The freshwater tank: travel full? Or empty? - Page 2

Bob Denman · 07-18-2021, 12:44 AM

Ahhh... tonight I'll be pretty quiet. I'm balancing my "TV Time" between Hammer Productions version of "The Mummy", and Jason Statham in "The Meg"...

Lt Keefer · 07-18-2021, 12:46 AM

When the tank gets to 1/4, I fill it up. So my answer is I travel with however much water is in there since the last time I filled it.

ador · 07-18-2021, 01:56 AM

We travel with 2/3 fresh water tank. We never use the toilets in the rest area. Sometimes, we overnight at a rest area. Having that much water allows me to take a quick shower to freshen up before we start the morning drive.

galOnTheGo · 07-18-2021, 11:45 AM

our humble position, 6 months full time (so far), boondocking more than 90 percent of the time. our concern is to travel as light as possible: water as low as possible, preferred empty, fill upon arrival. I can feel the difference driving between empty and filled, especially when fuel tank full. we always find a fill site where we are going, or close to. same with black and gray. always travel empty, finding dump stations not a problem. happy trails

71_340 · 07-18-2021, 12:20 PM

When we had our Sprinter Four Winds Class C we traveled with a nearly empty fresh water tank because it had only around 700 lbs cargo weight.

Now, that we have a 2020 ACE we travel with a full tank because cargo weight is over 2500 lbs and we have weight capacity to spare......which is nice.

TripleGGG · 07-18-2021, 12:22 PM

Always full for us. We never know when we may change our plans. I always have a destination but my path to get there may change frequently.

Bob Denman · 07-18-2021, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ador

We travel with 2/3 fresh water tank. We never use the toilets in the rest area. Sometimes, we overnight at a rest area. Having that much water allows me to take a quick shower to freshen up before we start the morning drive.

Isn't that what Baby Wipes are supposed to be used for?

rynosback · 07-18-2021, 06:58 PM

Just enough to flush the toilets a couple of times. 1/5 full at most. I travel empty. If I need to pee, I pull in a rest stop. Plus less weight is best for fuel economy. Only filling it partially will allow the water to slosh around. Not good if you have to make emergency maneuvers. Kind of like a slack tank on a ship.

Muggs · 07-18-2021, 07:19 PM

Always full. We have an e-450 based Vegas so weight is no issue. Never let it go below 75%.

Our RV is in yard plugged in 24/7. We also only shut fridge off to defrost, twice in 5 years. Keep water tank full in event power failure we have a/c and shower since house on well.

dkoldman · 07-18-2021, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PictureTheSouth

As a general rule, I travel with a full (or close to full) tank for many of the reasons others have mentioned; and keep a full tank when parked at home. We use it on the road, in case there's bad or no water at destination, have it ready for power outages during summer storms and hurricane season.... on and on.

For those who worry about the weight and corresponding loss of gas mileage - I'd suggest to keep it completely or nearly completely empty. I'm no engineering or physics major, but I can see that a half-tank of water sloshing around on curvy roads or stop/go traffic would be the absolute worst kind of stress you could put on the tank support mechanisms.

My 2 cents only - your mileage will almost assuredly vary.

After objective an unbias view of all the responses.... the winner is... Picture the South

My fresh water tank is ALWAYS full (winterizing notwithstanding); unless I am on a trip or getting ready to return home. Since our RV purchase; as a general rule; we always use our RV facilities especially at campsites and highway gas stations and reststop. We can go a week off one tank as long as we shower conservatively by stopping / restarting water. If at a campsite, I don't fill up to drive home; but I keep it full during the trip.

About a month ago we had a pipe / valve give way early one morning around 5:00 AM in the house. It was a workday, so we shut off water in the houses and used the RV which was sitting outside full. The next day, I got around to fixing the leak at my leisure.

To OP; Moma right, it makes no sense to be traveling in RV with no water

Keep looking and find another manual if need be, but I would not go on any trip with only 1/2 tank. Even if I was going to Hot Springs AR and they promised to have Ozarka water at all the campsite hookups.

