On The Go Portable 16,000 Grain RV Double Water Softener with Salt Regeneration Kit and Carbon Filter Review (2026)

What the double softener does

On The Go's double-tank design pairs two 16,000 grain resin units so soft water keeps flowing at full pressure even as one tank works through its capacity, which is the reason this line is popular with full-time RVers rather than weekenders. The softener connects between the campground spigot and the RV fresh water hose with standard garden hose fittings, and the company's double softener models use a wide base and a large fill opening so the resin tanks sit stable and are easy to recharge. Because the unit works on incoming water pressure alone, it needs no separate power hookup and no tools to set up, which matters for RVers who are moving between sites often and do not want another system to wire in.

The included regeneration kit

Standard portable softeners eventually need their resin recharged with salt brine, and On The Go sells this step separately as a regeneration kit on its base double softener; this listing bundles that kit in with the unit itself. Regenerating means flushing the resin bed with a saltwater solution so it can keep exchanging hardness minerals for sodium, rather than replacing the resin or buying a new unit once capacity runs down. Having the kit included from the start saves a separate purchase and shipping wait once the softener needs its first recharge, which is a real convenience for anyone who plans to keep the unit in service through a full season rather than storing it after a short trip.

Carbon filter for taste and odor

The bundle adds a carbon filter stage on top of the softening function, which is a separate job from removing hardness minerals. Softening swaps calcium and magnesium for sodium so soap lathers better and scale stops building up on fixtures, while a carbon filter targets chlorine taste, odor and some sediment that softening alone does not address. Running both in the fill line means campground water that tastes strongly of chlorine, common at many public water systems, comes through cleaner as well as softer. That combination is why this bundle is positioned above the plain double softener in this guide, since buyers get two separate treatment stages instead of having to add a filter as a second purchase.

Setup, storage and who it suits

Because it uses standard hose threads and needs no tools or wiring, most owners can connect the softener in a few minutes at the spigot, run the fresh water hose from its outlet to the RV, and be done. The tradeoff for the double-tank design and the added filter is size: two resin tanks plus a filter housing take up noticeably more space in a pass-through bay, truck bed or storage locker than a single-tank softener, so this is a better fit for a rig with room to spare than a small trailer with a tight bay. It also is not something most weekend campers need, since a single tank keeps up fine for short stays.

Value for full-time RVers

Priced above single softeners and above bundles that skip the filter or the regeneration kit, this unit costs more upfront, but it is also doing more: two tanks for sustained flow, a recharge kit that would otherwise be a separate purchase, and a carbon filter stage for taste and odor. For someone living in their RV full time or spending long stretches at campgrounds with hard, chlorinated water, that combination can be worth paying more for since it reduces the number of separate accessories to source and stock. Anyone who only softens water occasionally, or has limited bay space, is more likely to be well served by a smaller single-tank unit instead.

Frequently asked questions