I have read that some motorhome owners install a water softener into their rig. Any opinions?
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We carry one vs have it installed. We have been in locations it was critical (New Mexico and parts of Maine). It does take up some storage space, especially if you have it installed (not sure that would be possible in some LD models due to the height needed for the unit). They also use a fair amount of water when backwashing.
I have been using the RV Waterstick with good results. You can fill your tank or use inline from city water supply. Regeneration will be required after approximately 500 gallons depending on the degree of hardness of the water.
There are two versions applicable for RVs: RV Stick, $190 or the Mini Stick, $79.
You searched for Rv water stick - WaterSticks (https://watersticks.com/?s=Rv+water+stick)
When we had the LD, we never bothered with a water softener. I'm not sure where we'd have put one large enough to be useful. After fulltiming in this Bus for a while and staying in places with really hard water, we bought a Watts RV-Pro 10,000 grain water softener. This is a portable unit that usually gets hooked up if staying more than a couple of nights. Most of the connections are set up with quick disconnects, so setting it up and taking it down is pretty easy. Depending on water hardness, we need to recharge it (uses plain table salt) after 2-4 weeks.
HTH,
Art
Thank you, everyone, for sharing. I am trying to "soaking up" as much info as possible before purchasing a new LD rig.
This is a popular model for RVs: On The Go portable water softener (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FCE0MQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
Hard water is rough on faucets and shower heads and it make it harder to keep sinks, toilets, shower stalls, etc. clean.
It is also rough on our hair and skin.
Consider where you will be using your RV - western states have more hard water than eastern states.
And consider how much time you will spend in your RV (a couple weeks a year is different than full timing).
Water softeners are popular for sticks and bricks homes in cities that have hard water, like Phoenix.
That said, very soft water (I experienced this in Mississippi), means lots more water is needed to rinse the soap off.
Jane