10 Best RV Water Filters (Recommendations Based on Usage)

Taking your RV out around the country can be incredibly rewarding and help you reconnect with nature. Unfortunately, sometimes that nature is polluted, often in the case of water supplied at campgrounds or that you store in your RV’s tank.

If you want to drink water in your RV, some sort of filtration system is a must. In some parts of the United States and Canada, microorganisms such as giardia and E. coli are present in water. In addition to capturing potentially harmful microbes, you also want to be sure you aren’t drinking or showering in water with hazardous elements such as lead or even arsenic. Here’s what to look for in an RV water filter system:

  Source: wandrlymagazine.com

Buying Guide

• Microns filtered. The best RV water filters will remove particles down to roughly four or five microns. If a filter only removes larger microns, you are still at risk for bacteria and such in your water.
• National Sanitation Certification (NSC) class rating, either I, II, or III. Class I filters will be the best at chlorine removal from your water.
• Flow rate. All water filters will slow down your water flow to some extent, so you need to balance proper filtration with the amount of water pressure you require.
• Lifespan. Many filters last around three months, but some need changed sooner, while others can last up to a year.
• Filtration type. Some units only have activated carbon, while others have kinetic degradation fluxion (KDF), reverse osmosis, and even UV light. The UV light will help sterilize water.
• Installation. Some water filters are hooked up to the line entering your RV’s water tank (also called inline), and some need mounted under the sink for filtration of drinking water only. If you need water filtered for your entire RV—showering also—you will need a unit that also filters the water entering the storage tank. You can combine filters to remove pollutants from the container, and then further filter the drinking water at your tap.

Buying Recommendations

Best Budget RV Water Filters

1. Camco TastePURE Inline RV Water Filter – Editor’s Pick

If you’re on a strict budget but still need at least some RV water filtration, we like the Camco TastePURE two-pack. These filters are super affordable, can last up to three months, and will remove the large sediment and chlorine odor.

2. AQUACREST RV Inline Water Filter

For those bulk-buying RV water filters, we are a fan of the AQUACREST four-pack. These inline filters do a fantastic job of removing larger particles, metals, arsenic, and odor. The two-stage filters use both KDF and activated carbon for extra filtration.

Best Premium RV Water Filters

1. CLEARSOURCE Premium RV Water Filter System – Editor’s Pick

If you want an RV water filter that will do more than just remove chlorine odor and large contaminants, one of our favorites is the CLEARSOURCE system. This filter is heavy duty and can remove particulate down to 0.5 microns (some organisms that can make you sick) as well as heavy metals such as lead.

2. Express Water Alkaline Ultraviolet Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System

For campers who want the best of the best in an RV water filter, our other favorite, top-of-the-line pick is the Express multi-stage system. This filter includes UV light to kill bacteria, fungi, salmonella, and other microorganisms. This filter also has active minerals to soften your water, activated carbon to capture particles, and reverse osmosis for enhanced purity.

Best RV Water Filter for Full-Time Use

1. PureDrop Aquacube 4-Stage Compact High-Efficiency Water Filter System – Editor’s Pick

When you spend most of your time in your RV and need water filtration for cleaner drinking water, we love this compact, under-sink system. The multi-stage unit removes both significant particles and small microns from your water than can make you sick.

Best Part-Time RV Water Filter

1. USA Adventure Gear 3-Stage RV/MARINE Inline Water Filter – Editor’s Pick

When you use your RV a lot, but only part-time throughout the year, replacing filters frequently can be easy to forget. We like USA Adventure’s inline filter, which uses quantum disinfection, KDF, and activated carbon, but only needs to be replaced after 25,000 gallons or one year (whichever occurs first).

Best Seasonal RV Water Filter

1. Beech Lane External RV Dual Water Filter System – Editor’s Pick

We like the Beech Lane water filter for seasonal RV travelers because this system can filter out some microorganisms as well as larger particles but will not break the bank like some more robust filters can.

Best Compact Canister RV Water Filter

1. Frizzlife Under Sink Water Filter – Editor’s Pick

We love the quick-install and simple filter change features of this compact canister RV water filter. The Frizzlife system fits under your RV sink and does a substantial job of filtration for such a simple unit. The price is reasonable, and this model has an auto shut-off feature, as well.

Best Inline RV Water Filter

1. Culligan Single Unit RVF-10 Level 1 RV External Water Filter – Editor’s Pick

If you’re looking for an affordable water filtration option or, perhaps, a less bulky unit to install, we love Culligan’s single unit, inline model. This RV filter removes odor and many contaminants before the water enters your RV tank.

Best Reverse Osmosis RV Water Filter

1. APEC Top Tier 5-Stage Reverse Osmosis Water Filter – Editor’s Pick

For an RV reverse osmosis water filtration system, we like APEC for the reasonable price, the five-stage filtering, the 50-gallon per day capacity, and the bonus faucet that comes with the kit. The filters on this unit can last quite a while, and the noise-free system can remove several types of microorganisms from drinking water.

Final Thoughts

Don’t set out in your RV without at least a budget water filter. If you can afford one that removes microorganisms, it’s a worthwhile investment in your health. Remember to change your filter cartridges as needed—a dirty water filter will not do you good. Now pick your favorite option today and get on the road to adventure and cleaner water, the way nature intended.

Last update on 2024-04-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API