Fulltiming and Fresh Water Maintenance

[fpmtngal]

As I sit here contemplating disinfecting my water system, to be done Sunday after the open house tomorrow, I wondered how full-timers manage draining and disinfecting their fresh water tanks, as in WHERE do you do it?

Maybe I’m too sensitive to the idea of draining my large fresh water tank at a campground, with the water going everywhere and potentially making a muddy mess. Could be a byproduct living in the drought stricken west, and not wanting to create water run-off if staying somewhere with concrete or pavement.

So where do you do it if full-timing? Should I plan on doing it in the winter where I’ll most likely be in Arizona or Nevada and could wander off somewhere in the desert?  I have had the idea that even flushing out a water heater might be frowned on at some of the campgrounds I’ve stayed at. Or am I too sensitive about it?

[Lou Schneider]

You don't have to drain your freshwater tank onto the ground.  Instead of opening the drain valve, just turn off the city water inlet, open a couple of faucets and let your water pump drain the tank into your grey tanks.

You can do this at any full hookup site, just open the valve and let the grey water drain into the sewer. 

[Twotoes]

I have been fulltiming for over 5 years now. I have never drained my fresh water tank. I fill it with city water which has been treated and lasts for months. When I park somewhere it is usually for about 3 months. When I travel between stops I use the water in my fresh tank at my overnight stops in rest stops or boondocking.  When I get to my new location I refill my fresh tank with city water from the new campground. Thus the tank is emptied from useing it. I always fill my tank upon arrival at my new location. You never know if the campground may have an issue and turn off the water for hours. Yes it has happened to me several times. I was the only one in the campground who could flush a toilet for hours. 

[Kirk W]

2 hours ago, fpmtngal said:

So where do you do it if full-timing? ...................................... Or am I too sensitive about it?

We were fulltime for 12 years and I did sanitize the fresh water system at least once each year, as I still do. I would start by asking at the park office if you are in an RV park or public park campground when it is time to do this. Most of those we asked would thank us for asking and OK doing so, sometimes with a direction of where we should be when doing the job. Another park brougnt me a plastic eves trough to use to direct the drained water off of our pad and on to their grass. I have also done the job while in Corps of Engineer parks and did ask first while there as well. At present I sanitize our RV system each year at home before using and I copy that RV park from days past by using an eves trough to direct the water on to our lawn. 

Edited June 21, 2019 by Kirk W

[2gypsies]

We full-timed 16 years without sanitizing the tank.  We got our water from many sources and used the water for everything, including drinking.  Especially for full-timers, when the tank water is used continuously it's not going to grow stuff.  If we went to Mexico, I would sanitize it though.

[richfaa]

We are in the   we have never sanitized  the fresh water tank         in both our Montanas since 2006. We are longtimers and the fresh water  does not set in the tanks for long periods on time.

[fpmtngal]

Thanks for the answers, I’m most likely going to ask about doing it. 

I think it’s interesting that as many answered that they don’t disinfect annually as full-timers. I’ll have to look at it when the time comes next year, if the house ever sells. 

My tank is big enough that I would worry about overheating the water pump if I were to try to use faucets and dispose of the water by way of the grey and black tank. I normally almost fill and then empty the fresh tank after using the bleach mixture, so it would be a lot of water going through the system.

[Kirk W]

9 hours ago, fpmtngal said:

I think it’s interesting that as many answered that they don’t disinfect annually as full-timers.

To be totally honest, I didn't sanitize my RV water systems for first 20+ years that we owned RVs and nothing bad happened, at least that we were aware of. I don't know that one can say with certainty that none of us ever had any water caused issues, only that we didn't know that was the cause, if it happened. But I didn't wear a seatbelt when traveling in a car for the first 20+ years that I drove either and nothing bad happened! Sanitizing your water system is very much like wearing a seatbelt or getting a vaccination, or most any other preventive practice. To never sanitize your water system doens't mean that you will have some problem, it only lowers the probability that you could. 

In our more than 40 years of RV use, I can only think of two times that we had an issue which sanitizing did resolve, both of which happened while fulltime. The first was a summer when we were campground hosts in a park that supplied us with well water and our white hose was laying out in the sun, resulting in growth of the green algae that probably doesn't harm you but sure makes for problems. I resolved that problem by sanitizing with chlorine bleach mix and then covering the hose to keep it in the dark for the remainder of our stay there. The second issue as a rotten egg odor (sulfur) from the shower and to a lessor extent from hot water faucets. The two incidents were more than 5 years apart and may have been prevented by sanitizing, or maybe not but both were eliminated by the sanitizing process. 

Sanitizing the water system is rather like washing your hands before leaving the bathroom. Many people never do it and no harm comes to them!

