Filtered Drinking Water in Casita

[FloridaNativeMike]

So, we have a Casita 17 Spirit Deluxe on order and are planning out our first mods and the trip to pick it up. One thing we really want on the road is filtered drinking water, same as we do at home.

My plan is to always use one of the cheaper external filters at the campground spigot as well as when filling the on-board fresh tank.

I am also planning on installing an under-sink (kitchen) carbon filter (0.5 micron), but instead of plumbing it to a second faucet, I am thinking of plumbing it straight to the cold side of the existing faucet. This would save me from having to add a second faucet and the required fiberglass drilling that goes with that (is there even room at the sink for a second faucet?). It would be easy to splice into the cold supply line and if it didn’t work well (not enough water flow?) I could always add the second faucet later.

Please critique my plan and/or give me other ideas!

Extra details:
* We always plan to fill/use water from potable water sources
* Our normal camping is in campgrounds (state/national parks usually) but we do want the option of long weekend boondocking
* Looking at 1.5-2.0 gpm flow rates for the under sink filter (seems like that should be enough for one fixture?)

Thanks,
Mike

[Casita Greg]

We have a 2008 Casita SD that we bought new. FWIW, we never drink the trailer water. Some do, but not us. We always bring gallon jugs of water for drinking, coffee, cooking, etc. We only use our trailer water for rinsing, cleaning ourselves and flushing the toilet.

[FloridaNativeMike]

Originally Posted by Casita Greg

We have a 2008 Casita SD that we bought new. FWIW, we never drink the trailer water. Some do, but not us. We always bring gallon jugs of water for drinking, coffee, cooking, etc. We only use our trailer water for rinsing, cleaning ourselves and flushing the toilet.

That’s basically what we do now, but it seems like a waste of space to do that when we have 23 gallons of water storage on board.

-Mike

[Darwin Maring]

Originally Posted by Casita Greg

We have a 2008 Casita SD that we bought new. FWIW, we never drink the trailer water. Some do, but not us. We always bring gallon jugs of water for drinking, coffee, cooking, etc. We only use our trailer water for rinsing, cleaning ourselves and flushing the toilet.

That is what we so also. We freeze bottled water and the day B 4 the trip we cool down the fridge all the way then pit the frozen water in there to jelp keep other things cold while driving. Freeze your own water or buy bottled water to freeze. We shower using campground and onboard tank water.

This is the safe way of not getting a stomach bug from foreign water.

[jerrybob]

We also do something similar......we drink bottled water. In campgrounds when hooked up to their water......we will use the the faucet to fill an old coffee pot.....we then boil the water for at least three minutes before making instant coffee or tea. Must be OK.......been doing this for years and we haven't died yet. Any water from our tank is used only for washing or flushing.....that includes dog washing.

[AlanKilian]

It's not for everyone I see, but we fill our 10 Gallon Scamp tank from any hose we can find near the campsite and drink and cook with it.

It's usually an outdoor hose at a gas station that gets used for who knows what.
Turn it on, wipe the end with a rag and fill.

No issues all the way from MN to NewOrleans and back as well as all over the Dakotas etc.

[Mr Lynn]

I don't object to drinking from the fresh-water tank, but for a few days the half-tank of home tap water is enough. I make coffee with it. My wife says it tastes bad, so she brings bottled water. I prefer beer.

[Darwin Maring]

My problem is that i have a sensitive gut and the different bacteria in different water supplies sometimes give me the squirts so I don't take a chance. Some camp grounds are on well water also.

[David B.]

We installed a Dr. Mercola duel filter system under the sink, after tasting water offered to us from a Casita owner who has this set up. They travel extensively for months and state that they always have great tasting water. We do use a charcoal filter on the end of the hose with each fill up also. This does require a second small faucet

[Keith2000]

We have done what the OP proposes in our Escape and it works just fine. Never have flow rate issues and never have weird flavors. Go for it, just check all your connections and make sure you use a good pressure limiter. Some camp sites have crazy high pressure. Water leaks are the worst.

In our Scamp we use the rv hose filter and then a faucet mounted filter for drinking water. This works, too. It is just a bit less elegant looking with the big filter mounted on the end of the faucet. I also worry about it putting stress on the faucet. So will likely change it in the future.

[jerrybob]

Something to keep in mind.......

9 out of 10 doctors recommend drinking water over soda.....

Not Dr. Pepper!

[Glenn Baglo]

Or, as my birthday card says:
"You only live once? False.
You live every day.
You only die once.

