Pin Weight and Water Tank

[gduff]

This is more of a curiosity question/comment.

It seems in a lot of cases that pin weight is the barrier many set ups hit well in advance of the total weight or capacity of the tv. As most water tanks are in back of the trailer axels would filling the tank help reduce pin weight or is this just a crazy idea?
Thoughts?

[Arve-norway]

yes if the are back of te aksels it will help... if its close im note sure

[bncinwv]

Yes it will work, to some extent. It is simply a function of the lever principle that was learned in school in physics. It is not a direct transfer however, it is proportional to the distance from the axle centers to the pin versus the distance from the axle centers to the center of the water tank. I would guess that a three hundred pound load in a tank at the rear of the rig would result in the pin weight being lightened by about a hundred pounds (without doing the calculations). Just got in from work so calculations are out of the question!!
Bingo

[Slufoot733]

While I have to agree that a full fresh water tank, at the rear, will take a little weight off the pin, I must recommend against traveling with a full tank. I have two main reasons for this. First, that's a heck of a lot of extra weight to haul around unless you're going boon docking. Even then I would fill the tank at the last available water source before going off the beaten path. Secondly, and most importantly, all that extra weight can cause handling issues when traveling over the road. This may present itself most at highway speeds, especially if you are forced to make evasive maneuvers. Extra weight located behind the axles can act like a pendulum causing the rear end of the trailer to sway. The more the weight, the more the sway. We travel with about 10 - 15 gallons in the fresh water tank. That's enough to flush the toilet and wash up at a pit stop. I have made a couple test runs with a full tank and can definitely feel the difference. Personally I feel that the extra weight and chance of a sway problem is not worth the risk. If the pin weight is too high for the tow vehicle then someone didn't do their homework prior to buying. Possibly a suspension beef up would be in order.

[DQDick]

X2 and add to that the stress on the tank which in most Monty's is only supported around the edges. If the pin weight is too high there are probably other issues that the TV isn't designed for as well.

[Mudchief]

It will help some. We always travel with the fresh water full and the holding tanks empty. That is a result of being broke down in the middle of nowhere with the water tank near empty and the holding tanks full.

[snfexpress]

We typically travel with a full water tank and as close to empty as possible waste tanks. Our fresh water tank is amply supported from the factory, but our waste tanks were not so we added supports.

[KathyandDave]

The weight of the water should add to the axles 2X the weight it takes off the pin.

[Paddler]

Normally we travel with only 10 gallons or so in our fresh water tank. Prior to our last outing, I filled the fresh tank. You could really feel the extra weight on the rear end of the rig when you'd hit a rough spot in the road, it created an uncomfortable ride. I ended up dumping water everytime we stopped at rest areas.

[ols1932]

For the past 12 years while full timing, we have always traveled with a full fresh water tank. If you've ever been caught in a bind at your destination and they tell you the water just got turned off due to a leak, you'll be glad you have the water in your tank. I've never noticed any handling difficulties traveling with a full water tank, but then maybe it's a matter of how fast one drives. I've been passed by 5th wheels being towed by a 3/4 ton pickup while traveling 55 mph. Some of these vehicles are traveling at least 70 mph. For me, that's a little too fast to travel let alone being a little unsafe. You may disagree with me, that's fine, but most handling problems are caused by speed.

Orv

[mhs4771]

On our SOB, all the tanks are under the Basement. So any water we carry is pretty much just added pin weight, which helps keep us under the rigs axle ratings.

[pineranch]

I choose not to carry 550#'s of weight at the rear of my RV. Because, my wife let me keep my toy and I will tow it behind the RV.
The devil made me do this after reading where all you guys sold your toys.
Mike

[CORattler]

Yup! It's like the tail waggin' the dog!!

quote:Originally posted by Slufoot733

While I have to agree that a full fresh water tank, at the rear, will take a little weight off the pin, I must recommend against traveling with a full tank. I have two main reasons for this. First, that's a heck of a lot of extra weight to haul around unless you're going boon docking. Even then I would fill the tank at the last available water source before going off the beaten path. Secondly, and most importantly, all that extra weight can cause handling issues when traveling over the road. This may present itself most at highway speeds, especially if you are forced to make evasive maneuvers. Extra weight located behind the axles can act like a pendulum causing the rear end of the trailer to sway. The more the weight, the more the sway. We travel with about 10 - 15 gallons in the fresh water tank. That's enough to flush the toilet and wash up at a pit stop. I have made a couple test runs with a full tank and can definitely feel the difference. Personally I feel that the extra weight and chance of a sway problem is not worth the risk. If the pin weight is too high for the tow vehicle then someone didn't do their homework prior to buying. Possibly a suspension beef up would be in order.