Water filter for camper

[old timer]

I have seen meany different types including the ones with what looks like a shock device, is all this necessary for the weekend camping trip?

 

[TheLooks]

Depends. I take water with me for camping trips. If I was to take longer trips I would probably buy water along the way. A simple filter to keep debris and gunk out of your water system would be wise. I use a single element house filter I got from a job. I have the 3 filter setup which came from a yard sale brand new but have not used it. Longer stays later in my camping life may bring it out.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

I have seen meany different types including the ones with what looks like a shock device, is all this necessary for the weekend camping trip?

I would say at a minimum a carbon block filter!

 

[LMHS]

Depends on your views on water safety. You do what you feel works for you. I can go 200 miles away and that little difference can make me sick on the water. When I lived in NC, I used to only drink a bottle water that was water from a little nearby town (Tiger GA). Because some other bottle waters could make me sick. Plus the Tiger water tasted "normal".

I used to not filter my water.

I almost lost my dog and cat to giardia cysts in campground water. It did impact my elderly cat's health until she died a few years later (she was very old). We did not drink any of the water because it smelled weird.

I used to long term camp in South GA in an area where the well water either smelled like the local river OR smelled like pesticide/fertilizer. This is when I put together a multi filter set up for my camper (spin down permanent sediment filter for deep wells and a 0.5 micron carbon filter) that I bought at the local home improvement store.

I currently live in Hell AKA New Mexico. Statewide, the water has very high arsenic levels. Statewide, there are a lot of contaminated wells that have "acceptable" levels of dangerous pollutants. A few months ago, our current RV park failed several County Health Dept tests. Based on the County Health Dept's website, the park owners have 12 months to let us know, in writing, that the water system failed the test. They have no obligation to tell us verbally that they failed the water test. We know because the HD unhooked out water hoses to test the water. The park has also told us that we cannot have any water filters (including the little blue or green inline sediment filters) outside or inside our rigs. Several of us have them inside our rigs anyway.

I have been on several CITY water systems that had "boil" notices issued a day or two AFTER a breach was repaired. So I prefer to filter everything.

Depending on the water source, I run either a 1.0 micron or 0.5 micron filter (most of the time it's 0.5 micron). And I do not drink the water that goes into any of my fresh water tanks. I buy R/O water from places like Twice the Ice, Windmill Express, Glacier Ice. The dog drinks only R/O water. We only drink, cook and brush our teeth with R/O water. I will drink the water at my Mom's house without filtering it. She has good water. I have six 3 gallon water jugs. One stays in the truck camper all the time. For long trips, we take a second jug. The remaining 5 stay with my bus. We refill empty jugs when we go into town. The truck camper has a manual pump on the jug. The one in the bus has an electric pump.

I built a POI for three different water suppliers. Between the three companies, I know where to find a nearby water station in most places I go.

This is what I do and why I do it. I really don't care what anyone thinks of what I do. I put out what I do and why I do it so it might help others can make their own decisions. My water system is a little different than any stick built RV (I have a "tank float valve" inside my fresh tank). So the water flow dropping down to a dribble due to the filters I run isn't a problem. I have a water pump that puts out 45PSI so I have good water pressure to my shower, sinks, toilet and dishwasher.

 

[old timer]

Ok thanks, we really don't drink water from the camper system we never have, big concerns are keeping the water heater and lines clean. As Thelooks posted something to filter out the debris. Thanks for the replys.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

I find it interesting that people fail to consider the largest organ in treating the water.
What you say?
The skin has the greatest chance of poisoning the body. So if you shower or bath, it's good to use a carbon block filter. Of course most body products are worse than the water!!!

 

[TheLooks]

I have to get my tinfoil hat adjusted. There are many things that can harm you over a long exposure period....like the sun. But to go nuts about body products and showering in any kind of water is tinfoil hat territory. Just stay home....I am all in for knowing what I am drinking, I like my water with some bourbon, but you can drive yourself nuts. The water here in SE Tenn is incredibly hard. We see a lot of problems in WHeaters that the clients dont regularly clean. But most don't drink the water. If you go read reports about bottled water, its not good for you either.
My parents(former house) in rural Maine had a well built from a boiling spring 300 yards behind the house in the woods with nothing, and I mean nothing for miles around it. The state constantly failed it for "fecal matter". I don't think the squirrels were intentionally pooping around it or the deer. But it was 12 ft of concrete tile set down in the earth with a concrete cap on it. It overflowed 24/7. I would drink that water all day every day. There are no guarantees about anything, including any food product or drink you get from our supply system here in the US. No matter that we regulate it to death. And every human is different and must make these decisions for themselves(or not) on a daily basis or go nuts.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

I have to get my tinfoil hat adjusted. There are many things that can harm you over a long exposure period....like the sun. But to go nuts about body products and showering in any kind of water is tinfoil hat territory. Just stay home....I am all in for knowing what I am drinking, I like my water with some bourbon, but you can drive yourself nuts. The water here in SE Tenn is incredibly hard. We see a lot of problems in WHeaters that the clients dont regularly clean. But most don't drink the water. If you go read reports about bottled water, its not good for you either.
My parents(former house) in rural Maine had a well built from a boiling spring 300 yards behind the house in the woods with nothing, and I mean nothing for miles around it. The state constantly failed it for "fecal matter". I don't think the squirrels were intentionally pooping around it or the deer. But it was 12 ft of concrete tile set down in the earth with a concrete cap on it. It overflowed 24/7. I would drink that water all day every day. There are no guarantees about anything, including any food product or drink you get from our supply system here in the US. No matter that we regulate it to death. And every human is different and must make these decisions for themselves(or not) on a daily basis or go nuts.

