CONNECTING TO A CAMPGROUND CITY WATER SPIGOT

 What would just connecting to a city water spigot in a campground need an article for? After all you take your hose and attach to the spigot,  connect the other end of the hose to your city water connection on your Roadtrek - and turn on the water. Right? Well almost right.

 There are two things to do before what is simply described above. The first thing to be aware of is that many of these spigots are close to the ground and in many campgrounds there are dogs and other animals wandering around the campground during the day - and at night.  The dogs, especially, find these low down city water spigots a favorite thing to lift their leg against and cover the spigot at its opening and and the screw threads that you are going to attach your city water hose to. Yuck! This common.  

The most suggested way of disinfecting the spigot is to mix a solution of bleach and water in a spray bottle and spray that into the spigot opening and allover the outside of the spigot.  We did this when we first got our Roadtrek. We would mix up a batch in a spray bottle and keep it from trip to trip. Then we found out that the bleach loses its effectiveness over time - and especially mixed like this in the heat of the summer.  So we started mixing it just before we would use it - and wind up discarding more than we sprayed - and it was a pain to do this when you are trying to get through hooking up. 

I recently found out about a better spray to disinfect a campground spigot for this reason from an RV TV streaming show.  They said to spray hydrogen peroxide and that it was available already in spray bottles.  As long as hydrogen peroxide is kept in its brown bottle and kept closed it lasts for a very long time. I went out looking for hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle and found out that it is sold in Walmart stores in the pharmacy department.  

This bottle is very inexpensive and it is easy to store in the outside cabinet on the side of the Roadtrek with your hoses. Spray the inside of the spigot hole and all around the spigot head. Let is sit for five minutes and then turn on the water to flush out the spigot before you connect you city water hose. 

There is just one more thing to always do when you are connecting a city water hose to your Roadtrek. You MUST attach a Water Pressure Regulator. The best place to attach this is between the city water hose and the campground spigot. After you spray the spigot with the hydrogen peroxide - attach the city water connection to the spigot and then attach you city water FRESH hose (yes there is a special hose to use on an RV - these hoses have no lead in their connections and they are usually white hoses or a white with a blue stripe hose, or a blue hose. The hose is labeled on its packaging as "drinking water safe" or "safe for potable water".

Water pressure regulators for RVs come different ways. The one above has the max pressure it will limit through it permanently set to 40 psi - which is the most pressure you want in the Roadtrek or any RV plumbing that will not burst the pipes.  There are other preset city water pressure regulators that have an analog meter attached to see the water pressure - which is not really necessary. Then there are water pressure regulators that you set to the allowed pressure. They also have an analog meter attached to see what the water pressure is - which for this type of water pressure regulator is very important. This might seem like the best to get, but if you forget to set it or it has moved off the setting you set it to last time, you will damage your Roadtrek's plumbing.

RV accessories retailers online have all of these. Many Walmart stores have RV accessories in their Auto aisles in a section of their own on the shelves. They have the water pressure regulator shown above in the photo. They may also have a water pressure regulator that looks the same but is made of blue plastic. I do not recommend buying the plastic one - get the brass one. Plastic too easily can break or get a small crack and the pressure will be effected. 

So hooking up to city water is a little more than just connecting the hose - but it is just as easy when you add these few steps.

Also - if you are concerned about the water that comes out of a city water spigot at a campground, you can buy a filter that is attached to your city water hose and it will filter all water going into your Roadtrek (even when filling the fresh tanks through the door openings).  This is a thick walled plastic cylinder about a foot long and maybe two and a half to three inches in diameter. I have a four foot fresh water hose that I put between my pressure regulator and my long city water hose and the water filter is attached between.  We also have a regular Brita kitchen sink water filter - the same that goes on kitchen sinks at home - on the kitchen sink faucet in the Roadtrek.  This lets you know when the filter needs to be changed - and then you just take out the old cartridge and drop in a new one.  The hose filter is also found at Walmart in the RV accessories section and the Brita water filter can be found in most places that sell household items.

