7 Best Hose Inlet Strainers For RV Water Hookups Nomads Swear By

You pull into a new campsite, hook up your fresh water hose, and turn on the spigot, only to find your kitchen faucet sputtering with weak pressure. The culprit isn’t the campground’s water system; it’s a tiny piece of grit that has just clogged your faucet aerator, or worse, your water pump. This is why a simple hose inlet strainer isn’t just an accessory—it’s the first line of defense for your entire RV plumbing system.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases. Thank you!

Why Inlet Strainers Protect Your RV Plumbing System

Every time you connect to a new water source, you’re rolling the dice. Campground spigots, well water hookups, and even city supplies can introduce sand, sediment, rust flakes, and other small debris into your lines. Without a filter, this grit travels directly into the most sensitive parts of your RV.

Think of an inlet strainer as a bouncer for your plumbing. It stands at the door—the end of your hose—and stops trouble before it gets inside. This protects your water pump’s delicate diaphragm, prevents faucet aerators from clogging, and keeps the valve in your toilet from getting stuck open. It’s a tiny, inexpensive part that prevents some of the most common and annoying (and potentially expensive) plumbing headaches on the road.

The key is understanding that this isn’t about water purification. A strainer won’t remove bacteria or chemicals. Its only job is to catch the physical junk that can wreak mechanical havoc. For less than the price of a fancy coffee, you can save yourself hours of frustration and the cost of replacing a pump or faucet.

Camco Hose Filter Washer: The Simple Essential

This is the absolute baseline of protection, and every RVer should have a few spares. The Camco Hose Filter Washer is just a standard rubber hose washer with a small, stainless steel mesh screen in the middle. You pop it into the female end of your fresh water hose, and you’re done. It’s brilliantly simple.

Its main advantage is its cost and availability. You can find them everywhere, and they cost next to nothing. They do a surprisingly good job of catching larger grains of sand and sediment that would otherwise clog an aerator. I keep a half-dozen of these in my toolkit at all times.

The tradeoff is their small surface area. They clog fast if you’re at a site with particularly sandy water. You’ll notice the pressure drop quickly, and you’ll have to disconnect the hose, pry the little screen out, rinse it, and put it back. They are also prone to falling out and getting lost. It’s basic protection, but basic is infinitely better than nothing.

SHURFLO Classic Strainer: Clear Debris Viewing

The SHURFLO strainer is a major step up for one simple reason: the clear plastic bowl. Instead of guessing when your filter is clogged, you can see the debris accumulate in real-time. This is more than a convenience; it’s a diagnostic tool. If you see a lot of junk collecting after just a few hours, you know you’re dealing with a poor water source.

This strainer screws directly onto your RV’s city water inlet, and your hose then connects to it. When it’s time to clean, you just unscrew the bowl by hand, dump the contents, rinse the stainless steel screen, and screw it back on. The whole process takes less than a minute and requires no tools.

This design is a game-changer for anyone who travels frequently and connects to a wide variety of water sources. The ability to quickly check and clean your filter without disconnecting everything is a massive quality-of-life improvement. It turns a potential problem into a simple, routine maintenance task.

Valterra Hose Screen Washer: A Reliable Basic

Much like the Camco version, the Valterra Hose Screen Washer is a no-frills, essential piece of gear. It’s a simple screened washer that provides a fundamental layer of protection against sediment. For many RVers, this is all they’ll ever need, especially if they tend to stay in well-maintained parks with clean water supplies.

Where it stands out is in its reputation for solid construction. While functionally identical to its main competitor, many long-time RVers find the Valterra screens to be slightly more robust, holding their shape better after being removed for cleaning. This can mean a longer lifespan and less chance of the screen mesh tearing away from the rubber washer.

Ultimately, choosing between the Valterra and Camco washers comes down to availability and personal preference. They both do the same job. The crucial takeaway is to use one of them, always. Forgetting this simple part is an invitation for grit to invade your water pump and fixtures.

