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Old 06-16-2018, 12:15 AM   #1
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Traveling with fresh water

I have recently read some very troubling posts on another forum regarding traveling with full freshwater tanks.

I have a 2018 Sonoma (Mountain Edition) and the undercarriage is sealed so I can't check this out for myself.
Does anyone know if it is safe to travel with the tank full ( we dry camp a lot). Will it need to be reinforced to be safe?
My husband thinks the tank sits on top of the frame and is already reinforced.

I wrote to Forest River but have not heard back.

Thank you for any help
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Old 06-16-2018, 12:55 AM   #2
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It depends on where exactly the fresh water tank is. If it's "inside" under the bed or somewhere else I wouldn't worry. If it's hanging from the frame with some sort of straps then it probably needs reinforcement.

What's the exact model you have ?
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Old 06-16-2018, 02:13 AM   #3
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Ones that are strapped I don't trust to travel with. JMO
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Old 06-16-2018, 04:03 AM   #4
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Does anyone know if it is safe to travel with the tank full ( we dry camp a lot). Will it need to be reinforced to be safe?

We've traveled thousands of kms with a full fresh water tank. Notwithstanding specific, circumstantial, tales of woe, why would a trailer manufacturer install a fresh water tank that wasn't intended to be filled before heading to the oasis?
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Old 06-16-2018, 04:11 AM   #5
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Old 06-16-2018, 05:18 AM   #6
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We've traveled thousands of kms with a full fresh water tank. Notwithstanding specific, circumstantial, tales of woe, why would a trailer manufacturer install a fresh water tank that wasn't intended to be filled before heading to the oasis?
This exactly. Nowhere in my unit’s paperwork does it say not to travel with a full tank.
Having said that I would suggest taking a close look at the tank mounting. My 233s seems fine and has withstood a few long trips with a full tank so far.
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Old 06-16-2018, 06:01 AM   #7
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We have RV'd since 2001 (bumper pull first followed by three fifth wheels). We don't make a habit of traveling with a full tank but on occasion we certainly do. We've been on Interstates and some back-roads and never had issues.

I'm of the opinion like others...why on earth would a manufacture design an RV with a tank that couldn't be hauled FULL of water (whether fresh or gray or black).
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Old 06-16-2018, 06:36 AM   #8
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There are a LOT of reasons why "Tanks" get" Poor Press/Fake News"! If they are Filled Too Fast with a Hose/Nozzel that "Restricts" water from Exiting the Tank through the Vent and Fill Opening,it is Highly Possible to "BULGE/EXSPAND" the Tank! In most cases the Damage can NOT be seen because of the Location/Coverage of the Tank! Now add Full/Half Tank of water to a "Bent/Damaged" support system and Travel down our "PERFECT Roads" the chances of "Bombs Away" of the Tank is Real Good! This is in regards to the FW tank, other tanks have other reasons! Youroo!!
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Old 06-16-2018, 07:32 AM   #9
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You guys are giving the mfg to much credit for *designing*.

My straps are weak and have bent. They will be reinforced...
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Old 06-16-2018, 07:44 AM   #10
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6 different units in 10 years/ travel with water all the time and never a problem. Sooner or later something will probably happen but if you cant use your unit what's the point of owning it.
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Old 06-16-2018, 08:17 AM   #11
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Depends on the unit. If you are worried about yours, the only thing to do is examine the full/empty tank, which may require removing the bottom covering. I remove mine periodically to examine everything under there, then reinstall. All my units have had a coroplast bottom held on with screws and tape.

Most 'problem' tanks seem to be in the half ton towable superlite models, where everything is flimsy to save a pound. Even the tanks used sure look like they are made of thinner material.

We have always had gravity fill models, so over filling/swelling is damn near impossible unless you use fittings to seal the system. You just get wet when it's full if you fill too fast. But, like you, I grew concerned about the sturdiness of the tanks and supports after reading these forums. So I removed the bottom covering and watched the tanks while filling all of them. Never saw any movement, swelling, or weak supports. The only exception was one of the gray tanks where the bottom sagged slightly more when full.

