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One thing you’ll definitely need for your RV is a drinking water hose.
Sounds simple right?
Not so fast. There’s more to selecting the best RV fresh water hose than you might expect at first glance.
Even though an RV drinking water hose is a basic accessory, it performs a critical function – it provides all of the water to your RV faucets. Of course, this means it’s important to ensure that your hose is designed to safely use for all of your household water needs. After all, you don’t want to inadvertently run your water through a hose that could contain chemicals or lead. Whether you’re showering, brushing your teeth or washing dishes – you want safe clean water.
Beyond that, it should be easy to use, simple to store for travel and strong enough to withstand constant use and exposure to the elements.
So, what should you look for when choosing a drinking (aka fresh or potable) water hose for your camper? Let’s take a look at our top picks and how to select the best fresh water hose for your RV lifestyle.
Our Top RV Drinking Water Hose Picks
At a Glance
- Best Fresh Water Hose for RV Travelers – Zero-G RV & Marine Hose
- Runner Up for RV Travelers – EvoFlex RV/Marine Drinking Water Hose
- Best Heavy Duty Drinking Water Hose – Camco Premium Fresh Water Hose
- Best Basic Choice – TastePURE Drinking Water Hose
- Best Self Coiling Fresh Water Hose – Valterra EZ Coil-N-Store Drinking Water Hose
- Best Heated Drinking Water Hose – Camco Heated Fresh Water Hose
Best Fresh Water Hose for RV Travelers
Zero-G RV & Marine Drinking Water Hose
Features:
- Drinking water safe and made with FDA sanctioned materials
- Lightweight and simple to use
- Easy to coil like a rope and very small to store
- Kink free design
- Leak and puncture resistant woven fiber jacket
- 5 year warranty
The Zero-G RV drinking water hose is easy to use, easy to store, strong and of course, safe for potable water. What more could you ask for in a fresh water hose? This is the hose that we use and we absolutely love it. Check out our full Zero-G review.
Runner Up for RV Travelers
EvoFlex RV/Marine Drinking Water Hose
Features:
- Drinking water safe
- Lead, BPA and phthalate-free
- UV stabilized
- Extra flexible for easier coiling
- Durable hose with nickel plated fittings
The EvoFlex RV/Marine fresh water hose is another solid choice for RV travelers. It’s a more traditional style hose that is made to maintain flexibility even in cold weather.
Best Heavy Duty Pick
Camco Premium Drinking Water Hose
Features:
- Drinking water safe – NSF 61 certified
- Lead, BPA and phthalate-free
- Heavy duty construction for added durability
- Anti kink design
- UV stabilized
Our top heavy duty pick, Camco’s Premium Drinking Water Hose is made to stand up to some serious wear and tear. It’s 20% thicker than standard hoses and constructed with heavy duty materials. Keep in mind, this hose is larger than the other options to stow away on travel days.
Best Basic Choice
TastePURE Drinking Water Hose
Features:
- Lead, BPA and phthalate-free
- Drinking water safe – NSF 61 certified
- Kink resistant, reinforced hose
- UV stabilized
- Easy grip female swivel connector
A great choice for a basic RV fresh water hose. We used this hose for years before switching to the Zero-G.
Best Self Coiling Fresh Water Hose
Valterra EZ Coil-N-Store Drinking Water Hose
Features:
- Drinking water safe
- Self coiling
- Expands to 25 feet, contracts to 15 inches coiled
- Quick connect fittings
- Easy to use and store
A self coiling hose may not be for everyone but it’s definitely worth considering if you’re looking for something that’s very easy to use and store.
Best Heated Drinking Water Hose
Camco TASTEPure Heated Drinking Water Hose
Features:
- Drinking water safe – NSF 61 certified
- Lead, BPA and phthalate-free
- Freeze protection down to -20 degrees F
- For use with 120V GFCI outlet
- Energy saving thermostat
- Durable outer jacket to protect hose and electrical components
Finally, for the cold weather campers, here’s a great heated drinking water hose that will keep the water flowing to your RV even when the temperature drops well below freezing.
RV Fresh Water Hose Features to Consider
First and foremost an RV fresh water hose should be safe for drinking (potable) water and well constructed. Other than that, the best drinking water hose for each RVer will be different depending on your RV and camping style.
