Another Drinking Water post

[PleasantonMac]

Hi folks! So I will finally get my PW Ascent on Monday (yay!). I've read every post about drinking water on this board (as well as the PW groups on facebook). Basically, where I'm at is, I want to install an under-sink water filter with a dedicated spigot on the counter. (photo for illustration only):


Surprisingly, it seems like hardly anyone has done this in a campervan (unless I suck at searching). People are generally OK with either 1) drinking straight from the freshwater tank, 2) dragging along a brita / berkey pitcher, or 3) dragging water bottles / jugs with them. (Another option I see is people installing an inline filter that sends filtered water up through the sink faucet.)

For all kinds of different reasons, none of those options appeal to us. We like to drink lots of water, and I pretty much live on coffee. My wife is very sensitive and picky about drinking water, so good filtered water is the only way to go. This van is going to get near-daily usage as both a mobile office and weekend transport. The separate drinking water spigot requirement is simply a function of the fact that no matter how hard they try, the rest of my family will never be able to wrap their brains around the idea that they can drink out of the sink faucet. Plus, there's no need to waste high-quality filter life on dishwashing.

So, my questions: has anyone here installed one of these? What brand under-sink filter system did you use?

Installation: I totally get that installing one of these in an Ascent is a bit of a challenge. There's actually plenty of room in the cabinet under the sink to mount the filter; I measured, and I have an area roughly 14 x 8 x 10 to work with. The challenge is that new 2021.5 really has very little counter space, and there's maybe a 3x3" spot on the counter where one could drill without hitting electrical components thanks to the new induction stove. There's also a drawer immediately under the nonexistent counter, and the tubing would have to avoid the drawer paths. It can be done, but I must confess I'm nervous about doing the job myself. Should I be?

I called a few places and am waiting to hear back. My dealer's service department refused to install one, citing concerns that drilling into the counter and tapping into the under sink water would void the PW warranty. I'm going to call PW myself tomorrow and ask them about that. Talked to a local plumber, but they don't work on campervans. I can call more plumbers, although I'd prefer someone with campervan experience handling this.

So with all of that, I still really want to make this happen. What are your thoughts?

Edit: forgot to mention that yes, of course, I would be using the Camco blue inline filter when initially filling my freshwater tank. But that won't be anything close to good enough for our needs.

[booster]

We have had a 3M (Cumo) for about 10 years that filters all the water and is in the area of the pump and water heater in our Roadtrek 190. We never use enough water to hit the holding capacity of the filter before they age out, as it is 2000 gallons.


But they quit making the cartridges for it and we will soon need something new that fits the same area.



Here is a thread on where it stood then, and it is still what we will do.


Be sure to get a filter that gets down to as low a micron size as you find, and confirm the testing that proves it.



https://www.classbforum.com/forums/f...ers-10318.html

[avanti]

Originally Posted by PleasantonMac

My dealer's service department refused to install one, citing concerns that drilling into the counter and tapping into the under sink water would void the PW warranty. I'm going to call PW myself tomorrow and ask them about that

FWIW, federal law forbids "voiding" OEM warranties based on the installation of aftermarket accessories, unless, of course, the failure is provably caused by the accessory. But, I suppose you can't use this fact to force them to do what they don't want to do.

[Arlo]

Here is the AquaPure filter that ARV installed on the cold water line under the galley sink in my 2020 build. Rated at 0.5 micron and restricts the flow a bit relative to the hot water, but I prefer it to having a small separate filtered water spigot as in my previous van (2013 Roadtrek).IMG_0189.jpg

[JohnnyFry]

Having read numerous posts over the years from people who; never drink the tank water, always drink the tank water, use filters, use RO units, there is , apparently, no one size solution which makes everyone happy or confident. A few years ago, when going to the Baja peninsula, I elected to install an Ultraviolet Sterilizer in the main water line from the pump (we never hook up to city water), This unit is certified to provide water to National Sanitation Foundation standards ar 2 Gallons per minute. I also use a pre filter (the blue ones) when I fill the tank and sanitize my fill hose and tank with bleach once a season. The UV lamp turns on whenever the pump switch is on. I have used this system for about 3 years and have had no problems drinking from the kitchen faucet, even when filling up the tank at dicey Mexican campgrounds. It was not cheap, initial cost was about $400. Lamps are certified to last 6,000 hours and cost about $100 to replace.

