Travelling with hot water tank full?

[IH_Fan]

Hi Folks,

We travel from site to site, stay for a few days to take in the local interests and tour to the next location. We don't travel with water in our fresh water holding tank as we use full hookup sites.

The thing is, the hot water tank is always full when we travel so I'm hauling water around for no reason. I've looked if there is an easy way to drain the hot water tank, but I don't think there is, except to undo the plastic drain plug. Not the best thing as I swear it wouldn't take much to strip it....and it's a pain to get to.

Is this an issue with anyone else? If you drain it, what is your trick?

Thanks!

[rhagfo]

SoundGuy wrote:

IH_Fan wrote:
We travel from site to site, stay for a few days to take in the local interests and tour to the next location. We don't travel with water in our fresh water holding tank as we use full hookup sites.

You haven't mentioned what type of trailer you have but if it's a travel trailer, 5th, etc, and you're traveling with no water in the fresh water holding tank then you're missing one of the great advantages that type of rig allows - the ability to use the galley and bathroom facilities anywhere you want, at any time, not just when camping.

The thing is, the hot water tank is always full when we travel so I'm hauling water around for no reason.

Assuming we are talking about a travel trailer here your concern over the additional weight of perhaps 15 - 20 gals of water (WH tank filled, some in the FW tank) is unfounded ... if this little additional weight puts you over any of your limits you're towing too close as it is. :E

One issue I believe no one else has yet mentioned is that if you drain the WH tank for travel that also means you're de-pressurizing the water system, which in turn means you'll have to re-pressurize it the next time you want to use it ... why go through all that when there's no need? :h Personally I'm with those who sanitize and pressurize the system at the beginning of the season, always carry some reserve in the FW holding tank, and don't empty it until the end of the season ... there's just no reason not to.

Wow!
X20 (about) to keeping the Hot water tank full.

X10 I think to keeping the fresh water tank full or near full!

I will drain the HW when we may have strong freezing temps, maybe twice a year.

Fresh water we carry near full all the time for a better 5er ride. Our tank is slightly ahead of the 5er axle, so it adds some to the pin and makes for a smoother tow.
I am over GVWR, and under axle and tire, so makes no difference to me, oh yes I drink the tap water from the 5er be it from the tank, or CG system.

Most people get sick now days because their immune system never has to work, I rarely get sick, likely because I exercise my immune system.

[SoundGuy]

IH_Fan wrote:
We travel from site to site, stay for a few days to take in the local interests and tour to the next location. We don't travel with water in our fresh water holding tank as we use full hookup sites.

You haven't mentioned what type of trailer you have but if it's a travel trailer, 5th, etc, and you're traveling with no water in the fresh water holding tank then you're missing one of the great advantages that type of rig allows - the ability to use the galley and bathroom facilities anywhere you want, at any time, not just when camping.

The thing is, the hot water tank is always full when we travel so I'm hauling water around for no reason.

Assuming we are talking about a travel trailer here your concern over the additional weight of perhaps 15 - 20 gals of water (WH tank filled, some in the FW tank) is unfounded ... if this little additional weight puts you over any of your limits you're towing too close as it is. :E

One issue I believe no one else has yet mentioned is that if you drain the WH tank for travel that also means you're de-pressurizing the water system, which in turn means you'll have to re-pressurize it the next time you want to use it ... why go through all that when there's no need? :h Personally I'm with those who sanitize and pressurize the system at the beginning of the season, always carry some reserve in the FW holding tank, and don't empty it until the end of the season ... there's just no reason not to.

[time2roll]

phillyg wrote:
I never bother to empty it.

+1 mine has been full for ten years.

[marquette]

I leave mine full of water but shut the pilot light off. Other than while gassing up is it OK to leave the pilot light on? After so many years of camping without a hot water heater I never thought about hot water when stopping for breaks.

[allen8106]

Not that it's an issue either way but I drain mine every time before I leave the campground. I just prefer not to haul water needlessly. Not that it would make a hill of beans difference for my truck it's just personal preference.

[Stranger]

othertonka wrote:
Bad idea to drain each time you move. One reason is when you get to the next camp and you forget to hook up the water hose and turn on the hot water faucets to expel all the air from the heater and hence fill the water heater, then you just happen to turn the electric side of the heater ON with no water in the tank and just like that you burn the element out. To save weight, do away with all those things you carry in you compartments and never use.

What he said.

[gazingm42]

Draining the hot water is not worth the effort until you done camping. We have had water go "bad" and bring on a water smell. So I would drain it when you get home.

[rjdlooking]

Cost less to haul a little water in fresh warter tank and leave the hot water heater full than have to replace the heater elect element or a hot water heater because your forgot to fill it before you turned it on.

[tenbear]

I drain mine when I winterize and refill it in the spring. Sometimes it sits for weeks in the summer. No big deal.

[Muddydogs]

Don't carry any water and want to empty hot water tank? So you make your wife use public restrooms? Not that I am a germaphobe at all but from what I hear women's bathrooms can get nasty and men's rooms are not much better but we don't have to set. Since owning my own trailer public bathrooms are no longer needed as I have my own jon a couple feet away. I pull into the gas pump and wife heads to the trailer, about the time the rig is full she is back so I pull away from the pump and head to the trailer if I need to. If for some reason she is taking forever I poke my head in the door and tell her to hold on as I am pulling away from the pump to a parking area.

[wbwood]

Why worry about no more than 80lbs? If that little bit of weight puts you too close to your liimit, then you have other problems.

[phillyg]

I never bother to empty it.

[Old-Biscuit]

IH_Fan wrote:
Thanks folks for your sage advice - greatly appreciated.

LarryJM: That is quite an ingenious device....thanks for the description and the photos. I can see benefits to that as you noted. Excellent idea!

Just remember Larry's caution about the hose/valve being reduced in size......
Drain hole is only 1/2" (Atwood with nylon drain plug) which is then further reduced using drain hose so sediments can remain/build up.

Hose/valve drain assembly should be completely removed and WH tank thoroughly flushed periodically to minimize deposits on element and tank .

[wbwood]

RinconVTR wrote:
If you only stay at full hook up sites, you don't "need" to keep water in the HW tank. But if you do keep water in there, you only need to consider how long it will be stored before your next outing. Will it get stale or stinky? I don't know, and don't want to find out.

Personally, I drain mine when not in use for weeks. I replaced the drain plugs (not the tank anode drain plug) under the camper with valves. Easy peesy.

They said they travel from site to site...that tells me they don't leave it in there more than it takes them to move.