Drinking Water Safe
Arguably, the most important feature of a fresh water hose is that it is safe for drinking water.
Optimally, an RV drinking water hose should be:
- Designed for drinking water and made with non toxic materials
- BPA free
- Lead free
- Phthalate free
- NSF certified
In other words, don’t just use any old garden hose.
Note: Although we do drink the water in our RV, we always use our Travel Berkey to filter it first. This is primarily because it’s impossible to know the quality of the water at each campground we visit.
Durability
Your RV fresh water hose is hooked up to a spigot outside so it needs to be able to withstand the elements. Think, hot desert sun, cold mountain rain, rough rocks, and concrete curbs.
Here’s what to look for:
- Strong abrasion resistant hose material that won’t rip or puncture
- Durable construction and fittings
- Able to withstand constant water pressure
- UV Stabilized
- Kink resistant design
Ease of Use and Storage
It should be easy to connect your fresh water hose! Who wants to struggle with their water hose every time they hookup? Not me! Likewise, it should be easy to coil and stow away when it’s time to pack up.
Helpful features:
- Easy to grip swivel fitting for connecting to a water spigot
- Flexibility for ease of coiling, particularly in the cold
- Lightweight
- Reasonably small size when coiled for storage
Hose Inside Diameter
Most RV drinking water hoses come in either 1/2-inch or 5/8-inch inside diameter. Technically, you may see better water flow in your RV with the larger 5/8-inch size. However, manufacturers typically use 1/2-inch diameter PEX for RV plumbing so I’m not convinced you’ll see any noticeable difference between the two standard hose sizes. Still, it’s worth consideration.
Hose Length
We recommend RVers carry two 25 foot fresh water hoses for maximum flexibility.
Most of the time, you’ll be able to hookup with a 25 foot hose. So it’s simpler not to have to lug out a full 50 feet of hose at every overnight stop. When a water spigot is far away from your camper, simply connect the two hoses together to reach the hookup. Plus, you’ll have a spare hose on board if you need it.
On the other hand, if you have a seasonal RV site you simply need a single hose long enough to comfortably reach from the water hookup to your city water inlet.
Considerations for Seasonal RV Sites
The primary features to consider when selecting a drinking water hose for a seasonal RV site are:
- Drinking water safe
- Durable construction
- Weather resistance
Go for durability and strength over ease of use and size. After all, once your drinking water hose is hooked up, it just stays that way. So, for example, it really doesn’t matter all that much how lightweight your hose is because you rarely have to move it.
Conclusion
Picking the right RV drinking water hose for your camping style will help ensure that your setup process goes smoothly so that you can get to enjoying your campsite! But the most important part is that it can consistently deliver clean safe water to your RV. So, consider which features are most important to you, pick a hose and then have fun camping!
Thanks for stopping by. See you down the road.
What Else You Need For Your RV Drinking Water Kit
For connecting your RV to the campground hook up
- Water pressure regulator
This protects your RV plumbing from damage due to high pressure RV park water connections. Most RVs can not handle more that 40 to 50 psi of water pressure. We’ve used this water pressure regulator daily for 10 years with no complaints. There are also adjustable models available. - Water filter
Although we use a Travel Berkey for drinking water, we still filter all of the water that comes into our RV with a Camco Inline Water Filter. It keeps the sediment and junk out. - Splitter
A splitter provides an extra water connection so you don’t have to unhook your fresh water every time you want to flush your black tank or rinse something off.
For filling your fresh water tank
- Fresh water tank filler with shut off valve
This handy accessory slips right in the tank fill port so that you don’t have to stand there holding the hose. And the shut off valve let’s you stop the water flow without running back to the spigot. It even stops the water from splashing out of the inlet port while you are filling. - Digital water flow meter
A digital flow meter shows you exactly how many gallons you add to your fresh tank so you can carry what you need. Water weighs 8.34 pounds per gallon so it gets really heavy fast. Why lug extra weight around?
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THANKS FOR READING!
We’ve been full-time RVers since 2012. Over 127,000 miles and 47 states later, we are still towing our home around the United States.
On TowingHome we share what we have learned along the way; what we love (and what we don’t) about the RV lifestyle, tips and tricks, our favorite campgrounds, places and gear.
We hope that it makes your journey a little bit easier.