Fresh Water Tank--do you empty it?

[bowler1]

I sometimes camp where there are hookups for water, and sometimes not.

When I do fill it I never end up using nearly all the water.

I wonder whether I should empty it after this or just leave the water in there until the next time I camp.

Pros and cons to both I guess. No point in hauling around extra weight, but also no point in wasting the water and having to take the time to fill it again next time.

I don't really drink the water out of my tank. I pretty much just use it for washing dishes and showering.

It is also extremely slow to empty (unless there is a bigger drain than what I am using which is like a lower water drain). I had about half a tank today after camping and let it drain as I was driving. It took about an hour. Made me wonder if perhaps the intent was not to empty it but just to keep water in there and top it off when needed. I guess water doesn't really go bad. Not sure if mold or mildew is more likely to form in an empty but still wet tank or a full tank.

Last thought on this is about weight distribution. It did occur to me that swapping back and forth between empty and full would change the weight distribution in my trailer and maybe affect the way my WDH should be set up, in which case perhaps it is better to either set it up with or without water and then drive that way all the time.

What do you do????

thanks
Matt

[fallsrider]

To date, I have left the water in the tank. The drain is painstakingly slow, and the water tastes fine. But I plan to drain and refill a few times each season to keep it fresh.

[Dick_B]

In one of the recent RV Travel newsletters it was discussed and the conclusion was that if the source of the water was good (municipal, etc.) then you could leave it in for six months.

[MFL]

I leave the water in my tank, until the next trip. It is usually two weeks between camping useage. I don't like to leave the tank dry between trips. My tank drains fairly fast, so I drain, and refill with fresh, the day before leaving.

I do use city water, and have a whole house filter. I drink the water from the tank, using a filtered pitcher also.

I don't think it would matter in just a couple weeks time, if you just added fresh to the old, but I prefer to have all fresh.

Jerry

[sbowman871]

I used to. Recently I keep what ever is left over in. I can then use the TT for a little driveway camping or for a quick wash up.

[tralertrash]

I open the drains when I know I'm on the final leg home. Let it drain out and leave it open until I refill.