Help, wife won’t shower on tank water!

[craigav]

Originally Posted by pconroy

I think this is the best suggestion - chlorinate the fresh water tank, same as the municipalities do.

Keep in mind, the 4 teaspoons for 50 gallons is based on the 5.25% Sodium Hypochlorite, if using the 8.25% (more common now days) then use only 2.5 teaspoons per 50 gallons. Also, be sure the bleach has nothing else added to it such as perfumes or similar. ~CA

[craigav]

One more thought to add, and getting back to the aquarium chlorine test strips, if you fill the tank from a municipal city water supply, it likely already has plenty of chlorine therefore you wouldn't want to add more (the test strips can tell you so you can be sure), if filling from a well water supply, then you know it (likely) doesn't have chlorine and therefore add some chlorine as mentioned already (2.5 teaspoons for 50 gals at 8.25% chlorine). (Some water well systems are setup to add a small amount of chlorine as the well pump pumps, so if it isn't your well and you don't know, you should check the well water chlorine level with the test strips just to be sure you are not double dosing with chlorine.) ~CA

[pconroy]

To pile on, in my first job I was a "lab rat" in a pharma/biochem firm. Dealing with some nasty stuff. Bleach (sodium hypochlorite) is what we all used to kill things. Just in case there's some internet post out there questioning the efficacy of bleach.

[JaycoMLOK]

For some reason I keep picturing a woman rolling around the camp ground in a plastic bubble. LOL

[Ohiofinlander]

I would use the tank water for everything but drinking. My wife always drank it knowing that the tank was sanitized every spring. After watching her drink the water for a while, I finally said what the heck, and now drink it also. It's been years now with no issues, not even a slight tummy ache. Bottoms up!

With all that said, I'd leave her alone, and be grateful that you're enjoying camping. To each his/her own. Happy Travels!

[Johnynorthland]

Originally Posted by pconroy

Coupl'a of thoughts:
- one, it's the internet... 'Nuff said.


Two - We've got an emergency shower kit in ours. It's a 1500 watt immersion heater and a $30 portable shower/pump. Fill a 5 gallon "Jerry Can" with water, keep it in the RV so it doesn't get hot. Thirty mins after sticking in the immersion heater, the water is 110*F. Drop the shower pump in there and Bob's Your Uncle.


Three - have her google up how to sanitize water. You could add a small amount of bleach into your fresh water tank. Or zip over to a camping store a grab a bottle of water purifying tablets. Drop those in.


Four - those blue filters don't sanitize anything at all. So, to tell someone they're wrong - you need to start off by telling them they're right. She's right - the blue inline filters don't do boo. Well, they separate you from $20, but that's about all they do.

Thanks, I ordered a test kit and that tank water sanitizing chemical that I listed. I’ve drank out of pumps numerous times when walking through a seminary as a kid!

[Johnynorthland]

Originally Posted by Ohiofinlander

I would use the tank water for everything but drinking. My wife always drank it knowing that the tank was sanitized every spring. After watching her drink the water for a while, I finally said what the heck, and now drink it also. It's been years now with no issues, not even a slight tummy ache. Bottoms up!

With all that said, I'd leave her alone, and be grateful that you're enjoying camping. To each his/her own. Happy Travels!

Thanks, yea, whatever makes her comfortable!

[spoon059]

I'd recommend either a good therapist or a good RV dealer to trade your camper in. Not sure what else you are looking for. Its a shower, water is fine.

[Colorado]

Originally Posted by Johnynorthland

We’ve been RVing for 6 years. We’ve had 3 Rv’s, always used the blue external filtered, to filter the water, but never drank it.

This is our first time boondocking with no water hookups. I sanitized the tank, the day before we left.
(I sanitize before every trip!) it’s been 11 days since I sanitized the tank. I top off the tank at every campground we stop at and we use the water while underway to each destination.

While I was just taking a shower she decided to go on the internet and research. When I came out she said, “ I’m not showering until tomorrow, when we get to our next campsite with hookups”!

