As you may well know, RV water systems are unique. Most units on the road today are self-contained, which is just a fancy way of saying if you fill your water tank, you don’t have to be connected to city water. In addition to a good water hose, you will also need a pressure regulator, and if winter camping, supplies to modify convert your hose into a heated hose.
We stayed connected to city water 100% of the time. We learned the following lessons:
- Hoses with plastic ends can and will crack and break, count on it.
- A 10′ hose may not be long enough, 50′ is overkill, and 25′ is a great compromise.
- A 90 degree adapter between your hose and the rig takes pressure off of the inlet and prevents leaks.
- I also recommend placing the pressure regulator at the faucet end.
This is a nice and affordable kit with great reviews. Most RVers will tell you: if you have a water filter housing INSIDE your rig, take it out! Huge leak risk. The other option is to place a filter like the one shown inline with your hose. You may also notice the sediment screen included with the kit. I recommend set up in this order:
- Water source/faucet
- Pressure regulator
- Flexible hose piece
- Water filter
- Hose
- 90-degree angle adapter connected to RV city water inlet.
Why a pressure regulator? RV water systems are not designed to withstand the pressure that a standard faucet provides. Not everyone uses a pressure regulator, but it is an inexpensive insurance policy, in my opinion. Concerned about water pressure while in the shower? Check out the post about the Oxygenics shower head.
I always had the best luck with the Camco lead-free heavy duty water hose. As I mentioned, a 25′ length was the sweet spot for getting the job done: not all RV park connections are conveniently located where you would prefer them to be. Just be sure that your hose is LEAD FREE and intended for potable water. As a side note, a 25′ hose will also accommodate a 30′ heat cable if you choose to convert yours into a heated water hose for winter. Check out that blog here.
A brass 90-degree elbow twisted into your RV city water inlet helps to keep the weight of the hose from bending the parts. It’s important to hand-tighten the brass elbow into the city water RV inlet to avoid over torquing and breaking your RV city water connection. Plumber’s tape applied to the brass elbow should do the trick if you are having issues with leaks.