[PleasantonMac]

Originally Posted by JohnnyFry

...there is, apparently, no one size solution which makes everyone happy or confident.

Ain't that the truth! I've been tearing my hair out.

You also brought up the point of gpm flow rate, which is another area of angst for me. Keeping in mind that my goal here is simply to power a separate drinking water spigot (as opposed to, say, filling a sink), is a 0.5 gpm flow rate decent? There are lots of RV-compatible options at the 0.5gpm range, but higher flow rates generally mean bigger filters, which don't fit in the tiny cramped spaces available to me.

[JohnnyFry]

I guess I'd say experiment. By trial and error set a faucet so it fills a gallon milk bottle in 2 minutes. Judge if it is fast enough by that. In my case the 2GPM figure was dictated so that the water would be in contact with the UV lamp long enough to kill everything.

[booster]

.5 gpm is fairly low. Two minutes to fill a gallon jug for instance, and that is if it actually makes the .5 gpm. We found they cheat on that spec a lot when we got our small faucet RO for the kitchen. I makes barely 60% of rated once the pressure tank gets depleted and the RO is actually supplying all the water to the faucet.

[jrobe]

A filtered water system was an option when we bought our van and I am sure it would work well. The one difference in an RV as compared to home is that in the warmer months when we use the RV the most, the tank water is warm. Even if we had a filtered water system, we would still be bottling the water to put in the refrigerator so we would have cold water to drink. As cheap as bottled water is for camping, this is the path of least resistance for us.

[HWDean]

I've read posts (mostly on facebook rv groups) from people who say they will never drink the white tank rv water and bring jugs with them. I kinda get not using the toilet, but I assume the people who don't want to use the fresh water won't use the toilet either. Maybe its me, but i don't get it.

[coss370]

I personally would not use the water tank on the van, even if it is filtered and stuff. I don't think I would feel comfortable with it even after all the RO, UV and everything you throw at it given how horrific the condition that water tank is in. I will buy a 99 cents water jug from WalMart, probably use up less space too, refill it at the stores if you don't want to keep buying.

[GeorgeRa]

We don’t drink water from our stainless steel fresh water tank. Why risking. We use water from fresh water tank for cooking but not drinking unless it is thoroughly boiled. https://sectionhiker.com/water_filters_bacteria/

[Rocinante]

Too much thinking for too small an issue. We sanitize the fresh tank, never hook up to city water, and use the fresh tank for everything - drinking, washing, etc. We filter the potable water as we fill the fresh tank. Easy, simple, no problems.

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by Rocinante

Too much thinking for too small an issue. We sanitize the fresh tank, never hook up to city water, and use the fresh tank for everything - drinking, washing, etc. We filter the potable water as we fill the fresh tank. Easy, simple, no problems.

Too much thinking for some not enough for others, right?

[Gaucho]

I can’t offer any practical solutions to the problem you are trying to resolve, but maybe a few comments and rhetorical questions might help lead you in a direction you hadn’t considered or are open to reconsider.

I might wonder what negative impact a filter might have on the water pump. Would buying the water pump controller from IRVWPC mitigate any strain on the pump?

What temperature water does your family prefer? Room temp, cold, chilled?

Obviously, staying hydrated is good for one’s health, so what hydrating liquids are you most likely to want to drink so you’re not forgetting or subconsciously putting off drinking? Whatever that answer is may make you be ok buying store bought beverages and accepting the precious space they occupy.

