When we first hit the road, I assumed we’d need a hose. Maybe two if we wanted a backup. Something safe for drinking water and we’d be good to go.
But RVs come with multiple water ports—each with its own purpose. You’ve got a city water connection for your fresh water. A separate inlet for your black tank flush. And if your rig has one, a spray port off the side for rinsing gear or muddy feet. That’s three hookups—and unless you like filling your fresh water tank with the same hose that just blasted out your black tank, you’ll want three separate hoses.
Different lengths, different diameters, different bins. It sounds like a lot until you’ve stood at a weirdly placed spigot with a hose that’s five feet too short and no way to make it work without dragging out your backup gear or rerouting everything.
Here’s what we use, why it works, and what we’d recommend if you’re building your setup from scratch.
If you’re new to RV life or you’re still just using that one hose you pulled from your garage, here’s how we ended up with three—and why we’ll never go back.
Types of RV Water Hoses
Hose Diameter and Water Flow
Most RV hoses come in either 5/8-inch or 3/4-inch diameter. Both are common and work fine with standard campground hookups, but the difference in water flow can matter—especially if you’re filling your fresh tank or flushing your black tank.
To give you an idea:
- A 25-foot hose with a 5/8-inch diameter can output around 44 gallons of water per minute.
- A 25-foot hose with a 3/4-inch diameter can output about 72 gallons per minute.
So if you’re filling a black tank, that 3/4-inch hose gets the job done way faster. But for daily use—especially on city water where pressure is already regulated—you don’t really need that much volume. A 5/8-inch hose is plenty for things like showers and dishwashing.
Understanding Hose Types Before You Buy
Before we break down the three hoses we use, let’s talk about what’s actually out there—and what each one is good for. Most people assume a hose is a hose. But in RV life, the right type makes a huge difference in convenience, safety, and how many times you’ll cuss during setup.
Fresh water hoses are designed for potable water and come in a range of materials: polyurethane, rubber, and PVC. If you’re planning to use your RV water system for anything other than rinsing off gear, you’ll want a hose labeled “drinking water safe” or NSF/ANSI-61 certified. That’s the standard that ensures it’s safe for food and water contact.
Here’s a breakdown of the types—plus what they’re actually good for:
Potable Water Hoses – Made specifically for drinking water. Look for certification labels like NSF/ANSI-61. These are what you want for your fresh water hookup.
Marine Potable Water Hoses – Built for boats but often used in RVs. Usually heavier-duty, and a good option if you want something more durable for full-time setups.
RV Water Hoses – Designed for campground hookups. Lightweight, easy to store, and usually labeled safe for drinking water.
Garden Hoses – Some say they’re safe for potable water, but most aren’t. Double check before using one as your drinking water line.
Reinforced Hoses – Have a visible layer of synthetic cord strands. More durable and less likely to kink, which is helpful if you’re moving often. Available in both potable and non-potable versions—check the labeling.. Available in both potable and non-potable versions, so check the labeling.
Non-Reinforced Hoses – Cheaper and more prone to kinks and wear. Fine for occasional use or backups. Also come in potable and non-potable types, so don’t assume safe-by-default.. Also come in both potable and non-potable types, so don’t assume safe-by-default.
Opaque Hoses – Block light to help prevent algae growth. Ideal if you’re camping in sunny areas or leaving your hose connected for days. Available in both potable and non-potable versions—read the specs.. You’ll find both potable and non-potable versions of these, so read the specs.
And a quick note about rubber hoses: yes, they’re durable. But they’re also heavy, bulky, and hard to drain or coil—especially if you’re trying to pack them into an RV undercarriage bin. They might be fine if you’re staying put for a while, or if you’ve got a truck bed to stash them in. But for moving frequently? Not our favorite.
Hose 1: Fresh Water
This connects your RV to the campground spigot. It’s the water you’ll use for showering, dishes, brushing your teeth—whatever runs through your RV taps.
We don’t drink from our RV system, but if you do, this hose matters even more. Make sure it’s rated for potable water (RV or marine safe). After trying a few, we’ve learned what actually matters: it shouldn’t kink, it should drain easily, and it should fit in the bin without turning into a coiled mess.
Lighter colors take longer to thaw, so we stick with a darker hose. If we forget to unhook it overnight (which happens), it’s at least a little more forgiving.
Hose 2: Black Tank Flush
This one connects to the flush port on your black tank and rinses it out. It’s spraying clean water, but it hits some not-so-clean parts of the system—so it needs to stay separate. We use a green-colored hose and store it in its own bin. I don’t want to accidently mix the fresh water with the black tank hose.
