Before you take off on a great adventure you’ll most likely want to hook water up to your RV. Below I share how to fill your tanks, tools you’ll need along with prices, where to find water on your journey incase you don’t have hook ups and lastly, how to drain your tank once you’re done.
Keep reading for tips, tricks, safety, tools and prices…
Tip: Turn on your water pump and run your hot water faucet when your tank is partially filled to remove any air from the system. Then top off your fresh water holding tank. This way you can squeeze more water into your tank if you feel the need.
RV hookups are simply a location at a campground where you can hook your RV up to a water source, power outlet or sewer. If all three are available it’s called “full hookups”. Only one or two are offered, it’s referred to as “partial hookups”. Not hooking up to anything is called “dry camping” whether you are in a developed campground or out in the wilderness. “Boondocking” is dry camping done off the grid.
If you are at a campsite with a water hookup or even parked at home, you’ll want to hook the hose up to the city water connection. This bypasses your fresh water holding tank allowing you to use fresh water without fear of emptying your tank. If you happen to be hooked up to a sewer too, you can take a shower as if you were at home since you don’t need to worry about the waste water tanks filling up.
Because city water is pressurized it also poses a potential risk when plugging it in directly to your RV. Don’t blow out your plumbing or spring a leak! A super simple, inexpensive inline water regulator attaches right to your hose. (see below)
If you’re planning a stop somewhere without a reliable water source you will simply need to fill your fresh water tank with drinkable (potable) water first. The fresh water connection on your RV feeds into your camper’s fresh water holding tank. Remember that filling this tank adds weight to your RV so fill it up closest to your destination. Too much weight can use more gas and strain your vehicle. Traveling with a partial tank is always nice for pits stops along your route.
Only fill CLEAN tanks. If you are pulling a camper from storage, renting/borrowing one from a questionable source or even want to rinse a brand new tank, read this article for the quickest, easiest way to sanitize your fresh water tank. Should take less than 20 minutes. (Instructions are included for cleaning black and grey tanks too.)
ALWAYS be sure your hot water heater is full before turning it on to prevent damaging your heater. Safety first Mama!
As all the water in your camper needs to be drinking water safe, there are a few items that are a must. Even if you don’t plan on drinking it, you will be washing dishes and yourself in it.
A few things that are nice to have include:
Fresh water hose | $8-30 |
Pressure regulator | $8 |
Water filter | $15-20 |
Elbow connecter | $5 |
2-way splitter | $15-20 |
Be sure the water you use to fill your tank is drinkable (potable) water. Thankfully, at most locations this is clearly marked. I mention dump stations below too because if you are out of water chances are your waste tanks are filling up.
You did it! You are successfully full of water and ready to travel… unless you need to hook propane too, I’ve got you covered in this post here.
Are you prepping your RV to hit the road? Has your camper been stored for a while? Here is my quick check list of 10 things I like to check before starting the travel season. Believe me, you’ll be glad you read it.
Happy travels mama! Share pics of your glorious travels @mamas.little.camper on Instagram.