Water Filter Mod's? Are they worth it?

[Comptech]

I have seen a few people show how they have installed water filter mods, either of the permanent kind with replaceable filters, or the kind you screw to your sink faucet or the kind you screw to the incoming water hose.
I was looking at doing a permanent install like this:
http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/showpost.php?p=70609&postcount=25
But after buying all of the parts I was spending almost 70 or 80 bucks, and then the replacement filters cost about 15 bucks for a pack of two.
At first I wanted to be able to filter all of the water coming in to the RV to drinking quality... Anyway I decided to stick with the inline Camco water filters you can buy at Walmart, and then I bought a drinking water filter I installed on the kitchen sink. (like the PUR kind)

I guess my real question is, do those disposable Camco http://www.camco.net/Products/Item?prodID=10059#.UW7nBLWG3I8 filters work as well as the replaceable kind like the thread above? I suppose with the Camco type you could add a couple together to filter even better?

[apr67]

Water filters come in different grades.

The Camco ones are very low grade. Perfect for removing big stuff like sand from your water. Not effective on cysts, chlorine, and other bad things. The pur water filters tend to have charcoal to remove tastes/odors and also remove some cysts. Important for drinking, not as important for washing dishes. And really unimportant for flushing to potty.

[Comptech]

from the Camco site:

"Greatly reduces bad taste, odors, chlorine and sediment in drinking water with a 100 micron fiber filter High-flow carbon filter with KDF to help prevent bacteria growth"

[geo]

from the Camco site:

"Greatly reduces bad taste, odors, chlorine and sediment in drinking water with a 100 micron fiber filter High-flow carbon filter with KDF to help prevent bacteria growth"

Comptech -

The general filters will contain activated charcoal which will work to remove some of the chlorine and "other things". However, the problem with removing chlorine, if you allow the filtered water to set too long, is that Giardia and Cryptosporidium will come out of their "cyst stage" and can be a problem. Chlorine in the water causes these two nasties to remain in cyst stage long enough to pass through one's body. To filter out the cysts of these creatures, one needs to have at least a 1 micron filter on the water line. Now that is not to say that the common activated charcoal filter is bad, but if you store your RV for, say, a month, run plenty of water through the pipes before drinking. And if you fill the fresh water tank with activated charcoal water, probably flush out any month old or longer water before refilling. Now that is not to say that there is any consistant danger, but an ounce of prevention . . .

Sadly, we (collectively all of the past and present humans) have done a fair job of polluting, at least to a degree, just about all the fresh water on and within Earth. Even in the deep aquifers! For example, one common pollutant is called BTEX within the aquifers - we call it gasoline here on the surface. Remember all those old steel tanks that used to be under gas stations? That corroded and leaked? Good news, activated charcoal will help remove BTEX, but it uses up the charcoal quickly!

Natural pollutants don't do much for the system either. If you ever visit Chaco Canyon and camp in Gallo Campground . . . don't drink the water! There is enough natural magnesium and salts in the water . . . well, the next day will a moving experience! :eek:

Personally, for the general camping experience, one might consider a 1 micron filter followed by an activated charcoal filter for the RV. True, you don't really need to treat the water that goes down the toilet, but it is all plumbed together. For those of us who plan longer journeys and have taken way too many geology and environmental courses, or who are just OCD, one might consider a "drinking water reverse osmosis sytem" such as http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/showthread.php?t=2638&highlight=reverse+osmosis. In our new fifth wheel, I again installed one of these systems, but this new installation includes a final UV treatment.

Why the final UV treatment? Though many of the filters have the KDF or other bacterial inhibitors, if one allows "still water" to remain in these filters too long, even the inhibitors will fail. After two months in storage, one might find the water coming out of the filter more "dangerous" than the water going in.

Also, one might consider getting a small TDS tester. These pocket sized meters are relatively inexpensive and will tell you a lot about the water coming out of your faucet.

