Fill Fresh Water Then Travel?

[Squirlee]

Hello everyone. We are taking the trailer out for a few days starting this weekend. This will be our maiden test voyage. First time with an RV.

So my newbie question is this - do we fill the fresh water tank and then travel to our destination? Can we fill it before travel or can that wreck something?

Oakmont 345RS.

Thanks

 

[JohnD]

We are taking the trailer out for a few days starting this weekend. This will be our maiden test voyage. First time with an RV.

So my newbie question is this - do we fill the fresh water tank and then travel to our destination? Can we fill it before travel or can that wreck something?

It all depends . . .

If you are going to a campground with water hookups, you shouldn't need to fill the fresh water tanks . . . unless you know that they have bad water.

For travel, I generally prime the water lines and fill the hot water heater at home, then I'll put maybe 1/4 to 1/3 of a tank of fresh water so that we can use the bathroom and have water for cooking at lunch stops along the way if we need it.

I try not to run with a full fresh tank of water unless I absolutely have to as it adds about 800 pounds to the load!

 

[Bgthomas]

Should be fine, but generally not necessary. research your destination to see if you either have water at the site, or that you can top off prior to parking. I usually travel at 1/4 to 1/3 full.

edit to add, great minds, John.

 

[Oregon_Camper]

Are you camping where there is water hookup or dry camping? If you have water at your site, I'd only add 5-10 gallons, in case you need to stop along the way. Think of it as emergency water.

If you are dry camping, then feel free to fill it up. That is what I do before all of our trips. You can see in my signature below, we camp in some very remote locations...no water, no power, no cell coverage, no other people.

 

[Squirlee]

Perfect! Thanks all. There is electric hookup where we are going but the water hasn't been turned on yet.

Thanks again.

 

[Shortest Straw]

Many folks do not like the extra weight or are concerned that the tank will not stay under the rig. We boondock a lot so filling the tank and going down the road is always part of our shakedown each year. So far so good.

 

[gwalter]

I fill the hot water heater connected to city water before I leave home so I don't have to wait a long time while the pump has to do it. About 90% of the time I carry 1/3rd of a tank of fresh water. We do camp in quite a few state parks with electric only and will fill at home if water access is not the best where we are headed. I have had everything weighed and am under my weight limits so I don't worry about the extra weight if I have to fill tank.

 

[JohnD]

Perfect! Thanks all. There is electric hookup where we are going but the water hasn't been turned on yet.

Thanks again.

Last year (2015) when we stayed at the Grand Canyon in January, the park didn't have the water spickets at each site turned on, but they did have a water pump by the office that we could fill up the fresh water tank.

You might check the park you are staying at as they might have a pump you can fill up the fresh water tank before you park in your site!

Also . . . without water and sewer hookups don't forget to conserve water . . . take Navy showers . . . use the park restroom (and shower) facilities as much as you can . . . do dishes outside . . . as those waste tanks fill up much faster than you might think!

Not to mention you'll go through that fresh water tank quicker than you might think as well.

 

[Bigburd]

Always 3/4 fill mine. More of a damper for trailer up/down movement than anything else. Only time we did not we had toilet water all over the bath from the up/down movement of the trailer. Does not happen with a 3/4tank.

 

[gasman]

I normally carry about a half tank unless we are dry camping, then I have it full. We have had some instances where the full hookup park has had to shut the water system down due to a leak or broken line. While others are without water, I just simply turn on the pump.

 

[happykraut]

5 to 10 gallons does it for me.

 

[dlw930]

We rarely boondock so we carry just enough fresh water to use enroute....10-15 gallons. We use bottled water for drinking.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jnbhobe]

I usually run full most of the time, never know when we will stop.

 

[Ron-Cookie]

I fill my water tank 1/4th full and drink bottled water... I don't trust water filters or the water in RV parks... It's good for washing and that is about it!

 

[jayc]

We never carry water in the fresh water tank. I see no reason to carry extra weight and in case we use the trailer potty on the road (which we seldom do) we use a gallon milk bottle with a secure screw-on cap to flush. We drink bottled water on the road and filtered tap water in a park. Most of the parks where we stay are on chlorinated city water, so no problem there.

 

[hoefler]

We travel with our fresh water tank full all the time. This past week end was the second time I was glad that tank was full. On our trip home from Florida, we stopped at Peach Park Rv Park in Clanton, Alabama, when we went to our site, the water hook up was in a hole about 8"-10" below grade and was flooded with water and who knows what. All the sites were this way!! I was not going to hook up to their water and contaminate my system! The first time we were glad we had water was when the park had a water leak and had to shut the water off at 11:00 pm. The wife was in the shower when the water went down, I flipped on the pump and went on. Carrying water is something I will always do. Just my 2 cents.

 

[BLR]

We travel with our fresh water tank full all the time. This past week end was the second time I was glad that tank was full. On our trip home from Florida, we stopped at Peach Park Rv Park in Clanton, Alabama, when we went to our site, the water hook up was in a hole about 8"-10" below grade and was flooded with water and who knows what. All the sites were this way!! I was not going to hook up to their water and contaminate my system! The first time we were glad we had water was when the park had a water leak and had to shut the water off at 11:00 pm. The wife was in the shower when the water went down, I flipped on the pump and went on. Carrying water is something I will always do. Just my 2 cents.

Thanks for sharing that..we are still waiting for our toyhauler to be delivered, and most of the time we will be dry camping.. so we will be carrying full water...But this is another reason to have fresh water on board..for those "Just in case moments "

 

[JohnD]

I usually travel with 1/3 tank of fresh water . . .

Enough to cook, use the facilities and a couple of showers if needed.

I'd rather not drag all of that extra weight around the Rockies.

 

[avvidclif]

Since we seldom dry camp, twice a year, I don't carry water except for a few gallons. I see no reason to haul around an extra 850 lbs "just in case". If the campground water faucet is not available surely somewhere in the area there is a faucet I can hook up to for a few moments. That being said I don't have a dually and have to watch my weights especially in front of the axles where the water tank is

 

[SNOKING]

With the water tank near the rear of the trailer and a SRW TV, we will travel with a full water as it will offset some of the pin weight. Did that with are SOB most of the time also. Could really tell the difference as I moved the weight forward to the holding tanks. Chris