The freshwater tank: travel full? Or empty?

[Wiley1]

Originally Posted by dkoldman

he key question here is how do you normally get to 1/3? Connect hose and stop the water at 1/3 tank, drain what is in tank down to 1/3; or just leave with what you have which may usually be around 1/3? Inquiring minds want to know

I just don't like to haul around something that we probably won't need, especially a commodity that you can get free at any gas station.

Before we leave for any trip, I estimate our FW needs in my head. If it is under that amount or under 1/3, I will add more, either with a FW hose or by flipping a valve that I installed under the dinette seat to divert City Water into the tank.

If there is significantly more water in the tank than we will need, I may or may not choose to open the drain valve to dump some of it onto the driveway. Problem is, once you open that spigot, you have to remember to close it again.

Another method to reduce FW level might be to open the sink valves and flush the toilet 5 or 10 times. That should put just enough water into the grey and black tanks to slosh around while we go down the road. But, that would equal a net zero on the overall weight of the rig.

[Scubawise]

We always fill using filtered water.
Lots of boondocking

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Wiley1

I just don't like to haul around something that we probably won't need, especially a commodity that you can get free at any gas station.

Before we leave for any trip, I estimate our FW needs in my head. If it is under that amount or under 1/3, I will add more, either with a FW hose or by flipping a valve that I installed under the dinette seat to divert City Water into the tank.

If there is significantly more water in the tank than we will need, I may or may not choose to open the drain valve to dump some of it onto the driveway. Problem is, once you open that spigot, you have to remember to close it again.

Another method to reduce FW level might be to open the sink valves and flush the toilet 5 or 10 times. That should put just enough water into the grey and black tanks to slosh around while we go down the road. But, that would equal a net zero on the overall weight of the rig.

Of course if you don't need water or use very little, there would be no need to fill tank Further if you have the time or patience to acquire water from any gas station along the way then that is another story. I have never done that and would not even consider doing the same short of an emergency. Only place I have added water would be home and campsite. Sounds like you may fulltime as you have city water connected. Even at campsites we do not leave our city water connected. Only to fill tank. We are drive and go people (no toad); only thing plugged up at campsite for us is shorepower. We are normally never in one place more than 3 to 4 days and if you have not noticed; I am very lazy; so I take the path of less work for me; so I can just enjoy the vacation. Translation, if the city water is connected and tank fill is open, I am filling up 100%+, I don't actually care about weight as we don't come close to exceeding any capacity loads. If we did; what breaks? The damage if any would be caused by some other extra-ordinary item(s) I carried on my coach (not the fresh water). If I did the add some unusual extra heavy item(s) knowingly, I am sure I would make an exception and go empty with fresh water like we do when we travel when the RV is Winterized.

[lwmcguire]

Originally Posted by dkoldman

Of course if you don't need water or use very little, there would be no need to fill tank Further if you have the time or patience to acquire water from any gas station along the way that that is another story. I have never done that and would not even consider doing the same short of an emergency. Only place I have added water would be home and campsite. Sounds like you may fulltime as you have city water connected. Even at campsites we do not leave our city water connected. Only to fill tank. We are drive and go people (no toad); only thing plugged up at campsite for us is shorepower. We are normally never in one place more than 3 to 4 days and if you have not noticed; I am very lazy; so I take the path of less work for me; so I can just enjoy the vacation. Translation, if the city water is connected and tank fill is open, I am filling up 100%+, I don't actually care about weight as we don't come close to exceeding any capacity loads. If we did; what breaks? The damage if any would be caused by some extra-ordinary item(s) I carried on my coach. If I did the latter knowingly, I am sure I would make an exception and go empty with fresh water like we do when we travel when the RV is Winterized.

I agree with you thoughts and practices 100%

Over the years we have seen numerous RV's with water pouring out of them due to high pressure events in different camp grounds

The worst ever was in Branson where we counted 11 rigs with water pouring out in one afternoon. All the rigs were newer so would have had Pex which indicates the pressure was very high

Just don't make sense going off with a water hose hooked up and turned on

Should we be doing washing then the hose is turned off after finished and taken up

[ducksface]

I try extra hard to not fret.
The 1/3 tank thing is a fret, purposefully perpetrated.

Fill the tank to be ready for an emergency(yours or someone elses. It's not always about you)

We're on backroads this week. Haven't seen more than a mom and pop gas station for five days.
The harvest hosts we're at do not have water. There has been no gret, no regret.

[EA37TS]

How much water do you want if you breakdown on the side of the road and have to wait 4 hours or longer for a tow truck?

[Wiley1]

Originally Posted by EA37TS

How much water do you want if you breakdown on the side of the road and have to wait 4 hours or longer for a tow truck?

That's what the beer is for. What the fridge won't hold, the cooler in the basement will.

My fresh water tank holds 40 gallons. One third of that is 12.7 gallons or 213 cups. In in typical day, I drink maybe 2 cups and my wife even less. So, if we were to try to drink all that water, it would take us more than 50 days. Fortunately, the toilet still needs to be flushed, so we may only have to drink water for 25 days.

