Water Filter on Sunstar 29VE

[marudnick]

We're new owners of a 2019 Sunstar 29VE, taking delivery next month. (I'm also new to this forum.) I'm trying to figure out whether we need a filter in addition to the one that is installed on the RV. Can anyone tell me what is the type of filter and whether it's recommended to use an additional filter?

Thanks.

[Morich]

Sounds like you're starting a new adventure and trying to get the feet solid before you get the RV. Good plan!
So that means you have ideas but lack solid info, so maybe I can point to some info that can give you lots of info to read until you can get in and crawl through it all.
First point might be to look at the owners manual online until you get the books with the RV.
Link to manual but if you don't have a serial number, just go with one of the two choices as pretty close with likely some detail options changed. Not a true bible in every case but pretty good starters!
https://winnebagoind.com/resources/m...anuals2019.php
Run down to page 7-4 for info on the filter! Not real specific as to what is in the filter but I might call it good until I found some problem. Whether another filter to do better at clearing odor or taste is needed is a kind of personal thing depending on how you perceive those items. We have been in RV since about 1965, camped in dozens of states and never found what we called bad water that prompted us to look for a solution. This year we did go for one of the small inline types but it is likely your built in is quite a bit better. If you deal with water supplies that are approved for use and not some farmers well, the water is safe to drink but it may have flavors or odors which are different than your home supply, so it may bother you.
But worst case, it appears that you have a canister filter and can buy different grades and types of cartridge to go in the filter. Carbon type is better for color, taste and odor. If it seems like it might be a bother, take a spare cartridge or two along to try out what fits your personal idea of "good enough".

[be happy]

Morich gave you some very good info. You do not want to over filter as the filtering will effect your water pressure to some extent. If you want to add you may think about a separate line for drinking water with an under sink filter. My current coach as this type of set up and I think it makes a difference.

[marudnick]

Thanks for both of your comments. I actually previously downloaded the manual. It mentions the filter but it doesn't give a lot of details on how much it filters. I guess I'll just have to wait until we get the rig. Good idea on the possibility of adding a filter under the sink. I'll see if that's a possibility.

Now if we can just resolve the corona virus issue we'll all be happier.

Regards,

[creativepart]

Is the filter on the Sunstar a whole house filter? Our Adventurer only has an undersink filter that filters the kitchen sink cold water only.

We don't drink our RV water we carry gallon spring water. We buy 4 bottles at the start of a trip and then refill them with Reverse Osmosis filtered water from Whole Foods and other natural grocers. We get new ones at the start of every trip.

By the way, I have had trouble finding the replacement filter for my kitchen filter. I can't find the exact model online anywhere, and when I bought one that was the same type it didn't fit. So, in 2.5 years we've only had that one filter.

The fridge filters are easy and we do replace that every 3 months or so.

I feel we need a whole house filter I just haven't figured out how I want to do that yet.

[Morich]

This does appear to be a whole house filter and assuming they did not go to the trouble of designing/building something "special" that means there are almost a dozen different types of filter media to choose from and they are often just off the shelf at most any big box store. Breeding tropical fish, I got a pretty good exposure to what it takes to filter water and some of the reasons we choose one filter media over another.
One of the first things to decide is what you want to remove, something mechanical like sand or other debris or taste, odor or color.
For better mechanical if you feel you are getting grit or sand in the water, some type of mechanical media to actually strain the water is best and those come in different grades normally defined by how small the openings and how fine the debris they clear. Finer at first seems best as most of us don't want to feel anything in the water if we are drinking it but the downside is that smaller holes get stopped up quicker, therefore need changed more often. If we are on decent, fully approved water supplies and good plumbing, we likely won't need mechanical as it is already filtered at the treatment plant. Some do feel better if they do it, so personal choice is a big thing.
Then one where more of us are likely to want something improved is the taste, whether it is water from southern lakes where the water tends to taste skunky or way too close to the cow or if there are minerals in the ground, or some folks who object to the taste and smell from chlorine or chloramine treatment, a carbon filter may be what we need.
Carbon does have an amazing ability to clear taste, odor and even color from water but it comes at a price, both in purchase price and how often we need to change it out. Carbon has tiny little holes in the surface and that if where the filtering gets done but those tiny little holes do get filled sooner and if we wait too long, we may find they have stopped up and we are still getting the ugly stuff we thought we cleared! Folks who have had fish tanks may remember the little boxes of activated carbon setting in the corner? That is very much the same stuff we get in whole house carbon filters, so keep in mind we have to change them when they start acting like our fish filters!
Basic idea is that we pay a price in some form when we want better water.

[Cover Dog]

www.rvwaterfilterstore.com

This site should answer any questions you have.