To conserve water, I ran about a gallon of water into a clean bucket to warm up the hot water in the shower. I then use that to wash dishes. I showed her the water in the bucket, it’s crystal clear, no smell, she even agreed! Still doesn’t trust it. I said oh well, I’m clean!

I don’t know what else to tell her to convince her it’s ok?

Don’t do anything, if she doesn’t wanna shower that’s her choice. But I would tell Mine if you start to stink you’re sleeping on the couch end of discussion. Decisions have consequences!

[Cincinnati Kid]

Originally Posted by Johnynorthland

She said it’s too hot for our water to be safe! She read that water in a holding tank is only good for 15 days!, I said no way! Even then, we’re not drinking it!, it’s a shower! She said she read people have gotten sick from a parasite in tank water, but nowhere did it say from showering, I bet it was from drinking only!

I tent camp my whole life, she would never tent camp. I use to take my kids tent camping. I’ve bath in lakes in the scouts, I swim in all kinds of water. She never goes past her ankles in any body of water. Ok maybe I get that fear, but our tank water is so clean you can drink it.

We started camping in some harvest host. She found one with full hookups, then this one, we were in last night in NM only provided electric.

I’m thinking of finding some type of water testing kit that I can check every time she showers, if there is such a thing!

She’s such a glamping diva! I want to get away from these crowded parks and be self contained, I just added solar and a solar generator, I got to get her passed this fear some how! I want to camp in more places like the one we’re at now!

You don't need her to get past her fear. You need to find a way to help her enjoy camping if you expect her to camp with you. Maybe find a way to solar heat bottled water and use a portable shower. It's cheap and clean. You found ways and spent money to be able to camp away from the full hookups- now find a way to take clean showers off the grid.

[MichaelO]

Originally Posted by Johnynorthland

We’ve been RVing for 6 years. We’ve had 3 Rv’s, always used the blue external filtered, to filter the water, but never drank it.

This is our first time boondocking with no water hookups. I sanitized the tank, the day before we left.
(I sanitize before every trip!) it’s been 11 days since I sanitized the tank. I top off the tank at every campground we stop at and we use the water while underway to each destination.

While I was just taking a shower she decided to go on the internet and research. When I came out she said, “ I’m not showering until tomorrow, when we get to our next campsite with hookups”!

To conserve water, I ran about a gallon of water into a clean bucket to warm up the hot water in the shower. I then use that to wash dishes. I showed her the water in the bucket, it’s crystal clear, no smell, she even agreed! Still doesn’t trust it. I said oh well, I’m clean!

I don’t know what else to tell her to convince her it’s ok?

You could help her out.

[KCSA75]

Originally Posted by Colorado

Don’t do anything, if she doesn’t wanna shower that’s her choice. But I would tell Mine if you start to stink you’re sleeping on the couch end of discussion. Decisions have consequences!

Bingo!

[Johnynorthland]

Lol, I wish it was that easy but she usually wants to showers twice a day. I think that test kit I bought will solve her issues!

Also she doesn’t realize that when she showered yesterday morning, when we got to a full hookup CG, the HW tank was full of fresh tank water from me showering the night before! So I’ll wait another day to tell her that!

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by Johnynorthland

Lol, I wish it was that easy but she usually wants to showers twice a day.

You know, twice a day is a helluva lot better than twice a month!

[Johnynorthland]

Originally Posted by pconroy

You know, twice a day is a helluva lot better than twice a month!

Lol, we live in sweaty South florida, sometimes you have to! But we just started snowbirding this year, so we should beat the crazy heat. I’m in Willcox AZ, passing through, woke up to 44° temps this morning going up to 87°! But we’re going on further north Period

[Finally Able]

So, unless I missed it, what are her thoughts about washing the dishes in it?

[Johnynorthland]

Originally Posted by Finally Able

So, unless I missed it, what are her thoughts about washing the dishes in it?

She’s Obviously to it! I’m not bringing it up.

[Jagiven]

Originally Posted by Johnynorthland

She’s Obviously to it! I’m not bringing it up.

Wise move