Top 6 Spots to Find Potable RV Water

When your home is on wheels, finding fresh drinkable water in each new place can be tricky. But there’s no reason to let your tank go dry! I’ve found more than SIX WAYS to get potable water on the road (and most of them are FREE). Read on so you may never be without water.

Filling your RV fresh tank is a regular chore when living in a van or RV. Today, I hope to make that chore much, much easier for you.

“Where do you get water?” is one of the top questions I get on my YouTube channel and social media posts. My answer is “all over the place!” In fact, I’ve found some easy options that might surprise you. I’m going to walk you through the top six spots, and throw in a couple of bonus options so you can drive into your RV life fully-loaded.

If you would rather watch the video I did on this topic, click on the picture below to launch the YouTube video.

For those who want to read…read on!

 

Starting from my LEAST favorite to my MOST favorite, here’s where you can find water. The last one on the list was a game changer for me. You’ll love it!

#6  RV Campgrounds or Parks with Hookups

I typically boondock, but every now and then I’ll pay for a campground or park that has a hookup. They’re great for getting laundry done, dumping your trash, and of course, getting water. RV Campgrounds are generally $30-$60 a night and some can charge as high as $150 a night, depending on where you go and whether you belong to a discount club like Good Sam or Passport America. These clubs can discount your nightly rate up to 50% at their participating campgrounds.

If you’re reading this blog, chances are you don’t stay at RV Campgrounds full-time, so let’s move on to the next option.

#5  Gas Stations

Here’s a little known practice: when you go to a gas station if you look around the side of the building or in the back and see a standard outside spigot, chances are you can just run your hose to it and fill up your tanks. The key to making this option happen is to go inside to prepay for your gas at the pump. While talking to clerk, just ask, “hey, since I’m filling up my gas tank here would you mind if I topped off my RV tank with some fresh water at your spigot?”

I’ve never been turned down when I’ve asked this question. They usually tell me it’s fine and ask me to not block any traffic to the station. Next time if you see this option at a gas station, go in and ask!

#4  US Forest Service (USFS) Campgrounds

I like to camp in the mountains surrounded by trees. That means I’m camping in or boondocking near campgrounds run by the USFS. Not all USFS campgrounds have hosts, but they usually have bathrooms. And outside of those bathrooms sometimes you’ll see a water spigot. This is another great, convenient place to top off your water tank. Of course, if there is a sign telling you not to use the spigot for filling tanks, obey the rules!

Sometimes you’ll see spigots in these locations that don’t have threads on them where you can connect a hose. In that case, I recommend a water bandit. The water bandit has a large end to go over the spigot with threads on the opposite end where you attach your hose. If the flow of the water is strong you’ll have to hold the water bandit on the spigot to keep it from shooting off. No matter where you find a spigot without threads, the water bandit is a lifesaver!

While we’re on the subject of items that are a great help for filling your water tank, I highly recommend getting a short hose to use in addition to your longer hose. The short hose will help you to be more stealth and quickly get water on the fly without running a long hose. It also extends the life of the long hose because you’re switching between them depending on your circumstances.

#3  State Parks

If you know you’re going to be in a state for an extended period of time, consider getting a State Park Pass. A lot of the State Park Campgrounds have dump stations with potable water spigots located near the exit to the campground. Sometimes you’ll see signs that the dump station is only for registered campers, but usually if you have a State Park Pass, no one seems to have a problem with using the dump station fill an RV tank with water.

#2  U Haul

Not only does U Haul sell propane in most of their locations, but they have water too! Just search on Google “U Haul with RV Propane Fill” to find the franchises then look for their water spigot before going in to purchase propane. U Haul has to wash out all of those trucks they rent, so they always have spigots! Just like in Option #5 above, I ask if I can top off my water while I’m filling my propane; the service people always look at me like it’s the first time they’ve ever been asked (and maybe it is), but then they shrug and say it’s no problem.

#1  Truck Stops

Finding out I could fill my RV fresh water tank at a commercial truck stop was a total game-changer for me. The water is FREE. Truck stops are everywhere. And best of all…you don’t have to ask anybody if you can have some water! Now, I’m not talking about truck stops that cater to the RVers, like Little America that have water spigots in the RV or dump area. I’m talking about going to get water in the Commercial Truck area of the truck stops you see on the road.

Of course, these truck stops usually have gas pumps for smaller rigs (where you will typically NOT find water), but if you drive back to where the big rigs fill their diesel tanks, you’ll likely see a potable water spigot right there on the island next to the pump. National truck stop chains like Love’s or Pilot Flying J are your best bet.

SPECIAL REQUEST on this one: be good to the truckers out there. We want them to be safe; they want us to be safe. So, when you go to the Commercial Truck area, look to see if there is a line of truckers and wait for them to get through and back on the road. Don’t park your rig in the lane and leave it there to run inside and shop. They are on a time schedule and for most of us are not. Courtesy goes a long way with this option.

But Wait…There’s More!

Once I got accustomed to looking for water spigots, I look for them everywhere. I actually found one at a Laundromat and asked if I could top off my tank. They said YES! Another time I asked a guy in a Pizza Place where I could find water and he just happened to have a spigot on his building that he said I could use. City parks are also an option in some places. Seriously, there is water everywhere. You just have to keep your eagle eyes open for a spigot!

Happy Travels and Be Free

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