Category: RV Camping

An RV Solar System – Who Needs It?

In this article we are going to discuss the use of an RV solar system.

How do they work anyway? How much will it cost you? Can you install it yourself? What are the pros and cons of using solar power?

Also, when is solar power needed? And should all RVers have a solar system installed in their RV?

Watch my video about RV solar systems

Let’s get started and try to answer those questions now!

Disclosure: Please note this post may contain affiliate links. This means โ€“ at no additional cost to you โ€“ I earn a commission if you make a purchase using our affiliate links. I only link to products and companies I use and feel comfortable recommending. The income goes toward supporting the free content on this website

Table of Contents

How Does An RV Solar System Work?

Put simply, an RV solar system gathers sunlight and converts it into energy that is then stored in your battery bank.

It is important to understand that solar panels usually do not run any appliance or item on their own. Instead, they create DC electricity that can be used to power whatever appliance or item is needed.

So a group of solar panels needs a bank of batteries to store the electricity that they create.

Also, there is another piece of equipment needed between the solar panels and your batteries. It’s called a solar charge controller.

This is necessary to avoid overcharging your batteries and damaging them.

When the battery is at full capacity the solar charge controller limits the incoming electricity from the solar panels. It then maintains just enough charge to keep the batteries in their fully charged state.

What Are The System Components You Will Need?

There are 5 components of a proper RV solar system that you will probably need, and they are:

  1. Solar panels
  2. Solar Charge Controller
  3. A battery bank
  4. An inverter
  5. Heavy gauge wiring and fuses
A typical 200 watt RV solar system setup
A sample 200 watt solar panel setup

As you can see, there are several components of a solar system. And added together, the cost is not cheap either.

Also, the real work involved is in actually installing the system into your RV. And unless you are very familiar with solar power systems, you really should have a professional do it for you.

If this equipment is installed incorrectly, there could be serious safety hazards at play. But on the other hand, having that professional installation really increases the cost of the system.

So a small solar system for an RV can only be a couple thousand dollars in cost. But if you go for a high end system you may be looking at $10,000 – $15,000 or more, including installation.

Most RV solar systems you see in use today will fall somewhere in the middle for cost. That is, about $4000 – $6000 including installation.

Let’s discuss each one of the solar system components now, starting with the solar panels.

Click here for a 200 watt small solar system

This link is for a 400 watt medium size solar system

Click here for a 600 watt larger solar system

(These are affiliate links for the product on Amazon. It does not cost you any extra to buy the product using my affiliate link if you choose to do so)

How Many Solar Panels Will You Need?

This is the question that most people want to know right away. And no wonder, because the roof space on an RV can limit the number of panels you can install.

Most solar panels you will see for sale come in 100 watt units per panel. So how many of those panels will be needed to accomplish your power needs?

Well generally speaking, 100 – 200 watts of solar panels are enough to recharge your batteries after a night’s usage. Especially if you only use enough 12-volt battery power to charge up your devices, and run some lights.

But if you want to watch several hours of TV, use your microwave and other high wattage appliances, you need more. Many RVers that have 400 – 600 watts of solar panels can run almost anything other than their AC units.

Solar Charge Controllers

As mentioned before, you will need to have a solar charge controller between the solar panels and your batteries. This will make sure that the batteries are protected and kept at a high level of charge.

There are two kinds of solar charge controllers in use today, PWM and MPPT. Essentially the PWM unit is a switch between the solar panels and batteries.

The MPPT unit is more sophisticated and is able to maximize the transfer of power from the panels to the batteries.

To put it in lay terms, the PWM does the job. But the MPPT does the job better and will give you as much power as you can get from your solar panels.

Of course, the PWM controller is cheaper than the MPPT controller. Either one will do the job fine. But the MPPT will probably pay for itself over time with the extra power it produces.

Your RV Solar System Battery Bank

The subject of batteries and which ones to use for an RV solar system is complicated and lengthy. So for this article let’s focus on how many watt hours will need to be stored in the battery bank.