Ron

[Comptech]

Geo,
So then, you could use one of those Camco type to filter the water to the whole trailer and then a good drinking water filter on the faucet? Without being OCD... :)

[ThePressureIsOn]

We use the KDF Camco RV screw on filter along with an under sink RV Culligan 1000R-D drinking water filter which filters 0.5 microns. It was a bit of a pain to install but keeps up from buying bottled water. Works great for us.

[Comptech]

What about these:
http://www.camco.net/Products/Item?prodID=10960#.UW8EMrWG3I-

Seem to be be better...

[Little Guy]

This is why God created beer"bouncey:

[geo]

Geo,
So then, you could use one of those Camco type to filter the water to the whole trailer and then a good drinking water filter on the faucet? Without being OCD... :)

Comptech - Yes, that should work fine.

Little Guy - To mis-quote Ben Franklin: "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.". :D. :party: :party:

Ron

[f6bits]

This is why God created beer"bouncey:

…and bottled water. That's what we use. Even for the dog. Faucet water is for washing stuff (hands, people, dishes, etc.), and flushing.

[JRTJH]

...I suppose with the Camco type you could add a couple together to filter even better?

Comptech,

Unfortunately, it won't work that way. Stacking 100 micron filters end to end will still only filter particles larger than 100 microns. The casts (and other pathogens) that are smaller than 100 microns will just flow right on through filter #1 and as they're looking back smiling, keep right on going through filter #2.

About the only thing you'll accomplish is slowing the water flow by adding the resistance of the second filter, otherwise, you won't gain anything. In fact, you won't even gain added filtering before you need to change filters because the first one will clog and stop waterflow before the second one gets much use.

If you did connect them in parallel so the water flows through both of them as primary filters, you'd double the amount of filtered water, but it will all be filtered to the 100 micorn level and all particles smaller than that will effectivley pass thorough the filters "untouched"

The Camco filters are essentially just to keep sand and silt out of the RV, they don't do anything measurable to prevent illness.

"Way back when" we took a Wally Byam caravan to the Yucatan one year. Airstreams back then had the Everpure water filtration system. We were advised to superchlorinate the water we put into the FW tank and use the filter to remove "dead stuff" rather than trust the filter to get it all out. Nice thing about that system was it removed all the chlorine along with the sludge. We went through 3 filters on that 3 week trip, but we didn't get sick, so it was definitely worth the effort and the cost.

[SteveC7010]

…and bottled water. That's what we use. Even for the dog. Faucet water is for washing stuff (hands, people, dishes, etc.), and flushing.
We do the same, both at home and on the road. The water here in the village has a funny taste to it, probably too much chlorine causes it. CG water is never to be trusted anyway. We also buy the water by the gallon or 2.5 gallon so that we have sufficient on hand for keeping the Keurig filled and some cooking water.

I have a whole house filter set up with garden hose fittings that uses standard filter cartridges. I can use the inexpensive sediment filters or anything up to the filters that get just about everything. Depending on the quality of CG water, I'll pop in the appropriate filter.

[cdawrld]

For my 230RS trailer I just installed a Culligan EZ-Change Level-4 Under-Sink.
Got tired of packing water for us and the dog.

The faucet looks good and the water tastes like nothing. Even comes with a winter bypass cap.
Pressure is a little slow. About 15 seconds to fill a tea mug.

[apr67]

I use a large canister filter for sediment on the outside, patched together from home depot stuff.

GE housing GXWH04F $19
GE filters FXWSC $10 for 2.
camco mount http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/water-filter-stand/18479 $15

Then inside the RV I use this:
Culligan US-EZ-3, $40

http://www.amazon.com/Culligan-US-EZ-3-EZ-Change-Undersink-Filtration/dp/B000Q8OZMU

[cathcartww]

I hate having to purchase water in plastic containers at rip off prices. We make sure we only fill up with chlorinated city water, the have one of these 3M filters installed under the kitchen sink so we have one faucet that dispenses safe good tasting water.

http://www.amazon.com/Filtrete-Under-Sink-Advanced-Filtration-3US-PS01/dp/B001DVW0PI/ref=sr_1_5?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1366763922&sr=1-5&keywords=3m+filtrete

Seems to work well, and the filters seem to last at least a year - biggest variable seems to be how much chlorine is in the city water. When it stops tasting good, it's time to change.

