Right place if you
Fill from mixed city and private wells, taste chlorine or sulfur, or see grit in the pump strainer.
Water · plumbing
RV water filtration systems
Campground and well water quality varies wildly on the corridor. Match filter roles to the problem you actually have — sediment, taste/chemicals, or microbial risk — instead of stacking mystery cartridges.
Active corridor: Montana · Wyoming · Idaho · Washington — case-by-case beyond.
Field notes
Owners often buy the biggest blue canister at the box store and expect hotel water. Filtration works when each stage has a job and you replace media before it becomes a restriction or a science experiment.
Who this is for
Maybe not yet if
Your issue is pump cycling or no prime — pump guide. Tank biofilm after storage — sanitize first.
Roles: sediment, carbon, UV
Sediment
Catches grit and rust before the pump and fixtures. First stage on most setups. Replace when pressure drops or the cartridge looks loaded — do not invent a micron number from memory; use what is printed on your cartridge.
Carbon
Improves taste and odor from chlorine and many organics. Does not remove every dissolved mineral. Change on time or taste, whichever comes first.
UV
Addresses microbial risk when power and flow are correct and the lamp is in date. It is not a substitute for sanitizing a fouled tank or for filtering heavy sediment (pre-filter UV).
Onboard vs at the fill
Inline at the city fill protects the whole coach. Under-sink polish helps drinking taps only. Match placement to how you actually use water.
City vs well vs onboard
City hookups often smell of chlorine — carbon helps. Private wells may carry sediment, iron, or sulfur; sediment plus carbon is common, and some owners add specialty media after testing. Boondocking from the fresh tank means sanitize and fill from trusted sources; filtration at the tap still helps taste but will not make unsafe water safe if the tank is contaminated.
When to replace
- Follow the cartridge label’s time or gallon guidance as a ceiling, not a challenge
- Replace early if flow crashes, taste returns, or you filled from a very dirty source
- Bypass or remove carbon during bleach sanitizing if the maker says chlorine will exhaust the media
- Keep a spare sediment cartridge on long corridor trips
- Label install dates on the housing with a paint pen
DIY vs Prefer Text
Reasonable DIY
Housing installs that fit your bay, cartridge changes, leak checks at fittings.
Book us when
You want a clean bay layout, pump/strainer issues after filtration changes, or winterize with filters in the loop. Prefer Text photos of the current setup — we will not invent micron matrices over text.
FAQ
Is reverse osmosis required?
Rarely for typical RV travel. RO wastes water and needs drain planning; most coaches do fine with sediment + carbon (+ UV when justified).
Can filters raise pump pressure?
Clogged filters drop pressure and make pumps cycle oddly. Fresh sediment media usually helps.
Hard water white scale?
Filtration may not stop mineral scale on heaters — that is a different chemistry problem.
Cost of a visit?
Prefer Text for a quote. Trip and labor rates below; parts vary by housing.
Related: Tank sanitizing · Fresh water pump · Dump station · Services
Pricing teaser
Trip fee $75 within 30 miles, then $1.50/mi each way. Labor ~$150/hr (1-hour minimum, billed in 30-minute increments). Diagnostic $175 applied toward repair if you proceed.
Credentials (text): Victron Professional Certified Installer · weBoost Authorized Installer · Peplink Certified Associate · Dometic Professional Certified. Starlink = installs only (not a certified partner title).