Generally speaking you will need about 100 amp hours of “usable power” to run most small 12 volt items in the RV daily. This includes lights, fans, charging small devices and maybe even a couple hours of 12-volt TV.

But you need more power if you want to run 120 volt appliances like a microwave, hair dryer, coffee maker, etc. Probably about 200 – 250 usable amp hours of power will be needed in that case.

What is meant by the term “usable power”? Well, if your battery bank is made up of lead acid batteries, you can only use 50% of their amp hour limit.

This is because if you drain those batteries any lower than that consistently, you will damage the batteries. So if the battery capacity is 100 amp hours, but you only use 50%, you only have 50 usable amp hours of power.

How Many Batteries Will You Need?

Many RVers use 2 6-volt golf cart batteries wired together in series to make the 12 volts needed for an RV system. These kind of batteries are popular because they last a long time and can take a lot of repetitive charging and discharging cycles.

A golf cart battery is often rated for 200+ amp hours and these remain constant for both batteries used together this way. This is because when batteries are wired in series, the voltage is doubled, but the amp hours remain the same.

In this arrangement, the “usable amp hours” is about 100, not the full amp hour limit of the batteries. Remember, this 50% discharge rate is to make sure that your batteries last a long time without damage.

Some RVers have an RV solar system that only has to produce about 100 amp hours per day for their power needs. And in that case, the 2 golf cart batteries wired in series will work fine.

But if you want to run more power intensive items in the RV, you will probably need at least 4 of those batteries. This will allow you to store around 200 amp hours of power daily.

Of course, you have to have more solar panels to adequately fill a larger battery bank too. So more amp hours requires more batteries, which also requires more solar panels to fill them.

Much more can be said on this subject, but that is for another article.

Click here for a 4 battery bank set usable for solar power

(These are affiliate links for the product on Amazon. It does not cost you any extra to buy the product using my affiliate link if you choose to do so)

What Is The Inverter Used For?

This is a part of the solar system that most people aren’t too clear about. So what does an inverter do anyway?

To answer that, let’s see what our solar system is capable of doing so far. We have a group of solar panels feeding electricity into a bank of batteries that produces 12 volt electricity.

These 12 volts can be used for any item or appliance that runs on 12 volts. But what about all of the appliances and devices that need to run on 120 volts instead?

They are easily recognizable by the power cord plug that goes into a residential home type of wall socket. So, can you even run those appliances and devices from batteries?

The answer is yes. But only if you use an inverter. It effectively steps up the voltage coming from the batteries from 12 volts to 120 volts as needed

What Kind Of Inverter Is Needed?

So if you plug in a blender to the wall socket in your RV, it can run just fine. But only if you have the right size inverter to manage the electrical load needed.

Inverters come in two main varieties, True Sine Wave and Modified Sine Wave. And they can come in several sizes.

A Xantrex 2000 watt inverter
A Xantrex 2000 watt inverter installed

The details of which inverter best meets your needs is just too lengthy a discussion for this article. So here is a little information that can help you learn more about real world usage of inverters in an RV.

Suffice it to say that if you want to run 120 volt devices in your RV, you will need the right size and kind of inverter to do the job.

Click here for a Xantrex 2000 watt inverter

Click here for a Xantrex 3000 watt inverter

(These are affiliate links for the product on Amazon. It does not cost you any extra to buy the product using my affiliate link if you choose to do so)

Wiring For An RV Solar System

The final ingredient in an RV solar system is heavy gauge wiring and fuses.

This is where a lot of mistakes are made by DIYers. They get all the correct pieces of equipment, but join them together with insufficient wiring.

This is a safety issue. So make sure that the wiring is appropriate for whatever size solar system you choose for your RV.

To help with those calculations, here is some information about proper wire sizing and fuses for use in RV solar systems.