[webslave]

Water filters come in different grades.

The Camco ones are very low grade. Perfect for removing big stuff like sand from your water. Not effective on cysts, chlorine, and other bad things. The pur water filters tend to have charcoal to remove tastes/odors and also remove some cysts. Important for drinking, not as important for washing dishes. And really unimportant for flushing to potty.

Yep, I used to have a dual whole house type filter set up... Got to be rather a chore and I discovered that the cheap blue throw away filter on the water inlet to the whole trailer to keep the big stuff out and point of use Pur filters for drinking water was much easier and more economical in the long run for us.

I suppose if I traveled a great deal in Mexico or other places even further south of the US than Mexico, I might be more concerned, but, for the US and Cananda, I've never encountered water that the above system didn't make drinkable. The Pur filters provide drinking water and last a fairly long time and they tell me when to replace them (no guessing at whether the filter is good or bad) and the disposable blue ones keep the grit out of the lines and valves for longer life and one lasts me the whole season (and our "season" is usually 4 to 5 months of on the road time).

[Bushman512000]

I use a filter out side with a replaceable paper cartridge. But I still do not trust the water in the holding tank or camp grounds to drink. Even after bleach and flushing the tank fresh drinking water is not hard to get or cost much We use it for coffee tea and cooking. Water for dish and pots is My tank water and I bleach that well and flush system before every trip to be sure of no bugs in the water...I can smell a fresh bleach when showering but that is ok better than getting sick. We have a bird bath at home for our feathered friends I clean it every day also or the Wife does. Bushman said that.:D

[SoGaDually]

We use to use the Blue Inline Water Filters and on one camping trip the park was having issues with their Well and during the 4 day stay we went through two of the inline Water Filters do to sand & trash plugging them up.
This is the Water Filter System I made up about 5 years ago and still use it today. The Filter Housing on the right (the inlet side) is a 5 micron to catch the sand and trash. The Filter Housing on the left is a Charcoal Filter for taste...This system works great. If you camper has a rear bumper you can cut you center piece of PVC pipe which connects the two filters together so once you have your water connected you hang the filters on the end of your bumper so they are off of the ground..
When we are getting ready to leave a park, we disconnect the Water Filters, flip them up side down and let them drain while we are packing up. Then we screw on caps on each each end of the Filter system and store them away...
http://www.keystoneforums.com/attachments/photobucket/img_81631_0_864a1de66f6bcd40df1a6fd06428431e.jpg (http://s653.photobucket.com/user/SoGaDually/media/Truck%20Camper/Montana%203800RE/Camper%20Mods/WaterFilter2.jpg.html)

http://www.keystoneforums.com/attachments/photobucket/img_81631_2_b1390fd485f040ce4864d7601cfc0df4.jpg (http://s653.photobucket.com/user/SoGaDually/media/Truck%20Camper/Montana%203800RE/Camper%20Mods/WaterFilter3.jpg.html)

[iamrwnut]

This is why God created beer"bouncey:

That is why I also create beer."bouncey:

[Bushman512000]

I like shopping thrift stores and have seen new yes new water filters as the one I use and the same as South G. has .All I had to buy was new filters I have a spare just in case Mine gets broke or walks away made up a pail with a drain and all sits in it at the tap and stores for the ride home also.. Filters are cheep but I like clean water for the trailer. Still buy drinking water for the cook Lady after all how clean can You get the tank I can't see in it can't test the water so can't drink it ...Bushman ...My 2cents :D

[bdaniel]

This is an old thread but I happened to see it.
My 2002 Wildcat had a water filter and I loved it.

