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When you roam about the country in an RV, you experience lots of changes from place to place. That includes the taste, quality and purity of the local water supply. At some campgrounds and RV parks you’ll be fortunate enough to be able to connect to a municipal water supply, but in most cases, you’re at the mercy of whatever the nearest source of water is. That’s where RV water filters come in. Retractable Hose Pipe
These devices can reduce or eliminate odors, unpleasant tastes and sediment, but some RV water filters go a lot further than that—aiming to eliminate bacteria and viruses before they can reach the RV’s faucet and your drinking glass. Remember, even clean water will go into your RV’s pipes and tanks, and how often do you clean them?
As with most things, you get what you pay for. The most basic RV water filter on our list starts under $30 while the most elaborate is $500. Besides your budget, you should factor in how often you use your RV, where you go and your experiences with unfiltered water in those areas. Looking For Car Accessories? Match your car to your style with varied car accessories like seat covers, floor mats and more. Get competitive pricing from top brands here. Advertisement THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT AND NOT EDITORIAL CONTENT. Please note that we do receive compensation for any products you buy or sign up to via this advertisement, and that compensation impacts the ranking and placement of any offers listed herein. We do not present information about every offer available. The information and savings numbers depicted above are for demonstration purposes only, and your results may vary. Explore Options On Amazon
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Camco TastePURE Camper/RV Water Filter
Granular Activated Carbon filtration, average filter life of 3 months, 20-micron sediment filter
Camco TastePURE Camper/RV Water Filter
AQUA CREST RV Water Filter
Non-woven fabric; KDF(Kinetic Degradation Fluxion); coconut-fiber based GAC(Granular Activated Carbon, 1350-gallon capacity
AQUA CREST RV Water Filter
GLACIER FRESH RV/Marine Water Filter
NSF-certified, 20-micron rated, removes 97/9% chlorine in water, lead-free, BPA-free granular activated carbon filter, anti-kink hoses
GLACIER FRESH RV/Marine Water Filter
Travelers who tend to go to the same campsites regularly, know what to expect, and just want to improve the taste of their drinking water will find the Camco TastePure to be the bargain solution. It offers easy installation, a flexible hose and 20-micron sediment removal at a very low price.
Aqua Crest RV Inline Hose Water Filter
The Aqua Crest Inline RV water filter is impressive for the level of filtration it offers at a fairly low price. There are two layers of filtration (Degradation Fluxion and granular-activated carbon) that the manufacturer claims will filter out 97.6% of residual chlorine, along with sediment, rust, lead, hamful compounds, suspended solids and other large particles. It’s easy to install and durable, with a flexible, anti-kink hose.
Best Under-Sink RV Water Filter
Best Under-Sink RV Water Filter
The APEC Water Systems ROES-50 delivers a built-in, high-performance filtration system at a competitive price. Water goes through a sediment filter, two premium quality carbon blocks, a high-rejection reverse osmosis membrane and a final refining coconut carbon filter. The manufacturer claims up to 99% removal of impurities. It includes a four-gallon pre-pressurized water storage tank and a lead-free brushed nickel faucet.
Best Overall RV Water Filter
Best Overall RV Water Filter
The Camco EVO is an inline RV water filter that bridges the gap between the lower-priced inlines and the more upscale filters. It offers a high degree of filtration, easy installation and sturdy construction, making its moderate price a great value.
Best Cost-No-Object RV Water Filter
Best Cost-No-Object RV Water Filter
If you want to eliminate virtually all risks in the drinking water in your RV, the Clearsource Ultra is the answer. It offers three-stage filtration with a 5.0-micron filter for rust and sediment; a 0.5-micron coconut shell carbon-block compound for chlorine, volatile organic compounds and other contaminants; and a third stage to filter out both bacteria and viruses. Featuring rugged construction (the manufacturer uses the term “bulletproof”) and durable stainless steel fittings, this is a premium RV water filter at a premium price.
While you might be lucky enough to always park your RV in a place where there’s a municipal water supply, for a lot of people, the whole point of RVing is to escape places like that. Out in the wild, source of fresh and potable water can vary pretty widely, and you’re always going to be putting that water into your tank, which definitely isn’t as easy to clean as a Nalgene bottle. For that reason, water filtration systems are essential for serious RVers.
We rate these RV water filters on price, features, filtration effectiveness, size and ease of installation, cost of replacement filters and parts, company customer service interactions and the unit’s warranty. Through research and evaluation, we judge each unit by these weighted metrics:
Effectiveness will vary widely by filter. Some are designed to filter out more impurities than others, but a lot depends on the quality of the water going into the filter.
This also varies by manufacturer. Most recommend changing the filter every three to six months. Some are less specific, saying “every camping season”.
Water quality can vary greatly from place to place, and many campsites’ water hookups are older and may be poorly maintained. A basic water filter can make water taste better. More sophisticated systems can potentially prevent illness.
RV water filters remove the taste of the chlorine, but the chlorine itself will have already done its job disinfecting the water supply.
This depends on the design of the filter. Some are installed on the supply hose itself. Others are installed in the RV permanently, usually under the sink.
Plastic Woven Fabric A car-crazy California kid, I’ve been writing and talking about vehicles for 25 years on TV and radio, in print and online, including AAA magazines in Arizona, Oklahoma, Northwest Ohio, South Dakota and the Mountain West, as well as BBC Autos. I serve as vice president of the Western Automotive Journalists, a professional group for automotive writers based in San Francisco, and have no relation to McKeel Hagerty of Hagerty Classic Insurance, who is younger, better looking and wealthier.