Filtered Drinking Water in Casita

[Cotton]

like

[Jon Vermilye]

While I admit to using bottled water most of the time for drinking & coffee, I did add a single faucet & a refrigerator Ice maker filter at the sink. I use it for brushing teeth, a water pik, and cooking when I'm out of bottled water.

[Mr Lynn]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

Powdered creamer?

Maybe he doesn't have a refrigerator.

We do, so we carry milk for my wife's cereal, and my coffee.

[Keith2000]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

Powdered creamer?

My wife’s preference. I bring actual cream.

[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

You can always use a Brita pitcher with the filtered water from the faucet. We carry one for many occasions.

[Rockytop]

We use the outside water filter on our hose and have a Pur faucet Mount filter inside. I also have a Brita pitcher that filters water that I keep in the bathroom for teeth brushing. We do it more for taste of water more than for safety concerns.

[ldsharp]

After reading a book about municipal water systems (and their inability to filter pesticides, pharmaceuticals, etc) I installed a 7 stage system for our home. I added an extra faucet to the main kitchen sink and wanted to add filtered water to a prep sink in a kitchen island. The only way to do that was exactly what you are suggesting, so I changed the source of cold water to that faucet from city water to my filtered water. Does it work - yes. The only downside is wasting your filtered water when washing things so I instead use hot water where I ordinarily wouldn't. In the Casita your hot water is limited (6 gallons), but your usage of cold filtered water would probably be on the low side anyway. My 3rd stage 0.5 micron carbon (Hydronix SMCD-2510) is good for 20,000 gallons so I would think it wouldn't hurt to 'waste' some of that in Casita usage since you likely would change it annually anyway.

[Moyza Frank]

We picked up our Casita 17 last December and were pleased to see they had included a drinking water quality hose, carbon filter, and pressure regulator. What we needed to do was flush out the water tank more than once as it had been sanitized (chlorine?) and still retained some of that taste. The water lines were OK when we were hooked up to city water, but when we boondocked one night, we discovered the difference. We fill from our well at home, and that is one reason for getting the larger, fresh water tank.

[ssatkinson]

We use a Frizzlife water filter outside and run anything used for drinking or cooking through an Epic water pitcher set up with a nano filter. We bleach the tanks at the beginning of each season. Works for our needs.

[NOD]

I installed an Acuva ArrowMax in my 13' Scamp. The LED UV sterilizer and prefilter allows me to fill up the on-board tank from pretty much any water source - spigot, stream, etc.

[Sal c.]

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

After much research I decided on this filtration system. I too carried 6 gallon drinking bottles of water and it became cumbersome and much added weight. It was an easy install with no cutting off of any pex. I now drink out of the fresh water tank and it tastes fine. When on the road the fresh water tank tank is filled using the blue hose filter then filtered once again with this system.

[Yvimij]

I use one of the outside filters on the few occasions when I have hookups. But I also take bottled water to drink and for cooking.



I spend much of my time roaming around jeep trails and hiking. I keep a Sawyer Products SP128 Filtration System in my go pack that is always in my TV. I can go days without food but water is essential. They are not for day to day use, but they are inexpensive, small enough to stick in a daypack or jacket pocket, and can save your life in an emergency.


https://www.sawyer.com/products/mini...tration-system

[Mary Ann in NC]

We cruised on our 36 foot sailboat for 18 years and never had bottled water on board except for emergency use in the Bahamas. We had 80 gallons in the water tanks and we used that for everything. I filtered everything that entered the tank and again as it exited. We also used a Brita for our drinking water. Neither of us ever had a problem.

We essentially do the same in our Escape 19. Our preseason readiness plan includes tank cleaning with a mild bleach solution and complete flushing until the bleach taste is gone.

BTW, we have a dedicated water hose that never touches the non-potable faucet. We may be resistant to some bacteria, but we are not reckless.

[robswarts]

We also use the on board tank with the blue external filter and fill up as needed. Britta pitcher for second filter and all is well.

[jerrybob]

We sure do worry these days about stuff.....heck.....when I was a kid....we drank water from every garden hose in the neighborhood.....if no hose....right from the spigot.....back in those days.....we also opened car doors with keys.......ahhhhh the good ole days! Merry Christmas everyone!

[John in Santa Cruz]

I don't even drink the tap water at home, its very hard and heavily brominated, tastes terrible. I have 4 5 gallon carboys (water cooler bottles), I fill three at a time at the local Pure Water store, at home we use a countertop 'crock', and when traveling, I put one or two in 16 quart milk crates, and use a 'dolphin' pump dispensor. I also have a small 2 gallon 'brick' bottle with its own tap, so I'll fill that and put it on the counter next to the stove inside the trailer, so I don't have to go out to the truck for each glass.. We use this for coffee making as well as drinking, also goes in the ice maker. On extended road trips, we'll find a water store in a town we're passing through to refill, typically $2-2.50 for 5 gallons of purified water.

when we used to use tap water in our coffee maker at home, we'd have to de-lime it weekly, what a pain. its been 5 years now since we switched to purified water, and wow, the coffee maker we got 3-4 years ago is as clean as it was new, not a trace of lime or crust, and its never needed deliming.

[Villen]

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.

"All water -- no matter if it comes from a natural spring, artesian well, or regular tap -- may have trace but safe amounts of minerals, bacteria, pesticides, and other contaminants. Distilling rids water of all those impurities. It also removes more than 99.9% of the minerals dissolved in water."
I use distilled water as drinking water. 68c a gallon at WallyWorld. Stores unopened for a long, long time. 10 years in lifeboats. Tastes good. Makes great tea or coffee. If you don't finish a bottle and are persnickety, you can wash with it.

If it's good enough for my battery, it's good enough for me.

[parmm]

Originally Posted by Villen

I use distilled water as drinking water. 68c a gallon at WallyWorld. Stores unopened for a long, long time. 10 years in lifeboats. Tastes good. Makes great tea or coffee. If you don't finish a bottle and are persnickety, you can wash with it.

If it's good enough for my battery, it's good enough for me.

The distilled water at our local WallyWorlds just went up to $1.25 a gallon!!

[Motoboss]

We fill the fresh water tank with a dedicated hose with carbon filter. We only use the water for cleaning (selves, dishes, toliet etc.) and only drink bottled water on the road and at home. We do carry 2 three gallon “pure” water jugs for cooking and the mutts water bowl which can be refilled about anywhere. Push comes to shove we buy a few gallons of distilled water, and I too just noticed the price has gone up!



And I use “powdered creamer” , on purpose, in my coffee as it is sugar free!

[Villen]

Originally Posted by parmm

The distilled water at our local WallyWorlds just went up to $1.25 a gallon!!

But you live in a robber state. I am sure you can head for a less punitive area on vacation? Or permanent?
Even at that price it beats laying out larger amounts for a real filter system. Cheaper than soda pop and makes better tea.