# Fresh Water Tank - Water Filtration



## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

As it is now Winter and we're not camping (insert sad face) I have been researching other things to add to our Blog.

One thing I've never paid much attention to was our water filtration....until now.

We didn't think about the quality of our water while camping because we installed what most RV campers do.... a Camco water filter. However, during a recent RV Rally we attended in Oregon, I noticed a lot of folks were using a double filtration system, that was sitting outside of their RV. Knowing those folks were smarter than I am, I made a mental note to look into that.

As I looked into it, I discovered the Camco filters we've been using (1 per season) wasn't doing the job as much as we thought. Our sense of security with our water was washed away!! Sure, sediments over 100-microns were being filtered out with the Camco filter....but it wasn't removing the harmful contaminants such as Silt, Bacteria and Giardia. We discovered through our research that ClearSource is good solution to actually removes harmful contaminants from the water going into our RV.

So, if you have a few minutes and want read the Blog about this...click here. If you just want to relax and watch the video...click here.

Note...this is not a low cost solution upfront. The initial purchase, which includes 2 filters is $275. Then after 2,000 gallons, you can purchase a 2-pack of filters for $30.


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## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

Good job. Just keep wearing that OSU Beavers jacket on all your videos.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

thefulminator said:


> Good job. Just keep wearing that OSU Beavers jacket on all your videos.


You know it.....Go Beavs!!!


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## Bill & Kate (Apr 28, 2012)

That is an excellent system. We went a little lower key. We use the Camco inline filter on the intake to the trailer to guard against sand and dirt getting into the trailer, then installed a 3M Filterite under counter filter on the kitchen sink because that is really the only place we use drinking or cooking water. It seems to do a good job removing chlorine and other "off" tastes, and has similar specifications as the whole trailer unit. The way we use the trailer, we normally have city water, so the cartridge lasts a long time. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DVW0PI?tag=price1198909-20&ascsubtag=276859674&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Bill & Kate said:


> That is an excellent system. We went a little lower key. We use the Camco inline filter on the intake to the trailer to guard against sand and dirt getting into the trailer, then installed a 3M Filterite under counter filter on the kitchen sink because that is really the only place we use drinking or cooking water. It seems to do a good job removing chlorine and other "off" tastes, and has similar specifications as the whole trailer unit. The way we use the trailer, we normally have city water, so the cartridge lasts a long time. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DVW0PI?tag=price1198909-20&ascsubtag=276859674&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER


That looks like a good solution, for good water in the kitchen. I am just so embarrassed that I "thought" I was doing the right thing by just using the Camco filter. Once you really look into it...those Camco in-line filters are not doing much.

Live and learn...


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## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

Which Camco filter were you using? There are several different grades.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

thefulminator said:


> Which Camco filter were you using? There are several different grades.


The Camco 40043 from Amazon. ~$29 (updated....post originally had the model number is 40013)


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## Bill & Kate (Apr 28, 2012)

Oregon_Camper said:


> thefulminator said:
> 
> 
> > Which Camco filter were you using? There are several different grades.
> ...


That's the same one we use also ..... supposedly has some charcoal in it, but mostly a particulate filter (20 micron)


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## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

Just was curious which one it was on this chart. Your link goes to 40043 not 40013. I am assuming that was a typo in your post.


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

thefulminator said:


> Just was curious which one it was on this chart. Your link goes to 40043 not 40013. I am assuming that was a typo in your post.


Yes...thanks. I meant 40043. I'll update the post now.


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## Cvin (Aug 20, 2016)

one thing to keep in mind on the water filter thing- that i found out the hard way- is that if you boondock a lot or often fill your fresh water these big dual filters take a lot of time and pressure to fill a tank

mine is 45 gallons and it can take an hour, i confirmed this with the company that this is normal

i bought a system after the pump failed- which was probably just a weak pump- but thought maybe all the different places i was filling up were an issue and thought it would be good to filter, did the research and knew the dual systems are the only ones that get most everything

bought this thing and find out it takes forever to fill the tank, for me it was a waste of money and weight/space in the trailer

when there is time i use it sometimes but because i travel and boondock a lot it was not a good set up for me


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Cvin said:


> one thing to keep in mind on the water filter thing- that i found out the hard way- is that if you boondock a lot or often fill your fresh water these big dual filters take a lot of time and pressure to fill a tank
> 
> mine is 45 gallons and it can take an hour, i confirmed this with the company that this is normal
> 
> ...


Which filtration system were you using?

Which pump did you use (while dry camping) to fill your water tank?

Our 12v Wayne PC2 water pump (click here to see on Amazon) will pump just over 5 gallons a minute. So for us, adding the 21 gallons of additional water while camping takes under 5 mins. BTW...we use 3 of those green 7 gallon portable water tanks.


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## Cvin (Aug 20, 2016)

i am using a dual system from rv water filter store

should clarify i am not pumping water into my tank from somewhere else, i mean when i fill up at friends, clients, the truck stop whatever

on my filter system i would say it doubles the time to do it, maybe more if the pressure is not high


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Cvin said:


> i am using a dual system from rv water filter store
> 
> should clarify i am not pumping water into my tank from somewhere else, i mean when i fill up at friends, clients, the truck stop whatever
> 
> on my filter system i would say it doubles the time to do it, maybe more if the pressure is not high


That is strange. As you can see in my video at the 9:54 mark, we start the flow test on the ClearSource. It took 1:05 to flil the 5 gallon bucket.

Have you ever tested yours this way, in order to see the actual water flow (vs just PSI)???


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## Cvin (Aug 20, 2016)

hmm, no i havent tested it

but wrote the company and they said it can take a good while depending on water pressure etc....

they did confirm it will slow it down a good bit

i just dont use it when in a hurry

been sitting here a good 15 min using the filter- not sure how much was in it but just hit halfway on the monitor inside...

it takes a few minutes to fill it without the filter, but definitely double or more with it

for me moving a lot and filling the tank a lot it was just not worth it

this summer it may be in a park for a few months and i will use it then


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## Bill & Kate (Apr 28, 2012)

Cvin said:


> hmm, no i havent tested it
> 
> but wrote the company and they said it can take a good while depending on water pressure etc....
> 
> ...


If you could find room somewhere to install it after the water pump instead of using it outside, then it would not need to handle such a high flow rate. It doesn't really matter if the water in the tank has been filtered - you could just filter it as you use it out of the tank. If you were hooked up to city water at a campground, it would still go through the filter.


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## Cvin (Aug 20, 2016)

i did not mean to hijack this thread, just wanted to point out to others who may move their rv a lot and fill the fresh water tank 2-3 times a week that this is doubles the amount of time needed to do it

plus the space and weight of the unit

if you are at a truck stop etc and others are waiting behind you it takes too long

i wanted to make sure there was no sediment in the water lines, tank, hot water heater etc but the trade off for me is not worth it

as slow as the water comes out of the hose on full blast i cannot imagine having any water pressure if the pump in the trailer had to move the water through the filter

as i said sure this works fine if you are hooked up to decent pressure and i will use it this summer if it is in a park but for my needs i would not do this again


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