27 replies to this topic

[Flyfisher]

I have well water and put it in my tank and drink it. It tastes better than a lot of water. I drain my tank between uses and do the chlorine rinse (couple capefulls) once or maybe twice a year.

Gregg

[DonC]

I put in one gallon of bottled water in the tank for each day I'm going to be out - this meets all of my drinking, cooking and cleaning needs.  I only add it for 3 - 5 days at a time to save weight.

[mib]

I only use the tank water, for everything. One of the first things to do though on the camper: install an under-the-sink water filter.

My wife has a fine nose when it comes to water taste, and this is the best we can get around here in CA (we're spoiled, growing up with European Alp tap water).

When filling the tank, I let it run through on of these 20$ in-line-filters that go to the end of the hose.

 

Best,

Michael

[JJ1]

It's interesting that some people inherently trust the water running through lines in their homes, but inherently distrust the same water running through the lines in their campers.  Camper manufacturers are required to use approved materials, just like home builders.

[Cayuse]

Drink the water from the camper all the time.  Fill my water bottles for days out hiking from the camper faucet as well, don't have any additional filters on board.

[super doody]

It's interesting that some people inherently trust the water running through lines in their homes, but inherently distrust the same water running through the lines in their campers.  Camper manufacturers are required to use approved materials, just like home builders.

The difference is that most people don't have fresh water holding tanks. I should clarify - I live on small coast town where the city water is well water distribute to each household. 

[Bill D]

It's interesting that some people inherently trust the water running through lines in their homes, but inherently distrust the same water running through the lines in their campers.  Camper manufacturers are required to use approved materials, just like home builders.

Fresh water holding tanks need to be treated. It's not so much the water inside the camper's water tank that is in question, its whether or not the tank is harbouring bacteria.

Equally, I wouldn't drink the water from my untreated hot water tank at home.

[GroovyDad]

When I had a tank, I always drank from it without any problems whatsoever.  I would flush the tank with a mild bleach solution at the beginning of the season and that was it.  Now I just bring a 7 gallon jug with a spigot and use it for everything.

[JJ1]

I understand the holding tank part, but people will fill water bottles from the same home source as they fill their holding tank from, and then drink from the bottles but not drink from the tank.  As long as you keep them clean, either should be fine for a trip.  I've only been on RV forums for a few years but I've yet to find anyone who got sick because they drank from a holding tank filled with clean water.  (Of course, I wouldn't let the water sit for months and then drink it...I drain after every trip.)

 

I hope I didn't come across as adversarial...I was just pointing out how similar the two systems are, and that both are regulated. Maybe someone hadn't thought of it that way before and this would put their minds more at ease.

 

No one ever worries about disinfecting their home pipes (unless there's a specific advisory about contaminated water).  But not drinking the hot water is interesting...do you still trust it to clean your dishes and silverware, and face and hands?  And shave with hot/warm water, risking introducing those bacteria into your bloodstream?

[MarkBC]

As can be seen from the responses in this thread, most folks here -- like me -- are fine drinking from the camper water tank.  I'm not sure where someone got the idea that folks here fear their camper water (though I'm sure some do.)

 

I posted a link to the very-recent thread on the same subject early in this thread...