**EA37TS** · 07-18-2021, 08:33 PM

Travel with 2/3. Empty the tank after a trip.

I Never keep water in the tank between trips because it can and will go stagnant over time.

If a storm or something is brewing then and only then will I fill the tank at home.

I also sanitize the tank twice per season.

lwmcguire · 07-18-2021, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EA37TS

Travel with 2/3. Empty the tank after a trip.

I Never keep water in the tank between trips because it can and will go stagnant over time.

If a storm or something is brewing then and only then will I fill the tank at home.

I also sanitize the tank twice per season.

Sounds like we have similar ideas

I fill to the L of the tank, less sloshing although i have never felt any

If were headed back out fairly soon, i add 1 oz per 10 gallons of 3% peroxide

And prior to traveling more peroxide as needed or fresh water and peroxide

Longer term storage always empty

dkoldman · 07-19-2021, 01:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EA37TS

Travel with 2/3. Empty the tank after a trip.

I Never keep water in the tank between trips because it can and will go stagnant over time.

If a storm or something is brewing then and only then will I fill the tank at home.

I also sanitize the tank twice per season.

I agree but you may need a qualifier of time expected in between trips? As a practical matter outside of winterizing, the only times I purposely dump fresh water is when I was connected to water at a campsite. I know I will not use that much heading home; so I may drain some water weather permitting and to your behest, I fill it up with my fresh water when I get home

Note: We always dump Black & Gray before leaving campsite and I Sani Flush until all water is crystal clear.

We use our coach year around so we use the water on regular basis. Sometimes I work out of the RV for meetings. We literally may leave for a trip within 2 hours notice, turn on the ACs and fridges, pack, disconnect and go. Despite the water filter we don't drink the water. We use bottles water for everything cooking and drinking wise. I do sanitize when changing the filter.

What I wish I had was a outside standard water hose connection, so I could use to wash the RV and tires to help turn the water over even faster. I bought an adapter for faucet, but I don't care to bring a water hose inside the RV. It is a hopeful future mod...

Travelin' Texans · 07-19-2021, 04:12 AM

Honestly there is NO right or wrong way, full or empty!
It all depends on your needs/wants, you'll have to determine what works for you.
But in the OPs case I'd be hauling with it full!
HAPPY WIFE......HAPPY LIFE!

lwmcguire · 07-19-2021, 10:57 AM

Every RV i have owned since 1960 hit the road with water in the tank

The early ones had hand pumps and propane lamps

When traveling you never know where you're next stop is and back in the day we actually drank water that didn't have to come out a disposable plastic bottle

Ozark Traveler · 07-19-2021, 03:54 PM

the topic has been mentioned a few times...does any one know if there are "slosh baffles" in the fresh water tanks? (fuel tankers have them, but straight bore food takers do not) JG

dkoldman · 07-20-2021, 01:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lwmcguire

we actually drank water that didn't have to come out a disposable plastic bottle

eeewwh... that's gross. A cave man with a RV

**16ACE27** · 07-20-2021, 02:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ozark Traveler

the topic has been mentioned a few times...does any one know if there are "slosh baffles" in the fresh water tanks? (fuel tankers have them, but straight bore food takers do not) JG

There are no baffles in any of the tanks.

pokeybait1 · 07-20-2021, 03:15 AM

reason not to travel with full tank is mainly the weight. if you are going campground to campground with hookups just keep enough water for the trip. Coast to coast not staying at campgrounds like I am traveling right now I want the tank full and serviceable regardless the weight.

pneumatics · 07-20-2021, 02:59 PM

Water weighs at 8.34 lbs per gallon so having a 1/2 full tank still weighs over 400 lbs if your tank is 100 gallons like mine.
If we are going to a camp to boondock, full. If a campground with full hookups, 1/2 tank just save weight and maybe 1/100 of a mile per gallon of gas.
Everybody thinks of it differently.

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