leaving fresh water in tank?

[ragged_claws]

We sanitized the 32gal. freshwater tank a couple of weeks ago before taking our new TT for a test run at our local campsite. Came home with about 1/3 tank left. We have another camping trip planned for a couple of weeks from now. Should I drain the tank and refill before our next trip or just top it off? Generally, is it bad to leave water in the freshwater tank for long periods of time, or is it better to store it dry?

Thanks,
Kim

[Steamguy]

In 27+years of owning travel trailers, here's how we've done it:

Any time there's a campground with chlorinated water, we fill the fresh water tank. The CG water is generally tolerable and it HAS to test 'potable', so there's been no problems. Ever. In the summer, our trailer will sit for a month or two between uses, in the full heat of summer.

The ONE time we did have problems was when the campground did NOT have chlorinated water. I filled the tank unknowingly and two months later, the stuff coming from the hot tap was... nasty. Dumped the tank, and the water heater. A flush with bleach-treated water fixed everything within a day.

[MitchF150]

Hi Jbarca. I like your premise and here is my stats.. Weekend camper between May and Sept. Go out once a month on average. Fill tank at home (30 gallons). Haven't hooked up to camp ground water for years.. Always carry enough for our 4 day weekend trips. I've NEVER sanitized my system from day one 12 years ago.

I will drain the tank if it's already down below 1/3 and wait until a day or two before filling it from home. The last several trips, we've only used 1/3 of the water, so I've just left it and topped off before leaving next time... We drink our water using a separate faucet that does have a filter on it, but I've only replaced the filter a couple of times...

I drain the system completely when it winterizes and blow out the lines. No AF during the winter at all.

We carry bottled water too, but that's usually kept cold for straight drinking. The water we take from the tank is for the morning coffee for the most part, so not a lot gets ingested that way..

I'm sure my method is not the best or what I would tell everyone else to do, but it works for us and we haven't gotten sick or had stinky water at all yet...

Good luck!

Mitch

[cdru]

We top off our tank, when we get home, from our water softened well water. Been doing that for years with no problems. We usually go camping every 3 to 4 weeks. We do drink out of faucets. If we are not going again for much over a month, we drain and refill when ready to go. Been working for us. cdru By the way, we live in Northern Minnesota.

[Mr_Beebo]

Different locations, climates, frequency of use, etc all make a difference. The first year we had our Rockwood, I left the camper in the driveway with 10 gallons of water during August. I had to drain, bleach and flush the plumbing within 2 weeks as it was turning green.
Our camper now sits inside our 36'x45' shop out of the elements. I keep water in the tank and use the RV as my 1/4 bathroom when I'm out there working. No issues with the water now, however, we don't drink from the tap when camping.

[uscgcolletti]

Hmm I never use mine

[NanciL]

Drain it.
You'll end up with some gross water

Jack L

[korbe]

I will leave our tank with water in it when it comes from a good source. And yes we drink from it. As long as it tastes good, why drain it. Weekend camper.

[jaycocreek]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

Water from a known safe source such as a City may be ok for some time. But--take a glass of water and a similar amount in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Now wait a week and see how they both taste.

I learned that the hard way but on mountain spring water..We use 1 gallon Lipton green tea containers for extra water boon docking.There heavy duty with heavy duty handles.

We took tested spring water right out of the mountain and filled three jugs with lids..Two weeks later they smelled like sulfur but the other jugs filled with city water,which had know smell or taste.

I have jugs in my truck that have set for over 1 year without any oder/smell or taste from our city water supply..

[hddecker]

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

Water from a known safe source such as a City may be ok for some time. But--take a glass of water and a similar amount in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Now wait a week and see how they both taste.

I'm with there brother or sister.

My dogs have proven it, when they go to the water bowl after breakfast and take a whiff of the water, they give us the evil eye. Where's the fresh water?

Dump the water bowl and all three of them are in there like white on rice lapping up the nice fresh water.

Course it' not hard to tell, we are blessed with water that is consistently in the top three for quality and there has never been a need to treat it.

When we go to town, I can't drink the water they serve us in the restaurants. It's got that a putrid taste to it.

The minerals we can live with, the chemicals we can't.

We clean our FW tank out with chlorine then flush it until there's no taste left. Fill the tank and buy the third day we are running our drinking water through a Brita.

Like the song says, "cool clear water".

We feel bad for the folks that have to worry about water for survival. On of the fringe benefits to living on the top of a mountain is our water is always fresh and clean.

[FrankShore]

I keep mine filled with city water for 1 reason:

SURVIVAL

If we have a earthquake or civil unrest or whatever, I'll be happy with my tank full of potable water. If it starts to get a little stinky, I'll add a 1/2 a capfull of regular Clorox bleach (non scented, etc) It's just water after all. It can be boiled if necessary!

[pianotuna]

Hi,

Water from a known safe source such as a City may be ok for some time. But--take a glass of water and a similar amount in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Now wait a week and see how they both taste.

[JBarca]

Hi Folks,

There seems to be 2 camps here, drain all the time, don't drain at all. This topic comes up from time to time, but I have not heard a lot of reasons of why it works.

I'm not trying to start a flame fest, just trying to understand why in "your"situation you feel leaving it full is OK, and why draining it is OK.

Also please let us know if you drink from the faucets with your water management practices and if you full time or are a weekend warrior type where the camper sits for a weeks or weeks between trips. Both of these can affect why it may be OK for one person and not the next.

I'll hold my comments for a short while on my practices. I'm trying to learn how you have come to this practice and your results if you know the reason it works.

Thanks

John

[jaycocreek]

d_denver wrote:
I always fill ours as it is a great source of emergency water if needed.

Exactly why we do the same. The way things are anymore, you never know and water is the number 1 survival tool.

[coolbreeze01]

Wife forgot to drain the tank. Water was fine.