new to the TT world

Welcome to the forum and congratulations! First, driving with the water in the holding tank can be done but many don't. Water is 8 lbs a gallon so that extra weight can impact your towing experience and fuel economy. Tow your camper to the CG with the water tank empty and fill it there (about a 20-40 minute process depending on your tank size and water pressure at the campground). You can also get a site with water and just use your city water connection that directly pressurizes the water lines in the camper.

For the propane bottles, I have a long, bicycle lock cable that I wrap around the frame and bottles. I don't lock my battery, I just remove it when it goes in storage.

You'll want a battery disconnect (if it doesn't have one) when not in use or you'll have a dead battery in a week from parasitic drains. Depending on how secure your storage area is you might want to take the battery and propane tanks off and store them in the garage. Most campgrounds you can hook up the water directly to the camper and not use the water tank unless you want to. Water adds a lot of weight 8 lbs per gallon. Congratulations on your new trailer.

I never had a problem with stolen propane tanks, but my battery was stolen. Take both home with you. Put the battery on a smart charger and keep an eye on the water levels. The cable that Iraqvet05 mentioned sounds like a good idea to deter theft if you don't want the hassle of removing the tanks. Battery should come home with you and be maintained.

I have never used my fresh water tank. I just hook up to the CG water, using a good pressure regulator and a inline water filter from Walmart. We usually buy one of those big water containers for coffee though.

Happy Camping!

I always go with a full fresh tank. I'd rather have the water than not, and it puts extra weight on my pin plus extra weight down low - both of which are good for stability.

I travel with about a third of a tank -- enough for using the bathroom during the trip, and then we fill up at the campground.

So far, I've always traveled with empty tanks. Not only does the water weight affect mpg, it can eat up a lot of your cargo carrying capacity. I weighed mine at a CAT scale and found I was overweight on both my TV drive axle AND TT single axle. Took my rig to Jenny Craig ;)

I'm another that travels with water, usually a third to half a tank, it is nice to have it for toilet or sink use at a lunchtime stop, and the tanks are there for a reason, use them.
As far as propane and battery, cable lock is the easiest. It can be overcome, but if you make it a nuisance, most thieves will steal somebody elses stuff.

Y'all, I can't imagine that water effects MPG in any kind of easily recordable amount.

Let's take a 8,000 lbs. TV. Even if you put in 330 lbs. of water (aka 40 gallons) that's only a 4% increase in total weight.

I went from a 17,000 lbs. fifth wheel to a 21,000 lbs. fifth wheel. Same frontal area. It was an almost 20% increase in weight. I might have seen a 1/2 mpg change and that waxed and waned based on driving conditions and luck, as far as I could tell.

ependydad wrote:
Y'all

You've been in the South too long. Time to head back North.:B

I always fill the water tank. MPG loss will be next to nothing and I have been to a number of campgrounds with water supply or water quality problems.