Towing with Full Water Tank?

[Only_True_Mosno]

Okay I realize that towing with a full tank of water adds a lot of weight. My Cougar has a 60 gallon fresh water tank. I have it at home and am planning on camping Memorial Day Weekend at a State Park. They have water but it will be busy so I thought why not fill up at home and then I could ho directly to the campsite.

Can you guys give me rationale why I shouldn't haul water to the park two hours away? Pros and Cons please! Thanks in advance for your opinions...

[Pineapple_Kid]

10 gallons only Remember California has water problems and that is enough to waste, I am sure it will splash around enough to kill everything in the tank.
I will run the bleach/ water through the system except for the water heater which will stay drained until I get to Vegas and on to city water.

I love bleach I just sprayed bleach / water on all the mildew on my walkways here on Kauai, makes the concrete snow white.

[Lantley]

Tom_Diane wrote:
I had heard the same thing that was in the article that 2oldman posted. Why stress your frame or tank straps. I heard that it was the sewer tank that had contents and the frame failed and there was a mess on the highway besides the problem with the repair! I wouldn't do it but only have a little in it when traveling for on the road use of the toilet! Also, there are no baffles in those tanks so they are not made for travel when full, the sloshing around! would cause excessive weight.

Will 2 additional passengers stress your frame? The trailers have a rating as long as you don't exceed it you are fine.
A 1/2 fill tank will slosh a lot more than a full tank.
A full tank does not slosh there is no room for water movement

[rhagfo]

Tom_Diane wrote:
I had heard the same thing that was in the article that 2oldman posted. Why stress your frame or tank straps. I heard that it was the sewer tank that had contents and the frame failed and there was a mess on the highway besides the problem with the repair! I wouldn't do it but only have a little in it when traveling for on the road use of the toilet! Also, there are no baffles in those tanks so they are not made for travel when full, the sloshing around! would cause excessive weight.

you travel with a full tank of fuel in you TV, there is no difference with traveling with a full tank of water or waste in your trailer. I pulled our 5er over 200 miles with half full water, and full Galley, Grey and black tanks, no harm done.

[Tom_Diane]

I had heard the same thing that was in the article that 2oldman posted. Why stress your frame or tank straps. I heard that it was the sewer tank that had contents and the frame failed and there was a mess on the highway besides the problem with the repair! I wouldn't do it but only have a little in it when traveling for on the road use of the toilet! Also, there are no baffles in those tanks so they are not made for travel when full, the sloshing around! would cause excessive weight.

[rtazz17]

Its what its for.Fill er up.

[bpounds]

dave17352 wrote:

Pineapple Kid wrote:
My 5er has sat for the last 7 months with water tank drained
I will pickup it up June 3rd at Santa Cruz put 10 gal of water and 1/2 cup of bleach in the tank and drive to Vegas then dump the tank and flush it there.
When I leave Laughlin on June 10th the tank will be full for dry camping at Burro Creek BLM campground, When I leave Burro Creek it will have 10 gal in it for flushing and the Grade to Flagstaff
I always calculate where I will be going and fill or drain water as needed.
weight = less MPG so every bit helps
Aloha Leon

If I put that much bleach in 10 gallons of water and did what you did I would think the bleach odor would be way to strong for me. Also wouldn't you want to fill the tank complete so you were sure to sanitize the entire tank? Just curious

That's pretty strong, but if I read him correctly he is going to just dump it, not use it. I use 1/4 cup per 15 gallons, and I won't use the water even at that concentration. Just run it through all the systems, let it sit 24 hours, and dump it. And at either his or my concentration, I don't think it matters if the tank is full, but it does need to go through the lines.

[dave17352]

Pineapple Kid wrote:
My 5er has sat for the last 7 months with water tank drained
I will pickup it up June 3rd at Santa Cruz put 10 gal of water and 1/2 cup of bleach in the tank and drive to Vegas then dump the tank and flush it there.
When I leave Laughlin on June 10th the tank will be full for dry camping at Burro Creek BLM campground, When I leave Burro Creek it will have 10 gal in it for flushing and the Grade to Flagstaff
I always calculate where I will be going and fill or drain water as needed.
weight = less MPG so every bit helps
Aloha Leon

If I put that much bleach in 10 gallons of water and did what you did I would think the bleach odor would be way to strong for me. Also wouldn't you want to fill the tank complete so you were sure to sanitize the entire tank? Just curious

[Lantley]

mr. ed wrote:
It's true that traveling with less water may save "negligible" fuel but there's another reason to travel with less water, if possible. There is less overall weight of the trailer or fiver. That's a little less weight on the suspension and tires. Every little bit helps IMHO.

I cannot deny every little bit helps. However I purchased and matched my combo such that the additional weight just doesn't matter. I have ample payload and tire capacity to carry water and be within my limits.
I agree with others there is no right or wrong just our individual experiences.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
I have no rationale why NOT to.
That's what the tank is for..........holding water and traveling.

We FT'd for 7 yrs. I always traveled with at least 20 gallons but got caught short one time due to lack of water (main line broke) so it was a full tank from then on.

When towing....weight plays a factor to a certain point.
Wind Drag is the bigger mileage killer.

Besides......once you hook up mileage drops to what it is.

I like having water...especially when I know where it comes from/taste/quality.

Fill it UP. You're only going 2 hours away :S

X-2

~

[mr__ed]

It's true that traveling with less water may save "negligible" fuel but there's another reason to travel with less water, if possible. There is less overall weight of the trailer or fiver. That's a little less weight on the suspension and tires. Every little bit helps IMHO.

[johnrbd]

For 7 yrs, on every trip we made with our Cougar 5vr, we traveled with full tank of water. Even before that 5vr, on the other 3 units, we traveled with full tank of water.

I guess we were just "lucky" - no broken hanger strap, no tanks fell down - NOTHING.

Maybe a lot of rv'ers travel with minimal fresh water because they are at above weight ratings or fear that straps will break.:h

[bpounds]

I think the biggest difference between those who do, and those who don't, is whether they will be dry camping. To some, it would be a terrible fate to not have FHU. To others, not carrying sufficient quantities of everything would be considered a mistake.

I do both, and fill the tank accordingly.

When I had barely enough gas truck, and was boondocking, I would wait until near my destination to fill the WT. Now that is just a waste of time since the truck don't know the difference. 60 gallons WT here.

[john_bet]

jmhensley wrote:
I have been traveling with a 1/4 tank of water for the past 10 years and have yet to run out of water before i could get to a RV park. If you are boon docking that's another story. I look at it as water equals weight and weight uses diesel fuel to pull it, mileage isn't great so i need every mile to a gallon i can get

And just how much fuel is saved with 400 less water lbs. on say a 1000 mile trip?

[padredw]

This is one of those questions that will never be settled, and that's OK. All we can do is report our experiences and our opinions and recognize that there is no final "right or wrong."

So, in that frame I quote one of those whose experience is similar to mine:

I have been traveling with a 1/4 tank of water for the past 10 years and have yet to run out of water before i could get to a RV park. If you are boon docking that's another story. I look at it as water equals weight and weight uses diesel fuel to pull it, mileage isn't great so i need every mile to a gallon i can get

JMHinsley. My experience differs only in that it is 17 years for me and 150,000 miles. On longer trips I might get up to 1/3 full on the fresh water, but I have never, not even once, traveled with a full fresh water tank.



But that's just one experience and one opinion.