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Old 10-16-2021, 08:38 AM   #1
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Water Pressure Regulator - Do I need one?

I have read where one or two were saying that even though there is a built-in regulator, they attached one that is adjustable and has a pressure indicator dial. Do I need one these?
If so, what is a good non-Chinese one?
If not, is there a way to measure the factory setting and then reset it, if needed?
Thanks.
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Old 10-16-2021, 09:52 AM   #2
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Even if the built in regulator works, it does not protect your hose and filter.
I've always kept one of the generic fixed regulators, but this year I went to the dial type adjustable.
I don't know it there's any not made in Asia, but I selected the Renator based on customer ratings.
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Old 10-16-2021, 09:52 AM   #3
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Hi

The more regulators you put in the line, the less flow you will get. If you are at a very unusual campground *any* regulator can have problems. ( Hint: if you turn on the water to wash your hands in the bath house and it hits the bowl and then sprays 10' up on the wall on the other side of the room ... not a good sign ....).

The risk with 200 PSI water at the campground is that you likely will rupture a hose. My simple answer is not to hook up to a system that is this badly set up.

In the case of the "200 psi" (no, I didn't put a gauge on it) campground. Our hose did fine ( = we got very lucky). The regulator in the trailer did it's job. The boathouse sink did behave exactly as described.

Bob
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Old 10-16-2021, 10:36 AM   #4
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I MacGyver'd one I already had,( added the gauge).
If in DOUBT I check to find out.👍

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Old 10-16-2021, 11:26 AM   #5
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I rarely hook up to city water, preferring to fill my water tank and run off of it. But, if I have full hook-ups and I a tempted to, I attach my hose to the campground spigot and, pointing it away from my body, open the valve all the way. If it appears I could put out a forest fire with the resulting flow, I pass and go back to using my tank.

If it seems to be reasonable pressure/volume, I’ll hook it up.

No additional pressure apparatus needed.

An added thought — never leave your campsite with the water on — turn off the outside water if that is what you are using or turn off the pump if on your internal tanks. Trust me — this is a swell plan based on real-life experience[emoji3]
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Old 10-16-2021, 11:57 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mollysdad View Post
Even if the built in regulator works, it does not protect your hose and filter.
I've always kept one of the generic fixed regulators, but this year I went to the dial type adjustable.
I don't know it there's any not made in Asia, but I selected the Renator based on customer ratings.

We use the same one. Had it for a couple years with no issues. We use it in the same way…to give extra protection to the hose and filer, along with the trailer.
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Old 10-16-2021, 12:05 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mollysdad View Post
Even if the built in regulator works, it does not protect your hose and filter.
I've always kept one of the generic fixed regulators, but this year I went to the dial type adjustable.
I don't know it there's any not made in Asia, but I selected the Renator based on customer ratings.


Same ole for me.
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Old 10-16-2021, 12:34 PM   #8
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Hi

Bottom line is still that most trailers are set up so that the fresh water tank is just about the right size to fill the gray water tank in a normal use setting. If you have to rumble off to empty tanks, filling them isn't that much more of a hassle.

If you are at a site that has full hookups, you will find that tanks often do better if "dumped in bulk" than just left open. The same principle applies. When you dump this or that tank, you fill the fresh water tank.

Do you have to operate this way? Of course not. There are a lot of things about an RV that are "your choice". Each has its advantages and disadvantages. There is no one right answer that works for everybody and works all the time.

If you *do* travel with fresh water in the tank (we always do), remember to turn off the water pump before you pull out of the campground ......