The Pros Of RV Solar Systems

So here are the pros of installing an RV solar system in your RV:

  • Quiet – solar systems make no noise at all. Even inverter generators make some noise.
  • A solar system allows you to take your RV off-road and still have modern conveniences with you. This is because you can produce the power for those devices without being hooked up to a power grid. You are your own power grid!
  • There is very little to go wrong with a solar system. And almost no maintenance either.
  • Solar power is good for the environment. It is clean energy that produces no waste or pollution.

The Cons Of An RV Solar Power System.

Of course, as with anything, there are cons to be considered too. And here they are:

  • The cost – An RV solar system is not cheap, especially one big enough to handle most of your daily power needs. The main ingredient that increases the cost is professional installation. But unless you really know what you are doing, it is really necessary in most cases.
  • Solar power loses effectiveness on cloudy days. In some cases the power output from your solar panels may drop by 75% on cloudy and rainy days.
  • Solar can’t be expected to run air conditioning units on RVs in most cases. Of course, very high end large solar systems can run ACs for a while. But not continuously for more than just a few hours at a time.
  • If your solar power system is permanently mounted on your RV, it will go with the RV when you sell it. It just doesn’t make sense to install a large solar power system on your RV if you plan to sell it soon. It will not be cost effective to do so. The cost of solar power can only be recovered over a long period of time.

Who Needs A Solar Power System?

Solar power only becomes really useful if you plan to camp off-grid a lot.

Camping while unplugged from shore power is often called boondocking. And if this is the style of camping that you prefer, solar power makes a lot of sense for you.

You can literally take your RV almost anywhere and produce power while the sun shines. There is a lot of freedom in that kind of capability!

On the other hand, if you like to spend most of your time in campgrounds, solar power may not be the best choice.

Campground camping usually means being plugged in to a source of AC power. And that kind of power can run everything in your RV, including air conditioning units, quietly.

So why go to the expense of adding solar power unless you really plan on using it?

Conclusion

An RV solar system really shines when it is used for boondocking and off-grid camping. And it even becomes cost effective if you keep your solar-powered RV for a long time.

But clearly, it is very expensive. And it’s not very cost effective if you mostly stay in campgrounds and trade RVs regularly.

So decide whether solar power is something you really need. It’s simply not for everyone!

Have safe and happy travels my friends!

Your RV Internet Connection Made Simple And Easy

Having a fast, reliable RV internet connection is a must for modern RVers. It’s not really a luxury any more. It’s a necessity!

But when you wander into the field of electronics and gadgets, it’s easy to get lost and bewildered. And lots of money can be spent in the pursuit of fast RV internet!

However, having a fast and reliable internet connection almost anywhere you go doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, it can be surprisingly simple and easy!

Disclosure: Please note this post may contain affiliate links. This means โ€“ at no additional cost to you โ€“ I earn a commission if you make a purchase using our affiliate links. I only link to products and companies I use and feel comfortable recommending. The income goes toward supporting the free content on this website.

UPDATE: This article has been updated as of 05/2021. This update is necessary because the field of mobile internet access is always changing.

What About Campground Wifi?

In a perfect world, we could count on all RV campgrounds to provide us with fast internet service. But it’s not a perfect RVing world and campground wifi service is often extremely slow.

In all fairness though, campgrounds are not always to blame for poor wifi reception either.

The truth is that building a wifi system that will allow all of their campers to access the internet at fast speeds is very expensive.

One of the main reasons for this is that a lot of RVers also want to stream online content regularly. Especially from services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon or others.

Unfortunately, streaming videos is resource intensive when you have a lot of people doing it at once. So it’s not uncommon to see campground wifi systems slow to a crawl, especially at times of high usage.

So relying on a fast and consistent RV internet connection through campground wifi is not a good long-term strategy. It can be helpful at times, but it shouldn’t be your main internet source.

My Simple And Easy RV Internet Connection

After doing a lot of online research into this subject one thing became clear. And it is that if you are traveling a lot in your RV, you need to take responsibility for your online connectivity yourself.