Joywayus Stainless Steel Filter: Built to Last

If you’re tired of flimsy mesh screens that tear or plastic housings that crack, the Joywayus filter is your answer. This inline filter is typically constructed from a solid brass or stainless steel body with a high-quality, fine-mesh stainless steel screen inside. It’s designed to withstand the rigors of the road and frequent use.

The key benefit here is durability. You won’t be replacing this filter every season. The all-metal construction resists corrosion and can handle higher water pressure without flexing or failing. The internal screen is also much more robust than the simple washer-style screens, meaning it can be cleaned repeatedly without damage.

This is the "buy it for life" option in the world of basic strainers. It costs more upfront than a pack of washer screens, but it pays for itself by not needing constant replacement. It’s for the nomad who prioritizes robust, reliable gear over disposable convenience. If you’ve ever had a cheap plastic filter crack and cause a leak at 2 AM, you’ll understand the value immediately.

Camco Brass Inline Filter: Enhanced Sediment Stop

This filter represents a perfect middle ground. It’s more robust and effective than a simple screen washer but less bulky than a full twist-on pump strainer. The Camco Brass Inline Filter connects between your main hose and a shorter leader hose, capturing sediment before it even enters your primary hose.

Its design provides a much larger screen surface area than a washer. This means it can capture more debris before your water pressure starts to drop, reducing the frequency of cleanings. The brass housing is durable, and the replaceable screen element is easy to access and rinse out.

This is an excellent choice for RVers who often find themselves at state parks, boondocking spots, or older campgrounds where the water quality is unpredictable. It provides a higher level of filtration without adding the complexity of a larger canister system. It’s a set-it-and-forget-it solution for an entire trip, rather than a component you might have to check daily.

Kohree RV Pump Strainer: Twist-On Protection

While designed to be installed directly on the inlet side of your 12-volt water pump, many savvy RVers adapt these strainers for their city water inlet. The Kohree strainer features a large, clear bowl and a high-capacity mesh basket that can be removed with a simple twist. This design offers superior filtration capacity and is the easiest to clean of all the options.

By using a few common brass fittings from a hardware store, you can attach this directly to your RV’s water inlet. The advantage is significant: the large basket catches a massive amount of debris, and the clear bowl lets you monitor it at a glance. Cleaning is as simple as twisting off the cap, pulling out the basket, and tapping out the contents.

The primary tradeoff is the slight DIY nature of the hookup and its larger size. It sticks out from the side of your RV more than other filters, which could be a concern in tight spaces. However, for those who want maximum sediment protection and minimum cleaning hassle, this is a proven and popular modification. It’s a perfect example of nomads adapting a good product to make it great for a different application.

Camco Regulator/Filter Combo: Two-in-One Safety

Efficiency is key in small-living, and combining functions is always a smart move. The Camco Regulator/Filter Combo merges two essential components—a water pressure regulator and a sediment strainer—into a single, compact brass unit. This simplifies your hookup process and ensures you never forget one piece of the puzzle.

Every RVer needs a pressure regulator to protect their plumbing from dangerously high pressure at some campgrounds. Integrating a sediment screen into the regulator’s inlet just makes sense. It means one less connection to make, one less thing to store, and a guaranteed first line of defense against both over-pressure and debris.

The only real downside is that if one component fails, you have to replace the entire unit. The screen isn’t as large as a dedicated inline filter, so it may require more frequent cleaning in sediment-heavy areas. But for the RVer who values simplicity and efficiency, this two-in-one solution is an elegant way to handle two critical safety tasks with one piece of gear.

Ultimately, the best strainer is the one you actually use every single time you hook up. Whether it’s a simple 50-cent washer screen or a robust inline filter, this small component is the cheapest insurance you can buy for your RV’s plumbing. Take a look at your travel style, the places you visit, and choose the one that makes protecting your rig as easy as possible.