[atreis]

Originally Posted by dkoldman

The key question here is how do you normally get to 1/3? Connect hose and stop the water at 1/3 tank, drain what is in tank down to 1/3; or just leave with what you have which may usually be around 1/3? Inquiring minds want to know

Really think people are overthinking this ... 1/3rd, about 1/3rd ... is really between 1/3 and 2/3. My tank is T shaped with one side of the top cut off (or L shaped, with the long leg sticking downward, with the top of the tank under the dinette seat). Anything under 2/3 has water only in the bottom, vertical, part of the tank, so not much sloshing. I've no weight concerns. If the 1/3rd light is lit and the 2/3 light is not, I'm happy. How I got there is irrelevant.

[Pete'sMH]

Originally Posted by atreis

Really think people are overthinking this ... 1/3rd, about 1/3rd ... is really between 1/3 and 2/3. My tank is T shaped with one side of the top cut off (or L shaped, with the long leg sticking downward, with the top of the tank under the dinette seat). Anything under 2/3 has water only in the bottom, vertical, part of the tank, so not much sloshing. I've no weight concerns. If the 1/3rd light is lit and the 2/3 light is not, I'm happy. How I got there is irrelevant.

Seriously. 130 posts on how much water to carry is amazing. Carry as much as you want. Sometimes I fill up other times not. Depends on the trip and my whim at the time.

[lwmcguire]

In 60 years of owning RV's of various sizes and makes I don't recall ever saying I have to much water and there were sure many times when I wished I had more

Back in the day water came out of a hose or spigot not our of plastic containers like today so you prepared and didn't count on the store selling you H2O

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by atreis

Really think people are overthinking this ... 1/3rd, about 1/3rd ... is really between 1/3 and 2/3. My tank is T shaped with one side of the top cut off (or L shaped, with the long leg sticking downward, with the top of the tank under the dinette seat). Anything under 2/3 has water only in the bottom, vertical, part of the tank, so not much sloshing. I've no weight concerns. If the 1/3rd light is lit and the 2/3 light is not, I'm happy. How I got there is irrelevant.

You may actually have provided more thought than any response thus far? But you may be missing the point / intent of my question?

Regardless of anyone's philosophy, thought, or rationale, I was asking anyone that stated they travel at 1/3 tank as to how did they get to the 1/3 or approximate 1/3 before leaving?

1. Connect hose and stop the water at 1/3 tank?
2. Drain what is in tank down to 1/3?
3. Just leave with what you have which may just happen be around 1/3?

FWIW, #3 is only option of irrelevance how you got there. The others require specific intent to which I was seeking. I am just curious if some people actually connect the water hose and STOP at 1/3 tank before a trip, and / or go outside and drain their tank down to 1/3 before leaving? Really simple question

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by lwmcguire

In 60 years of owning RV's of various sizes and makes I don't recall ever saying I have to much water and there were sure many times when I wished I had more

Back in the day water came out of a hose or spigot not our of plastic containers like today so you prepared and didn't count on the store selling you H2O

I only got 20 months, but I know you right

[paulwadley]

I am able to see and monitor the fresh water tank on the passenger side of my motor home. It is inside it's own compartment along with the water pump. I just open the compartment door and watch as it fills up. I do not have a gravity fill option so I have to use the tank fill option with a fresh water hose going to city water.

Paul

[CDA]

I never thought people could talk so much about how much water to carry, but here I am reading all these posts. More for comic-relief. I fill my tank full as I boondock most the time. If I know I am going to have hook ups, I'll still run over a half tank as you never know.

[Scubawise]

Everyone fill your tank..trust me you do not want to run out or move your MH to get

[lwmcguire]

Originally Posted by CDA

I never thought people could talk so much about how much water to carry, but here I am reading all these posts. More for comic-relief. I fill my tank full as I boondock most the time. If I know I am going to have hook ups, I'll still run over a half tank as you never know.

I feel great that we were entertaining you!

[atreis]

Originally Posted by dkoldman

You may actually have provided more thought than any response thus far? But you may be missing the point / intent of my question?

Regardless of anyone's philosophy, thought, or rationale, I was asking anyone that stated they travel at 1/3 tank as to how did they get to the 1/3 or approximate 1/3 before leaving?

1. Connect hose and stop the water at 1/3 tank?
2. Drain what is in tank down to 1/3?
3. Just leave with what you have which may just happen be around 1/3?

FWIW, #3 is only option of irrelevance how you got there. The others require specific intent to which I was seeking. I am just curious if some people actually connect the water hose and STOP at 1/3 tank before a trip, and / or go outside and drain their tank down to 1/3 before leaving? Really simple question

Fair enough. More often than not, #3 works for me because 1/3 is what I have after 2-3 days. If not, then I do either drain some, or connect a hose and fill some, as appropriate.

[hikerjohn7]

Originally Posted by Scubawise

We always fill using filtered water.
Lots of boondocking

I can see why, if you boondock a lot, you would want to keep a full fresh water tank. I have yet to stay in a place that has not had a water supply so I only keep a level in the RV that I will need to was a dish or take bathroom breaks until we reach the next campground stop.

PS: While we are on the subject of tanks I'd like to switch the subject to the other tanks.

My strategy in campgrounds with water and sewage is to open the gray so it runs out as I use it; but to keep the black closed for about three days so it builds up enough liquid to flush out with some force. And the night before I leave a campground, I close the gray so it builds up volume from showers to flush the lines when I dump.

Are there any suggestions out there on better strategies?

[MJC62]

139 water posts and counting ...

[Scubawise]

Originally Posted by MJC62

139 water posts and counting ...

Wrong 140...we always attach a campco filter and always have a full tank