Traveling With Water

[Trailer Trash2]

WOW!! I guess I've been lucky with the drinking water tank, but my Black and Gray tanks have been a problems.

 

[djgodden]

Never had a problem with any tank on my 2005. Always travel with a full fresh water tank, maximum flexibility and I'm not tied to paying every night for somewhere to stay.

 

[LadyDog]

Always travel with a full fresh water tank, maximum flexibility and I'm not tied to paying every night for somewhere to stay.

X2
I've done this on all the 5 trailers that I have owned and never have had any tank problems. Maybe I'm lucky.

 

[old timer-KEY]

I did a 12,000 mile trip last year and always tow with a full tank of water. I try to get it as full as possible so the water doesn't slosh around in the tank. When water or any liquid is allowed to slosh around that alows the weight to be shifted around in the tank. By having it full than the water cant move and the weight stays stable in the tank.

 

[Kansas Farmer]

We are on our 3rd Montana and have always travel with the tank full. As far a milage it will not make any difference. Our new Montana weighs 2K more than the old one and the milage on the truck is the same.

 

[Ram Montana High Country]

From experience in transport liquids in semis and other applications, it was ALWAYS preferred to have a full tank verses less than a full tank - reason: a full tank does not slosh about. With lower fluid levels, the vehicle when just stopped would sit there and rock for some time. Food for though ...
Question: What kind of device monitors the fluid level? Is it just sensors that work thru conductivity or is it a float arm?

 

[Recumbent-MOC]

Traveled 12,200 miles round trip to Alaska keeping a full tank with no issues.

 

[scattershot]

Most of 'em are sensors, as far as I know.

 

[Mosnowman]

1 gallon of water weighs 8.34 pounds

My fresh water tank = 66 gallons

If filled it will weigh 550 pounds

Better make sure those brackets/attachments are good!

 

[AZ Traveler]

Travel with a little water if going to a campground with services and travel full when boon docking. Never had an issue. Wish Montana put in a bigger water tank.

 

[twindman]

I just had a thought on the fresh water tanks and why most have no problems with them breaking. The black/gray tanks are connected to a solid 3 inch drain and a solid input from the toilet, etc. So the weight in the tank is pulling on the connections when bouncing down the road. The fresh tank probably has a light pex hose input and out, so nothing pulling on the top of the tank.
I have never traveled with a full tank except for once in a great while when boondocking. But I may change this policy after thinking of this!!!

 

[beeje-KEY]

We travel with full fresh water every time we go anywhere even when we have full hook ups. I can fill it at home in 15 min or less and don't have to bother with a hose/pressure reducer Etc. when we arrive. The only time we do not do so is when we will be staying for more than a week at one place.

IMHO when you use the pump and tank you can easily tell if there is a leak since the pump will run when no water is being used.

Also I have inspected the water tank and its supports on all the RVs we have pwned and have reinforced all of the water tanks in every one of them.

On our current Montana a tank support was under the lowered portion of the tank, pushing it up so that when you think it was empty it actually had quite a bit of water still in it. You could also move the tank from side to side when empty (not good)

 

[twopetes1@charter.net]

We travel with a full tank - one: we always have water and two is it helps with pin weight

 

[Recumbent-MOC]

twindman you are exactly correct, we learned this from Ozz, he figured it out and placed a flexible connection between black tank and "in-coming" waste line. We have not (so far) had a problem with our black tank cracking and leaking, but we travel empty or very near empty. However, we do have to occasionally move the Monty from the our Site to the Dump station at RV parks making the cracked and leaking tank a possible issue for us in the future.

 

[McIver-MOC]

Yet again, this site taught this genius something useful. Thanks, Montana family.

 

[McIver-MOC]

Water

Is there a threat of freezing / damaging the fresh water tank when winter traveling?

 

[Salmon guy]

We travel with ours full quite often. I also carry a 40 gallon barrel with a 12 volt pump for boondocking. But after reading about tanks falling out while traveling maybe we got lucky.

 

[h2ojocky]

I have always traveled with my fresh tank full also. Maybe the older units were made better!

 

[old timer-KEY]

I have gone 30,000 mile with full tank of water and tank is still attached to the 5er LOL. Mine is a 03 and I love it. Everything works and I just keep doing maintenance to keep it looking as nice as possible. I'm kind of a old school guy LOL

 

[BuilderBob-MOC]

We have had 3 Different 5er and have had no problems with any tanks ever! we carry about a half tank of water for toilet and other things along the way when we travel have done it this way for years!