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Old 06-13-2019, 06:09 PM   #1
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Traveling with water in fresh water tank.

I have read many threads on this and I'm still undecided. We have a 2015 Rockwood 8325ss Signature Series new to us this year. We always have a reservation at a designation that has at least power and water. This year we are just throwing the generator into the truck, hooking up and going. Destination is Oro Mendonte Ontario for a Rolling Stones concert. The route is planned but stops along the way are not planed so we could be in a beautiful park or a Walmart lot. We would like to have some water in the tank for coffee, washing, etc. So after all that my question is simple. Do you travel with fresh water in your tank. Yes or no?
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Old 06-13-2019, 06:14 PM   #2
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a always travel with my fresh tank full. Our regular spot does not have water on site and im not going to get in the Friday night line for water. I blow right by them and am set up with a beer in my hand while they are still waiting in line.
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Old 06-13-2019, 06:15 PM   #3
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I have read many threads on this and I'm still undecided. We have a 2015 Rockwood 8325ss Signature Series new to us this year. We always have a reservation at a designation that has at least power and water. This year we are just throwing the generator into the truck, hooking up and going. Destination is Oro Mendonte Ontario for a Rolling Stones concert. The route is planned but stops along the way are not planed so we could be in a beautiful park or a Walmart lot. We would like to have some water in the tank for coffee, washing, etc. So after all that my question is simple. Do you travel with fresh water in your tank. Yes or no?
Of course I travel with water in my tank. One of the reasons I bought a "Self
Contained" trailer is so I could have water and other normal "utilities" while traveling and be totally free from hookups whenever needed or wanted.

As for the argument "I don't want to tow the weight", the frontal area of any
RV, be it a trailer or Motor Home, uses up much of the horsepower of your engine just to move it through the air. The weight of the water is a non-issue unless you are overweight to begin with.

If you don't think you will need much water then maybe fill it to half and don't shower
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Old 06-13-2019, 06:23 PM   #4
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Traveling with fresh water

Back in those "olden days" we'd always have full water everyplace we went. Never knew any different and never had any problems either. Now, a few decades and RVs later and with the internet and all the 'experts' over the years, I now usually carry about 15 gallons (ca. 57 liters) in our 49 gallon (ca. 185 liters) freshwater tank for exactly the uses you mention while traveling.

If we know we'll be boon docking, at a place near where we'll be staying or if a campground with no hookups, we will stop and fill up the tank as I think the consensus is a full tank for a short distance would not be a problem for most of the RVs that would even be considering no hookups for a few nights.
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Old 06-13-2019, 06:23 PM   #5
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If traveling long distances I go with half a tank for use along the way, then fill up near my destination. If not traveling a long distance I fill the tank at home. I also beefed up the fresh water tank supports so the tank won't fall out.
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Old 06-13-2019, 06:33 PM   #6
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....
Do you travel with fresh water in your tank. Yes or no?

I don't believe this is the question you should be asking. You will get xx Yes answers and yy No answers. I think the question you should ask YOURSELF if you need water on the trip is "will my fresh water tank fall out or stay in place?" I recommend you answer that by pulling down the coroplast bottom cover (if you have one) and see if the tank is properly braced with study braces.
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Old 06-13-2019, 06:34 PM   #7
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Never leave home with less than a full tank or return with less than half full.
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Old 06-13-2019, 06:36 PM   #8
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If traveling long distances I go with half a tank for use along the way, then fill up near my destination. If not traveling a long distance I fill the tank at home. I also beefed up the fresh water tank supports so the tank won't fall out.

I checked the tank supports on my 2018 MicroLite and found them to be more than adequate. Perhaps the hysteria over weak tank supports is a result of some older units having a poor design.
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Old 06-13-2019, 07:35 PM   #9
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We travel with a full tank when we are going to a boondocking site and with just 10 -15 gallons if we'll have hookups. I have modified our FW tank supports because I felt the factory supports were weak.
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Old 06-13-2019, 09:26 PM   #10
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I checked the tank supports on my 2018 MicroLite and found them to be more than adequate. Perhaps the hysteria over weak tank supports is a result of some older units having a poor design.
Gosh I hope so.

