Clean Water Hose Length? Hose Heater Tape?

[DonnaDuane]

Do you find 10ft is sufficient? Or, should I opt for the ever popular 25ft just because Amazon promotes it?

 

Also, for anyone who camps in Winter, what heater tape is best for wrapping clean water hose?

[Geronimo John]

25 feet is essential.  I have not needed more.  I have certainly needed more than ten lots of times.

 

 

[topgun2]

25 is minimum length to go with.  I always carry an additional 25 but have seldom needed it.  Sorry - no advice on the heater tape or heated water hose.

 

Bill

[Mike and Carol]

I bought a 25’ fresh water hose and keep the 25’ that came with our trailer in reserve. I’ve had a couple of sites where I needed both to reach water. I also have a 10’ and use it when we’re close to water. I bought some heat tape but have never used it. We’ve camped in cold weather and usually just disconnect the hose when it gets in the 20s and use the fresh tank. Mike

[DavePhelps]

Like Mike, I too bought an extra 25' water hose and have used them both. I often need the extra length while "camping" at friends' houses.

 

At campgrounds that have water, you never know what side of the trailer the spigot will be, but 25' usually works great. If water is provided at your camp site, it is always best practice just to disconnect your hose at night and let the water drain out of the hose and your trailer (it will drain from the supply side of your backflow valve and out). Full timers will go to the trouble of heat tape and insulation, but for the traveler it's really not necessary. You also would need to tape and insulate the frost-free spigot or risk freezing and busting that and incurring a hefty bill from the campground owners. It just takes a couple of minutes to disconnect and stow your hose in the TV, and let the freeze come!

 

Dave

[DonnaDuane]

Thank all of you. I will get the 25’.

 

I’m getting you’re all saying it’s better to unhook the city water hose, then drain everything between clean water tank and outside, rather than stay hooked up heating the hose.

 

My concern is when traveling to a ski resort for 3-7 days where the temps could dip to -10F to +15F at night, then rise to 15-32F during the day.

 

Any recommendations for keeping the system from freezing under these conditions?

[ScubaRx]

Thank all of you. I will get the 25’.

 

I’m getting you’re all saying it’s better to unhook the city water hose, then drain everything between clean water tank and outside, rather than stay hooked up heating the hose.

 

My concern is when traveling to a ski resort for 3-7 days where the temps could dip to -10F to +15F at night, then rise to 15-32F during the day.

 

Any recommendations for keeping the system from freezing under these conditions?

 

 

We were camped in Tombstone, AZ several years ago in January.  This was our first night to ever camp that early in the season. The first night there the temps fell to below freezing and not expecting the drop or knowing any better we left the hose connected that night and it froze solid.  There was no damage but the next day at a Camping World we bought one of these.  We used it several times on that same trip with great results and have not had an opportunity to use it since.  If we were traveling in the areas you camp with your winter activities, I’d carry it with me and use it every time.  Notice the double-male fitting that comes with the hose.  Mating it with either of the female ends on the hose will allow you to have the 110VAC plug at either end of the hose, a very nice feature.  Most of the time with hookups there is a 110VAC outlet near the hose bib.  We have a 110VAC outlet in our basement and can plug it in there if needed.

 

As long as you have heat going inside your trailer your system will not freeze with the conditions you describe.  Make sure to open some access ports to the basement areas to allow them to warm from the ambient cabin air.  The furnace and water heater will put heat into that area also.

[DonnaDuane]

Thank you Steve. What I’m getting from you and others who’ve posted on this subject over the years, is it probably behooves me to get the hose you got, plus pipe heating tape for wrapping lines around valves and pump, and an extra heater that can be run if I need to keep the hatch to the valves open in order to keep that area warm enough. I’d rather be over prepared than to risk a damaged water system.

[DavePhelps]

That's a pretty neat hose that Steve posted. But unless I misunderstand, it would not protect the spigot from freezing.

 

Remember you have around 30 gallons of water to use in your FWT. If it was me, and I was in your situation, I would just use the FWT all the time. Then if it begins to run low, fire up the hose and refill the tank, then disconnect again. During fillup, you could also fill a container for drinking water if you don't want to drink out of your FWT, like some of us do. Just my 2 cents.

 

Dave

[DonnaDuane]

Thanks Dave.  I think someone else suggested that too.  It makes total sense. I've already spoken with campgrounds near ski areas that turn the water off for Winter due to freezing temps. In those cases, I have to bring my own water.

[ScubaRx]

We run into the same problem (albeit at the other end of the temperature spectrum) when we spend a month or so camped in the desert near Quartzsite ?.  However, the solution is exactly the same - we take water to the trailer from another source and pump it into the fresh tank with the onboard system that is built into your Oliver. Although we dump our gray water on the ground in the desert, presumably in a commercial campground that has full services (even though the water is off) the sewer connection should be open for occasional use.

[ShallowGal]

My favorite camping YouTube creator loves his Zero G hose.

<p style="text-align: left;">We have had one at our home for a few years & can vouch that it is sturdy. It gets regular abuse, dragged across concrete & we rarely shut off the water.  After seeing this recommendation, we plan to take it on our next trip.</p>

(Note: Do not buy the inexpensive knockoffs. We had two, prior to the Zero G, that blew after a few months.)

 

Zero G hose mentioned at approx 6:45 minutes in. https://youtu.be/4lcMUIcKkJo

 

https://www.acehardware.com/departments/lawn-and-garden/watering-and-irrigation/garden-hoses/7465248

 

Chris

[topgun2]

Actually, the Zero G is the hose that I mentioned above.  After seeing reviews I bought it because it is very easy to store as compared to a regular hose.  Sure does make for a fun afternoon trying to get that thing back into the container it came in!

 

Bill

[theOrca]

I disconnect "city water" when the temperatures are below freeezing. I was pretty shocked at how many RV hoses tended to swell to 3" or more, (or rupture)  in 90 to 100 temps, and "in the sun." The campground at Coeur D"Alene has new guests sign a release stating that they are aware that campground water pressure is 80PSIG, and that cheap hoses could go boom around 2PM.  After that trip I bought two 20' sections of the 200 psig capable RV hose sold by <www.rvwaterfilterstore.com>. Stainless steel fittings... No worries now!

[Overland]

I have those same hoses/fittings and agree that they're stout.

 

Interesting that this thread came up today because I was just in the back yard and noticed that a Zero G hose that I use to water the plants on the patio had spring a tiny leak.  It's about a year old, but I only started using it about a month ago.  When I picked up the sprayer to relieve the pressure, the hose completely burst, but in a different location.  Weird - I guess we must have gotten a big spike in water pressure that damaged the hose.  That, or maybe UV damage?

[Overland]

Correction to the above - it looks like my hose was in fact a knockoff of the Zero G brand, like Chris warned against.  I got mine at Home Depot and just assumed that they were carrying the original brand. When I went back to replace the hose I noticed that what they carry has identical packaging but a different name. And then when I checked at home I saw that the old hose was an even different brand.