rving4us Posted August 21, 2015 Report Share Posted August 21, 2015 Thinking of purchasing a water softener for the rv. I know a lot of you live and travel out west where hard water is a problem.. Any one have any suggestions as to brand or type. I appreciate your thoughts. Cary 2014 Ram,4x4,dually,CC Cummins 2011 Carriage Cameo 37KS3 full body paint, Most options except Generator SKP# 123923 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57becky Posted August 21, 2015 Report Share Posted August 21, 2015 We use the RV-PRO Portable Water Softener. This is the one that has a black tank. There is also the On The Go Portable RV Water Softener. That one has a blue tank. Both brands come in different capacities, and use table salt to recharge them. We use the RV-Pro 10,000, and only have to recharge every three months, and this is living in our rig full time. I purchased the unit, not just to make soft water, but to protect the plumbing from mineral build up. I have ours sitting in our storage compartment, next to the convenience center where the water enters our FW, and have it plumbed in using short water hoses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted August 21, 2015 Report Share Posted August 21, 2015 We have not used a water softener with our RV even though we have spent most of our time in the western states. For those who want soft water, they are very nice but to others it is just another needless chore. You do need to flush the water heater a bit more when using hard water, but that is a good idea anyway. If you want soft water them by all means get one of them, but don't feel that you will have problems with the RV if you do not have one. Good travelin !...............KirkFull-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mohamer Posted August 21, 2015 Report Share Posted August 21, 2015 I use the RV-Pro 10,000, it works very well. To many devises that can clog up with hard water not to run it. Southwind 35P ARS KB0OU EX Submarine driver Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rif Posted August 21, 2015 Report Share Posted August 21, 2015 We have used the same RV-PRO 10,000 made by Flow Pur as the others, and for the same reasons. We've had it for over four years now and wouldn't be without it in many of the places we stay. The recharge process is simple, but does take an hour or so, most of which time is spent doing nothing but waiting. The frequency of recharging will vary according to how hard the water is and how much you use. In most of Arizona we find we need to recharge every 2-3 weeks when on hookups, but less frequently when boondocking and conserving water more agressively. Some places back east we don't even bother with it. We have a hardness test kit that we use to tell when and if it need to be recharged, or if the softener is needed at all. If you only need to recharge every 3 months, the water is probably not hard enough to bother softening. 2000 Volvo 770, 500HP/1650FP Cummins N14 and 10 Speed Autoshift 3.58 Rear 202" WB, 2002 Teton Aspen Royal 43 Foot, Burgman 650 Scooter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BooneDocks Posted August 21, 2015 Report Share Posted August 21, 2015 We had a Travelsoft 1200. We would not be without a softener. There is a lot of hard water out there. Even a small drip from the faucet outside Big Bend NP would leave a white circle of calcium in no time. We like to see the soap and shampoo actually lather. Had to regenerate once a week to once a month depending on hardness. Wash cloth will tell you when. Presently MotorHomeLessFollow Our Full-Time Travels Through Our Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horizon36 Posted August 21, 2015 Report Share Posted August 21, 2015 We have the On The Go water softener and really like it. Recharge is simple and takes about 20 minutes, which is mostly waiting. The soft water makes a big difference to us in laundry, showers and general use. We don't get mineral deposits on the faucets. We have to recharge it every two weeks when we're in the desert southwest. Full time since August 2010 2002 Itasca Horizon One fur kid - a Shih-Tsu rescue Jeep Grand Cherokee Ltd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveandLiz Posted August 21, 2015 Report Share Posted August 21, 2015 Another vote first for a water softner and second for the Flow Pur 10000. For us the difference in the water quality has been significant and worth any extra hassle associated with transproting it and hooking it up. Below are a couple of pics of it in use and test strips from a campground in Illinois. You can see the significant difference from before and after. The orange is before and the green is after the softner was put in line. We've found that these test strips results have been similar in the vast majority of parks we have visited. http://fulltimingit.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/IMG_0633.jpg http://fulltimingit.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Test-Strip.jpg Steve and Liz2016 Newmar Ventana 4041 DP2011 Ford Edge, Blue Ox Aventa Tow Bar http://fulltimingit.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Mayer Posted August 21, 2015 Report Share Posted August 21, 2015 I have an 8000 grain version....the blue one. We have used it for years and I highly recommend using a softener (at least). While I have the 8000, the 10,000 would be my choice if buying now. Jack & Danielle Mayer #60376 Lifetime Member Living on the road since 2000PLEASE no PM's. Email me. jackdanmayer AT gmail 2016 DRV Houston 44' 5er (we still have it) 2022 New Horizons 43' 5er 2016 Itasca 27N 28' motorhome 2019 Volvo 860, D13 455/1850, 236" wb, I-Shift, battery-based APU No truck at the moment - we use one of our demo units 2016 smart Passion, piggyback on the truck -------------------------------------------------------------------------See our website for info on New Horizons 5th wheels, HDTs as tow vehicles, communications on the road, and use of solar powerwww.jackdanmayer.com Principal in RVH Lifestyles. RVH-Lifestyles.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hydehunter1 Posted August 21, 2015 Report Share Posted August 21, 2015 we had calcium build up in our toilet valve until we started using a water softener now no problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rving4us Posted August 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2015 Thank everyone. I definitely don't like the slick feeling. This is the next project. Cary 2014 Ram,4x4,dually,CC Cummins 2011 Carriage Cameo 37KS3 full body paint, Most options except Generator SKP# 123923 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave O Posted August 22, 2015 Report Share Posted August 22, 2015 We have not used a water softener with our RV even though we have spent most of our time in the western states. For those who want soft water, they are very nice but to others it is just another needless chore. You do need to flush the water heater a bit more when using hard water, but that is a good idea anyway. If you want soft water them by all means get one of them, but don't feel that you will have problems with the RV if you do not have one. X2. 20+ Years without one and no plans to change. Dave O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docj Posted August 22, 2015 Report Share Posted August 22, 2015 For those without a water softener who report having no problems, I suggest having AllProWaterFlow or someone similar pressure wash the inside of your grey tank, particularly if your rig is >5 years old and you have spent time in hard water areas. A couple of years ago I had posted about my amazement over the volume of lime scale that they removed from inside the tank. That made me a believer about needing a softener and we now have the 10,000 grain black one already mentioned here. I'll bet that many (most?) rigs have this sort of buildup but you'd not know it unless it created drainage issues, which is how we knew we had a problem. And don't think that any simple fix like putting vinegar down the drain will fix the problem; we removed golfball sized chunks that weren't going to dissolve themselves anytime soon. Sandie & Joel 2000 40' Beaver Patriot Thunder Princeton--425 HP/1550 ft-lbs CAT C-12 2014 Honda CR-V AWD EX-L with ReadyBrute tow bar/brake systemWiFiRanger Ambassador Follow our adventures on Facebook at Weiss Travels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted August 22, 2015 Report Share Posted August 22, 2015 For those without a water softener who report having no problems, I suggest having AllProWaterFlow or someone similar pressure wash the inside of your grey tank, particularly if your rig is >5 years old and you have spent time in hard water areas. We had a motorhome that was 14 years old and which spent the majority of time west of the Mississippi and which wintered in AZ several times and yet our tanks worked just fine and today the second owner is snowbirding in it and it is now 17 years old. We did use a detergent mix in the tank when traveling a couple of times a year, but never had a water softener. I'm sure that there was some sludge on the walls of the tanks, but was never enough to impact the use of the tanks. Good travelin !...............KirkFull-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.