Bob
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Old 10-17-2021, 04:49 AM   #9
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https://www.amazon.com/Valterra-A01-1117VP-Lead-Free-Adjustable-Regulator/dp/B003YJLAIK#immersive-view_1634466042703
I hope this shows up.
I asked etrailer.com where the Valterra A01-1117VP is made and they advised Mexico.
Sounds like everything else is Chinese, unless it’s an older model.
Vaulters is about $20 more than the Chinese brand. It figures.
On etrailer.com, you see a video of a guy hooking up the regulator directly on to the trailer. I like your suggestions on hooking to the campground faucet to protect my hose(s).
I just ordered two (2) Camco 22833 25’ hoses, along with a Camco 40043 filter which are both made in USA.
Thanks guys for the input.
Now I need to figure out how to install a water purification system.
Take care.
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Old 10-17-2021, 08:14 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spaggs View Post
https://www.amazon.com/Valterra-A01-1117VP-Lead-Free-Adjustable-Regulator/dp/B003YJLAIK#immersive-view_1634466042703
I hope this shows up.
I asked etrailer.com where the Valterra A01-1117VP is made and they advised Mexico.
Sounds like everything else is Chinese, unless it’s an older model.
Vaulters is about $20 more than the Chinese brand. It figures.
On etrailer.com, you see a video of a guy hooking up the regulator directly on to the trailer. I like your suggestions on hooking to the campground faucet to protect my hose(s).
I just ordered two (2) Camco 22833 25’ hoses, along with a Camco 40043 filter which are both made in USA.
Thanks guys for the input.
Now I need to figure out how to install a water purification system.
Take care.
Hi

The standard approach seems to be to put a regulator in front of a three or more outlet distribution block. Attach that to the campground water. Then you can route all your various hoses back to that block. We use brass quick disconnects for everything so that makes it a bit quicker.

Water filtering is not the same thing as water purification. An inline filter is a good idea to take care of fun things like sand in the campground water supply. Sand and similar debris will plug up your faucets and other plumbing stuff.

Water purification means taking out various chemical and biological goodies. A particle filter isn't going to help you there. Campground water is public water. It should be tested and certified safe from chemical and biological issues.

If water taste is the issue, something like a Brita pitcher may work for drinking water.

Bob
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Old 10-17-2021, 09:30 AM   #11
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[QUOTE

If you *do* travel with fresh water in the tank (we always do), remember to turn off the water pump before you pull out of the campground ......

Bob[/QUOTE]

A somewhat similar comment. A few years back I was down in Nayarit and I was stopped at a PEMEX for gas and the use of a bano. Emerging from the bano I was terrified to be looking at my trailer, backlit by the sun, on a dusty piece of road, watching water literally flowing out of my trailer, and not in one spot, no, it was a rainfall the length of me trailer. The horror of that image is etched into me, and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.
My discovery was that I had failed to turn off my pump. Now the pump is turned off, and my faucets are zip tied. There is a well developed ritual to moving day, but it seems that sometimes the beach/desert/forest/lake is so damn beautiful….
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Old 10-17-2021, 10:10 AM   #12
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I was convinced I needed a water regulator for a couple of years but quit using one shortly after I bought one. As you can see from photos above, they're bulky (and heavy) and sometimes there isn't enough clearance on the campground's faucet to screw it on. I really hated how it reduced water flow/pressure which sometimes is already low. So I decided to rely on the Airstream's built-in regulator. So far, so good. BTW - one thing I do before hooking up my hose to Trailer, is to run water from the hose at the faucet to see how 'hard' it comes out. Based on this probably unreliable 'eye-balling' approach, I sometimes reduce flow at the faucet by not turning it full on.
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Old 10-17-2021, 10:18 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nelson428 View Post
Same ole for me.
Ditto for me too.

One note of caution.

Watch the weather, look out for overnight freezing temps. If you leave your gauge type regulator connected, it will freeze and ruin the gauge. Found out the hard way on an unexpected overnight below freezing temp at Custer State Park. I still used the regulator, but the gage was always reading 40psi. I have a new one now and remove it if it's will get close to freezing.
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Old 10-18-2021, 06:25 AM   #14
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Originally Posted by PatLee View Post
I was convinced I needed a water regulator for a couple of years but quit using one shortly after I bought one. As you can see from photos above, they're bulky (and heavy) and sometimes there isn't enough clearance on the campground's faucet to screw it on. I really hated how it reduced water flow/pressure which sometimes is already low. So I decided to rely on the Airstream's built-in regulator. So far, so good. BTW - one thing I do before hooking up my hose to Trailer, is to run water from the hose at the faucet to see how 'hard' it comes out. Based on this probably unreliable 'eye-balling' approach, I sometimes reduce flow at the faucet by not turning it full on.
Hi

We have run into a lot of campgrounds like that as well.

