Filling Fresh Water tank for boondocking

[laurarice26]

Hi All,

We are going on our first boondocking trip to a music festival. We can't get our camper to our house to fill up the fresh water tank. What do folks like us do? Is it safe to drive 3-4 hours with a full tank? I read some of the Georgetown threads where people had trouble with water siphoning out. Do the Wildwood's have that problem?

Thanks so much for your help.
Laura

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by laurarice26

Hi All,

We are going on our first boondocking trip to a music festival. We can't get our camper to our house to fill up the fresh water tank. What do folks like us do? Is it safe to drive 3-4 hours with a full tank? I read some of the Georgetown threads where people had trouble with water siphoning out. Do the Wildwood's have that problem?

Thanks so much for your help.
Laura

I've traveled plenty of times with my sabre tank full.
No issues.



TURBS

"SABRE OWNERS UNITED"

[Mr. B]

You mention that you can't get your camper to your house to fill the tank. Can you bring the water to your camper?

The one time I had to replenish my fresh water supply while camping without hook ups, I used a Coleman 5 gallon water jug and a funnel. It took several trips from the water source to the trailer (and was not all that fun) but I was able to ensure enough water for our last day and trip home.

Other forum members have mentioned using large bladders like this to fill their fresh water tanks. Maybe that would be a good solution to your water supply dilemma.

As far as the water siphoning/sloshing out, that happened to me the first time I traveled in our Wildwood X-Lite 195bh with a full fresh water tank. Since then, I have been using a small rubber stopper (a rubber cork) to close the overflow/air vent on the fresh water tank. I have done this on multiple trips, the longest from southeastern Massachusetts to northern Vermont (roughly 225 miles), and I no longer lose water. The only problem to this approach for stopping the siphoning action is that if I forget to remove the stopper and pump the water out of the tank, I may damage it (the tank) or the supply lines.

[YoungKopernik]

I always travel with a full tank, I have a plan when I leave but never know what could happen on the way.
I have never had a problem and unless the fill or bleed is lower than the tank I cant understand how it could siphon on its own. Now if I fill while the camper is tilted than I might see some water when it levels or tilts the other way.
Have fun
John

[thumperpaul]

Try seeing if there are any sani-stations close by the area you are going to. Use the fresh water fill that line to fill your tank; that's what I always do when boondocking. Saves you from hauling all that extra weight from home....

[Exiled Bohemians]

I wonder if we were at the same music festival?!

We were also boondocking for the first time at this event, so I filled the fresh water tank before we started out. My beloved spouse was worried about having enough water, so I allowed it to fill until it started to overflow. The sensor read "full" &
I thought we were all set. We were four hours away from our destination.

When we got to the festival, we only had 1/3 of a tank of fresh water! Luckily, we brought along 10 gallons of drinking water & we did just fine for 3.5 days by conserving.

My overflow valve sticks out of the bottom of the fresh water tank, and I noticed water coming out of it when I stopped for gas.

So, I guess siphoning was an issue for me in my Vibe? Still researching prevention - capping the overflow is not so good for me because I am too forgetful...

How did things work out for you?


Traveling 9/1/2014 - 11/1/2014
2015 Vibe 6504 • 2005 BMW X5
http://instagram.com/bohemians_in_exile

[mikier]

Originally Posted by YoungKopernik

I always travel with a full tank, I have a plan when I leave but never know what could happen on the way.
I have never had a problem and unless the fill or bleed is lower than the tank I cant understand how it could siphon on its own. Now if I fill while the camper is tilted than I might see some water when it levels or tilts the other way.
Have fun
John

X2

[hankpac]

When hauling a full tank, figure 8 pounds per gallon. That is how much extra you are hauling, which affects mileage and your total allowable weight capacity. Since everyone seems to haul way took much junk as it is, be careful about how much water you haul.
In Oregon, you can find highway weigh stations, unmanned, and always turned on, so you can weigh your trailer for free, just pull up.
We dry camp every year for a month, at Elk Camp. Aside from the other issues (black water tank capacity, battery charging etc, water is always an issue. the nearest town has seriously bad water. So once parked we drop down the hill 4 miles to a spring, and dil three or four 6 gallon cans. Later (we stay a month), we take an empty ice chest ( a huge one) and fill it with a bucket from the spring, then use a bilge pump with a hose, hooked to the cigarette lighter, and pump it directly into the tank from the truck bed. All very clean, and the water is pristine. Since we are pulling high ingot he mountains, I prefer to tow as light as possible.
It is all simply preference, you can haul heavy if you wish, won't hurt the trailer, and if your overflow (an air vent actually) is low, connect another length, and route it upwards. Easy fix.

[Exiled Bohemians]

Thanks for that easy fix idea, the fresh water tank continues to drain down to 1/3, even when filling it only to 2/3.

I will give it a try & report back!

Thanks again!


Traveling 9/1/2014 - 11/1/2014
2015 Vibe 6504 • 2005 BMW X5
http://instagram.com/bohemians_in_exile

[rotorhead1250]

I camp in the woods 95% of the time and fill my fresh tank before leaving. 50 gallons. If you end up with less than full after your drive, theres a chance your vent hose is not connected to the upper vent screen. Mine wasnt and ive read several other posts like that. Also, fill slooooly, that way it vents and doesnt give a false overflow indication. I also dont worry about hauling the extra weight. For me the amount of fuel i burn is negligible.

[jar3316]

Even if you have a 50 gallon tank your only talking about the weight of 2 adults in the mix so its not as much as you think. Now if your sized wrong and you can barely tow the rig. ya 400 lbs is a big deal. I only have a 40 gal so its only 320 for me and I dont notice the difference in my set up.

[mark0224]

I usually travel with enough water to flush the toilet if needed and that's all. I do carry a couple of empty water jugs that I can fill when I get to my destination incase a hose will not reach from the trailer to the spigot. Some of these music festival's have locations to get water at least the couple I went to did. Getting the water from the jugs to the tank use a drill pump hooked up to a rechargeable drill. If your there for more than a couple of days your going to need more water anyway. Also have you a blue tank for dumping your grey and black tanks. Outside shower is helpful to keep this to a min.