CARBON MONOXIDE, PROPANE, AND SMOKE DETECTORS

  Roadtrek installs detectors to protect you inside the Roadtrek from three dangers - carbon monoxide poisoning, a propane gas leak, and fire by detecting smoke.  Two of these detector units are hardwired to your 12 volt DC house battery(ies). One is powered by a common 9 volt DC battery or with the latest technology in detection devices, a 10 year battery built into the unit - and that is the smoke detector.

There are a few things to be aware of with each of these detectors - and also the history of what detectors Roadtrek has used or is currently using.  We will start with that first and then look at the different detectors. Prior to 2012/2013 Roadtrek used an individual carbon monoxide detector and an individual propane detector. Around 2012/2013 Roadtrek started using a combination carbon monoxide detector and propane detector- both functions in one unit. Roadtrek has and still uses an individual smoke detector. 

THE CO DETECTOR

CO (Carbon Monoxide) Detector alarms will go off when CO gas - engine exhaust, gasoline motor exhaust - either from your Roadtrek or your Roadtrek's generator - OR from another motor home that is running its engine or generator closed to your Roadtrek. CO gas will first cause dizziness, then will knock you out, and then without it being cleared, will kill you,  The CO Detector is hardwired to your house 12 volt battery(ies) as a safety precaution - and should never be replaced with a battery run home detector (for this and another reason). How does the gas come in?  It comes in from an open or partially open window, through the vent over your cargo doors for the A/C unit, from an open ceiling fan,  from a leak in your muffler or exhaust pipe, or from another close by RV with those problems. These units last just five years.  When they are about to expire in one month  (they have expiration dates), they will go off intermittently - without any CO present. This is to warn you that the CO detector must be replaced.  In the last month of its life span, it goes off continually - if it has not been replaced - to tell you that you absolutely MUST replace the unit NOW!  If you do not you will not be protected. If you pull the fuse to stop it - it will go off but you are NOT protected!  There is one other reason why these go off when there is no CO present - they monitor the voltage in your house battery(ies) and if the battery voltage is LOW the CO alarm goes off. This is to warn you that with a low house battery(ies) you are NOT PROTECTED from CO poisoning.  The CO Detector comes on with your Roadtrek battery switch and there will be a green light on the front of the detector indicating it is on and working. There is also a push button test button to push in and sound the alarm for you to test that it is working. The other reason why a CO Detector should not be replaced with a home detector but always with an RV CO Detector is that the operating temperature range of the RV CO detector is much wider a range from a home detector - it will work in much higher temperatures and much lower temperatures (the home detectors are made for inside a house where the temperatures are more controlled and not as hot and not as cold as the inside of an RV can get.

CARBON MONOXIDE IS LIGHTER THAN AIR AND FLOATS TO THE CEILING.

For this reason the CO Detector is installed by Roadtrek near the ceiling of the Roadtrek in the rear (usually on the passenger side). 

 

In this photo you are looking up from the bed to the ceiling - the CO Detector is just above the thermostat panel. 

THE PROPANE DETECTOR 

The Propane detector alarm will go off when propane gas is leaking into the inside of the Roadtrek. For many Roadtreks, your stove, your hot water heater, your three way refrigerator, and your furnace use propane gas that is located in a propane tank under the chassis of your Roadtrek. Any break or crack in a propane pipe, pipe joint, pipe connection, the propane tank - or any one of the appliances that use propane can put Propane gas into your Roadtrek.  Propane is EXPLOSIVE.  A propane fire does not go out until all of the propane gas is burned off. Propane fires have been known to burn an RV to its shell. Propane explosions can level a house. You only have to see a propane fire or a propane explosion once - either in person or in a photo or video to know the massive destruction it can cause. THIS is why you have a propane detector to warn you with enough time to get out and away from the RV.  Like the CO Detector, the propane detector has a five year lifespan and it will do the same thing that the CO Detector does. One month before its expiration date it will intermittently go off to warn you to replace it. In the expiration month it will go off constantly telling you that you were warned to replace it and now you MUST replace it NOW. Also it will go off if the house battery(ies) are low voltage. There are a few other things that will set off the propane alarm - any aerosol can sprayed near the propane detector will set off its alarm. Your dog passing gas next to the propane detector will set off the alarm. (I supposed a person doing the same can have the same result.)  The way to test a propane alarm is to use a cigarette gas lighter. Put the lighter next to the propane detector - close to it - and push down the button that releases the gas from the lighter - Do Not flick the wheel on the lighter - you do not want a flame. The propane detector should go off immediately. There is a light on the front of the propane detector to show you it is working. It is still advisable to do a test with a lighter.

