A week ago, we were towing over the Grapevine on Interstate 5 in Southern Calif. The forecast predicted the possibility of high winds -- not for sure, but possible. In anticipation, I filled the water tank (30 gallons) to lower the center of gravity. (Ordinarily, I do not tow with a full tank of water -- no reason to lift all that weight over the mountains.)Sure enough, when we hit the Tejon Pass, the anemometer was showing gusts in excess of 50 mph. The trucks were not pulled over, so we kept going (slowly) the in the far right lane.Bottom line -- no problem at all. The trailer did not move an inch, even in cross-winds. Rock steady.I am not sure that filling it with water made the difference, but I think it did. If the winds had gotten much higher (or if the trucks had stopped), we would have pulled over, I am sure.

Well I don't give it a thought! I tow with the fresh water tank full all the time! It adds to pin weight which cuts down on chucking.

If the water tastes good, the tank gets filled. Just left South Beach near Newport, Oregon and it was so bad the cat demanded bottled water, and the coffee tasted vile!

Artum, time to worry when the cat demands Starbucks!

rhagfo wrote:Well I don't give it a thought! I tow with the fresh water tank full all the time! It adds to pin weight which cuts down on chucking.I only carry around 20 gallons fresh. My wife takes care of having plenty of pin weight!

I don't carry water (maybe 20 gal) unless I know for sure without a doubt I have a place to fill up. With that said, towing in So Cal can be treacherous with the winds we get. Having a lot of water in the tank helps by lowering the center of gravity.

Towing in high gusty winds: filling the tank helped a lot

19 Replies

profdant139
Explorer II
Apr 22, 2016
Jake, that must have been a very traumatic experience -- as a result, everything you say now has a couple of exclamation marks!!

(Just kidding around -- no offense intended.) ;)
jake2250
Explorer
Apr 18, 2016
I got this tip once when I had my 1/2 ton, Last trip I took with that truck we had Gusts of 40+ sustained 30-35, I filled the tank 35 gallons, All was fine until I turned North up the freeway and we encountered head winds!! I think I put a dent in the floor pressing the accelerator down!! All of my gauges seemed to applaud!!
They all pointed to there highest mark and stayed there until we got to the camp ground!!
10 miles of highway off the freeway heading East was like a bucking bronco and I cringed when a Semi would go by in the other direction!!
I didn't even unhook the first night!! Just put the jacks down and had a couple of stiff ones!!

Can't say the full tank helped me or not!! But that trip moved us up into a 3/4 ton!! Now it doesn't matter if I have water in the tank!!
wnjj
Explorer II
Apr 18, 2016
carringb wrote:
and sloshing will be amplified the further away from the axles.

What about a full tank?
carringb
Explorer
Apr 18, 2016
Cup fan wrote:
Would the location of the tank make a difference? My tank is located in the rear of the trailer. Would that have a positive or negative effect vs a tank located in the middle?

I rear tank would be most definitely worse. Besides reducing tongue weight (and hence stability), and sloshing will be amplified the further away from the axles.

My fresh water tank is directly in front of the axles, and happens to hold 103 gallons so it improves the stability of my trailer immensely, simply due to adding 870 pounds to a point ust above and forward of the axles.
profdant139
Explorer II
Apr 18, 2016
Yes, the tank is forward -- and I already have a lot of tongue weight.
73guna
Explorer
Apr 17, 2016
My fresh water tank is always filled before hitting the road.
wnjj
Explorer II
Apr 17, 2016
Cup fan wrote:
Would the location of the tank make a difference? My tank is located in the rear of the trailer. Would that have a positive or negative effect vs a tank located in the middle?

Hard to tell without trying it. Lighter on the tongue can be worse for sway but weight at one end or the other will make the trailer yaw less. It takes energy to rotate a weight about a center point (the axles) and the greater the weight or distance the more it takes. Think of trying to twist a baton back and forth while holding it by the center then repeat it with a weight on on end.

It's called moment of inertia in physics.
Cup_fan
Explorer
Apr 17, 2016
Need-A-Vacation wrote:
Cup,

Probably be a negative effect due to the teeter totter action. more weight behind the axles means less tw which can induce sway from to light of a tw.

That was my thinking. The OP must have a mid-mount tank. In my case, I would probably have to try to fill my forward galley grey tank, which is located in front of the tires.
Need-A-Vacation
Explorer
Apr 17, 2016
Cup,

Probably be a negative effect due to the teeter totter action. more weight behind the axles means less tw which can induce sway from to light of a tw.
Cup_fan
Explorer
Apr 17, 2016
Would the location of the tank make a difference? My tank is located in the rear of the trailer. Would that have a positive or negative effect vs a tank located in the middle?