Edited June 22, 2019 by Kirk W

[edatlanta]

19 hours ago, Twotoes said:

I have been fulltiming for over 5 years now. I have never drained my fresh water tank. I fill it with city water which has been treated and lasts for months. When I park somewhere it is usually for about 3 months. When I travel between stops I use the water in my fresh tank at my overnight stops in rest stops or boondocking.  When I get to my new location I refill my fresh tank with city water from the new campground. Thus the tank is emptied from useing it. I always fill my tank upon arrival at my new location. You never know if the campground may have an issue and turn off the water for hours. Yes it has happened to me several times. I was the only one in the campground who could flush a toilet for hours. 

I definitely agree with keeping a full tank all the time even when hooked up.  One summer while hosting for 4 months at a campground in Florida we were without water 11 separate times due to line breaks. It didn't bother me a bit while others really went nuts.  The bathhouses were closed also during the repair.

[fpmtngal]

In the beginning I didn’t travel with much water because my TV was a bit marginal and I watched my weight closely. I’ve since upgraded TVs and tend to start off with a full tank, refilling as I need. I just thought disinfecting was something that needed to be done annually, no matter what. 

I did have some problem with smelly water but it was fixed when I flushed out the water heater with a wand. I’m going to continue to do that occasionally so I’m glad to know that some campgrounds will give permission for such things. 

It’s funny the little things I’ve done and taken for granted as a part-timer are turning into “how will I take care of this” questions as I transition to full-time (if the house sells).

[Kirk W]

9 minutes ago, fpmtngal said:

(if the house sells).

Think positive!   ☺️

[fpmtngal]

1 hour ago, Kirk W said:

Think positive!   ☺️

It’s hard to stay positive when no one is looking. Seems like the buyers who were out there when the house went into escrow have all bought places, and the next batch haven’t appeared on the scene yet.

[Solo18]

I disinfect my fresh water tanks every 3-4 months.  An important thing to know is that I drink the water in my tank.  I do NOT buy bottled water!   I have both an external water filter and a whole-house filter.  Most filters are just carbon filters that mostly filter sediment and reduce the amount of bacteria.  I buy the more expensive filters that remove mold and spores and other nasty things.  Read the back of the box to compare.  

Before I add chlorine to my system. I fill a couple gallons jugs full of water to use for drinking and cooking.  Then I add a cup or so of regular bleach to the water tank, fill it up, and run each of the faucets for a couple of minutes.  I try to do this early on a day I drive or am away from the rig and where I have full hookups.  I use the water to flush and do dishes, and even shower since chlorine dissipates fairly quickly.  I run all the water through the tank over the next couple of days, add fresh water to the tank, and by then all the chlorine is gone. 

I have never had problems with the taste or appearance of my fresh water and have never gotten sick from it, even when I have had a weakened immune system. 

Edited June 23, 2019 by Solo18

[sandsys]

When we were full time we only sanitized the tank when the rig was new. We used water from our tanks all the time even drinking that water. We did use outside filters when filling the tank but had no inside ones. We traveled all over the USA doing this and never got sick from that water. But we never filled our tanks when mooch docking at my Dad's house because they have a LOT of iron in their water.

Linda

 

[Kirk W]

11 hours ago, fpmtngal said:

It’s hard to stay positive when no one is looking.

I am sending a PM to take this offline. 😊😊😊

[Danandfreda]

We are starting now to sell the house and 40 acres with pond and pool. We have 4 years until we go fulltiming and I don’t want to have to wait. Keeping fingers crossed showed house yesterday and another today. 

[Al F]

On 6/22/2019 at 8:54 PM, sandsys said:

When we were full time we only sanitized the tank when the rig was new. We used water from our tanks all the time even drinking that water. We did use outside filters when filling the tank but had no inside ones. We traveled all over the USA doing this and never got sick from that water. But we never filled our tanks when mooch docking at my Dad's house because they have a LOT of iron in their water.

Linda

 

Ditto!

I sanitized our tank shortly after we bought our current rig, as I have with our previous rigs.  After that I "may" sanitize in a couple of years.  If we let the tank sit for 3-5 months w/o exchanging the water, I would probably sanitize.

We ONLY use our fresh water tanks for everything, drinking shower, etc.  We don't connect our drinking water hose directly from the RV to shore water.  We just fill our fresh water tank and use that for all our needs.   It has just become a habit since we spent so much of our time w/o access to hookups.  

We travel from 5 months to 9 months of the year.  We really do spend more time in the RV than in our sticks & bricks.  

I need to add we have traveled extensively since we married in 1969 and have always drank the local water.  We never buy bottled water or filter our drinking water.  I do use a clear drinking glass to view and taste the local water before filling our fresh water tank.  Since we travel with a full fresh water tank we have no NEED to fill our tank with bad tasting water. 

Edited June 27, 2019 by Al F