I put one in my 2012 Copper Canyon and am putting in one today in my 2014 325SRX. I got the whole house filter housing from Lowes. I use the charcoal filters and I think they are around $10 for a two pack. If the camper sits for more than a month between trips, I will replace the filter. Or sometimes I take it out, wrap it in Saran wrap and throw it into the fridge.

I DO NOT purchase the $35+ filters for RVs.

I plumb the filter so the city water connection AND the output of the water pump go in the inflow to the filter using a T connection. Then the filter outflow goes on to the camper water plumbing.

I love having the filter because when traveling across country you will get various levels of chlorine in water (some very strong) . The charcoal filter removes all that and the water always tastes the same.

I really like the water filter system. But go with stuff from Lowes or Home Depot, not the specialized RV stuff.

Bobby

[cabinfever]

We use to use the Blue Inline Water Filters and on one camping trip the park was having issues with their Well and during the 4 day stay we went through two of the inline Water Filters do to sand & trash plugging them up.
This is the Water Filter System I made up about 5 years ago and still use it today. The Filter Housing on the right (the inlet side) is a 5 micron to catch the sand and trash. The Filter Housing on the left is a Charcoal Filter for taste...This system works great. If you camper has a rear bumper you can cut you center piece of PVC pipe which connects the two filters together so once you have your water connected you hang the filters on the end of your bumper so they are off of the ground..
When we are getting ready to leave a park, we disconnect the Water Filters, flip them up side down and let them drain while we are packing up. Then we screw on caps on each each end of the Filter system and store them away...
http://www.keystoneforums.com/attachments/photobucket/img_126734_0_864a1de66f6bcd40df1a6fd06428431e.jpg (http://s653.photobucket.com/user/SoGaDually/media/Truck%20Camper/Montana%203800RE/Camper%20Mods/WaterFilter2.jpg.html)

http://www.keystoneforums.com/attachments/photobucket/img_126734_2_b1390fd485f040ce4864d7601cfc0df4.jpg (http://s653.photobucket.com/user/SoGaDually/media/Truck%20Camper/Montana%203800RE/Camper%20Mods/WaterFilter3.jpg.html)

I did a similar set up with product purchased from here http://www.rvwaterfilterstore.com/RCCarbonCartridge.htm
I have a 1 micron sediment filter and a .5 micron fiber block carbon . I went to this after the blue camco filter did not prevent heavy sediment from the last CG we were at last year.

[theeyres]

Have you tried http://www.rvwaterfilterstore.com/index.htm A one canister system that hooks on to the water tap outside isn't even close to $70. I bought a two filter system to trap copper that was turning my wife's hair green (!) and it didn't even run that much. And the filters last a long, long time. And, yes, it worked very well and did the job.

[bsmith0404]

The problem I have with filters for drinking water is that I like my water to be ice cold. I drank enough warm water in Afghanistan not doing it any more unless I absolutely have to. Ground water in most places (especially down south) just doesn't cut it. I find it easier to just load 1 cooler up with ice jugs (1/2 gal milk jugs), bottled water, and then dump a bag of ice on top. The jugs help maintain the cold and make the bagged ice last longer. The other nice part about that, I keep the cooler under the camper in the shade right behind my lawn chair, no going in and out of the camper for water. I usually find room in the cooler for some beer too.

I do use the blue in-line filters to keep the big stuff out of my lines.

[Bob Landry]

We camp only in NPs, State Parks, and COE parks and whether it's good to do it or not, we trust the water. I've thought about adding a filtration system, but it's actually the plastic taste from the trailer's plumbing that dw doesn't like. We've saved 10 or 12 gallon size Ozarka bottles that we fill and take from home. A gallon a day takes care of coffee and cooking and the CG water does everything else. I've never used the FW tank in the trailer for anything.