Ralph Cramden wrote:
bartlettj wrote:
I'd make the argument that 2/3 full is worse than full. If the tank is full, it doesn't slosh so it's dead weight. A sloshing tank will act like a slide hammer on the tank hangers.
I found this out the hard way when I was a kid driving a farm truck with a water tank on the bed. It was half full I stopped at a stop sign, and the sloshing water bounced me out into traffic.
I'd make the argument that since I replaced the Lippert garbage with supports made from rolled angles that are not much heavier, I have not had a problem in going on 3 full seasons no matter how much water was in the tanks.
I have towed with varying amounts of water in tanks with no issues when it comes to stability, sway, feel, or anything else in this and 3 prior trailers. I suppose if you have a setup that the tail is wagging the dog or borderline to it, you might feel something. A prior Keystone trailer had a 30 gallon tank in a dinette bench sitting on the floor, higher location, between running gear and hitch, and on one side, and no issues with tank half or 2/3 full either.
There is a heck of a lot of force in a large stock tank with several hundred gallons of water even with the truck is properly sized. That's why some large tanks have baffling to prevent this. Same with semi tank trailers. In a smaller tank the effect is not as pronounced , kind of like your vehicles fuel tank.
If you take a gallon milk jug full of water and swing it side to side in your hand then dump half the water out and do the same thing the difference will be apparent.