If you are always relying on an internet connection provided in some way by others, you are going to be frequently disappointed.

Of course, there are lots of public wifi access points available these days. But you have to hunt them down and they are not always very good. And you also could face online security issues when you don’t know who else is on the system with you.

And the farther you go out into nature, as many of us like to do, the fewer choices you are going to have.

So I developed an internet connectivity setup that has proven to be simple, easy to implement, reliable, and relatively inexpensive. It has worked well for us and I would like to share it with you now.

There are three main components to this system and they are – (1) a dedicated cellular hotspot, (2) a reliable cellular data plan, (3) and a MIMO antenna. Let me explain how each of these components work together for us.

1 – A dedicated cellular hotspot

So what is a hotspot anyhow? Really, it’s just a device that allows other electronic devices like cell phones, tablets, computers and TVs to connect to the internet.

The hotspot sets up a local wifi in your RV and all of your devices can use that signal to get internet reception. In fact, the hotspot we use allows up to 20 devices to have internet access simultaneously.

Of course, some RVers have a cell service plan that allows them to use their cell phone for this purpose. So when the phone connects to the internet through the cell tower, it can share that connection with other devices.

One problem with this approach is that using your phone this way eats up a lot of battery power. And on some phones, if you receive and make a phone call, your RV internet connection can be lost altogether.

And what if you want to have a private phone conversation? The internet connection for your other devices may suffer severely if you go out of earshot.

Also, cell service plans often put restrictions on hotspot usage by your phone. And even if they don’t, the data on your phone plan tends to be very limited and expensive.

Our Choice Of Hotspot For Internet Access

So, in view of all of this, I decided to use a dedicated cellular hotspot that does only one thing and does it well. And that is that it shares an online internet connection with all of my electronic devices.

My choice for a high quality, affordable cellular hotspot is the Netgear Nighthawk MR1100. It features plenty of the latest in hotspot technology and yet is very affordable these days.

We have two of these hotspots. One is dedicated to the AT&T network and the other uses T-Mobile’s cell towers. And we have been very pleased with the results of using these Nighthawk hotspots.

We just switch them out as needed when we determine which carrier has the best reception where we are camping.

Click here to see the Netgear Nighthawk MR1100 hotspot that we use

(This is an affiliate link for the product on Amazon. It does not cost you any extra to buy the product using my affiliate link if you choose to do so)

2 – A Reliable Cellular Data Plan

There are so many choices when it comes to your cell service carrier that it’s downright paralyzing. Added to that is the fact that the main carriers are changing their service plans all the time.

And they also like to add restrictions in the fine print in each new plan offering too. So it’s a good idea to scrutinize your cell plan very carefully to be sure of what you are getting for internet connectivity.

For RV travel, the three big carriers that are most often used is Verizion, T-Mobile and AT&T. The reason for this is simple. These three carriers have the most cell coverage in the US.

But they all tend to charge high rates for data usage on their regular phone plans. So if you use your phone as your internet source, you will probably be limited on how much data you can consume in a month.

However, as of this writing, both T-Mobile and AT&T have started to add some pretty affordable data-only plans. And they can easily be used along with a dedicated hotspot or router in your RV, like the Nighthawk.

In fact, we currently are using a data-only plan from T-Mobile. It offers 100GB of data per month for only $50. But AT&T has just started to offer a similar plan as well.

For more information on these data plans just visit an AT&T or T-Mobile store.

Another Choice For Cellular Data Plans

The really good news is that you are not just limited to cellular data plans from the big 3 carriers though. In fact, you can still get unlimited data usage plans that have very little restrictions from cellular plan resellers.

These resellers are able to sell data plans based on either the Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile tower network. But you aren’t actually dealing with the 3 main carriers yourself when you buy these plans.

And that can be the challenge in working with these resellers. They are essentially at the mercy of the big carriers.

So if the carrier decides to change or eliminate the plan you have from the reseller, there may be little advance warning. We have experienced that a few times ourselves.