 PROPANE IS HEAVIER THAN AIR AND SINKS TO NEAR THE FLOOR 

For this reason Roadtrek installed the individual propane detector near the floor under the bed to the aisle wall of the passenger side floor cabinet.

This is the propane detector that Roadtrek used before 2012/2013. This company has become a one man operation who is making them in his basement - and my experience with him and the replacement I bought from him was a terrible.

 

 

 

This is the Safe-T-Alert Propane Detector that I got to replace the original after the fiasco with the replacement for the original. 

THE COMBINATION CARBON MONOXIDE AND PROPANE DETECTOR

As said in 2012/2013 Roadtrek started using a combined in a single unit propane and CO detector. It does both jobs and protects you from both. Again - a five year life span with the same alarms going off as with the individual unit when it come to the month before its lifespan expires.  I have seen some Roadtrek photos were this is installed about halfway between the floor and ceiling. I asked for a photo of one of the combination detectors in a Roadtrek and this photo was kindly shared by Susan Howell. Here is a photo of the unit in her 2013 190 Popular Chevy chassis Roadtrek. You will see that is is installed near the floor.  Since this is an early year with the "new" combo detector Roadtrek may have moved it higher in later model years. There are videos showing mounting these mid-way. This is not up for debate - where yours is mounted in your Roadtrek is where it should be.  

 

THE SMOKE DETECTOR - FIRE ALARM  

 

The smoke detector that is in your Roadtrek is a regular house smoke detector. It is not hard wired to house battery(ies). It  is either run by a 9 volt DC put in the back battery or with newer replaced smoke detectors it has a 10 year never needs replacing until it dies in 10 years battery. The smoke detector is located in just about the worst place a smoke detector is to be placed -  in the front of the Roadtrek just across the aisle from the stove. If you buy a new smoke detector for your house it will have in its installation instructions that it should not be placed in a kitchen but at least 20 feet from your stove or cooking appliances. Of course, 20 feet in a Roadtrek in any direction is outside Roadtrek. So as a result the smoke detector will go off when you are cooking on the stove using an electric cooking appliance on the kitchen counter, etc.  Contrary to a belief I have heard from some (I say laughing), the smoke detector is not there to tell you that dinner is done cooking when the smoke alarm goes off. 😀

I have to share that we were heating a can of soup on the Roadtrek stove, the smoke detector went off. There was no smoke - just steam and not further than just above the pot. We tried using a two slice toaster on the kitchen counter and the smoke detector went off.  And to get it to go off we had to take if off the wall and take it outside and wave it around and then had to take the batteries out.  Even the ceiling fan exhausting out the invisible smoke did not shut the smoke alarm off.  It is important to have -  it can be funny at times but an electrical short that starts a fire  and it goes off it can save your life and your Roadtrek. But for this reason when it came time to replace the original in my Roadtrek and I found out that in this state stores are only allowed to sell 10 year smoke detectors - and you cannot take the battery out of it if it will not go off (the way you can with a 9 volt battery operated smoke detector alarm - I waited until we were on a trip in the Roadtrek and bought one in Pennsylvania, where both types can be sold, that uses a 9 volt battery.   With the 9 volt battery detectors - just like at home - if you hear it chirping and that does not stop - it needs a new 9 volt battery. And as is advised every New Year's Day - replace the battery in the 9 volt battery smoke detectors. 

REPLACING THE CO DETECTOR AND THE PROPANE DETECTOR

These two articles have been on this site for a long time. One is how to replace the individual CO Detector and the other is how to replace the individual propane detector.  When I replaced each I made some simple modifications to the wiring to make it easy to replace each when the time came again. The modifications make an easy job even easier! 

REPLACING THE CO DETECTOR 

 

REPLACING THE PROPANE DETECTOR 

(The propane alarm article details what went wrong when I tried to use an exact replacement of the original and what I finally had to do with a different one.) 

 

So that is it. Seems simple - is simple!  Obvious to all?  You might think so - but apparently not...