Questions about Water Regulation

[FordmanNJ]

Hello!

Somehow my wife and I got onto a topic about water regulation in trailers. I do not recall how we got there but we got there. LoL Anyway, I see water regulators seem to be a topic of conversation. About the only thing we install is a water filter cartridge on the hose nib and call it a day. The wife doesn't get any funky tastes and keeps most of the crude out of the water system. Honestly, I really never seen them used so...

1) How important is it? Hear me out. I have camped in some capacity for over 35 years in some kind of hard sided unit over the years. To this date, my father has never used one. I know I never used one. Quite frankly I didn't know anything existed. Our regular camping spot, I have never seen hardly anyone use one seasonal, long term, or weekender. I have camped many places with my parents and with my family. Once again never seen one in use. At least within the handful of sites around my camper. Heck after researching the topic quickly I didn't realize I have one in my trailer's junk drawer. It is called a barrel style regulator. Never knew what it was and it was tossed in the drawer. It came with our previous trailer. As you can tell the RV dealer was keen to advise me was in the kit itself.

2) After looking at the "better" ones on Amazon, they all pretty much seem to be the same thing with a different name on the housing. Many of the reviews seem to reflect a failure or so after 1-2 years of use. Sometimes right out of the box. Are these pressure regulators that prone to failure? i just roll the dice and get which ever one works and is adjustable?

3) Much like Blue's Clues, I found something interesting. There was something I seen at one of the campgrounds I was looking for an upcoming trip, the campground recommended a pressure regulator on their web site. I found it strange. In the words of Bill Engervall, Here's your sign? BTW, the campground was in the Smokey's as this is our next long trip with the trailer.

I am sure I will get the "use the search feature you yahoo!" remark. I did just that some of the postings were made almost 2 years or earlier in some cases. Any way, love to hear some opinions on the matter. I got until April to make a decision.

[FT4NOW]

Use the search feature..jk, but you said it.

Its hit or miss, really depends on campground and water pressure. The cheap ones are more flow restrictors than regulators. I made my own regulator rig using a real pressure regulator. Keep it in my water compartment so it's not an extra step to hookup and I can't forget to bring it home.
We lived in our camper for 3 years using the regulator daily, it hasn't died yet.




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[JCR GD]

Most people I know use them but they are usually at the trailer end of the hose as is mine. So not visible in hook up compartment. Just a bit of protection just in case.

[geotex1]

As the poster above said, there are likely way more being used and you just aren't seeing them! I'm a little different than most and carry a pressure test gauge. After I open the spigot for a bit for its purge flush, I measure the pressure. If it's below 50 psi, I leave my adjustable regulator at the wet bay end of the hose. If it is above 50 psi, my regulator goes at the spigot end. The reason being is because the freshwater hose will be expanded by the high pressure, especially in direct sunlight, permanently deforming it causing a reduction in length and a widening in cross section. I personally will never not have regulation in-line, even when pressure is measured low because you never know when a surge could occur. I have seen the results when my fellow campers haven't been as cautious. A waterfall down your camper steps is the sort of thing that makes your stomach ill. The very first time we saw that happen, my wife and I began the practice that every time we leave our camper unattended we shut off the water. Two years ago we stayed at a campground near George Washington's childhood home. Pressure would regularly spike to 70psi! Their layout in the campground was bad, and they were using booster pumps with any type of accumulator. Viscous for their plumbing as well as any camper daring not to have a pressure regulator!

[Keebler]

On question number one, I agree that the risk assessment would indicate a low likelihood of an incident. However, the impact of the incident could be significant. The cost of taking preventive action is relatively low. I have heard very positive feedback on this unit: https://www.amazon.com/Lead-Free-Wat...8668418&sr=8-3

Right now, I have one of the ones as mentioned in point 2 above that some reviewers claim has questionable longevity; I am 3 seasons in use and still working fine. If it should stop working properly, I will try the one that I linked to above based on more than one strong recommendation from seasoned colleagues that highly recommend it.

Cheap insurance to me; the risk/reward decision here seems like an easy choice.

[D2Reid]

We have camped at hundreds of different locations. Mostly water pressure runs about 40-50, but then there was this one place in Austin, TX. Had a little sign in the office, Caution, High Water Pressure. When I put the tester on it I got 110 psi. Yup that's high. After that I bought an adjustable pressure regulator and attached it to the intake inside my water connection box. We camp in freezing temps, inside the box is heated so it won't freeze. After installing it and setting it to 50 psi I have pretty much just forgotten about it.

110 psi will pop poorly made connections. There have been some failures on GD products, not a lot, but some. Like someone said above, cheap insurance.

[boyscout]

I usually *check* water pressure when I hook up and then (probably foolishly) decide on the basis of that reading if I have to put on a regulator or not. I have a cheaper flow-restrictor type as well as a more-expensive adjustable type, and my first one of the latter DID fail after a year.

You'll probably get enough different and sometimes-conflicting advice here that you'll end up making up your own mind anyway! The following thread / poll done a while ago might help as you make your decision.

https://www.mygrandrv.com/forum/show...o-your-trailer

[Second Chance]

These are superior to what you're seeing on Amazon and will last you a long time. This guy's been providing potable water solutions to full-timers for quite a while:

https://www.rvwaterfilterstore.com/Adj.htm

We are NEVER without a pressure regulator. Some parks have extremely high pressure and tearing apart the rig to repair leaks is not my idea of fun.

Rob

[bertschb]

I found this article interesting:
https://winnebagolife.com/2016/05/wa...lator-round-up

[geotex1]

These are superior to what you're seeing on Amazon and will last you a long time. This guy's been providing potable water solutions to full-timers for quite a while:

https://www.rvwaterfilterstore.com/Adj.htm

We are NEVER without a pressure regulator. Some parks have extremely high pressure and tearing apart the rig to repair leaks is not my idea of fun.

Rob

Just know this supplier assembles this unit without ever calibrating the gauges - I have personally adjusted 11 of these against a certified, calibrated gauge. Skip the dry gauge entirely IMO. Also know the design of the 263 is inherently flow restrictive - just look at the flow curves. The 263 works better when inlet pressure is over 100psi. Below that, and regulating to 45psi, flow suffers.