Posted 2007-05-29 6:18 PM (#61412) Subject: Do you drink from your fresh water tank in LQ?
Regular
Posts: 64
Location: St. Paul, MN
The conversation came up this weekend about drinking water from the fresh water tank in the LQ. I was surprised when so many said they never do. If they have city water hookup available they will drink what comes from faucet but never from what is in tank. I have never had any trouble drinking my tank water. I add Taste Pure to the tank when I fill it. I've never gotten ill. Should I be more careful? What do you do? Thanks for any input. I just never questioned it wouldn't be safe.
Posted 2007-05-29 6:25 PM (#61413 - in reply to #61412) Subject: RE: Do you drink from your fresh water tank in LQ?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 792
Location: East Tennessee, USA, Planet Earth
Hi...I haul with an RV and nope, I do not drink from my fresh H2O tank. Oh..my dogs don't drink from it either. I also have used Taste Pure (which is just chlorine), but I prefer to drink bottle spring water.
Posted 2007-05-29 6:52 PM (#61417 - in reply to #61412) Subject: RE: Do you drink from your fresh water tank in LQ?
Expert
Posts: 1723
Location: michigan
Same here- I either buy some bottled water or just fill an empty milk jug with fresh water- I only need it for coffee and cooking ( and I don't really cook much)I only use the tank water for washing up. Its probably ok for drinking but i just don't want to use it.....
Posted 2007-05-29 6:54 PM (#61418 - in reply to #61412) Subject: RE: Do you drink from your fresh water tank in LQ?
Regular
Posts: 64
Location: St. Paul, MN
Hey, thanks for a quick bit of feedback. You and your dogs don't drink from it. May I ask why? Part of my search of info here is to find out if it's because it's not safe or any other reasons? There are so many things I do that is just remarkable I'm still alive ...if you know what I mean?!? :) 20
Posted 2007-05-29 10:09 PM (#61435 - in reply to #61412) Subject: RE: Do you drink from your fresh water tank in LQ?
Member
Posts: 17
Location: Southwest Mississippi
We are just the opposite, we have great well water at home and fill that tank and another mounted in my truck. When camping we use the city hookup for washing and save the tank water for drinking only. In most campgrounds the hookup water is not usually the best or maybe it's the worst but we know our water is excellent. Have been doing this for years and never have problems.
Posted 2007-05-29 10:14 PM (#61437 - in reply to #61412) Subject: RE: Do you drink from your fresh water tank in LQ?
Expert
Posts: 1205
Location: Arkansas
Same as bcranch above, drink our own water, and use hookup water for other. Also take bottled water for guests and to supplement our home water (the bottled water is professionally bottled at a spring a few miles from our home) Done this all for years too.
Posted 2007-05-29 10:16 PM (#61438 - in reply to #61418) Subject: RE: Do you drink from your fresh water tank in LQ?
Expert
Posts: 2453
Location: Northern Utah
I'll drink it, if it's what I have to drink. It's not a safety issue, but rather a taste issue.
I usually bring some bottled water with me that stays in the cooler or the fridge. So it's always colder than the tank water. And for some reason cold water always taste better to me than room temp water.
I make sure to always fill with potable water. So I never introduce contaminates into my tank. My tank usually last the weekend, So I almost never fill it anywhere except my house.
I usually drain the tank after a weekend camp out and put fresh water in before my next trip.
I periodically put some Chorine in the tank, drive around the block and drain to freshen the tank.
Posted 2007-05-29 10:39 PM (#61440 - in reply to #61418) Subject: RE: Do you drink from your fresh water tank in LQ?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 792
Location: East Tennessee, USA, Planet Earth
Originally written by marlenaanne on 2007-05-29 6:54 PM
Hey, thanks for a quick bit of feedback. You and your dogs don't drink from it. May I ask why? Part of my search of info here is to find out if it's because it's not safe or any other reasons? There are so many things I do that is just remarkable I'm still alive ...if you know what I mean?!? :) 20
I like fresh tasting water. I drink about a gallon of it a day. At home I drink my well water (love it) and at work I drink bottled spring water.Why do I not drink water out of my RV's fresh H20 tank? I don't care for the flavor of stale water. To me..it does taste stale.When camping I buy gallon bottled spring water for myself. For my dogs, I fill milk jugs with my home well water. I have two 35 gallon H20 water tanks in my hay rack for my horses.I think that as long as you keep your fresh water tank sanitized and keep fresh water in there, it should be safe to drink.I don't drink coffee or soda pop, for me..my drink of choice is water. So, I don't mind buying yummy spring water.