Then we could start discussing religion and politics instead....

I don't think hysteria is the right term though. I, as an engineer, have concerns about mine. My concerns are backed up by pictures of tanks laying on the road.
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Old 06-13-2019, 09:30 PM   #11
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I checked the tank supports on my 2018 MicroLite and found them to be more than adequate. Perhaps the hysteria over weak tank supports is a result of some older units having a poor design.
My 2015 might be what you call on older unit. I filled my tank at home to sanitize my water system and it bulged out the bottom enough to become narrower such that it squeezed itself down between the two thin side rails. There was nothing under the tank except 1" wide ledges on the side rails.


Hysteria? Suit yourself.
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Old 06-13-2019, 09:40 PM   #12
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There was nothing under the tank except 1" wide ledges on the side rails.
Mine is supported the same way. Makes me very nervous to fill it with 360+ lbs of water... Or to leave it less than full and have a bunch of weight sloshing around.
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Old 06-13-2019, 10:04 PM   #13
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Wildcat techs put cross braces under mine at the Goshen rally a few years ago.
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Old 06-14-2019, 12:53 PM   #14
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I overfilled my 2017 Rockwood fresh water tank last year. I stuck the hose into the fill opening and got busy doing other things.. Later I found out the plastic tank expanded and bent the bottom supports downward.. poor design and probably needs a larger "Vent" hose to prevent this.... Fixed the supports and now fill slowly til full..
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Old 06-14-2019, 12:53 PM   #15
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My 2018 MicroLite single axle 19FBS door stickers dictate that with full tanks of water (50 lbs. hot & 300 lbs. cold), I am left with a cargo carrying capacity of 197 lbs. Therefore I never travel with a full fresh water tank. I'll usually start with about 5-6 gallons fresh for on-the-road usage and fill up and dump at the campground. That leaves me with a little more capacity for other stuff, which we try to keep at a minimum.
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Old 06-14-2019, 02:19 PM   #16
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All items in a unit are supposed to be able to be used. If falling tanks are a problem, seems they are, the builder needs to properly support them or reduce the size to 5-10 gallons!
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Old 06-14-2019, 02:21 PM   #17
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All items in a unit are supposed to be able to be used. If falling tanks are a problem, seems they are, the builder needs to properly support them or reduce the size to 5-10 gallons!
I agree with the properly support them!
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Old 06-14-2019, 02:42 PM   #18
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I always travel with the FW tank full. I would like to see the supports however I am not concerned enough to pull the colorplast down.

I sometimes wonder if the people that travel with a partial tank are causing more issues do to sloshing around. Of course if we don't use all our water we have the same issue on the way home, although most time we are close to empty on the way back.
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Old 06-14-2019, 03:18 PM   #19
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Having a R/V and not being able to have the fresh tank full while traveling is like having a tow vehicle that you could only put a total of 5 gallons of fuel in it... useless.

Each brand/model is different as to how the fresh tank is mounted and how reliably it will ride when full.

EACH OWNER is going to have to inspect (or have someone) to see whether YOUR tank is capable of carrying the weight.

If not, you are either going to have to reinforce it, get a different R/V (that CAN carry a full tank of water) or live with the fact that you have paid hard earned money for something you can not use to its fullest.

I would never own a R/V where I couldn't always carry a full tank of fresh water if I so chose... and I usually choose to!

And don't get me started on the "I don't carry water so I get better fuel mileage" theory. If the difference in fuel mileage with a full fresh water tank vs an empty tank keeps you from making a trip, you have foolishly spent your hard earned money on an R/V. Find a different hobby/way to relax.
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Old 06-14-2019, 03:21 PM   #20
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I don’t mind traveling dry, since I always stay places where potable water is available.
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