First Trip - Need advice on fresh water in AZ

lakebum wrote:
I never leave home without a full tank of fresh water and I never return home with grey or black tanks full, emptied and back flushed before I get home.

X2.

SMarquez wrote:

1320Fastback wrote:
I always take water with but when refilling on the road it is never done near a dump station. I don't care if they have a separate tap for pottable fresh, someones touched it with poopie hands.

I always use my own hose to fill, no matter where I fill.

Oh absolutly, should of wrote that also.

Thanks.

Dirtclods wrote:
Most any building has a water spicket you can get water from.


http://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-4-Way-Sillcock-Key-UWP0002D/204284856?keyword=4+way+water+key


Most all gas station have water as well I find if you ask they'll be more then happy to give it to you for free!

get one of these too.. !

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Camco-Water-Bandit/29764290?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227021475507&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=40838481272&wl4=pla-78652425512&wl5=9004065&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla_with_promotion&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=29764290&wl13=&veh=sem

I use the Giant station on Hwy 260 in Payson. It is about a half mile east from the junction with Hwy 87 on the south side of the road. Station has gas/diesel/propane and has a dump station and water. Plenty of room to manuever. Gets a little crowded in mid day.

kenj30 wrote:
Hi,

This will be my first trip in my new 5th wheel, aside from driving it down the hill from Prescott Valley. I'm heading up to the Woods Canyon Lake area to dry camp and didn't want to carry a full load of water up the hill if I don't have to.

Does anyone know if the Circle K in Star Valley still provides drinking water fill ups? I found a reference online but it was a post from several years ago. Does the dump station at Woods Canyon? I'm willing to pay a few bucks to avoid pulling that extra weight on my first trip.

I think I have everything else I need for the first trip. Thank God for Amazon and Wally world!

Thanks in advance and my apologies if I've posted in the wrong forum.

Ken

There is water at the aspen campground at Woods Canyon Lake, and a waste disposal near by. It is one of the most popular camping areas in Arizona and it is wise to have reservations to insure there is space available.

It looks like you got some good advice here. I'd like to share my two cents on driving empty and filling on the road.

I used to try to drive empty to avoid the ~900 pounds of extra cargo. It seemed like a good idea and I probably saved a couple of bucks on fuel per trip. I finally quit doing it after I got stuck in line waiting for other people to fill up too. (How dare they fill their tanks when I'm in a hurry, right?) I finally decided that my vacation time is worth more than the couple of bucks I saved on fuel, especially when I multiplied it times every member of my family (plus 2x for my wife, The Queen).

When I fill at home, I can do other things while the hose is running. Or I can even make one of my kids do it. I can turn the hose on low and let it slowly fill while I pack other things. I have a gauge on my hose that shows me when to shut it off. But if I fill too quickly, the tank sometimes doesn't vent enough and I'll puke water back out the vents. This won't happen if I fill slowly at home, but I would hate to fill that slowly if I were on the road, especially if people were waiting behind me.

I hope you find a system that works for you and a good location on this trip.

Thanks for all the great advice everyone. We had a great trip!

I ended up filling at home and pulling it up the hill as I didn't want to chance it when I got up there, particularly with this being my first time in a long time pulling something that large. I've seen how crowded some of those parking lots can get and some of them aren't all that large.

The truck handled the hill decently, although I may try it without water next time now that I know of a fill station 3 miles from where I like to camp. For those that head up there, water is free at Canyon Point Campground, just outside of Forest Lakes. Dumping is $7 which seems standard up there.

It also looks like I need to buy the Water Bandit thing someone linked into one of the responses. The water at the dump station was more of a nozzle type and didn't allow for me to hook up my own hose. My son found it quite humorous as I attempted to hold it up to the tank flush opening (the threaded one) and having water spray out the sides as he held the lever down for the water, lol.

Anyway, thanks again for all of the advice as it is much appreciated. I was able to make some memories with my son that will last a lifetime!

Thanks,
Ken

2014 F250 Platinum
2017 29CK Genesis Supreme

kenj30 wrote:
The water at the dump station was more of a nozzle type and didn't allow for me to hook up my own hose.

Sometimes when that kind of a nozzle is all that there is......there also is a sign indicating that it is NOT POTABLE WATER. :E

As someone else said, I don't think I would be taking the chance.

Sam Spade wrote:

kenj30 wrote:
The water at the dump station was more of a nozzle type and didn't allow for me to hook up my own hose.

Sometimes when that kind of a nozzle is all that there is......there also is a sign indicating that it is NOT POTABLE WATER. :E

As someone else said, I don't think I would be taking the chance.

This was for flushing my black tank. They had a separate hookup that you had to pull up to for the fresh water :)