend the life of the water pump or for possible water consumption?

Thank you!
To answer your original question is a water filtration system necessary the short answer is................ no.
__________________

2005 Dodge 3500 Cummins
2017 Wildwood Lodge 4092 BFL
1966 Mustang GT
1986 Mustang SVO
Lillie Spoiled Rotten Boxer Mix
Oaklevel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2018, 07:41 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Central New York
Posts: 308
I've had 2 houses (1 well, 1 city), 1 RV, and 1 boat all with whole "house" sediment filters. Looking at the filters after a few months in use has convinced me sediment filters, at a minimum are a really good idea. If consuming the water, testing including a bacteriological test, is also a good idea. (I use UV on the home well and bottled water elsewhere.)
__________________
2017 Riverstone 38FB Legacy
2018 F450
LegacyFB38 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2018, 07:44 PM   #15
Senior Member
 
Cypressloser's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Alberta - East of the Rockies, West of the Rest
Posts: 1,785
Quote:
Originally Posted by bubbles View Post
Could be. So is the valve selection before or after the filter? Still wont help the pump.
I was trying to say, that if you can catch sand particles before they enter the freshwater tank in either an internal or external filter than they sure will not get into the pump.

The filter should be before the selector valves. Having said this, our current trailer does not have an internal filter, this is why we use an external one. Our previous trailer did have an internal filter before the selector valves but an external tank fill. The trailer before that one had an internal filter right behind the city water hookup from where the freshwater was also filled. In a nutshell, it's all over the place.
__________________
2018 RAM 5500 Laramie CC
Sold: Riverstone Legacy 38RE, 960 Watt Solar, 6x6 Volt AGM Battery Bank, Freedom SW 3012 Inv/Charger
Ordered: 2021....
Cypressloser is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2018, 01:13 PM   #16
Senior Member
 
DouglasReid's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Maurice, LA
Posts: 4,095
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cypressloser View Post
It's one of these, just to catch the gravel.
https://www.amazon.ca/Camco-40045-Ta...79KZ4HQVVKK8FV

Our previous trailers had a FR1 filter inside the basement storage, there are reports of them breaking or falling off, we never had this problem.
WE use those same filters. They actually are higher rated than most if not all of the filter elements in the larger canister type filters. WE camp one extended weekend a month and change them each year at the start of camping season, (like 2 weeks ago)
__________________
2012 Wildcat Sterling 32RL, Gladiator Qr35 ST235/85R16 Load rating G, TST 507 TPMS w/ Flow-thru Sensors & Repeater, Reese Sidewinder 16K Pin Box, PI EMS HW50C
2009 Chevy Silverado 2500HD CCSB LTZ Diesel, Fumoto Oil Drain Valve, Turbo Brake activated, 39 gal Aux Tank W/ Fuel Pump transfer, Air Lift Loadlifter 5000 air bags.
DouglasReid is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2018, 02:53 PM   #17
Senior Member
 
Vince and Charlette's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Spring Valley OH
Posts: 833
From multiple Forum issues on this and related topics, I conclude the overwhelming number of RVers never drink the water that comes out of the faucets. However, if you have a tank type filter or have concerns about grit affecting valves and faucets, then a particulate filter may be a nice add-on, but I don't think there is a cartridge filter on the market that filters bacteria if that's your concern.
__________________
2018 Berkshire 38A
Vince and Charlette is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2018, 02:57 PM   #18
Senior Member
 
DouglasReid's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Maurice, LA
Posts: 4,095
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vince and Charlette View Post
From multiple Forum issues on this and related topics, I conclude the overwhelming number of RVers never drink the water that comes out of the faucets. However, if you have a tank type filter or have concerns about grit affecting valves and faucets, then a particulate filter may be a nice add-on, but I don't think there is a cartridge filter on the market that filters bacteria if that's your concern.
https://www.usautoauthority.com/best-rv-water-filter/

Read #1, Best of the Best, you may be in for a surprise.
__________________
2012 Wildcat Sterling 32RL, Gladiator Qr35 ST235/85R16 Load rating G, TST 507 TPMS w/ Flow-thru Sensors & Repeater, Reese Sidewinder 16K Pin Box, PI EMS HW50C
2009 Chevy Silverado 2500HD CCSB LTZ Diesel, Fumoto Oil Drain Valve, Turbo Brake activated, 39 gal Aux Tank W/ Fuel Pump transfer, Air Lift Loadlifter 5000 air bags.
DouglasReid is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2018, 03:00 PM   #19
Site Team
 
bikendan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Goodyear, Arizona
Posts: 33,598
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vince and Charlette View Post
From multiple Forum issues on this and related topics, I conclude the overwhelming number of RVers never drink the water that comes out of the faucets. However, if you have a tank type filter or have concerns about grit affecting valves and faucets, then a particulate filter may be a nice add-on, but I don't think there is a cartridge filter on the market that filters bacteria if that's your concern.
I politely disagree.
In my 15 years of being on various RV forums, I would estimate the majority of RVers will use a water filter for city water and will drink faucet water.

Carrying bottled drinking water is a waste of money and weight and creates a waste nightmare.
Many of us grew up drinking out of a garden hose and aren't part of the current cultish obsession with bottled water.

And it's well proven that the majority of people will pick city water, over bottled water, in many taste test studies.
__________________
Dan-Retired California Firefighter/EMT
Shawn-Musician/Entrepreneur/Wine Expert
and Zoe the Wonder Dog(R.I.P.)
2016 PrimeTime TracerAIR 255, pushing a 2014 Ford F150 SCREW XTR 4x4 3.5 Ecoboost w/Max Tow Package
4pt Equal-i-zer WDH and 1828lbs of payload capacity
bikendan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-07-2018, 04:22 PM   #20
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: IL
Posts: 1,295
Hi,

I confess to RVing for 40+ years, camping all over the country, never filtering water, and never suffering adverse effects. Guilty on all counts.

But I also know that different people have different physiologies, which can make them sensitive to water varability. And others have different psychological makeups, when it comes to comfort level about using strange water sources.

Compared to the cost of most rigs, filter systems are cheap. By all means, use them if they increase your enjoyment of your camper.

FWIW.

Rich Phillips
__________________
Rich Phillips
2019 K-2500 Duramax Crew Cab
2014 Silverback 33RL
richp is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
water

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Forest River, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:11 AM.