Personally, I buy 12 packs of sparkling water. They store easily, and I rotate them through the fridge as I consume them (ie. there are always two in the fridge). Personally, I know I wouldn’t drink enough water from the sink because it’s not cold nor tasty nor fizzy. Flavored and calorie free sparkling water is what I enjoy drinking and that ultimately translates into a healthier me. So, I buy two or three twelve packs at a time and replenish as needed. They fit great on the headliner shelf.

I might suggest going a similar route of purchasing store bought water (or filling jugs or your tank from your home filter system to start a trip) and see how that works prior to descending into a rabbit hole spurred by initial enthusiasm. You may want to just work around not having a water filtration system to see how it suits you. Drill holes are forever.

I’m certainly not saying don’t pursue it, but maybe pursue it after adding the water pump controller and living off pre-filtered water in bottles for a bit. I can sense a little angst about you plowing ahead, so just enjoy your new Ascent pressure free at first. ��

[ks@yvr]

We use Rocinante solution, but by all means hook up a separate water filter under your counter. As long as you can find a path for the water line and there is enough room to mount the tap it is not a difficult do it yourself job. The counter is Corian. Corian® is drillable with standard drill bits and hole saws and is moderately difficult to break. However, you must be careful not to mar the surface when drilling. Start with a small pilot hole before using bigger bits. Let the drill do the work and of course ‘no hammer drill’.

[InterBlog]

No one solution fits everybody because no one travel scenario characterizes everybody.

As info, I have an MS degree in the geosciences, 29 years working as an environmental consultant specializing in water quality, and I’ve completed coursework for both drinking water and wastewater operator licensure in the state of Texas (I never got the licenses themselves because they are costly to maintain and I don’t need them for the work that I do - but I do need the technical knowledge that they encompass). My point is simply that I’m speaking from some degree of experience and education.

The water I drink depends entirely on the characteristics of the trip I am taking. The two end-member extremes are as follows:

(1) If I am doing short jaunts around Texas, I purge my fresh water tank within 12 hours of each trip, re-fill it, and I drink directly from that tank. Houston water is actually quite palatable without treatment, and constantly cycling the tank ensures there’s a safe chlorine residual being maintained.

(2) If I am doing a long off-grid trip, well, shoot, I’ve got an elaborate treatment protocol for that scenario, one that involves pre-filtration, disinfection (bleach), and then filtration of the pre-filtered, pre-disinfected water (photo below). I’ve been really happy with my Berkey filter - it’s a great product.

If a trip falls somewhere between those two extremes, I typically use a hybrid approach. I carry two MSR dromedary bags and I may purchase high-quality water on the road, fill the MSRs with it, and then inject it into my fresh water tank, for instance. Edit: I also carry a 10-liter Wavian can that is dedicated to drinking water, and I may use that instead of doing fresh tank injections of higher-quality water obtained on the road - it depends on my projected volume throughput needs.

There are other ways of accomplishing the same thing. I suppose I could add a countertop filtration unit, but I see that as locking me into a paradigm that would often represent either “too much” or “too little” for whatever the specific travel scenario is demanding.

I drink Gyokuro green tea for about 50% of my fluid intake - I’m a green tea junkie - so I do care about water palatability.

[PleasantonMac]

Originally Posted by Rocinante

We sanitize the fresh tank, never hook up to city water

Can you clarify this one? If not hooking up to city water, what source are you using to fill your tank?

Thanks for all the great comments, everybody!

[Davydd]

We drink from the sink and filter the water coming from a shore source hookup usually in a campground. It is silly I think but we carry gallon jugs filled initially at home with our filtered water source and on extended trips refill them with filtered water to use for coffee. It only extends our water use I think in replenishment intervals.

[Rocinante]

Originally Posted by PleasantonMac

Can you clarify this one? If not hooking up to city water, what source are you using to fill your tank?

Thanks for all the great comments, everybody!

Sure. What I meant is that while we certainly use our potable water hose and filter to fill the fresh tank from a potable source, we don't connect the van to city water while camped at a site with a potable water connection. We connect as few things as possible when we camp, even in a site with hookups, because the van is also our transportation and we want to easily pick up and go each day without a lot of drama.