@LMHS has valid concerns! In Deming arsenic is high! On the other side of the Florida mountains it's fluoride! In Columbus both are so bad the town was mandated to supply RO water to the residents. The wells southeast of Deming can't be certified potable.

But, yes I have a tinfoil hat, I was proud to put a tinfoil hat party on my website where a group I spearheaded went to Yuma to protest what is now just called covid!

The only time in our 70 year old's, history we had teenage girls thanking us and wanting hugs, for our efforts to save the world, for them!!! And yes, sadly it looks like we may need to do it again.

I have a tendency to research when I get told something!!! Maybe a little research on the ingredients in the products you use would be in order!!!

 

[LMHS]

I have to get my tinfoil hat adjusted... The water here in SE Tenn is incredibly hard.

I do have to wonder.... I used to live in that area for a little over 10 years. Does Nickajack still have government signs up about limiting the amount and kinds of fish you should eat when caught from there? They did when I lived there. I'm pretty sure they used to have the same signs up at Harrison Bay State Park's fishing pier. Last time I was in Chatt (Chester Frost County Park 2021) I didn't bother to look at the signage.

 

[TheLooks]

"I have a tendency to research when I get told something!!! Maybe a little research on the ingredients in the products you use would be in order!!!"

Been there done that also. But you have to weigh the consequences with the amount of ass ache and worry you put into it. I most likely won't die from showering.

"I do have to wonder.... I used to live in that area for a little over 10 years. Does Nickajack still have government signs up about limiting the amount and kinds of fish you should eat when caught from there? They did when I lived there. I'm pretty sure they used to have the same signs up at Harrison Bay State Park's fishing pier. Last time I was in Chatt (Chester Frost County Park 2021) I didn't bother to look at the signage."

The signs are still around, I don't worry about them either. I live about 2 minutes from the HB State park pier. There were signs in remote rural Maine also. Then the environuts told us not to eat the seafood, particularly mackerel. I have eaten so much seafood from Maine I should have been dead years ago. Still have a bunch of Mackerel in the freezer.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Nuf said!!! I proudly wear my tinfoil hat! Be that because I would rather not need annual checkups, or I have one that fits my souls temperament! I do spend less time in the wizards office complex than most!!! But I know you have freewill to follow your own drummer.

So I personally use a high quality filter system that will remove highly toxic compounds that our government freely puts in "your" (loosely stated) drinking water. Sediment filters do nothing to remove them, and carbon block filters only remove one of them. If you use deodorant/ anti perspirant. Through your membrane I referred to you increase your chances of aluminum poisoning.

I reject the idea of HEK93 in my food. I use Rumford baking powder rather than the alternatives because engesting aluminum can't be good. .

But everyone has the option, how they take care of their meat bag!

Cheers!

 

[LMHS]

I almost lost my dog and cat to giardia cysts in campground water. It did impact my elderly cat's health until she died a few years later (she was very old). We did not drink any of the water because it smelled weird.

BTW, this happened in a little town north of Chatt. So there are no guarantees on water purity anywhere.

Like I said, water purity and filtration is a personal thing. Kinda like tastes in food. I just say what I do and why I do it. So people who have or have not run into water problems can decide what risks they are comfortable taking.

It would never dawn on my mother to not drink tap water, unless it was because it was highly chlorinated. Her drinking water has always been well or spring water that is either very pure (NC mountains where they sell jugs of sediment filtered tap water to people in FL & GA) or low to moderately high in iron (FL). Like me, she grew up drinking water from free-flowing artesian wells in Florida orange groves that had varying amounts of iron and sulfur. None of it was harmful. She was very shocked to be told "don't drink the water" and WHY when she came out to NM for a long stay with one of my daughters. But then a lot about ABQ shocked my mother. She really didn't believe us when we told her NM is very racist. Not until she saw it for herself.

Some things you just can't tell some people. They have to experience it for themselves. I think water is like that. People think if they can't see a problem or taste a problem, then there's no problem. Until they personally experience a problem, there's no problem.

Threads like these live on for a while. People come to the forums, do a search, read up on answers that other people have used to address a similar problem and go away armed with info that they can use, modify or discard as they see fit.

 

[JRS]

When checking in, DW always asks the campground questions on water quality (city, well water, hardness, etc). So far during full time use for 4.5+ yrs, we haven't run into any issues with the office personnel being untruthful. We often drink campground water (except in the southwest) if the office personnel says it's good. We use a 1 micron sediment filter prior to the water softener and a 1 micron carbon filter after the softener. Will occasionally take the carbon filter off when connected to city supplied water,
We use standard canister filters and the filter element itself is roughly/guessing 2" in diameter and 12" long (never actually measured).

 

[Diesel Pusher]

HA! Tin foil hats...... maybe I'm in that club

When we're plugged in somewhere, if water quality is suspect, we use a 3 stage in-line 1 micron pre-filter at the hose bib and a 0.5 micron house filter. In 20 years, we've never had a problem. When boondocking, mostly in the Quartzsite area, we buy RO water to fill our main tank at Pit Stop. As for using our MH water system, we've never had a health problem with proper water system maintenance. Don't be afraid to your your RV water system!