I'm guessing they put the faucet 6" off the ground to make it more freeze proof. Maybe it was to save $1.30 on pipe ... who knows ....

Bob
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Old 10-18-2021, 07:31 AM   #15
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The taller the pipe, the more leverage a careless person has to break the pipe... but yes, the closer to the ground, the less chance of freezing as well.
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Old 10-19-2021, 08:31 AM   #16
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The taller the pipe, the more leverage a careless person has to break the pipe... but yes, the closer to the ground, the less chance of freezing as well.
Hi

Or they all have been snapped off over the years and the stub was all that was left ...

To me, the gotcha with everything buried in the grass is backing over it when pulling into the campsite.

Bob
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Old 10-24-2021, 09:40 AM   #17
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Hi

The more regulators you put in the line, the less flow you will get. If you are at a very unusual campground *any* regulator can have problems. ( Hint: if you turn on the water to wash your hands in the bath house and it hits the bowl and then sprays 10' up on the wall on the other side of the room ... not a good sign ....).

The risk with 200 PSI water at the campground is that you likely will rupture a hose. My simple answer is not to hook up to a system that is this badly set up.

In the case of the "200 psi" (no, I didn't put a gauge on it) campground. Our hose did fine ( = we got very lucky). The regulator in the trailer did it's job. The boathouse sink did behave exactly as described.

Bob
I seriously doubt that any campground or city water system has 200 PSI water pressure. That is in the Fire Engine pump pressure range.
We test new municipal water line systems at 150 psi.
It cost a lot of money to maintain a high pressure system so you can count on camp grounds having the minimum at best . Line pressure is rarely above 60 PSI.
Save your money and don't add unnecessary obstructions to the line.
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Old 10-24-2021, 09:48 AM   #18
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We use the Renator as above. During coast to coast trip tis summer, we had the RV park water fill fresh water tank twice. (No, I didn't hook fresh tank/black tank hoses incorrectly) I place the regulator at water source, they use a "Y" to connect hoses. Just additional protection for hoses, filter and AS.
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Old 10-24-2021, 11:13 AM   #19
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I've found that while my regulator is inbuilt in my Airstream, many of the water filters available through their filtering process, also lower the water pressure. I use one of the big blue Camco filters and connected it directly to the city water outlet at campgrounds. While I don't know the reduction factor, I know that there is a definite drop in pressure when I use one of those filters. In some cases however the outlet is too close to the ground to allow the filter to be mounted, and at that point I'll use a short connector hose to bridge the distance between the city water outlet and the filter.

Jack
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Old 10-24-2021, 11:44 AM   #20
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I Use Renator Pressure Reducer

I prefer to protect the hoses as well as the trailer so we use a Renator pressure reducer as someone previously posted an image. They are available on Amazon for about $30. I believe they are manufactured in the US. Whether the components they assemble in the US are also made in the US I don't know. I do know they provided excellent support from the US as my pressure dial stopped working and they replaced it quickly with no hassle. It has worked flawlessly since. I have concerns our built in regulator works properly as you can see hard water corrosion in it and I don't want to remove it to soak it in vinegar etc. We set ours at 40-45PSI. We never had problems with too many flow restrictions. More than likely, the Renator verifies if the water pressure is too low so that I don't have to troubleshoot other issues with the trailer when flow is low (such as hard water deposits clogging sink valves). I know some prefer a higher PSI, but we are fine with 40-45PSI as it is more than adequate to shower, wash hands, and dishes. While hoses may be relatively cheap, it can be a hassle to replace one while on a trip.
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