In fact, during the Covid pandemic, there has been more volatility in the reseller data plans than ever before. This is because of the increased use of mobile devices by folks working from home putting additional pressure on the carrier networks.

But the reseller plans tend to be month-by-month arrangements anyway, and there are plenty of plans being offered. So if you lose a plan for some reason, it’s not hard to find another one to replace it quickly.

We are currently using an unlimited data plan from a reseller named OliveIP. We have been very happy with their service so far and feel that we can recommend them to others.

Click here to find out more about AT&T and T-Mobile
data plans from Olive IP

3 – A MIMO antenna

If you have close proximity to local cell towers, all you need for good data reception is a MIMO antenna.

MIMO stands for “Multiple In, Multiple Out”. And if you have a hotspot that can make use of MIMO technology, you have a big advantage.

That’s because MIMO essentially means that your hotspot now has more than one ear that is listening for data reception. And the more ears listening for cell signals, the faster and more reliable your data connection can be.

Our Netgear Nighthawk MR1100 has MIMO capability, so it allows us to get the best reception possible from local cell towers.

And the good news is that you don’t really have to have an expensive MIMO antenna to get good reception results. Especially if you are in urban areas.

In fact, our MIMO antenna is so small that it just attaches to our RV window with suction cups. But it definitely helps boost the reception of our hotspot when in use.

It has been all we really need to get great data transmission speeds when we are in fairly close proximity to cell towers. And for us, that is about 98% of the time.

Click here to see the Netgear MIMO antenna that we use

(This is an affiliate link for the product on Amazon. It does not cost you any extra to buy the product using my affiliate link if you choose to do so)

Do You Need A Cell Booster For An RV Internet Connection?

If you plan to camp in your RV in very rural or remote areas though, you may need more for a reliable RV internet connection.

So the next step that you may want to consider is to purchase a high quality RV cell booster. And for us, the choice was to buy from the industry leader, WeBoost.

There are increasingly more companies to choose from in the RV cell boosting field. But WeBoost has been doing this a long time and they get consistently great reviews.

But which cell booster to buy for your RV travels? There are boosters that are specifically designed for use in an automobile. And they can be adapted for use in an RV or motorhome.

But WeBoost makes a dedicated RV cell booster that meets the needs of most RV travelers. It’s the WeBoost Reach RV booster.

It’s more expensive than the boosters used in automobile applications, but I want the best cell signal boost that I can get when I am in rural areas. And this booster provides that. In fact, it’s the most boost allowed by a cellular booster that can be used in motion.

The kit includes the booster and antenna for use inside an RV and a means to adapt it for use in a car or truck too. And there is plenty of mounting hardware for a permanent installation outside the RV.

Click here to see the WeBoost Reach RV cellular booster kit

(This is an affiliate link for the product on Amazon. It does not cost you any extra to buy the product using my affiliate link if you choose to do so)

But I have also found a way to attach the cell booster antenna to my RV without drilling any holes. Let’s talk about that part of the system now.

3 – A Portable Outside Antenna

Being an RV inspector, I have seen firsthand the kind of damage that water intrusion can do to an RV. So I don’t like drilling holes in my motorhome if I don’t absolutely have to.

But the vast majority of RV cell booster installations that you see do exactly that. They drill a hole in the roof somewhere for the antenna base.

Then they run wires through the RV to the spot where the booster is installed. And then they run more wires to the inside antenna.

This is a serious bit of work. And a lot of folks are not comfortable with all of this drilling and inside installation work. And who can blame them?

But what if you didn’t have to permanently mount your RV cell booster to an outside antenna? What if you could even raise your antenna far above the roof of your RV for the best cell service reception possible?

Our Outside RV Cell Booster Antenna

A company called TechnoRV sells a very high quality suction cup that is made for use on the outside of an RV.

Now this is not the cheap suction cups found at Harbor Freight. Those cheaper suction cups have their place, but this is not one of them.

