Unfiltered Water

[FordTruck]

It started with my mistake. When I winterized the TT, I failed to remove the water filter under the sink. From talking with several AS dealers yesterday, it's clear I'm not the first one to make this mistake. Over the winter the filter froze and broke so when we connected to water for the first time, we had a bit of water where it shouldn't have been.
Now to my RANT !!!
AS prides itself on using commonly available products (like this filter that is supposed to be for high end residentail use). In theory, you should be able to find a replacement at home improvement stores like Lowes and Home Depot as well as plumbing wholesalers who carry Moen. These are not kept in stock. They can special order you one but in this case, we're already at the CG, set up for 4 days of camping and no water filter.
Now, it's not going to kill us to have unfiltered water. It is a pain in the keister that AS touts one thing and the real world is completely different.
I also acknowledge that AS does not have control over what items retailers stock. I'm just venting.

[Silvertwinkie]

Originally Posted by FordTruck

It started with my mistake. When I winterized the TT, I failed to remove the water filter under the sink. From talking with several AS dealers yesterday, it's clear I'm not the first one to make this mistake. Over the winter the filter froze and broke so when we connected to water for the first time, we had a bit of water where it shouldn't have been.
Now to my RANT !!!
AS prides itself on using commonly available products (like this filter that is supposed to be for high end residentail use). In theory, you should be able to find a replacement at home improvement stores like Lowes and Home Depot as well as plumbing wholesalers who carry Moen. These are not kept in stock. They can special order you one but in this case, we're already at the CG, set up for 4 days of camping and no water filter.
Now, it's not going to kill us to have unfiltered water. It is a pain in the keister that AS touts one thing and the real world is completely different.
I also acknowledge that AS does not have control over what items retailers stock. I'm just venting.

I too thought since it was a Moen that it would be everywhere locally, but it wasn't, so one forum member suggested looking online and I did. It's a Moen 601 filter and can be very easily found and ordered from the web. Do a search for Moen Puretouch 601 and you'll find lots of vendors that sell it. I get one every other year.

[Jim Clark]

Good case for ordering 2 and reorder when you install the spare. Just another thing to remember in life. AS could of stated it is a good idea to keep a spare but what do they know.

[wahoonc]

All good advice...blame the lack of availability on the bean counting, remotely located, computer controlled, bottom line watching, inventory control freaks. They don't want to stock anything they can't turn over every 15-30 days. Profits first, customer service last. I am finding out this covers just about everything these days. I have taken to ordering some condiments and foods online because the local stores have chosen to no longer carry them. In a pinch you can buy a general purpose RV water filter that goes inline from anywhere that stocks RV stuff. Walmart even carries them

Order 2 and be prepared for the next go around.

Aaron

[Jim Foster]

Originally Posted by wahoonc

All good advice...blame the lack of availability on the bean counting, remotely located, computer controlled, bottom line watching, inventory control freaks. They don't want to stock anything they can't turn over every 15-30 days.

I was a Snap-On Tools dealer for 17 years. I knew another dealer who let his bean counting, remotely located, computer controlled, bottom line watching, inventory control freak father-in-law take over his inventory. He had been a dealer for several years, doing well.

He went broke in less than six months.

"You can't sell out of an empty wagon".

You might want to use an external filter that you can walk in and get at any RV parts house.

[Pick]

I solved that problem by replacing the filter unit with one from Lowes. So now I can go to Lowes and get the cartridges, without any hassle.

[vswingfield]

I replaced mine with a GE system from Home Depot. When I installed a new refrigerator with an ice maker, I got a filter for ice makers that is identical and uses the same filter.

[reddogfox]

Ford Truck
Sorry you had freeze damage to your water filter..Your best bet to avoid future problems is to use a combination of compressed air and RV antifreeze. My wife and I live in Michigan we escape the worst of winter by traveling to the southwestern US. We leave in late January with a “winterized” trailer and de winterize when we get to really warm weather. Because we have a 50-50 chance of having to re winterize when we return home in mid March I save the “Old” Water Filter Cartridge so I can avoid contaminating my “New” Filter Cartridge with RV antifreeze. Our Moen Choiceflo faucet uses a 9502 replacement filter we have not found them locally and buy on line from Moen.

[StevenG]

I discovered my filter was broken, and could not get a replacement part... haven't dealt with it yet. I'm thinking about just bypassing it with the plumbing, and not even use a water filter. Any cons on that? I drink tap water all the time, and take home tap water in a 2 gallon dispenser in the AS refrigerator for drinking. Water filter just seems like something else to break.

Regards,
Steven

[Journalist]

Originally Posted by StevenG

I discovered my filter was broken, and could not get a replacement part... haven't dealt with it yet. I'm thinking about just bypassing it with the plumbing, and not even use a water filter. Any cons on that? I drink tap water all the time, and take home tap water in a 2 gallon dispenser in the AS refrigerator for drinking. Water filter just seems like something else to break.

Regards,
Steven

No reason why you can't do that. Mine didn't come with a filter, and plain old tap water hasn't hurt anything in 40 years.

[FordTruck]

What I have found, courtesy of the other AS'ers here at the Rally, is that if you remove the end of the filter that clicks into the connection (at least on ours), there is a by-pass that allows water to flow to the faucet.
Our filter is a 9600. I'll be ordering two when we get home and prior to winterizing, I'll remove the installed filter.