RV hoses and their accessories are a very integral part of your RV's systems. It's easy to overlook hose maintenance, but neglect can lead to big problems that can be avoided. Give your RV hoses and accessories the attention they need and they'll take care of you. Read on to learn about RV hoses and how to properly maintain them.
Fresh Water
There’s a lot more to getting fresh water in your RV than you might realize. Yeah, you can just use the hose that the RV came with, but there are a lot of things you can add to it that will help with other issues that may arise on your camping trip.
Extension
The hose that comes with an RV is typically somewhat short. If you end up at a campsite where the waterspout isn't easily reached with a single hose, then you may end up needing an extension to reach it. There are plenty of additional hoses that can be purchased as well as an adapter so you can connect the two. Just be sure that you are purchasing an actual fresh water hose for drinking water and not just a standard garden hose. These hoses are specially made with materials that are safe for drinking and also will help keep bacteria from growing in it.
Backflow
Another way to keep your fresh water hose free of bacteria is by using a backflow regulator. This will help keep any water that has gone into the RV from backing up into the hose. This connection can also come in handy when you need to hook your fresh water hose up to the black tank inlet to wash it out. It will ensure that nothing from the tank can back up into your hose.
Pressure
Your RV hoses, as well as your RV pipes, are only meant to handle so much pressure. Since you can never be sure what the pressure of the water is at your campsite, it’s a good idea to utilize a pressure regulator. In the event that the water pressure coming in is too strong, it will slow it down and keep your pipes and hoses from bursting.
Connection
You also never know what condition the threads on the spigot at your campsite are going to be in. Some people do not pay attention and just crank on the hose, even if it’s not on there correctly. This can cause the threads to become stripped, which makes it very hard to connect your own hose, especially without damaging it. Adding a Water Bandit to your tool kit is a very good idea. This awesome little accessory will simply slip over any faucet no matter the state of the threads and then connect to your hose. Problem solved!
Filters
Campground water can contain sediments and other additives that can wreak havoc on your RVs system when they start to build up in there. To help keep these out of your tanks and pipes, you can add a filter between the water supply and the intake of the RV. This will stop anything from coming in with the water before it even gets a chance to see your RV. If you want to take filtering your water a step further, consider purchasing a water distiller for your RV.
Storage
Storing your hoses correctly will help extend the life of them. Ensure that once you are done using them, you wind them up and place them where they won’t be crushed or punctured by anything else in the RV. If you have a pretty long hose, you can get a reel to wind it up and keep it in one spot. This helps keep it from getting tangled up and you from having to tear your hair out the next time you want to use it. If you’re camping in cold weather, always put the hose away as soon as you’re done with it. Getting a Water Line Blow-out Plug, like this one by Camco, allows you to connect the line to an air compressor and blow out all of the water when you’re done using it. This will eliminate the possibility of left-over water freezing in the hoses.
Cold Weather
If you’re hooking up to a connector while camping in cold weather and not just filling your tanks, you want to ensure that your hose isn’t going to freeze when you’re using it. There are two different ways to prevent this. If you have a hose that you like and you do not want to get another one, you can simply wrap it in heat tape made specifically for hoses and cables to keep it from freezing. If you’re considering purchasing a new hose and think you’ll be camping in cold weather, look for a heated hose. It’s heated just enough to keep it from freezing and cracking.
Sewer
While not pretty, they're certainly functional! For the convenience of having on-site bathroom facilities and avoiding running to the campground bathroom in the middle-of-the-night, you have to deal with maintaining sewer hoses.
Support
Did you know that in some places there are actual laws and rules stating that your RV sewer hose cannot touch the ground? Even if you're camping somewhere not affected by this law, you'll still want to elevate your sewer hose for proper usage and drainage. Without support, it slopes straight down to the ground and then curves back up slightly to the connection. Consequently, some of the gravitational pull can be lost and it can be harder to get the tank to empty all the way. Also, from all the movement from water rushing through the hose, the connections can come loose and may even cause a tear in the hose if there’s anything on the ground that can snag it. To avoid all of these headaches, invest in a support system. These come in all styles and will help gradually slope the hose into the drain for efficient drainage. It also holds the hose off the ground and in one place, which will help keep it from getting damaged.
Connecting to Dumping Station
Not all the sewer connections at every campsite are the same size. In order to ensure that your hose is going to fit, get a donut adapter to go from the hose to the connection. These are rubber seals that taper so that they will fit into any size from the hose.
See How Clean It Is
Another thing you want to get for dumping your tank is a clear adapter. You can get a clear elbow that connects to your sewer hose and will help you see when your tank is actually clean. If you can’t see when the water is clear, you won’t know when to stop flushing it.
Cleaning the Hose
After dumping your black tank, you want to clean out the hose. Always wait to dump your grey tank after the black tank. This way the water from the grey tank will begin to rinse the sewer hose for you. Then you just want to rinse it again to ensure you got everything out. You can get a Sewer Hose Rinse Adapter, like this one from Camco, that will help to get everything out of the hose without you having to get your hands dirty.
Taking care of your hoses and connectors will help keep them usable much longer. Adding in accessories to extend the life of the hoses and the plumbing will keep you from having to make unnecessary purchases and repairs later down the road!
Do you have any RV hose tips or words of advice you want to share? Tell us in the comments!