Click here to see the suction cup I use to mount my outside booster antenna

These suction cups have clamps for attaching the outside cell booster antenna to a painter’s pole. And you can easily buy a strong painter’s pole at Lowes or Home Depot for just a few dollars.

You simply attach the antenna to the top of the extension part of the pole. Then you attach the suction cup to the handle of the pole. But how do you attach the cell booster cable inside the RV to the antenna outside?

A little known tip about RVs is that you can easily pass wiring through the slideout wiper seal when the slide is moving either in or out. Of course, when the slideout reaches its fully extended position or if it is completely retracted this doesn’t work.

But when it is in between these two opposite positions, it’s actually easy to fish a cable through the side of the slideout. As an alternative, you could also run the cable out through one of your RV windows.

Then you simply attach the RV cell booster cable to the antenna and mount it on your RV wall with the suction cup.

All of this takes me only a couple of minutes when I set up at a campsite. And the removal is equally as quick and easy when we leave.

Installing the antenna this way lets me run it up to the full height of the pole’s extension when it is in use. This is several feet above the RV roof. And that means that I get a much better RV internet connection because the antenna has fewer obstacles to overcome at that height.

My RV outside antenna
My outside antenna setup

An RV Internet Connection With Cell Boosters

If you put all of these components together you get a reliable internet connection in most places where you camp. But let me also discuss the proper use of a cell booster in this system.

Some people seem to have the opinion that they should leave their cell booster on all the time. Even when the connection is a good one.

But that is not what cell boosting is for. It’s designed for those cases when your dedicated hotspot cannot make a solid connection on its own. This usually happens when you are not in an area with readily available cell service.

But if your location is where there is plenty of good cell signal, you should probably turn off the RV cell booster. Why?

It’s the same reason that it makes it hard to understand a person who has a megaphone and shouts into your ear at close range. It’s just too loud and the sound gets garbled.

But suppose that person walks away about 20 yards and points the megaphone at you while talking. You can probably understand everything they say easily.

It’s the same with cell boosters. If you use them when the signal reception is fine, they may even degrade the incoming signal. So just use your RV cell booster when your hotspot needs help receiving the signal on its own.

An RV Internet Connection When No Cell Towers Are Around

What if you like to boondock a lot on BLM land way away from almost anyone else? Can you still get a good RV internet connection?

The good news is that in many cases it is possible to get a good internet signal if you add one more component to the mix. And that is a long-range directional antenna, like the Yagi antenna.

Click here for the Yagi directional antenna

(This is an affiliate link for the product on Amazon. It does not cost you any extra to buy the product using my affiliate link if you choose to do so)

The antenna that comes with the WeBoost Drive-X RV package is omni-directional. That means that it looks for reception in all directions. But by doing that it shortens its effective range.

Directional antennas are made to look for cell reception in only one direction. So you have to find out the location of the nearest cell tower and point the antenna in that direction.

This takes a little extra fiddling when you set up camp, but when you get used to it, it can be very effective. Of course, if you get too far out away from civilization, you aren’t going to get any usable cell signal.

But many boondockers have used these directional antennas to pull in a useful RV internet connection when almost nobody else can. Of course, you need a high quality cell booster mentioned above to make this work like it should.

And for those who like to switch between campgrounds and rural boondocking, you may need two poles. One with a pre-installed omni-directional antenna, and one with a directional antenna instead.

The Best Source For RV Internet Connection Guidance

Finally, let me arm you with one more very important piece of information. And that is how to stay current with all of the changes that continue to happen in the mobile internet field.

This is vital because the technology for remote and mobile internet access is constantly in flux. So there is a need for someone to keep us all current with what is happening as it changes.

Fortunately, we all have such a resource and that is the Mobile Internet Resource Center. It is owned and operated by full-time RVers and boaters, so they have the same internet needs that we do.

The owners are known in the RV world as Technomadia. Their names are Chris and Cherie.

