Can Your RV Water Hose Pass the Test?
Having drinking water available in the RV is important for most people. If not for drinking, fresh water is needed for cleaning, bathing, and washing dishes. So how do you get that water from the source, through your water filter, into your RV’s holding tank, and then out the tap? One place: your RV water hose.
We searched the many options on the market and have found the best RV water hose based on a number of factors.
Durability
An important factor in choosing the best RV water hose for your needs is durability. Durability is the ability to withstand wear and tear, pressure, and overall damage.
When selecting the best hose, we looked for a model constructed from PVC with nickel-plated fittings. The chosen model is 20% thicker than standard models, making this heavy-duty water hose be built to last. The hose material is UV stabilized which means it won’t degenerate when exposed to sunlight. Plus, it is reinforced to prevent kinks and tears.
Keep in mind that being UV stabilized does not mean that this hose (or any hose) should be left exposed to the sun for long periods of time. There is a difference between UV stabilized and UV resistant as explained by the United States Plastic Corp.:
UV Stabilized means they have added a stabilizer to the resin to allow it to protect the substance from the long-term degradation from UV light…
UV Resistant materials by nature resists UV rays and prevent UV degradation.
Storage space
When you aren’t hooked up to services at your favorite campground (or your rig is packed away for the winter), it’s important to have a water hose that can easily be stored.
Our favorite RV water hose comes in a variety of lengths. Depending on your needs, you may opt for a longer or shorter hose. Obviously, a shorter hose will coil into a much smaller space. That being said, this hose can easily be coiled, and at 25 feet, it is only 4 pounds.
When you first uncoil your new RV water hose, it might be a little stiff to unwind – after a while, it will loosen up and be easy to coil and uncoil when needed.
Rated for human consumption
Especially in a new RV when the fresh water tanks are sanitary and prime for drinking water, it is important that your RV water hose is rated for human consumption. But aren’t all hoses safe? Nope.
Despite the fact that most people have drunk from the garden hose at some point, all hoses are not created equal. Your run-of-the-mill garden hose is actually not safe to drink from; it is not regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act and can contain toxic materials that are harmful to humans.
Rest assured that this RV water hose is safe for drinking. It is NSF certified so you can be confident you will have quality drinking water available. Plus, there won’t be any chemical or plastic taste.
RV Water Hose Cost
Cost is a huge factor when buying new RV supplies and equipment. Surprisingly, you need a lot more stuff than you think you do and the cost really adds up.
For the 25 foot model, the price is under $30.
Camper Reviews
With almost 8,000 reviews on Amazon, this RV water hose has a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars.
RV Water Hose Issues to Watch Out For
Like all good things, there is always a flip side. Here are a couple of things to look out for with this RV water hose:
- The hose is white upon purchase, but don’t expect it to stay white if you’re dragging it through the dirt.
- The nickel-plated fittings and couplings are designed to be durable, but they are not totally resistant to being squished or having the threads stripped. Nickel by itself is hard but very ductile and malleable meaning it can be reshaped without cracking.
So, after talking about all the major factors for deciding on an RV drinking hose, it’s time for the final reveal. The best RV drinking hose based on overall durability, safety, and the price is the Camco TastePURE Premium Drinking Water Hose!
Find more RV camping essentials
Keep in mind that you will want a heated water hose if you’re camping during the winter. In addition to your RV water hose, you will also want a water filter like the Clear2O®.
See also: 5 Essential Items That You Shouldn’t Leave Home Without
Jennifer lives with her husband and their two cocker spaniels in a 29′ trailer in Mexico. She is one half of DashboardDrifters.com and the founder of RVSpotDrop, a web service for full time RVers.
I have used & liked the Camco TastePURE Premium Drinking Water Hose mentioned here but these hoses are not easy to get them to lay flat or coil up when it is cold outside.
That is a common complaint, unfortunately. Time to go somewhere warmer 😉
I agree with the comments that the camco hoses are stiff, kink and the fittings on the ends are garbage. Flexilla hoses coil easily, don’t kink and stay flexible on cool/cold mornings and have quality fittings.They cost a bit more, but are worth the extra cash.
Sorry, that is the biggest piece of garbage water hose out there. It is so stiff it’s almost impossible to store, and the fittings are impossible to get tight enough without the use of a wrench. The ends are also so sharp they will cut you if you need to reposition or replace the hose washer.
Unless this hose has had some major changes made to it, it is the biggest waste of money I have encountered. Bought 2 of them and threw them away at the end of 4 months. Permanent kinks, leaking hose/fitting connections. Camco saw many of us coming and stuck it to us.
Nope… Best RV hose out there is “FLEXZILLA!” It’s everything that the other one is but it’s easier to attach, and much easier to wrap up and store. I swear by it, and have had about 12 other people I know try it, buy it, and use it now.
Hey Eric, I am going to check this hose out! A couple of others have suggested it as well.
