Help, wife won’t shower on tank water!

Johnynorthland

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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?
 
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Oh my...guess she never went swimming in the ocean or lakes or rivers? If you are sanitizing your lines before each fill up (not sure why but okay), what is the difference between that and using the water while on full hook-up? It comes out of the same source...city or well water. Good luck.
 
When did we ever worry about water from our home water system? How many times has a water leak happened on these systems, lines had to be cut for repair or replacement. Do we think the guys down in the hole are sanitizing everything before they put it all back together or flush the system out to clear whatever it was they were repairing or adding? Have you ever seen mud come out of a home pipe after a repair prior to your home? I have. If you are in the end of the run from the water treatment facility how much sanitizing chemical is still in the water by the time it gets to you and also how about those old rusty or corroded pipes that have been underground for how many years?

I suspect your water system is head and shoulders cleaner and more sanitary than any municipal water system in this nation based on what you are doing. I certainly wouldn't worry about using your water.
 
Boy with that water saving strategy I could dry camp for a long time. Sounds like a winner to me. I’m sure when the orders become to strong she will come around. Safe travels

Enjoy the journey
 
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!
 

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...[snip] 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!

Read your post to DW & she gets it...but disagrees with her thinking. We also tent camped, as a family & with Scouting (2 Eagle Scouts!). One location was so primitive that we had to pump the well water for cooking & showering (talk about cold).

By chance is your tank water going through the inhouse filtration? Have your tried Camco PureTaste Water Freshener?

"Camco TastePURE Drinking Water Freshener helps to eliminate algae and slime from your drinking water tank. Just 1 ounce for every 20 gallons of water helps remove bad smells and tastes."

Wishing you the best of luck.
 
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.
 
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So what’s her thoughts on public door handles, shopping carts, servers touching her plate, money, house made salads , other people petting her dog. Placement of her shoes in the house after being out for the day, the grandkids dirty hands touching everything in sight.
Now I feel like a walking germ!
 
Whatever she read on the internet that caused her mindset, there are stories and articles about every aspect of life on earth. Take them all too seriously and we wouldn't be towing a trailer or even driving a vehicle, let alone stepping outside the house. My dear wife has her ideas that I might not agree with, but it's her decision and I respect it. Don't sweat the small stuff...
 
When did we ever worry about water from our home water system? How many times has a water leak happened on these systems, lines had to be cut for repair or replacement. Do we think the guys down in the hole are sanitizing everything before they put it all back together or flush the system out to clear whatever it was they were repairing or adding? Have you ever seen mud come out of a home pipe after a repair prior to your home? I have. If you are in the end of the run from the water treatment facility how much sanitizing chemical is still in the water by the time it gets to you and also how about those old rusty or corroded pipes that have been underground for how many years?

I suspect your water system is head and shoulders cleaner and more sanitary than any municipal water system in this nation based on what you are doing. I certainly wouldn't worry about using your water.

Ed,

You just described my home situation to a T!!
 
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!

WELL...... Like they say.......... If it is posted on the internet..... IT MUST BE TRUE? :facepalm: :lol2:
 
You could add about 4 teaspoons of bleach to the hose just prior to filling the tank (easy way to get the chlorine in the tank), that amount will purify ~50 gallons, just like city chlorinated water. (this amount is much lower than used to cleanse an RV's fresh water system) Then get some aquarium chlorine test strips to show her that the chlorine is in the water and therefore safe to shower (then save a few used test strip to show her in the future as well) :) . ~CA

https://modernsurvivalblog.com/survival-kitchen/bleach-water-ratio-for-drinking-water/
 
Here is a good chart from the EPA for disinfecting of drinking water. https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/emergency-disinfection-drinking-water

When I was young I did a lot of hardcore mountaineering activities, so I understand wanting good safe water. This is part of the reason I drain my water heater between trips if we are not traveling for multiple weeks, and flush my hose and water lines before using our system after it has sat for a weeks. Unless I get into some nasty sulfur tasting water, I only sanitize once a year.

I can be a very sarcastic person and can think of so many places to go with this discussion. I would not have her look up the requirements to store bottled water. Nor the differences between "Natural", "Spring", "Mineral", "Filtered" bottle water. Some of them are not filtered at all, and only once a month water quality tests. Some bottling companies use tap water, river water, borehole water, etc, some have better treatments than others. You have to watch your water source closely if you are really picky. She might go back to city tap water, or straight to distilled liquor.

Good luck. I doubt out you will get her to change her mind.
 
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.

You could add about 4 teaspoons of bleach to the hose just prior to filling the tank (easy way to get the chlorine in the tank), that amount will purify ~50 gallons, just like city chlorinated water.


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

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