Their website has loads of information about mobile internet for RVers. And if you get the membership to their insider information, you will never be in the dark again when the industry changes.

I am a subscriber to their membership site, but I am not affiliated with them in any way. And I don’t profit at all by suggesting that you join their website. I just know that it’s well worth the money spent.

Click here to find out more about the Mobile Internet Resource Center

Conclusion

We have covered a lot of ground in this article. And what I have showed you is the exact setup that we use every day in our RV travels. And it works great for us no matter where we go!

Briefly, here are the advantages of the RV internet connection setup that I have explained above:

  • No holes in your RV
  • No need for expensive RV cell booster permanent installation
  • Easy setup and tear down
  • One central hotspot for all of your devices
  • High data usage plans that really work for mobile RVers
  • Consistently usable internet up and down transmission speeds
  • Cell boosting for both toad vehicle and RV
  • Highest possible antenna placement on the RV
  • Pull in far away cell signal with just a change of antenna

I hope this information about our RV internet connection setup has been helpful. If you have other suggestions on RV or mobile internet connectivity, please tell us in the comments below. We would love to hear from you.

Have safe and happy travels my friends!

Which RV Water Filter System Is Best For You?

Some kind of RV water filter system is a necessity for RVers. But especially for those who travel a lot. That’s because the water supply at some campgrounds can leave a lot to be desired.

You will find bad tasting and awful smelling water, along with dirty water that has sediment in it. And since we all understand how important it is to have clean water for drinking, bathing and washing, here are a few ways to make sure that your water is safe to use.

Watch my video on RV water filter systems

Disclosure: Please note this post may contain affiliate links. This means โ€“ at no additional cost to you โ€“ I earn a commission if you make a purchase using our affiliate links. I only link to products and companies I use and feel comfortable recommending. The income goes toward supporting the free content on this website.

Table of Contents

Use An RV Cartridge Filter

One of the most popular RV water filter systems in use is an outside cartridge filter. These can be placed somewhere in line with your water hose before it attaches to the RV.

It doesn’t really matter much whether it is attached at the water faucet or by the RV water inlet. Just as long as you have it inline before the water from the campground goes into your RV.

The beauty of these kind of RV water filters is that they will treat all of the water that is going into your rig. So whether it is kitchen or bathroom water, it is being filtered before use.

All you have to do is take a stroll through almost any campground in the country and you will see these filters in use. They are usually blue in color and easily spotted.

And for most people they work very well as they filter down to a 20 micron level. In fact, out of almost 3,000 reviews on Amazon, they have a 4.5 star rating. So a lot of people are happy with what they do.

There are certainly other RV water filter systems that filter water to a higher degree. But for most people this little filter does the job very well. And the cost is affordably low.

So this is a good place to start when filtering the water going into your RV. Just click the links below to read the reviews on these filters.

Click here for the outside blue cartridge water filters that we use

(This is an affiliate link for the product on Amazon. It does not cost you any extra to buy the product using my affiliate link if you choose to do so)

Higher Quality Whole-RV Filter System

Now if you want to take whole-RV water filtration to another level, there are plenty of options. But one of the most cost-effective is to use a higher level carbon filter that filters down to 5 microns or so.

Some RVers use this filter instead of the blue ones mentioned above. But some also add in this kind of filtration in addition to the blue filter. That’s what we do in our motorhome for our water used for washing and bathing.

Again, for most people this will be just fine. You can either use this kind of filter on the outside of the RV, or install it permanently inside. Either way, it is simple to use and the filter cost is very reasonable.

In fact, they usually last for about 3 months at a time if being used on a regular basis. We use this kind of filter along with the blue filter above and we are happy with the water quality we get for bathing and washing.

You can also use almost any 10 inch filter that you find at a local Home Depot or Lowes store for replacement filters. Check out the reviews on this product at the link below.

