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Old 05-15-2018, 06:41 AM   #1
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Default Do you ever connect fresh water inlet hose on your Roadtrek at RV parks or sites

OK, on a recent trip... I noticed that all of these larger RV's were hooked up to the fresh water at the campground, but, they didn't use a water regulator...

SO, I asked them why and they said their unit had a built in water regulator for their rig..

Does anyone know if you can get one installed on the Class B.. I can't find any information on whether my 2012 RS has one built on, SO, I assume it does not.

Maybe it's just easier to attach the regulator to the hose at the campsite, but, it's just another thing to carry and of course someone could always rip it off...

So far, we've just been using the gravity feed through the door panel slot , works just fine and we're pretty mobile anyway... one less connection... besides electric when we can find that ...

Finally, would you set the pressure for... 15 pounds or less...

Any input would be great...
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Old 05-15-2018, 11:40 AM   #2
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Advanced RV installs a water regulator internally on the city fill. You can also gravity fill at the B pillar when you open the passenger cab door. The 40 gallon fresh tank fits under the sliding door area.

The water regulator is just an inexpensive brass extension you can put on your external hose you can buy at any camping store. If you get ripped off you would most likely lose hose and all. You only need to attach your hose at the city water fill only if you have full hookups including sewer then you can take 10 minute showers.
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Old 05-15-2018, 11:47 AM   #3
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Most of us us a hose mounted regulator, I think. Ours is similar to this one, but there are lots of variations of them.


https://www.amazon.com/Danco-88331E-...sure+regulator
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Old 05-15-2018, 06:29 PM   #4
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Default Absolutely correct....

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Advanced RV installs a water regulator internally on the city fill. You can also gravity fill at the B pillar when you open the passenger cab door. The 40 gallon fresh tank fits under the sliding door area.

The water regulator is just an inexpensive brass extension you can put on your external hose you can buy at any camping store. If you get ripped off you would most likely lose hose and all. You only need to attach your hose at the city water fill only if you have full hookups including sewer then you can take 10 minute showers.

YES, you're correct.... why attach the hose or regulator at all... on second thought. I'm inclined to skip it.
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Old 05-15-2018, 06:48 PM   #5
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YES, you're correct.... why attach the hose or regulator at all... on second thought. I'm inclined to skip it.

We don't normally hook up if there is water unless it has been a while since we flushed the waste tanks well and the site also has sewer. Hooked up to shore water it is really easy to fill and dump them several times to get a decent cleaning. Much, much, easier than bucketing in water at the dump station while holding up everyone else.
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Old 05-15-2018, 10:15 PM   #6
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I think you will find that most RV regulators are set for 40 psi. If that is not correct, I am sure someone will pipe up.

Actually, I am not going to stay any one place hooked up long in a B because (no pun intended) the whole purpose of the camper van is mobility. I just as soon pump from the tanks and use the campground water system to fill the tanks a time or two. Just my personal preference. We only hook up the electricity for the microwave or AC. Otherwise, preference is for total mobility and independence from connections and dependency.

Paul
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Old 05-15-2018, 10:23 PM   #7
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Default Mobility is the key to a Class B

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I think you will find that most RV regulators are set for 40 psi. If that is not correct, I am sure someone will pipe up.

Actually, I am not going to stay any one place hooked up long in a B because (no pun intended) the whole purpose of the camper van is mobility. I just as soon pump from the tanks and use the campground water system to fill the tanks a time or two. Just my personal preference. We only hook up the electricity for the microwave or AC. Otherwise, preference is for total mobility and independence from connections and dependency.

Paul
Paul, completely agree with you...

We hook up for electric... I just started thinking about this because of the shower water issue... but, with only a 21 gallons of gray water tank... unless you do all the hook-ups what's the point... plus, with the acordian hose that just pulls out of the RS Adventurous...it's so easy to dump...the hose is permanently attached...not like the many rigs I've seen that have to use a bayonet mount....

You're right.. us Class B's have a very light footprint....can be off pretty fast..
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Old 05-15-2018, 11:05 PM   #8
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It is strange. When we built our current home we had a fifty gallon hot water tank plumbed to service only the master bath. That way, we can literally stand in the shower and run fifty gallons of hot water. That is a real shower! However, when traveling in our B, it bothers us not at all to take a marine shower.

After all these years and four Bs we still see this as an adventure. If we wanted every convenience imaginable we would travel by alternative means or just stay home. Everyone has their own style, but mobility and tranquility in some incredible natural setting is pretty well heaven on earth to us and a marine shower is a small price to pay IMO.

