Traveling With Water

[packnrat]

yes travel with full tanks. as water quality will be different everywhere you go.

but if "this" trip will be well over say 1 K miles and you know you can get good water there, then yes to less in the tank.
but then i also carry bottled water, for my drinking needs.
and even at home run water into your rv through a higher grade filter.

 

[Jeff & Gail]

Saw the tank insulation at national rally and they are well built and certainly well installed. Most of us were surprised what the tanks looked like. Good surprise. I carry 1/3 unless I'm going boondocking then it's full.

 

[chulavista]

We boondock exclusively - we haul empty until we get as close as we can to where we are going to camp, and get potable water. Our current trailer (not a Monty) holds 174 gallons of fresh water, we don't haul that any farther than we have to!!

 

[7.3Ford]

I always carry full fresh water tank, empty black and gray ASAP.

 

[beeje-KEY]

We boondock exclusively - we haul empty until we get as close as we can to where we are going to camp, and get potable water. Our current trailer (not a Monty) holds 174 gallons of fresh water, we don't haul that any farther than we have to!!

WOW, that's a lot of water. We can go 9 or so days on 66 gallon. You must have a toy hauler?

 

[chulavista]

WOW, that's a lot of water. We can go 9 or so days on 66 gallon. You must have a toy hauler?

Yes, we have a toy hauler for a little while longer....

 

[Mountaindog-FRF]

Resurrecting an old post but had to comment. My first fifth wheel was a Forest River. On that forum traveling with fresh water tank full was a big no no. They said the tank would break loose. I guess that’s why we all went to a Montana!

 

[AZ Traveler]

George,

You will find folks here that also do not advocate traveling with full water. I typically fill water close to my destination if able.. A water pillow works well to refill the tank. https://www.campingworld.com/portable-rv-fresh-water-tank-45-gallon-1605.html

 

[Mikendebbie]

There are lots of threads on that subject. Based on what I have read here (not personal experience) - someday I intend to add support to all of my tanks. Forum member Rohrman has some excellent pics of some support he added to his tanks (don't remember if it was black tanks or gray or fresh water). He added some angle iron cross members (2 or 3) below the tanks bolted to the main frame beams and placed wood between the angle iron and the sloped bottom of the tanks (sort of like shims). The job can only be done with the coroplast bottom removed.

This is on my to-do list. Until then I travel with very little liquid in any of the tanks.

 

[beeje-KEY]

All three of my waste tanks have been reinforced and have been fine for many years. I try not to travel with any water or sewage in those.
My freshwater tank has been much better supported also. I added extra straps and a stainless steel sheet on the bottom of it. We still travel with full water wherever we go. Even if we have water at the campsite I never hook up to it.
By filling the tank and using the water pump you can instantly tell if there's a problem because the pump will run when nobody is using water.
Also like a lot of folks I don't like to leave the water on while I'm not at the camper. If you're using the tank and pump that's as simple as turning the pump switch off before you leave.
If your unit is hooked up to city water and you leave it on and then leave your camper, and there's a leak somewhere it will have unlimited quantities of water to destroy your camper.
If you use the tank and pump and leave it on and have a leak at worst you will have 66 gallons until it runs dry

 

[Mountaindog-FRF]

I have always followed that habit of turning off the pump or water main when leaving for the day.
That brings up another question. When your boondocking where do you dump your holding tanks before you head home? Will a campground allow you to dump in their facilities for a fee?

 

[beeje-KEY]

Our boondocking is not really boondocking I suppose because we are in a campground we just don't have any hookups. Those campgrounds do have water you can fill up with and dump stations so you can dump before you leave. And yes many campgrounds will allow you to dump there for a fee. And many would never know whether you did that or not.
Dumping at home for us is nearly impossible since our septic cleanouts are way too far away. But push come to shove I guess I could use a mercerator pump to do it

 

[Daryles]

2019 3130re. Mine came with steel U frame mounted under the coroplast under the black and forward grey tank.
I'm planning on adding more across the entire bottom both to support the coroplast (sagging) and the freshwater tank.
I only travel with 1/3 freshwater and empty holding tanks if not boondocking.
Going boondocking I will fill up at the last overnight stop if I know I can't get water at or near my destination.

 

[beeje-KEY]

2019 3130re. Mine came with steel U frame mounted under the coroplast under the black and forward grey tank.
I'm planning on adding more across the entire bottom both to support the coroplast (sagging) and the freshwater tank.
I only travel with 1/3 freshwater and empty holding tanks if not boondocking.
Going boondocking I will fill up at the last overnight stop if I know I can't get water at or near my destination.

Right above those u-shaped braces is where I added support. The two tanks above their are quite a few inches above that chloroplast so the tanks have to bulge downward quite a bit to touch those angles.
I also discovered when my freshwater tank is empty it can be slid around where it is mounted especially left to right. Don't remember exactly what I did but I mounted something in there to stop that from happening. I think it's best to either travel with a full tank of water or empty because a partial tank will slash all around potentially moving the tank