We get asked what the best RV drinking water hose is. Should you get one of those hoses that curls up for easier transport? We have the answer in today’s Zippy Tip video. 

What is an RV-safe drinking water hose?

The hose you use to get drinking water in your RV is different than the old garden hose of the past. Today’s garden hoses are made with a lot of recycled content including recycled e-waste in some hoses. They are absolutely not intended for safe drinking water and also aren’t rated for the constant pressure that an RV fresh water hose is under. 

An RV-safe drinking water hose has to be able to withstand constant pressure while also not imparting chemicals and harmful elements into the RV water system. 

I don’t drink my RV’s water

Even if you don’t drink the water in your RV you might use the shower or tub in your RV. Did you know the biggest organ on the human body is the skin and taking a shower means your skin is absorbing water, and some of the chemicals that may be present in the water? 

What about folding, collapsing or shrinking hoses? 

Those magical hoses that are being touted in many RV social media platforms are not intended for constant pressure that is an RV drinking water hose. Further, they tend to be cheaply made. 

We have one of these hoses that we thought was a great idea. In short order the fittings have failed but the hoses has also lost it’s elasticity so it no longer performs that magical shrinking trick that it did when it was new. 

If we didn’t use this hose for our black tank flush, we would have chucked it years ago. 

Further these hoses may not be rated for drinking water which means they may impart chemicals or other harmful elements that you just don’t want in your RV’s water system. It’s one thing to use them to flush the black tank, but a whole different thing to use them for water for yourself. 

What’s the best RV water hose?

After we have gone through lots of different hoses, by far the one we like the best is the AirGear Ultimate Water Hose. Here’s what we like about it: 

Stretches for use and coils itself up when you're done with it

• No kinks!

• Super lightweight – no more lugging a big, heavy "white" hose! 

• Won't develop pinhole leaks – even after you run it over or freeze it

• Unaffected by UV from the sun – slimy stuff won't grow inside

• Flexible even when cold – undamaged by freezing

• Capable of withstanding up to 375PSI - a ludicrous amount of water pressure that no RV could ever withstand

• No yucky water taste!

• Lead-free brass fittings with trivalent chrome plating

• 100% free of toxic chemicals such as lead, BPA, and phthalates

• Inside diameter: 3/8" (will deliver plenty of water to any RV fixture)

• Standard North American size fittings

• Made from safe virgin polyurethane: No lead, phthalates, BPA, or PVC

• Comes with a handy storage bag

Honestly we’ve left this hose outside in the freezing weather (inadvertently) and it’s just fine. We actually have two of the 25 foot hoses but there is a 50 foot model also available. 

Why not use the white RV water hose?

We have several of those white RV water hoses and they’re fine. They’re certainly inexpensive. 

But the plastic fittings on the end tend to break after they’ve sat outside for any length of time and you know you’re inevitably going to drop yours and crack it, likely at the least opportune time. 

They are also a giant pain in the neck when it comes to storage, which is probably why people are looking for something better. 

Hose tips

If you do have one of the white plastic RV hoses they do coil more easily if you leave them out in the sun and then coil them when they’re warm. This sort of “trains” the plastic. 

I also have used those Nite Ize Nite Ize Gear Tiesear Ties to keep our hoses in check and they’re handy. If you use the longer ones you can even make an additional loop to hang the hoses, if you have a provision to do so.