By Cheri Sicard
The informative video about RV water hookups, below, comes to us from Duane, a certified RV inspector from the RV Maintenance and Care YouTube channel.
I am not sure why his title says there are five RV water hookup tips, as I counted six. Nonetheless, Duane says the tips will help ensure that your RV water connection is as good as it can be.
So what six tips does this RV inspector share?
#1 Make sure that your RV fresh water hose is a food-grade drinking water hose. Otherwise expect funky flavors! Not only that, water and garden hoses can contain materials that are hazardous to your health if ingested. As those materials can leach into the water via the hose, it’s always best to play it safe. This is the one he recommends.
#2 Make sure your drinking water hose has metal connections. Yes, you can get cheaper hoses with plastic connections, but they are cheaper for a reason. Oftentimes when connecting water we need to put pressure on and tighten the hose connections and that can result in cracks and breakage in plastic, or cause the connections to wear out. That means you’ll need a new hose or have to do some repairs. Avoid all that and get hoses with metal connections.
#3 Make sure your drinking water hoses are 5/8-inch in diameter. If you are not careful, you could easily end up with a 1/2-inch hose. That might not sound like a big difference, but Duane says it can have a major impact on the flow rate of your RV’s water.
#4 Make sure you have a water pressure regulator. Duane says this accessory is absolutely essential to protect your rig’s plumbing. Duane recommends not just a dial but a gauge that tells you the PSI. Watch the video for Duane’s tips on determining the optimal PSI for your rig.
#5 Get a 90-degree elbow for your water connection. Why? The water connection on most RVs is vertical, while your hose comes in horizontally. This creates a lot of pressure on the hose, which will cause it to weaken over time. The 90-degree elbow connection alleviates the issue but works with gravity instead of against it. This accessory also comes in handy with other oddly placed water connections, such as those that are close to the ground.
#6 Properly handle the water connection in cold weather. If the weather is going to drop below freezing and stay there for a few hours, Duane says you should disconnect the water supply and instead use the water in your fresh water tank. Disconnect, don’t risk damage. Be sure to remove your water filters, too.
##RVDT2182
Thank you for this invaluable info on water hookups. I’ve been experiencing for several weeks low pressure.to where I can’t take a shower. I’ve been running outside to adjust both the pressure regulator and hose connection which would work but not until the next morning or two! I now can narrow it down, again thanks to your article and Dwayne. Not only will I be replacing my 1/2 to 5/8 hose, it’s going to be a Camco. They are one of the best in RV manufacturing supplies.
Next I’m going to use the elbow that’s been my storage for years. My water spigot height outside is very low.
You’ve saved me from such an inconvenience and money (no in the shop cost).
Also, if you use a Y connector, shut off valve, or quick connector make sure it has a large orifice. Most have a 3/8″ orifice and will severely restrict water flow.
Gave up on the typical ‘white’ potable water hose. We use our TT in the cooler seasons and got tired of a stiff hose that is reluctant to uncoil or worse coil for storage.Now use this one.
A lot of reviews show this one splitting, falling apart, and busting
I prefer the white water hoses just for the coiling aspect of them, but another great article, thanks Cheri !!
The best hose he recommends is sitting in a box somewhere as it is a royal pain to coil after using! I bought the 25’ and 10’ size on recommendations such as this. Very disappointed in its performance. Back to the old white hose!
Thank you, Cheri! We had a brass elbow and the recommended water house with RV #1. Once we traded (7/2022), they became unnecessary because RV #2 has an attached water hose on a reel. We do use a pressure regulator and an in-line water filter between the attached hose and the faucet. We also simply add water to the fresh water tank, stow the hose and attachments, and run on the pump in near-freezing weather. This makes for faster departures with no hose to disconnect, drain, and stow. Similarly, I only connect the stinky slinky to dump and store it after finishing to avoid a poop-sicle in cold weather, and to lessen rodent access in all weather.
Always, always, always….turn on the water and run a little on the ground to flush out spiders that crawl up into the faucet. Also, early in the season, you want to flush out the water and rust that have set there all winter.
Excellent suggestions Bill.
the fluid fill pressure guage and also freeze rendering it useless.
After having owned the Camco RV hose and fighting it for years, I found a better one. The Camco and most other drinking water safe hoses are a real pain to try and roll up and store once you’re breaking camp, especially in cold weather. I found that the heavy duty, drinking water safe, Flexzilla Garden Hose is easy to roll up even in freezing weather.
Good to know, thanks for sharing Luke.
I use the metal quick connector on all my water hoses. Makes connections a snap. I also installed a 90 degree quick connector on the RV water intake. Takes the strain off the connection point. Additional tip, carry a spare water hose. Never know when you might need it, but “Be Prepared. “
Is your quick connection inside diameter the same as the inside diameter of your hose? If not you are cheating yourself of a good shower instead of mediocre shower. Most quick connects I’ve seen reduce the inside diameter down to less than 1/2” or about 7/16”, that’s a huge reduction in water flow.