[parmm]

We don't drink soda - we drink bottled water. And I drink sparkling water and lots of coffee instead of beer or soda. Oh, and that bottled water - I know where there spring water source is. When on the road we drink whatever bottled water we an find at grocery stores.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by parmm

When on the road we drink whatever bottled water we an find at grocery stores.

You should really read up on bottled water. Some comes out of municipal taps. Some is stored way too long and bacteria grows.

[Keith2000]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

You should really read up on bottled water. Some comes out of municipal taps. Some is stored way too long and bacteria grows.

Yeah, the first rally I went to our neighbor showed me that there are lots of ways to avoid bottled water. Her concern was plastic waste, but I’ve also just found it easier and I always have clean water.

[parmm]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

You should really read up on bottled water. Some comes out of municipal taps. Some is stored way too long and bacteria grows.

I have read up on bottled water! As I pointed out, I know exactly where the well head is and the source of the aquifer for the bottled water we use at home. (Mayer Brothers Natural Spring Water is sourced from springs nestled in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains. The unique blend of naturally occurring minerals flowing from our springs gives us our unique fresh, clean taste. Our on site testing and extensive quality assurance program ensures that we offer the highest quality products to our customers.) Some of the highest rated water in the county. And when we're on the road we use highly rated spring sourced water national brands. They are out there. And most are much better than the municipal tap water we have at home which stinks and taste horrible.

[DanielAG]

We use our well water to fill our 25 gallon fresh water tank. When we go to Yosemite we are offered $$$$ bottle water that says Yosemite but is Fresno City water processed or perfect Yosemite well water with no chlorine right in front of us in Yosemite. Always check our source before filling our fresh water tank

[Jann Todd]

Originally Posted by FloridaNativeMike

So, we have a Casita 17 Spirit Deluxe on order and are planning out our first mods and the trip to pick it up. One thing we really want on the road is filtered drinking water, same as we do at home.

My plan is to always use one of the cheaper external filters at the campground spigot as well as when filling the on-board fresh tank.

I am also planning on installing an under-sink (kitchen) carbon filter (0.5 micron), but instead of plumbing it to a second faucet, I am thinking of plumbing it straight to the cold side of the existing faucet. This would save me from having to add a second faucet and the required fiberglass drilling that goes with that (is there even room at the sink for a second faucet?). It would be easy to splice into the cold supply line and if it didn’t work well (not enough water flow?) I could always add the second faucet later.

Please critique my plan and/or give me other ideas!

Extra details:
* We always plan to fill/use water from potable water sources
* Our normal camping is in campgrounds (state/national parks usually) but we do want the option of long weekend boondocking
* Looking at 1.5-2.0 gpm flow rates for the under sink filter (seems like that should be enough for one fixture?)

Thanks,
Mike

We have always drank from our fresh water tank for 40 years. We sterilize it every spring or summer before first use. We use one of the inline RV filters when filling our tank at home and on the road. We always taste the water before we fill our tank in case it is foul tasting. Let a glass set for a couple of minutes and then taste. When we hook up we use a bleach water mix to clean the faucet, let sit a couple of minutes, rinse and hook the hose to it. I've seen people let dogs drink from the faucets and use it for stuff I don't like. It is possible if you use a second filter under the sink you may have very low pressure at the faucet. Make sure you use a pressure regulator at the water supply faucet before you put your filter on it. The trailer pipes are not strong enough for the city pressure any where. We don't fill our tank if we think the water is not safe enough or tastes bad. If the water doesn't suit our taste when we hook up we use our tank water to drink and don't fill the tank. We've found the main problem is to much chlorine especially after a huge rain or storm. Especially in out of the way campgrounds.

[Keith2000]

Originally Posted by Keith2000

We have done what the OP proposes in our Escape and it works just fine. Never have flow rate issues and never have weird flavors. Go for it, just check all your connections and make sure you use a good pressure limiter. Some camp sites have crazy high pressure. Water leaks are the worst.

In our Scamp we use the rv hose filter and then a faucet mounted filter for drinking water. This works, too. It is just a bit less elegant looking with the big filter mounted on the end of the faucet. I also worry about it putting stress on the faucet. So will likely change it in the future.

I will note that we still carry a gallon or two of drinking water. Mainly because we once had water that was so hard the powdered creamer wouldn’t dissolve in my wife’s coffee. Not a good morning. A little extra water never hurts.

[Glenn Baglo]

Powdered creamer?