Heated water hoses are a must for anyone camping with their RV in cold temps. Nobody wants to get up on a cold winter morning only to find you have no running water because the hose froze up and burst. They’re an excellent insurance policy to have on hand even if you typically do not camp in freezing temps, you never know when a cold snap will hit and it’s better to already have a heated hose you can hook up (Read more: Why Standard Insurance Doesn’t Cover Burst Pipes).

How Do Heated Hoses Work?

Heated hoses work by having a heat strip attached to a hose and is then further insulated. They’re designed to keep the water inside the hose just above freezing, they don’t heat up the water. Always be sure that whatever hose you’re using for drinking water, heated or not, is rated for potable (drinking) water. Other hoses can contain dangerous chemicals such as lead and BPA.

They need to be plugged in to provide heat and the ones we’ve seen operate on a normal household current. If you lose power, be sure to disconnect and drain your hose! You should always use a GFCI connection when plugging in your hose, as this will trip the breaker and shut off power to the hose in case of a malfunction or power surge.

A heated water hose only prevents the water in the hose from freezing, so you’ll still need to insulate your spigot. Using heat tape is a good idea and if you’re in extremely cold temps, you may want to insulate the entire pipe. Many people will put an upside-down bucket over the pipe and/or wrap it in Reflectix. You’ll also want to make sure to protect where the hose attaches to your RV. Be sure the thermostat/temperature sensor on the hose is not covered so it gets a correct reading of the outside temps.

Make sure you buy a hose in the correct length for your needs. Heated hoses come in 12’ – 100’ lengths and while you obviously don’t want to come up short when setting up a cold campsite, having an excessively long hose can be difficult to wrangle. Most manufacturers suggest not connecting hoses together. If you find that you must do this, be sure to insulate the connections where the hoses meet.

With a good heated water hose and quality RV skirting, you’ll be sure to stay nice and warm in your RV all winter! (Read more: What is RV Skirting and Does My Camper Need It?)

Our Picks for The Best Heated Water Hoses for your RV

This one is our top pic and the one all of our campers on staff use and recommend. They’re very high quality, which does make them more expensive but we’ve found that they last longer and outperform the other hoses we’ve tried. They also make an optional heat trace pigtail, which will protect where your hose is connected and can be added to either or both ends, and eliminates the need for additional heat tape.

• Minimum temperature rating: -40 Fahrenheit
• Return/Warranty policy: 30 day returns. They’ll double the best warranty available from other heated hose companies.
• Cord length: 7 feet
• Sizes available: 15, 25, 35, 50, 75, and 100 feet. You can order hoses that come daisy chained, meaning you can get a hose as long as 200 feet. Connecting hoses does not void the warranty, but the company suggests each hose have its own power source.
• Where to buy: You can only get these direct from the manufacturer’s website. Clicking this link or using the coupon code AirSkirts when checking out will save you 5% off your purchase.

The Camco “Freeze Ban” heated hose is a less expensive option that has largely positive reviews, though some people do complain about leaking. They’re readily available from multiple retailers, both online and in-store, so if you’re in a pinch, you can pick one up locally.

• Minimum temperature rating: -20 degrees Fahrenheit
• Return/Warranty policy: 30 day returns. One year warranty
• Cord length: 6 feet
• Sizes available: 12, 25, and 50 feet. The manufacturer does not suggest connecting multiple hoses
• Where to buy: You can buy one directly from the manufacturer’s website, Amazon, or pick one up in person from Camping World or Walmart.

PIRIT

These heated hoses are similar in price to Camco and reviews are quite positive. Negative reviews are mostly complaining that the hose stops working fairly quickly, though the manufacturer does have a generous warranty period.

• Minimum temperature rating: -42 degrees Fahrenheit
• Return/Warranty policy: 30 day returns. 18 month warranty.
• Cord length: 6 feet
• Sizes available: 12, 25, 50, and 100 feet. Connecting hoses voids the warranty.
• Where to buy: Direct from the manufacturer, Amazon, Walmart, and True Value Hardware.