You don’t need anything special here, just something that’s clearly not for fresh water. You can even buy one that’s pre-labeled if you don’t want to think about it.
Hose 3: Spray Port
If your RV has a spray port, this hose is one of those things you’ll end up using more than you think. Muddy dog paws, sandy feet, outdoor gear, camp chairs—it all gets a rinse before coming inside.
Ours is 15 feet, which has been perfect for how we use it. You could probably go up to 25 feet if you need more reach. Anything longer just takes up unnecessary space and becomes a tripping hazard at your campsite. (Side note: here’s a fun video on how to “fix” a spray port.)
Water Filtration
Even if you’re not drinking the water from your RV taps, you still want to run it through a filter. Campground hookups are unpredictable—sometimes the water smells like a swimming pool, sometimes it comes out brown for the first few seconds, and sometimes it just tastes like metal.
A basic inline filter is enough to take the edge off: it cuts chlorine smell, filters out sediment, and helps keep your pipes from getting coated with mineral buildup. We use one mostly to protect our system and make showering and dishwashing less gross.
If you’re drinking the water or using it for coffee, cooking, or baby bottles, you’ll want something better—either a multi-stage filtration system that connects to the hose or a countertop filter that handles it once it’s inside.
For gear specifics, scroll down to the “What We Use and Why” section.
How Long Should Your Hoses Be?
We carry 50-foot hoses for both fresh water and black tank flush. That might seem long, but we’ve needed every foot more than once—especially when the spigot’s nowhere near the hookups.
For the spray port, keep it short. Ours is 15 feet and that’s perfect.
Could you trim those lengths down? I wouldn’t. We’ve never once wished we brought less hose.
What we use:
- 50 ft for fresh water
- 50 ft for black tank flush
- 25 ft (or less) for spray port
Our Setup
Here’s what we actually carry and use regularly:
- Zero-G RV/Marine Hose (50 ft) – We use two: one for fresh water, one for black tank flush. For fresh water, we use the Zero-G 4001-50 5/8-Inch in black. For flushing, we use the Zero-G Pro 4300-50 3/4-Inch in green. The 3/4-inch fills the black tank faster, which we appreciate. Both are lightweight, flexible, drain well, and pack flat without a fight.
- Valterra Spray-Away 15′ Coil Hose – This is our spray port hose. Compact and just the right length to be useful without being in the way.
Hose Accessories
You don’t need a bunch of extras, but there are a few things that make life easier:
- Water pressure regulator with gauge – Because some campgrounds crank the pressure and we don’t want to blow a line.
- Brass hose splitter / Y-valve – So we can leave both hoses hooked up and not have to swap them constantly (choose a low-lead option).
- Elbow Hose Saver – Nice for when the spigot is almost against the ground and you don’t want your hose to have a kink.
- Flexible Hose Protector – Not a necessity, but useful if you’re going to hook your water filter up to the side of the RV rather than the spigot.
Other Gear We Recommend
Hoses to consider:
- Zero-G RV/Marine Hose (50 ft) – Flexible, drains well, easy to store
- Camco EvoFlex – Reinforced and kink-resistant; a bit more structure if you prefer that
- Legacy SmartFlex Marine Hose – Slightly sturdier; better for long-term setups or less frequent movers
- Camco TastePURE hose – A bit bulky, but reinforced and leadfree certified
Water filtration to consider:
- Camco TastePURE Inline Filter – A reliable budget option for basic sediment and chlorine filtering
- Clear Source – Higher-end multi-stage filtration; mounts outside and ideal for full-timers
- Blu Technology Filters – Multi-stage filtration with customizable options
- Berkey – Countertop system; best if you want to filter water after it enters the RV
This is the RV hose setup we’ve had for about 5 years now, and it’s stuck for a reason—three hoses, a basic filter, a pressure regulator, and a splitter. Not because it’s fancy. Because it works.
We’ve gone through a few hose setups—ones that kinked too easily, were impossible to drain, or didn’t reach when we needed them to. We’ve dealt with hookups that made no sense, freezing temps, bins that wouldn’t close, and more than a few campgrounds that made us rethink everything.
This version works. It’s not fancy, but it’s reliable, packs easily, and keeps everything separated the way it should be.
If you’re figuring out your RV water setup, I hope this gives you a decent head start. We’ve kept it simple and separate—because once you’ve had to untangle a kinked hose in the rain or hook up in the dark while second-guessing which line is which, you start to care about the details. This setup has kept things running smoothly for us—and if it saves you even one annoying campsite scramble, then worth it.
Heads up: This post contains a few affiliate links. If you click and buy, I might earn a small commission—just enough to help keep the blog running. I only recommend products we actually use while living full-time in our R-Pod 192.
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