Larger fresh water tank ?

[daddyfarlessa]

I own a 2014 Airstream International Serenity (23')
I posted this query on an 'Airstream Forum' website, but as of yet have received no reply.

My trailer has a 39 gallon fresh water tank & I'm inquiring about installing a larger tank.

fyi - all the Airstream holding tanks are inclosed in a sheet metal container (which are heated to prevent liquids from freezing in cold weather).

Any info/referral will help.

Thanx ~Mark

[harold1946]

BarneyS wrote:

harold1946 wrote:
Try presenting your question on the Airstream Forum, there may be some that have made such a modification.
http://www.airforums.com

2nd sentence in his opening post says:
"I posted this query on an 'Airstream Forum' website, but as of yet have received no reply."
Barney

There are many Airstream forums. I gave him the one that I felt is the best. The word "an" indicated to me he only posted on one.

[sky_free]

Some numbers for your TT:

Dry weight: 4806 (no options)
GVWR: 6000
Weight with 39 gallons of water: 5131

So that leaves you 869 lbs for any options you've added, the weight of 2 full propane tanks, and all of your stuff. Have you ever weighed it fully loaded for a trip?

That's probably why a larger trailer like yours only carries 39 gallons of fresh.

That's a pretty heavy trailer so I assume you are towing it with a truck. Horse "people" often carry extra water in truck-bed mounted water tanks with pumps. You can carry a lot more water safely in the bed of your truck than you can adding it to a frame that's already loaded to near or over GVWR.

[pickjare]

We also have found 4 aquatainers are the way to go. They are bpa free. Go to Home Depot and buy 1/2" clear vinyl hose. It almost fits up inside the spout in the jugs without leaking--still working that part out--I just wrap my hand around the hose to spout connection to seal it and refill our trailer fresh water tank as needed.

The extra capacity has nt caused any problem with holding tank capacity, but you will need to watch yours. I have found it easy to refill by setting the jug on the bedside of my truck parked a couple feet away, connect the clear hose and refill.

[pira114]

I'd call Airstream. Their Tech guys likely know if there's even room for a larger tank. Somehow, I doubt it. Especially in an enclosed space like you have.

Aside from bringing water containers to fill the tank, another option is water conservation. I bet most would be surprised at how much they can save.

Things like using the campground toilets whenever possible, washing dishes in a common campground water station if allowed, bringing jugs of water for drinking and cooking instead of using the tap (I like the 2.5 gallon jugs), not letting the water run when washing hands or brushing teeth (or not using your holding tank water for this at all).

A lot depends on how you camp. I basically only use my freshwater tank for flushing the toilet. Even then, it's only for late night/very early morning use.

I've boondocked in the forest for 7 days with a 29 gallon tank and came back with most of it.

[BarneyS]

harold1946 wrote:
Try presenting your question on the Airstream Forum, there may be some that have made such a modification.
http://www.airforums.com

2nd sentence in his opening post says:
"I posted this query on an 'Airstream Forum' website, but as of yet have received no reply."
Barney

[harold1946]

Try presenting your question on the Airstream Forum, there may be some that have made such a modification.
http://www.airforums.com

[Big_Love]

I would not add that much additional weight to the TT. It is not that hard to add 5-10+ gallons of water at a time to your existing tank as necessary.

[SoundGuy]

Sam Spade wrote:
... essentially have an "endless" supply of fresh water. :B

SoundGuy wrote:
That's the approach I've used and now I find that answer intriguing......but some details are necessary to make it useful.

Details are in my gallery. Our current trailer has a 30 gal fresh water tank so when camping I carry four 7 gal Aquatainers in the back of my truck and can retrieve water anytime at my convenience. Normally I leave the house with the 'Tainers empty if we're headed to a conventional campground where fresh water is readily available but very early or very late in the season when the campground supplies may be turned off I fill them before leaving the house as well as filling the trailer's FW holding tank. Lotsa water. :B

[Hunterred]

Tank in the truck and a cheap transfer pump is a good idea, if that isn't what you are looking for, the you are likely looking at a second 40 gallon tank, you'll just have to find somewhere to put it. Our Jayco has 80 gallons (2x40) plus the water heater and it tows a lot heavier when filled with 700 lbs of water in it. Plus when full the trailer runs 97% of its GVWR so watch for that too. If you fund a spot underneath and fab up a bracket, some plumbing and you will have lots of water

[Johno02]

Fresh water tanks are usually sized depending on the combined capacity of the grey and black tanks. The idea is not to overfill either. Might want to keep that in mind.

[Sam_Spade]

SoundGuy wrote:
That's the approach I've used and now essentially have an "endless" supply of fresh water. :B

I find that answer intriguing......but some details are necessary to make it useful.

I think that replacing the existing tank is NOT a practical thing to do in pretty much all makes and models but if you can find some storage space ON THE FLOOR that is difficult to use, that might be a good place to install a secondary tank and use a transfer pump to get it into the main tank.

In my unit, there is space under the fold down couch and under the bed that might be good locations.

Keep in mind that every extra gallon you have is an extra 8 pounds of dead weight you are hauling around. 50 gallons = 450 pounds.

[SoundGuy]

JMO, but this is far more work than I'd ever want to put into a mod like this, especially considering that no matter how large the FW tank is it'll never be "enough" and chances are you'll have to have an efficient method of refilling it anyway. That's what I'd put my effort into - fresh water transfer i.e. a means to collect more fresh water as you need it without involving the trailer at all and a means to efficiently transfer that water into the trailer's FW holding tank, whatever size it may be. That's the approach I've used and now essentially have an "endless" supply of fresh water. :B