Posted 2007-05-29 11:10 PM (#61448 - in reply to #61418) Subject: RE: Do you drink from your fresh water tank in LQ?
Member
Posts: 36
Location: Trout Creek, MT
Originally written by marlenaanne on 2007-05-29 6:54 PM
Hey, thanks for a quick bit of feedback. You and your dogs don't drink from it. May I ask why? Part of my search of info here is to find out if it's because it's not safe or any other reasons? There are so many things I do that is just remarkable I'm still alive ...if you know what I mean?!? :) 20
As Crocodile Dundee said "You can drink it,,,,but it tastes like S#!T"
Posted 2007-05-30 5:25 AM (#61450 - in reply to #61412) Subject: RE: Do you drink from your fresh water tank in LQ?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 602
Location: md
I don't drink it and neither does my dog. I use bottled water for my self and the refillable gallons for coffee and the dog. I have a 65 gal in the truck bed and a 50 gal on the roof plus the trailer tank for showers and horse water.
Posted 2007-05-30 6:10 AM (#61453 - in reply to #61412) Subject: RE: Do you drink from your fresh water tank in LQ?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 304
When I flushed mine this spring, to get all the anti-freeze out of it, I notice a lot of mold spores floating in it as it drained out.. We don't drink ours either, even though I use bleach in it.
Posted 2007-05-30 8:05 AM (#61459 - in reply to #61438) Subject: RE: Do you drink from your fresh water tank in LQ?
Regular
Posts: 64
Location: St. Paul, MN
Wow, thanks for all the feedback. I'm not going to worry about drinking from the tank. I refresh it weekly and it runs clean and smells fine. Just glad to hear it's ok. Really appreciate hearing from so many. I love this forum
Posted 2007-05-30 7:53 PM (#61518 - in reply to #61412) Subject: RE: Do you drink from your fresh water tank in LQ?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 335
Location: Decatur, Texas
Wow! Have I learned something from this thread. I have no problem drinking from my fresh water tank, but now I know why 90 percent of the trail warriors I see are drinking out of a beer can. They're afraid to drink the water!
Posted 2007-05-30 9:41 PM (#61527 - in reply to #61412) Subject: RE: Do you drink from your fresh water tank in LQ?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 671
Location: THE GREAT NORTHWET, OREGON(THE REAL GODS COUNTRY)
I drink out of my tank,first I flush it out good and add a little bleach,Letit sit a while flush and refill.The only problem I have is new tanks have a plastic smell.
Posted 2007-05-31 11:58 AM (#61562 - in reply to #61412) Subject: RE: Do you drink from your fresh water tank in LQ?
Regular
Posts: 62
Location: Western Wisconsin
We don't generally drink our fresh water either just because it's not cold but do use it for cooking and showering. We fill from the house (w/softened water) and generally don't fill from anywhere else. I do remember the first time we used our "new" camper; we drained it after the weekend but the next time we went to use it there was mold in tank. Now we make sure after we drain it we also leave the drains open to let some air in and dry it out well. My husband has this crazy theory that the mold happened 'cause we fill from the outside house spigot. The only thing wrong with that water is the high iron content. Anyhow, cooled water brought from home just tastes better than lukewarm water that's been sloshing around the tank for the weekend...
Posted 2007-06-01 6:32 AM (#61587 - in reply to #61562) Subject: RE: Do you drink from your fresh water tank in LQ?
Expert
Posts: 2953
Location: North Carolina
Originally written by sskinner on 2007-05-31 10:58 AM
... My husband has this crazy theory that the mold happened 'cause we fill from the outside house spigot. ...
Not so crazy ... unless you first flush the spigot before attaching the hose. Sometimes, bugs get to building a nest in the spigot opening. Then flush the hose before connecting to the tank fill. Fresh IS better.
Posted 2007-06-02 1:37 AM (#61650 - in reply to #61412) Subject: RE: Do you drink from your fresh water tank in LQ?
Veteran
Posts: 189
Location: nashville, In.
I found a neat little book at Cmping World and Wally World. I think its called "The RV Book." Has info about freash water tanks, black/grey tanks, electrical systems, and anything else that has to do with RVs. And since our LQ horse trailers use the same systems it comes in handy.
It tells how to freshen and disinfect your fresh water tanks. How to do simple repaires and to winterize and de-winterize your trailer.