Date: Sun, 29 May 2016 08:18:26 -0700
Reply-To: David McNeely <davmcneely40@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David McNeely <davmcneely40@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Onboard water supply?
In-Reply-To: <BAY405-EAS6218384449CB886E19897AA0440@phx.gbl>
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In 9 years of traveling and camping with the beast, we have never had a
problem with the on board water so far as illness is concerned, and we do
use it for drinking, washing dishes, and just about everything. I have
periodically cleaned the tank with bleach, similarly to Eric's approach.
We use whatever the local water supply is where we are, and they have all
been fine. Once, in Arkansas, we went to a campground where there was a
sign advising that the campground water was contaminated due to a sewage
leak from the toilets. We did not use the water on that occasion, of
course.
Whenever we are where there is a suitable source (creek, spring, lake), I
always use that water for coffee, tea, and other uses that involve boiling
before use. I just like a bit of local flavor. I also use it for
bathing. We've never gotten sick from water when camping. I've been
doing it since I was a baby. When back packing, and sometimes for other
camping, I've used Potable-Aqua, a convenient iodine tablet available
wherever camping supplies are sold.
If you really distrust your on board water supply, just add bleach to the
water when you fill the tank. Make sure it is pure sodium hypochlorite, no
perfumes or any other additives. The rate is two drops per quart of 5%
sodium hypochlorite, I believe, but you can look it up on the FEMA web site.
Now, we both have gotten sick from restaurants, more likely from food than
water, but we don't know for sure. My most recent bout was after a trip to
Mexico City. It was diagnosed as from _Campylobacter_, the most common
form of traveler's diarhea. Put me down for a week. I could have gotten
it from an airport restaurant in the U.S. as likely as from Mexico.
On Sun, May 29, 2016 at 7:08 AM, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com>
wrote:
> One of the problems with water while traveling is the supply. Many
> campgrounds/roadside water sources use untreated well water. Once something
> gets inside that tank and the tank gets warmed from being in the vehicle it
> becomes an awesome breeding ground for anything nasty that wants to grow.
> Bleach and tank cleaning treatments will help to clean but that only helps
> once. Also we have found over the years that even local water can cause us
> to become sick. When we go out to eat my wife only gets bottled water and
> no
> ice. Soda and coffee, tea, etc from restaurants all use local water.
>
> For drinking water on the road we use bottled. In our RV we have a filter
> that removes most anything that we use for the icemaker and the side tap at
> the kitchen sink. Still the tank water is used mostly for cooking cleaning,
> brushing teeth etc.
>
> Dennis
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> Dennis Jowell
> Sent: Sunday, May 29, 2016 8:18 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Onboard water supply?
>
> . What is a correct procedure to clean the onboard water supply to the sink
> faucet which I use as drinking water also. I came down with something as we
> traveled through Ontario camping. I think I did this wrong. In fact I may
> not have done anything with the water only filling it up trying to get out
> of town, ugh!
> Had to cut our planned trip short.
> Is there a water filter that's recommended to use while using a camp ground
> water supply?
> Dennis J
>
> Dennis Jowell
> Scotch Hollow Farm
> Newbury, Vermont
>
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