We are pretty sure we've decided on an RV (details after we actually make an offer). I've read recently that we ought to have a water filter on our rig. Where/how do these fit? Do they just go between the water hose and the fill point?

We have a sediment filter between the inlet hose and the coach and another finer filter on the kitchen sink for drinking water.

Our setup is similar to Fred's though we have have two sediment filters between the hose and fill point in canisters, a 5 micron followed by a 1 micron. The 5 micron is often rust colored when we change it. In the vast majority of campsites our drinking water is fairly decent. In places with lots of sodium, like Yuma, AZ or Hutchinson, KS, we need to buy RO water. The same where there is alot of iodine in the water, like Denali in Alaska. We just picked up this RO system to try when we hit bad water, http://www.crystalclearsupply.com/Portable_Reverse_Osmosis_p/pro-c1.htm, but haven't had a good place to try it since purchase since our water has been good. A good source for filters and canisters is http://www.rvwaterfilterstore.com/, plus they have great information on their website.

We looked into an RO system but quickly decided against it. Reverse Osmosis Systems typically waste 4 to 5 gallons of water for every gallon it produces. I've seen parks that do not allow them to be used for this reason. They also charged extra if you had an on-board washing machine. We now use the Mark8000 water softener and and external sediment filter. Our coach came with an whole house water filter, but Monaco put the filter in a location that is only accessible with one arm to change the filter, so I bypassed it and went with the external filter that connects to the city water hose.

We have a setup similar to Bill Joyce and it has worked well for us.. We used to purchase bottled water for drinking but now we make our own and it is much better than the bottled water. If you go with the RO you do need the filters ahead of it. We have never been in a campground that restricted use of RO. We do not use it when boondoking. We have only been in 2 campgrounds that did not allow use of our own washing machine and we did not stay in those parks long. Both of those parks had issues with their sewer system. We would not pay extra to use our own washing machine.

Whole house RO systems are overkill, but there are people who like overkill. Those are what some campgrounds would ban since they waste a lot of water.

The RO system we have hooks to the faucet aerator and is slow but enough to fill a few gallon jugs for drinking water. It does waste about 5 gallons of "brine" water for each gallon of RO water so we will fill the gallon jugs on full hookups. As I said we have not used it other than testing it since our under sink carbon filter has been doing fine since July when we bought it. But we will be in Yuma in March for the Gypsy Journal Rally and will be happy to have RO water. We are thinking that we wasted $150 buying it since it only costs 25c a gallon to get the stuff from kiosks. We have a plentiful supply of gallon jugs since Diane goes through a gallon of distilled water for her CPAP about every 10 days.

Boondockers who install under sink RO systems typically pipe the brine water back into the water tank where it is diluted and usable for everything but drinking.

Also realize that everyone, including pets, has different sensitivities to water. A friend bought RO water for her dog since their local water had high sodium and the dog had a heart condition. But she drank the tap water herself. I know people who carry their own water from home on car trips since they don't adjust well to water changes.

Edit: You definately want an outside sediment filter to keep the sediment out of the RV.  That sediment is not good for your plumbing, including the water heater and your faucets.   I just realized no one said that, we were just talking about water taste.  Every few months I change the sediment filters and they always have sediment in them.

-- Edited by bjoyce on Sunday 14th of November 2010 08:58:52 AM

-- Edited by bjoyce on Sunday 14th of November 2010 09:03:07 AM

-- Edited by bjoyce on Sunday 14th of November 2010 09:03:33 AM

Does anyone use that new water filter that has the bottles that come with it? The filtered water goes directly into the bottles.

I use a sediment filter first and then have a faucet mounted PUR filter for drinking water. Kim