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After reading my post on the importance of RV water hoses, you forewent a garden hose and invested in an actual water hose designed for RVs. That was quite a while ago though, and the hose is wearing down. When is it time for a replacement?
An RV water hose can last anywhere from two to five years, with the average time of replacement about every two to four years. If you use your RV and thus the water hose frequently, expect to replace it sooner than someone who seldom camps.
In this guide, I’ll give you a timetable for replacing your RV water hose, discuss what makes the hose wear down, and even present some tips for expanding the lifespan of your water hose. After all, owning and maintaining an RV is expensive, so one less cost on your list is always nice!
This Is How Frequently You Need to Replace Your RV Water Hose
Your white or blue water hose is where potable water comes out. Since it’s only water flowing through there, that means the average RV water hose has a pretty generous life.
You can contribute to or detract from the lifespan of your RV hose based on how often you use your vehicle. If you’re someone like me who lives and camps in their RV full-time, then you can expect your reliance on your water hose will be pretty high.
The more use the hose gets, the shorter its lifespan. Maybe the hose will last you two or three years, but after that, it’s best to replace it.
Are you someone who only lives in your motorhome for a few months out of the year, such as in the summer? Your RV water hose will get far lot less use compared to full-timers such as myself. This is good news for you, as the hose should last longer, maybe as many as four or five years, sometimes longer.
3 Signs You Need a New RV Water Hose
Considering all the time and care that an RV needs season after season, admittedly, smaller items like the water hose can kind of go on the backburner. You don’t do it intentionally, but it just happens.
You wracked your brain, but you honestly can’t remember how old the hose is. Fortunately, your RV water hose will tell you when it’s time to say goodbye. Here are some telltale signs to be aware of.
1. The Water Hose Is Very Kinked
An RV water hose is like any garden hose in that misuse, or mishandling can cause the hose to kink. You might be able to work minor kinks out the first time or two they happen. Once your RV water hose is permanently bent or crinkled out of shape, then you have to get rid of it.
Water cannot travel freely through the hose as the kinks blockade its progress. This can cause the water that exits your taps to come out as a mere trickle.
2. Rusted or Corroded Fittings
It’s not only the condition of the hose you have to consider but the fittings as well.
If the fittings on one or both ends of your RV water hose have begun to rust or corrode, that’s problematic. The fittings probably won’t be able to attach to the water source anymore, as corrosion has made the fitting narrower than usual.
3. The Hose Leaks
Before, I said that kinks could prevent potable water from coming out of your RV water hose at full force. That’s not the only issue. If the hose has somehow developed a rip or tear along its length, more water will seep out of the hose than reach your tap.
It doesn’t necessarily take a large tear for the hose to begin leaking, either.
You could always study the entire length of the RV water hose to find the leak. If you track it down, you can use a garden hose repair coupling, but that’s only delaying the inevitable.
What Causes an RV Water Hose to Wear Down?
RV water hoses aren’t made of dissimilar materials compared to your average garden hose. That means the hose will be polyurethane, rubber, or vinyl.
So what breaks down these materials over time? Let’s go over the various reasons your RV water hose may be falling apart.
Cheap Materials
Of the three common hose materials, vinyl is probably the weakest.
The reason it’s favored for hoses is that it’s lightweight, so lugging along a significant length of hose doesn’t have to make you break a sweat.
If yours is a cheaper hose material, then it won’t last as long as a rubber hose.
UV Exposure
One of the biggest killers of RV water hoses (and garden hoses, too, for that matter) is exposure to UV rays.
Even when it’s not shining, the sun continues to produce UV rays. The longer your hose is in the light, the weaker it gets. Season after season, the hose wears down more and more until it splits.
Rust and Corrosion
UV rays don’t just damage the rubber or vinyl components of your RV water hose but the metal parts like the fittings as well. Sunlight can accelerate rust and corrosion, as can moisture.
Okay, but I’m sure you think it’s a hose. Of course, it’s going to get wet.
Therein lies the problem. The metal fittings are exposed to continual moisture, become rusty, and your whole RV water hose needs to go in the trash unless you want to postpone what will come soon enough and start replacing the fittings, although that can be expensive too.
Time and Use
Like anything in life, the more you use your water hose, the faster it will wear down.
How Can You Make Your RV Water Hose Last Longer?
You might not have spent much money on your RV water hose, but replacing it would still be inconvenient.
How do you make the hose last longer? Here are some tried and trusty tips!
Store Your Hose Straight
Since kinks can be the beginning of the end for your RV water hose, preventing them will go a long way towards increasing the hose’s longevity. Most people assume that you’re supposed to coil up a hose like a snake in repose. You might have thought that yourself.
In actuality, to prevent kinks, you’re supposed to keep the hose straight.
Although that would be very unpractical due to the lack of storage space in an RV while on the move, then coiling it in as big loops as you have space for and getting it out carefully and preventing it from kinking while doing so or using a specialized reel could be the next best thing.
Stash the Hose Out of the Sun
You might not be able to help that you have to use your RV water hose in the sunlight, but you can definitely help where you keep it when it’s not in use.
Besides storing it straight or in big loops in your RV, ensure the water hose is away from direct sunlight. Keep it a reasonable distance from any windows and skylights. This way, the water hose won’t bake in the sun for weeks or months at a time.
The hose itself will be in better condition, as will the fittings!
Dry Your Hose After Using It
You’ll recall that it’s not merely sunlight that’s an enemy of RV water tanks but moisture as well. Drying your hose is the best way to rid the fittings of moisture. Now, you can’t reach deep into the hose and pull out every last drop of water, nor do you have to! It’s fine if the rubber or vinyl portions of the hose are a little wet.
Focus on the fittings and get out most of the water. Shake the hose vigorously to send the loose water droplets out after every use. You can also hang up the hose so gravity can naturally direct the water down and out.
This will also prevent stale water and bacterial growth to build up; remember you will drink the water that has been through that hose, so keeping it dry and empty after use will be a win-win.
That is also why it is so important to have a potable RV water hose and not just a garden hose since you can get both legionnaires disease and lead poisoning by using a garden hose, but more on that in my other article.