I have been using a Watertight Polyurethane Coil Hose for the past 11 years, while rving 4 to 5 months per year. Flexible during cold weather, 3/8 ID making it lightweight while supplying plenty of water and if I’d clean the dirt of the outside, you’d swear it was brand new.
Have both the Camco and Flexzilla. The Flexzilla is hand down much better.
Amazon may have a bunch ofgood reviews but my experience says it’s maybe a 3 star. If the temp even is a bit chilly, that hose has a mind of its own and is difficult to roll up
Hey JD, thanks for your comment and opinion. I appreciate hearing your view.
Good site.
Did you consider the new collapsible hoses? There is one out their that are suppose to be safe for drinking water?
Hey Mark, which collapsible hose are you referring to?
Teknor Apex-4006-50 Zero-G 1/2″ x 50′, Blue, stores small, drinking water safe, works great. I have a bunch of Camco hoses but the Apex is what I use now.
Awesome! Thanks so much for the recommendation!
During cold weather I connect my water hose to my outside shower and run hot water through it until it becomes easy to coil out. Works like a charm.
Hey Lee, what a great tip! Thanks for sharing!
The best hose is one that is kept clean and maintained. After off season or long periods of non-use, pour a little bit of bleach in hose, add water and connect both ends. Move hose around to circulate the bleach and let sit awhile. Gets rid of any mold build up from sitting too long.
Great tip! Thanks for sharing.
The best RV hoses I’ve ever used are from https://www.rvwaterfilterstore.com/. They’re pressure-rated to ~200 psi, drinking-water safe, and never, ever kink.
Hi Bob, thanks so much for the recommendation!
I think you need an update. I clicked the link for the hose on Amazon, and the “under $30” has risen to “over $40.”
Hi Tom! Thanks for letting us know!
Camco is much nicer than the typical RV hose (the white ones). It’s 5/8″ instead of 1/2″ so if you happen to have multiple people using water at the same time, it allows you to handle the volume better. It has a spring on each end to protect it from kinking at the connections (which are top-quality connectors) and eventually leaking, so you don’t have to buy the spring-end hose connections separately. Very durable material, think I’ll get a couple of years of full-time RV living out of it. Seasonal users can get more if they store it safely when not in use.
The second Teknor Apex of these hoses I have bought. The first one still works fine, just bought a backup. No funny odors or tastes. It hasn’t got worn by being out in the sun in AZ so must be quality material. I’ve had the first one for over a year still works like new fast shipping would recommend!
I’m been RV’ing for almost a decade. Over that time I’ve owned several Drinking Water Hoses. These RV water hoses from CAMCO are the best I’ve owned. The description states it is “heavy-duty” and “20% thicker than standard hoses”. I think that Camco also prioritizes the user’s safety when manufacturing this drinking water hose as it is free of harmful substances, including phthalate, BPA, and lead-free.
The fact that this water hose is UV-stabilized also guarantees that it has a longer life than the others. I noticed that the water hose is quite stiff during the first use, though but after some time, you can break it in.
I find the hoses they have out there for RVing are terrible. There use to be a good hose that came on a reel. It went completely flat very small storage space.it rolled up into a 10″ reel by an inch in height. I found that this was the best hose for RV’s. Now I use a Forestry Fire Hose that has garden hose assembly on the ends. When fighting fires the firefighters use this hose in the bush small and compact they are like your typical garden hose. working pressure 200psi come in 25′ – 30’or 50′ lengths take up very little space.These are 5/8″ in diameter. They have a cloth material on the outside very rugged in the terrain. easy to drain and roll up just like firefighters use and very light weight not even a pound. The water has no funny taste to it when using these hoses. I would recommend using this type of hose , plus very easy for storage and takes up less room whether is stored in a box or just lies on top. This was the best hose I found and I found it by accident when searching for hoses that I originally had. You can find those hoses in any industrial hose store. You won’t go wrong and you will find them much better
I own a couple different lengths of the white hoses. For better cleanliness, I always coil it up and connect the ends to each other before storing it with my filter and regulator, capped off for our next camping trip. The hose does get a little stiff, but mostly pliable, living in Louisiana.
I currently have been using custom made hoses from the RV Water Filter store. My mostly used (except freezing weather ) hose is 20’ and have been using it for 10 years! We are full timers.
I’ve been using Flexzilla hoses with our fulltime RV for about 4 years now, with no signs of wear or cracking. The hoses are super flexible at above freezing temperatures, and only slightly stiffer below freezing. I’ve used our’s for refilling our onboard tank at -4 deg.F and had no problem coiling it back up into the 5 gallon pail I use for storage.
I’m still looking for a hose that doesn’t stiffen up when its below 50 degrees which can be often. The camco you recommend would be great if you never go above the 32 parallel 6 months of the year. Getting that thing to spool up on the hose reel on a cool morning is a PIA. I am still looking for something durable but pliable when cold.