Community Forums

Ready2Travel · 10-21-2017, 08:23 AM

We bought this one in Jan this year:

https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Mobi...water+softener

$215, same as "On The Go", different name. Probably the largest portable you will find, 16000 grains. It is larger in diameter than the 10000 grain unit but still is not too tall to carry vertical in the basement.

With the larger unit we have had to regenerate 2 weeks to 5 weeks depending on the water usage and hardness of the water at your location.

With the dishwaher, washer/dryer and lots of cooking in the kitchen we use a lot of water.

One mistake I made when we 1st got it was running the flush water too fast when regenerating. It needs to be flushed slow, takes about 30 minutes to flush out salt. The larger tank uses 4 lbs of non-iodized table salt when regenerating. I've learned that rather than trying to pour 4 lbs of salt in the small access plug I just unscrew the entire head unit to put in the salt. Also learned that when flushing although you must go slow you need to turn water volume up to normal for a few minutes before completing the flush. You taste the water to determine when the salt is flushed out, that few minute full volume flush at the last gets out a bit more of the salt after the taste test indicates salt is gone when flushing slow.

rbr · 10-21-2017, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ready2Travel

We bought this one in Jan this year:

https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Mobi...water+softener

$215, same as "On The Go", different name.

The head of that one is not the same as my On-the-Go. Can't say whether better or worse, but definitely not the same.

Setup | On The Go Portable Water Softeners

Cat · 10-21-2017, 05:38 PM

I'm sure you know but Az water is very saturated with minerals and contaminates. That means you will have regenerate often. So buy the highest grain softener you can afford and carry ( they get very heavy if you lift them in and out) to recharge/regenerate. Good luck

Ready2Travel · 10-21-2017, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbr

The head of that one is not the same as my On-the-Go. Can't say whether better or worse, but definitely not the same.

Setup | On The Go Portable Water Softeners

Yes, head is different, other than that looks the same. Like the large cap on the head of the On-The-Go, easier to put in salt.

rbr · 10-21-2017, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ready2Travel

Yes, head is different, other than that looks the same. Like the large cap on the head of the On-The-Go, easier to put in salt.

The internals and the resin are the key components. Without doing an extensive side by side test using the same water there’s no way to know how they compare.

rbr · 10-21-2017, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cat

..... ( they get very heavy if you lift them in and out) ...

I have the double sized On-the-Go and it is heavy on my bad back getting it into a compartment under the drop-down slide. I’ve been blowing the water out with compressed air which helps a little. That’s really the only thing that makes me want one of the permanently installed auto-regen softeners.

EVsCoach · 10-21-2017, 08:41 PM

We are extremely pleased with our large On-The-Go, especially the ease of hook up, regeneration, and portability. We have a pull-thru slide in our aft bay door and the only drawback is I have to tilt it just a little to load it for travel. We also carry a Trager grill on this slide out so it is just a matter of which one I pull first to fully extend slide. Our coach has only had soft water since we took receipt of it in 2014 and I would do it all over again, the same way! [emoji41]

hawgguy · 10-22-2017, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbr

That’s really the only thing that makes me want one of the permanently installed auto-regen softeners.

I was having to do it every week. And a charge would only last 4-5 days with west Tx water, that's what pushed me to the permenantly installed softener. $450 well spent.

brobox · 10-22-2017, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hawgguy

I was having to do it every week. And a charge would only last 4-5 days with west Tx water, that's what pushed me to the permenantly installed softener. $450 well spent.

They way your coach is used, and the water in your area....the only way to go. If I wintered in AZ, that type of softener is well worth looking into. I couldn't believe the water there and what made a believer out of me for RV water softeners after just a week.

FreshAir · 10-22-2017, 11:09 AM

OP Here. Due to all the great information and discussions on this thread, exactly what I needed, I have decided on the large On-The-Go Double Standard which I need real soon and can pick up tomorrow.

For the last twelve years we have been spending winters, 5 months, in AZ and putting up with the extremely hard mineral water.With our other MH's it was more of a nuisance than a problem but in the last two winters with the Entegra we are starting to experience signs of possible problems to come due to the quality of the water. The water softener will likely remain in our laundry facility on our property in AZ if it doesn't pass the two week travel test to AZ in the MH starting in about a week. If it's too heavy or awkward in the coach we will get an additional smaller one to remain in the coach for when needed.

Any thoughts?
Tks again,
Pat

PS, Just read Chuck's, Bob's & RBR recent comments. What size mobile softeners are you referring to, 16,000 Double Standard? Maybe I should consider installing a permanent home softener in our laundry bldg? If I have to regenerate every week or two that's not good. It's not what were looking for. ???? Maybe I better slow down and rethink this?

rbr · 10-22-2017, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FreshAir

...PS, Just read Chuck's, Bob's & RBR recent comments. What size mobile softeners are you referring to, 16,000 Double Standard? Maybe I should consider installing a permanent home softener in our laundry bldg? If I have to regenerate every week or two that's not good. It's not what were looking for. ???? Maybe I better slow down and rethink this?

My comments were based on the "On-the-Go Double Standard" portable unit. If I were routinely in a very high hardness water location for long periods (a full season every year, for example), _and_ had a storage or laundry unit on my site where I could install a residential softener to pass water to the coach, that's almost surely what I'd do. Depending on where you travel in the other months you'll have to learn hardness levels in the water to decide whether to get the single or double for travel (or an automatic unit in the coach). Some places you may travel will not need a softener (I was very surprised, for example, to find very low conductivity and hardness in the city water of Pagosa Springs CO - lowest I've ever seen in a city water supply).

Flanz · 10-23-2017, 07:31 AM

We also use the large On-the-Go water softener and a three stage water filtration system. Water is filtered prior to going into the softener. The three filters allow us to use different filters for changing water conditions, as we move around, as well as view the current status of the filters. We're fulltime RVers.

The filters and water softener system is mounted in the cargo bay, but I've plumbed the softener in a way that I can remove it. Regeneration of the softener can be accomplished without removing anything, but to backflow I've decided to set up the softener for removal so that I can inspect it. I tend to back flow at least twice a year so taking it in and out hasn't been an issue.

I've also eliminated the baby filter for the kitchen sink drinking water and re-plumbed the whole house filter to filter drinking water. This way I have flexibility on the type of filters I can use. We currently use a 0.5 micron block carbon filter for this.

All an all we're very happy with this setup. The other day I added a water flow meter to see how much water we currently use. Hopefully this will help to determine the amount of water used in-between regen's and filter changes. I also added a pressure gauge after the filters to help determine when filters need to be changed.

Pknappe · 10-23-2017, 08:10 AM

The regeneration cycle on these units seems sort of hokey. Has anyone measured the hardness level coming out after the regeneration? On home units, you need to backflush, the slowly draw in the brine solution, followed by a couple of rinses. There is no valve on these units.

I work in the water business for the past 30years. Plenty of sub rate equipment being foisted off to people.

brobox · 10-23-2017, 08:31 AM

Pat, if I had a place to install a residential unit on a long term lot, that would be the way to go. You mentioned "laundry facility", that would be perfect for the laundry as well.

The maintenance on the new RV's with electric toilet valves, faucet cartridges etc. without a water softener will take it's toll in a short period of time depending where you travel.

I have the small On the Go as the was the only one on the market when I bought mine. It is small, easy to carry and a one beer job to regenerate. If I stayed in one spot longer I would have the larger unit that is now available.