traveling with water

[fleecerdog]

Hi ... I have an interesting conundrum (I don't think that's cussing) ... as shown in my hauler "rules" posted in overhead cabinet state in item 13 that I should "..keep water and holding tanks either empty or full when traveling."
With the fresh water in my hauler being 120 gallons (2 interconnected 60 gallon) that would be close to 960lbs to haul around. As we almost always boondock or dry camp hundreds of miles from home, that would be too much to haul around ... but it is also sometimes next to impossible to find a place to water up within an hours drive of my destinations. Also, I don't need that much water anyway. Does anybody see any real issue with loading up about 40 gallons (obviously splits to 20g in each tank) for the road trip? I don't haul any toys so no big weight in the hauler other than 25g of gas in the rear tank ... which, by the way, the "rules" don't address. This is a dual axle 21' Nomad so I don.t think the 320lbs of water moving in the tanks directly above the axles would be an issue.

[Bedlam]

atwowheelguy wrote:

fleecerdog wrote:
... With the fresh water in my hauler being 120 gallons (2 interconnected 60 gallon) that would be close to 960lbs to haul around. ...
This is a dual axle 21' Nomad ...

I'm impressed that a 21' camper has two 60 gallon fresh water tanks. Usually the grey and black capacities together are about 1.5 to two times the fresh capacity. That's a lot of tank capacity in that size camper. My 24.5' (box size) toy hauler has one 36 gallon fresh water tank, about 4.5" x 37" x 56.5".

Was the 21' Nomad custom-built with extra water capacity?

My Weekend Warrior FB2200 was 22' and had two 75 gallon fresh water tanks, two 50 gallon waste tanks, plus 20 gallon and 40 gallon fuel tanks. The fuel tanks were options off their list, but the rest was standard.

[atwowheelguy]

fly-boy wrote:
I don't think a thousand pounds of water is going to have much effect on a 18-24k trailer with a 10k truck towing it all.
I have towed quite a bit full and half full and never had an issue. Heck, one of my horse trailers has an additional water tank on the roof and that's not an issue either.

I'd say its a non-issue.

The OP said his camper was a double axle 21' toy hauler. How does a 21' camper weigh 18-24k?

[atwowheelguy]

fleecerdog wrote:
... With the fresh water in my hauler being 120 gallons (2 interconnected 60 gallon) that would be close to 960lbs to haul around. ...
This is a dual axle 21' Nomad ...

I'm impressed that a 21' camper has two 60 gallon fresh water tanks. Usually the grey and black capacities together are about 1.5 to two times the fresh capacity. That's a lot of tank capacity in that size camper. My 24.5' (box size) toy hauler has one 36 gallon fresh water tank, about 4.5" x 37" x 56.5".

Was the 21' Nomad custom-built with extra water capacity?

[Y-Guy]

Frankandbeans wrote:
Cousin Eddie doesn't dump his tank till it's full.

Thanks for the reminder and making me laugh!

[fly-boy]

I don't think a thousand pounds of water is going to have much effect on a 18-24k trailer with a 10k truck towing it all.
I have towed quite a bit full and half full and never had an issue. Heck, one of my horse trailers has an additional water tank on the roof and that's not an issue either.

I'd say its a non-issue.

[Frankandbeans]

But you're not supposed to dump the black tank until it's mostly full, right?

Oh, the horror! Sloshing poo!

Cousin Eddie doesn't dump his tank till it's full.

[Y-Guy]

Kudos to Skyline, I found some of their owners manuals are still online, even one dating back to 1968! I couldn't find any 'rules' but the owners manual for one Rampage and it talks about partial water in the tanks.

• If possible, totally fill or empty the water tank to minimize “sloshing,” which may affect towing stability.
• If possible, empty holding tanks to minimize “sloshing,” which may affect towing stability.

I assume the OP bought this used, which now makes me wonder if it might have been a rental. Back when I bought our 2005 Raptor I looked at a Rampage, I sure don't recall any rules when I went through the unit back then.

[nayther]

dedmiston wrote:
Does anyone else think it's weird that this is the first time this topic has come up in this forum? We've all been towing with full or partially full water tanks and waste tanks for years without any consequences that I'm aware of.

totally agree, most posters seem to not be TH folk and they don't get it.

[tinner12002]

Fill it up and go...if your tanks are full there shouldn't be any sloshing around. What you don't use dump on the way home.
Seems a lot of people tend to over think a lot of things involved with camping and a lot of other things as well. Just fill them up an enjoy your camping!!

[Strabo]

nayther wrote:
I always tow full, never an issue.

That's how us old guys roll. Water, never leave home without it. I did one time when we left pismo, I dumped all the water, then broke down in nasty hot weather in Lebec and no water, plus we have our 2 month old grand daughter with us, never empty again. I can't ever feel 130 gallons in the hauler.

[drittal]

Frankandbeans wrote:


Those things, on average, carry 9,000 gallons. So, assuming we're talking about liquid surging, we'll say the tanker is half filled - 4,500 gallons.


4,500 gallons is just a little bigger, just a tad more, than your "large" fresh water tank of ~100 gallons (Which, if half full, 50 gallons, obviously) on most RV's.

The tanks on a large fuel tanker are not one big 9,000 gallon tank. There are several separate tanks of different sizes. Something like 1500-3500 gallons. The bulk truck I drove was 2500 total gallons with 700, 600, 500, 400, and 300 gallon tanks.

As I said before, even the 300 gallon tank being down would effect a FL700 freightliner.

Sometimes water tankers are one bug tank, but baffled to reduce surge.

[dedmiston]

Does anyone else think it's weird that this is the first time this topic has come up in this forum? We've all been towing with full or partially full water tanks and waste tanks for years without any consequences that I'm aware of.

[Dirtclods]

Liquid surges in tankers can be deadly

http://transcourt.com/blog/2015/03/05/liquid-surges-in-tankers-can-be-deadly/

[cmcdar]

50 gallons @ 8 lbs per gallon would be about 400 hundred pounds surging forward or side to side.

That might be enough for some folks to become unnerved.

Of course YOUR milage may vary.

[Frankandbeans]

cmcdar wrote:
LIQUID SURGE

Liquid surge results from movement of the liquid in partially filled tanks. This movement can have negative effects on handling. For example, when coming to a stop, the liquid will surge back and forth. When the wave hits the end of the tank, it tends to push the truck in the direction the wave is moving. If the truck is on a slippery surface such as ice, the wave can shove a stopped truck out into an intersection.

http://transcourt.com/blog/2015/03/05/liquid-surges-in-tankers-can-be-deadly/

Those things, on average, carry 9,000 gallons. So, assuming we're talking about liquid surging, we'll say the tanker is half filled - 4,500 gallons.


4,500 gallons is just a little bigger, just a tad more, than your "large" fresh water tank of ~100 gallons (Which, if half full, 50 gallons, obviously) on most RV's.