Raingutters to collect water for the tank

[Jerry Dixon]

Has anybody installed raingutters to collect rainwater to fill into their freshwater tank? Is there a kit for that purpose?

[Taranwanderer]

I don't think I'd want untreated rainwater that just rolled of my EPDM roof going into my drinking water tank. Just sayin'. Now if you could collect it into a container, treat it with chlorine, and pump it through a filter first, then I might consider it.

[youroo]

After a person sees all the (Black Streaks) down all four sides I doubt that one would want to (Drink or Catch) this water for any type of use! Can we also say (Bird Dropping)! Youroo!!

[mjones12]

I would never drink water out of a tank I can't see into, so this sounds like a good idea for those of us who use the FW tank exclusively for flushing the toilet while traveling.

[youroo]

Originally Posted by mjones12

I would never drink water out of a tank I can't see into, so this sounds like a good idea for those of us who use the FW tank exclusively for flushing the toilet while traveling.

How many of you (Exclusively) only use your water for (Flushing)? Seems Odd! Youroo!!

[Ford Idaho]

I just looked my roof over yesterday, it is covered in bird stuff from the last crow invasion we had a couple of weeks ago.

No way would I go thru the work to catch the rain water to wash the trailer much less drink or bath in it.

IMO this idea is a bad one.

[rzrnaz]

Originally Posted by youroo

How many of you (Exclusively) only use your water for (Flushing)? Seems Odd! Youroo!!

Only flush, wash dishes, and shower

[dbarr]

and then it gets sold and the next owner gets sick. Sounds pretty irresponsible to me.

[ColoradoRick]

Probably not very practical or feasible unless you're camping during monsoon season or in a tropical rain forest!

The best way to conserve water is to learn the Navy shower...from Wikipedia:

A navy shower (also known as a "combat shower", "military shower", "sea shower" or "staggered shower") is a method of showering that allows for significant conservation of water and energy by turning off water during the "middle" portion. An initial thirty seconds or so are used to get wet, followed by soap and lather without running water, which is then rinsed off in a minute or less. The total time for the water being on is typically under two minutes.

[Mojojojo]

Navy shower I thought that was an RV shower?

[Jerry Dixon]

Would a pre-filter cloth mesh strainer plus the Georgetown's factory water filter clean rainwater enough to use it for bathing and dishwashing?

[Ford Idaho]

Originally Posted by Jerry Dixon

Would a pre-filter cloth mesh strainer plus the Georgetown's factory water filter clean rainwater enough to use it for bathing and dishwashing?

Only if it can filter out bacteria carried by birds and other animals plus the normal junk that collects in the air everyday.


No, would be the short answer.

[Hoglou]

Well, let me be the one to answer with a yes. I would use the roof water, but it would have to be my last (volume) source of moisture to create potable water. If I was "last resort roughing it" I would capture it in blue or equal barrel, or tank. Then process it for the fresh water tank. Old school FM 21-76 army manual, better yet a still, or a berkley as long as the filters would last. But hey we have now moved from RVing to surviving, the later being not so much fun....

But really this post is for those who do not maintain their fresh water as potable, I hope I mis understood. While I drain and winterrize via air pressure you always need to be ready to move to the coach and live off line... Been through to many storms, and a coach without drinkiing water is, well, a fancy tent.....

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by dbarr

and then it gets sold and the next owner gets sick. Sounds pretty irresponsible to me.

I feel like that is excessive- lots of people don't maintain their tanks and I can only imagine the spooky scary things growing in them! A new owner should always properly sanitize the tank and lines before trusting the water system.

Still, it's not for me.

[Taranwanderer]

Originally Posted by ependydad

I feel like that is excessive- lots of people don't maintain their tanks and I can only imagine the spooky scary things growing in them! A new owner should always properly sanitize the tank and lines before trusting the water system.

Still, it's not for me.

+1 for me--what he said.

It would have to be absolute, last resort, zombie apocalypse kind of time for me to be collecting bird crap contaminated water off my roof for any kind of use.

And yes, everyone should sanitize their FW system with heavy doses of chlorine from time to time.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by Taranwanderer

It would have to be absolute, last resort, zombie apocalypse kind of time for me to be collecting bird crap contaminated water off my roof for any kind of use.

That said, lots of people collect rainwater at home and use it. In my grand education that consists of HGTV's House Hunters International, they explained that this kind of thing is very common in Australia. They didn't describe what kind of treatment that the water goes through, but they did talk about the X-thousand(?) gallon tanks that they have.

[Taranwanderer]

I've done the garden rain barrel off the roof downspout to water the veggies and plants, but making it into usable drinking water--that never crossed my mind.

[Jerry Dixon]

I figure if you are wilderness camping for weeks and you are running out of water, a little rain might make your day and conserve the fresh water tank for drinking and cooking. Rainwater could be used for the toilet, and if clean enough, showering. I guess the big question is how effective is FR's water filters? Or you could get a portable water filter to run it through before pumping into the home system. Couldn't be that difficult.

[Ford Idaho]

It is not hard to take rain water and make it potable, however the filter that comes with a RV unit is NOT one of them as it cannot filter out the things that can make you or your family sick.

https://www.google.com/#q=water+filt...emove+bacteria

You could chlorinate and or boil the water before you use it but would it be worth it?

https://www.google.com/webhp?tab=ww&...bie+apocalypse

If you wish to collect rain water for your flowers or your garden that's great but check out the state laws first.

https://www.google.com/webhp?tab=ww&...nwater+illegal

[Tx_Rider]

So on a similar note, how long would you leave fresh water in the tank before dumping it and refilling? A few days, weeks, a month?