If my unit could not travel with a full tank of any kind, I would sell it and get one that could without having to rebuild the whole thing.
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Old 06-16-2018, 08:39 AM   #12
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The tank on my 2018 Cherokee hangs between the frame using the molded edges of the tank as support. they have approx 1/2" of overhang, with two straps under the belly. After first trip with full tank, the tank was sagging and in full contact with straps....I drained the tank for trip home. While relocating my main LP line, I grabbed one of the straps while on my back and tore the strap off the bolt holding it on. Son and I took 4 strips of angle iron and welded two each...back to back to form a "T" and bolted those across the belly of the tank to the frame supports. No sag, no bending and I feel much better about running with a full water tank now. No issue with our 2007 Jayco as the tank was mounted to the floor under the master bed. I have very little faith in the tanks supported only by the edges of the tank suspended from the frame.
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Old 06-16-2018, 12:35 PM   #13
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thanks for all the replys. My unit is a 201rd Mountain Edition of the Sonoma. The undercarriage is enclosed so impossible to see if tank is bulging. I am probably overthinking the issue after reading some scary posts. We will probably just go for it. I have an apt for some warranty work this month and hopefully they will shed a little light. As this is my first travel trailer (after 20 years with a Lance truck camper hauling a horse trailer) I am a little nervous with a new expensive toy. Thanks for bearing with me
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Old 06-16-2018, 12:45 PM   #14
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I am currently traveling in Alaska, where not every campgrounds has potable water, therefore I am traveling with full water in my tank. No problems, even over some rough roads.
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Old 06-16-2018, 02:37 PM   #15
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We never boondock and rarely stay at state or national campgrounds so we never travel with a full fresh water tank—- just a few gallons in case of “need”. At eight pound per gallon we don’t want the extra weight. That being said I have heard of those under tank straps giving way so I guess it’s another one of those items for the monthly/yearly check list.
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Old 06-16-2018, 02:40 PM   #16
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Having no specificity to the OP’s unit, it is and has been my practice to travel with 1/3-1/2 a tank for convienice use and an emergency shower if I have to make repair roadside. If I am going to boondock/drycamp, I fill it up. Most of the reasoning behind this technique is economy based. Adding 300+ pounds to the cargo load costs $$$ and causes wear and tear on the unit et al. YMMV
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Old 06-16-2018, 03:43 PM   #17
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I always travel with a tank of water but I did have to renforce the tank. The factory supports were bending enough to let the tank fall out. I have a 2013 model and have heard they have since fixed this problem
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Old 06-16-2018, 06:52 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rangerjean View Post
I have recently read some very troubling posts on another forum regarding traveling with full freshwater tanks.

I have a 2018 Sonoma (Mountain Edition) and the undercarriage is sealed so I can't check this out for myself.
Does anyone know if it is safe to travel with the tank full ( we dry camp a lot). Will it need to be reinforced to be safe?
My husband thinks the tank sits on top of the frame and is already reinforced.

I wrote to Forest River but have not heard back.

Thank you for any help
As the first reply said, it depends... I almost always leave home with a full tank (or near full). When doing a trip like the half-loop (or full loop) of Australia, you can never be sure where your next fresh water supply will be and if it is actually fit for drinking. So our 200 litre tank and 2 20 litre jerry cans get filled at every opportunity. Sometimes this brings us undone. At one town (a major one too) in the outback of Queensland, our storage was getting low and the local water stunk of sulphur and tasted nearly as bad. Apparently it is OK when boiled. We rationed severely until the next town 300km away. Most water in the Oz north outback, and this is across 4 states, comes from the Artesian Basin, underground. Sometimes it seeps through some pretty awful clay deposits. Anyway, that's why I always take a full tank and forget about the weight.
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Old 06-16-2018, 07:18 PM   #19
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When I took my new trailer home last July it was already filled with water. The dealer's people filled it and leak checked the water system. Drove it home, drained, and refilled with "my" water. No issues.

This May I took off on a trip just under 4,000 miles over all kinds of roads, some with nasty bumps. Left with a full tank and filled when it was low. I learned long ago that just because you plan on stopping at a park with hookups surprises happen. One last trip I made with my wife brought us to a park that suffered a power outage in the middle of the night due to nearby lightning strikes. Tank was near empty and we planned on using park water for our morning showers. No power, no shower. Also ran out of "flushing water" on the way to the next stop. Water tank is still where it was installed at the factory.

Unless there's a big, bold, warning in the book, I travel with a full or mostly full tank. Even with the extra water I still get as much as 11 mpg with my Titan but that depends more on terrain than whether or not the tank is full.
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Old 06-16-2018, 07:20 PM   #20
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Depends on the situation for me as well headed to Yellowstone area on Friday I will most likely travel with full tank unfortunately we got postponed two weeks so long days to get there especially the first cuz I can’t leave until afternoon so less to hookup and tear down in dark also we have pretty good water here not the best so if our campground doesn’t we have plenty Now if making a weekend trip no water or just enough for roadside stops
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