Paul
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Old 05-16-2018, 10:00 AM   #9
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We have a Travato and connect to water more times than not. We do have a pressure regulator connected to our hose. This is our 3rd motorhome and second B. I've never liked using the water pump but that is personal.
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Old 05-16-2018, 04:03 PM   #10
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Default What's wrong with the "water pump"?

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We have a Travato and connect to water more times than not. We do have a pressure regulator connected to our hose. This is our 3rd motorhome and second B. I've never liked using the water pump but that is personal.
You mentioned you never liked using the water pump??
Please explain...

3rd Class B?? You must like them...I like ours...
Yes, they're smaller and have some limitations especially the small bathroom and narrow aisle... BUT, I love the handling and the way it drives.. plus the fuel efficiency...

We take ours everywhere.... and because of the fuel efficiency...we can and do see more...

That's a big plus ....

What unit do you have currently?? And what did you have before that...?
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Old 05-16-2018, 04:25 PM   #11
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I connected our city water port once just to see if it works. It does. I have never seen the point in doing it since.
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Old 05-16-2018, 05:36 PM   #12
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You used a pressure regulator ??
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Old 05-16-2018, 06:44 PM   #13
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You used a pressure regulator ??
No.
Has anyone ever actually seen dangerously-high pressures at a campground. I trust my Pex-based plumbing for anything reasonable.
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Old 05-17-2018, 03:03 PM   #14
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Default go with gravity

Pex isn't perfect; neither are installers, and stuff wears out. So even with a pressure regulator your pipes and fittings can fail. Sometimes it happens dramatically and without warning. That's why it's always a best practice to turn off your water source (your pump or city water valve) whenever you leave your van for more than a little while. But if you're like me you forget things like that from time to time.

With the gravity fill approach, your worst case leak scenario is limited to the amount of water in your tanks. On the other hand, if a pipe or fitting fails while you're tapped into city water, the worst case scenario is like laying a garden hose in your van and letting her rip. What if you're away for five or six hours when that happens? Depending on the water pressure and the build quality of your van (how air-tight it is) you could return to find several inches of standing water from bumper to bumper.

Using your gravity fill instead of city water is a little more trouble, but it's guaranteed to limit the potential damage if there is a serious and sudden leak. It could mean the difference between (hopefully) minor repairs, or a total loss.
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Old 05-17-2018, 03:22 PM   #15
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Pex isn't perfect; neither are installers, and stuff wears out. So even with a pressure regulator your pipes and fittings can fail. Sometimes it happens dramatically and without warning. That's why it's always a best practice to turn off your water source (your pump or city water valve) whenever you leave your van for more than a little while. But if you're like me you forget things like that from time to time.

With the gravity fill approach, your worst case leak scenario is limited to the amount of water in your tanks. On the other hand, if a pipe or fitting fails while you're tapped into city water, the worst case scenario is like laying a garden hose in your van and letting her rip. What if you're away for five or six hours when that happens? Depending on the water pressure and the build quality of your van (how air-tight it is) you could return to find several inches of standing water from bumper to bumper.

Using your gravity fill instead of city water is a little more trouble, but it's guaranteed to limit the potential damage if there is a serious and sudden leak. It could mean the difference between (hopefully) minor repairs, or a total loss.
I agree with all that (except for the part about Pex not being perfect--I have NEVER heard of a failure of Pex per se. Installers, I agree with you).

But what does any of that have to do with pressure regulators?
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Old 05-17-2018, 03:37 PM   #16
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But what does any of that have to do with pressure regulators?
I mentioned pressure regulators because they've been mentioned in a few other posts in this thread, and some people think plumbing system failures are limited to situations where the water pressure is too high.
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Old 05-17-2018, 07:13 PM   #17
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Default pressure valve

We almost always hook up the water to the city fill valve on our 59K Travato. Saves wear and tear on the water pump. Keeps fresh tank full for "boon-docking". Usually connect hose to CG outlet and then the water filter, pressure relief valve (40psi) and brass "L" connector to "city fill" outlet.
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Old 05-18-2018, 01:12 AM   #18
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No.
Has anyone ever actually seen dangerously-high pressures at a campground. I trust my Pex-based plumbing for anything reasonable.
I was just recently at a campground with tag warnings that there was extremely high water pressure and asked you to use a pressure regulator. I bet they had a few unhappy campers to have posted that.
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Old 05-18-2018, 01:21 AM   #19
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I was just recently at a campground with tag warnings that there was extremely high water pressure and asked you to use a pressure regulator. I bet they had a few unhappy campers to have posted that.
Were they selling them at the camp store?
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Old 05-18-2018, 01:25 AM   #20
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Were they selling them at the camp store?
They didn’t have store.
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