Click here for a low cost, higher-quality whole-RV filter system

(This is an affiliate link for the product on Amazon. It does not cost you any extra to buy the product using my affiliate link if you choose to do so)

High Quality Drinking Water Filtration

But when it comes to our drinking water, most of us want to make sure that it is up to very high standards. So although the above-mentioned filters will work very well, I have another suggestion for your drinking water.

Of course, there are any number of high-dollar water filtration systems available. These include reverse osmosis, 2,3 and 4 stage filters, and even ultraviolet water filtration.

But if you look at the real world reviews of most of these products on Amazon, they are not rated any higher than the ones already covered.

But there is an RV water filter system that will virtually replace all need for bottled water of any kind. And it will be much less expensive in the long run than those high-dollar systems.

It’s called the Berkey water filter and many RVers use it for their everyday drinking water. It is a gravity fed unit so you have to refill it manually. But the resulting water is incredibly clean no matter how dirty it may be going into the filter.

In fact, the Berkey helps eliminate 99.9% of bacteria, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, viruses, and other water contaminants.

The Berkey RV water filter is also portable allowing it to be used either at home or in the RV. And since it uses no power to operate, it’s perfect for boondockers.

It also is cost-effective as it can filter 6,000 gallons of water before needing a filter replacement. So if you drink two gallons of water a day the filters will last you about 8 years!

And the replacement filters only cost a little over $100. So that means that you get ultra-safe and clean drinking water for about $12/year. You can’t get much less expensive than that!

You can find out more about the Berkey RV water filter system by clicking here.

(This is an affiliate link for the product on TechnoRV. It does not cost you any extra to buy the product using my affiliate link if you choose to do so)

The Berkey Water Filter VS Installed Filtration

One of the best features about the Berkey water filter system is that it is portable. so it can be moved from the RV to a home, or from one RV to another RV, all without need of any installation!

Reverse osmosis filters and ultraviolet filters actually work very well. But they have to be installed correctly and that usually means professional installation. So you have to pay not only for the filtration system, but the installation as well.

Then if you decide to sell your RV for any reason, you have two choices. (1) You can let the installed water filtration go with the RV, and go out and buy another whole system for the new rig. (2) You have to disassemble the installed system and re-install the old RV plumbing as it was. Then you have to pay again to install the old system in the new RV.

The point is that permanenty installed water filter systems are more suited for home use, not for RVs. This is because people don’t change homes nearly as much as they may change RVs.

This makes the Berkey water filter a great choice as an RV water filter system because of its portability. It can go wherever you go. So if you buy a different RV, just bring along the Berkey. Then you get pure, clean water in the new rig without any installation effort or costs.

Conclusion

When you bring up the subject of RV water filtration, you can get a lot of opinions about what is best. And most RVers seem to think that whatever they are doing is the best way to go.

But the truth is that there are any number of great ways to get fresh, clean, and pure water for RV use these days. Whatever fits your needs and circumstances best will be fine.

But in this article I am trying to approach the subject from a cost-effective point of view. And with that in mind, using cartridge filters for washing and bathing is a cheap way to go. And they work very well as the associated Amazon reviews testify.

Then if you use the Berkey water purification filter, you will also have the best drinking water. And this will come at a very low cost per gallon.

But if you have other suggestions for RV water filter systems that you have found to work well, please mention them in the comments below. We would love to hear about them!

In the meantime, I hope this discussion of RV water filtration has been helpful for you. Have safe and happy travels my friends!

Video - "Which RV Water Filter System Is Best For You?"

Click the image above for the video – “Which RV Water Filter System Is Best For You?”

Video - "The Best RV Water Filter System For Drinking Water"

Click the image above for the video – “The Best RV Water Filter System For Drinking Water”

Get My FREE Camping Guide

“The Top 5 Ways To Save Money On Campground Costs”

Get My Newsletter

Save on RV repairs

Get the best RV gear

Learn about RV life

RV tips and tricks

And get my free guide – “The Top 5 Ways To Save Money On Campground Costs”