Fresh Water Tank

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Fresh Water Tank

January 18, 2013, 06:22:30 pm

I have just finished sanitizing the fresh water tank on my FT and now I am ready to fill the tank and take a little weekend trip. How much water do you carry in the tank while traveling? I am not planning on boondocking on this trip, just staying at a campground.

Re: Fresh Water Tank

Reply #1 – January 18, 2013, 06:35:19 pm

I like to have it at least half full just in case something comes up and I end up boondocking after all. Be prepared.

Re: Fresh Water Tank

Reply #2 – January 18, 2013, 06:37:15 pm

If you have ever broken down on the road you will be thankful for a full tank of water. Also I have had to sit out three day storm in a truck stop as well. Full tanks for me. I do not think you will get much better milage empty and your coach was designed to travel that way too.

Re: Fresh Water Tank

Reply #3 – January 18, 2013, 08:53:54 pm

Unless we are in the Rockies, we generally travel with empty waste tanks and a full or near full water tank. If you are worried about mileage and weight ... leave some of the baggage at home!

Re: Fresh Water Tank

Reply #4 – January 18, 2013, 09:11:59 pm

We always travel with a full fresh water tank and empty holding tanks just in case we get stranded somewhere. That way we are prepared for also lots of food.

Re: Fresh Water Tank

Reply #5 – January 18, 2013, 11:11:04 pm

Ditto most of the previous opinions. We try to start with full fresh water, empty waste water, full fuel, propane adequate for several days for the current season.

Re: Fresh Water Tank

Reply #6 – January 19, 2013, 01:21:39 pm

I always travel with a full tank just because the ride is better with more weight in the front. We carry plenty of bottled water for drinking. I sanitize the tank once or twice a year just to have half way decent water for bathing and brushing teeth.

Re: Fresh Water Tank

Reply #7 – January 19, 2013, 02:24:07 pm

We usually travel with empty black and grey and 1/3 to 1/2 a tank of water unless we are going to boondock. I guess it's just because that's how we always traveled with our prior class c to conserve weight.

Re: Fresh Water Tank

Reply #8 – January 19, 2013, 04:59:13 pm

Well, the FT can carry all of your water and not have an issue with weight unless you have a lot of stuff underneath that weighs a lot.

Re: Fresh Water Tank

Reply #9 – January 19, 2013, 06:15:19 pm

Terry
I, too, travel with the fresh water tank full and the holding tanks as near empty as possible. As a matter of fact, I keep my fresh water tank full, emptying and sanitizing it twice a year. I do not winterize, using the electric element to prevent freezing.

Re: Fresh Water Tank

Reply #10 – January 19, 2013, 09:47:56 pm

Why do you sanitize your fresh water tank twice a year.

Does the tank itself not keep your water clean,

What makes your fresh water go bad,

I went around Australia, 40 years ago, I had a 5 gallon thermal Esky of fresh water, I would just top it up in any new town we came too, That way we got used to the different water in the different towns we visited with out getting sick,

My friends didnt do this and got sick for the first 3 or 4 days in a new town, It does work, The water does differ as you move around,

Water is water, So I dont know why you get sick from different water in different towns, But it does happen,

Re: Fresh Water Tank

Reply #11 – January 19, 2013, 09:55:26 pm

I do not really clean the fresh water tank that often. I fill it and use it and then refill it. I do not always use my hose other than to fill. That keeps the water fresh and you can also put chlorine in as well thru city water supplies every so often too.

Re: Fresh Water Tank

Reply #12 – January 19, 2013, 10:08:28 pm

I really hate the taste and smell of Chlorine in the water,

I will get a small pump and fill from the creeks and rivers here, We do have the cleanest water in the world,
But they put Chlorine in the water as their pipes are that old, They also put in Flouride as well,

Some states, their reticulated water is just off, So a creek or river is much cleaner and nicer to drink, and no additives added.

Re: Fresh Water Tank

Reply #13 – January 22, 2013, 11:49:35 am

Quote from: MR B2 – January 19, 2013, 10:08:28 pm

I really hate the taste and smell of Chlorine in the water,

I will get a small pump and fill from the creeks and rivers here, We do have the cleanest water in the world,
But they put Chlorine in the water as their pipes are that old, They also put in Flouride as well,

Some states, their reticulated water is just off, So a creek or river is much cleaner and nicer to drink, and no additives added.

No additives in a creek or river? You are kidding, right?

Re: Fresh Water Tank

Reply #14 – January 22, 2013, 12:13:12 pm

Full water empty grey and black tanks for us. Never know when you will want to boondock or even break down plus what will the water be like where you are going?

Keith

Re: Fresh Water Tank

Reply #15 – January 22, 2013, 12:22:24 pm

Quote from: Keith and Joyce – January 22, 2013, 12:13:12 pm

Full water empty grey and black tanks for us. Never know when you will want to boondock or even break down plus what will the water be like where you are going? Keith

Totally agree... life on the road (even briefly) is full of surprises. I posted elsewhere about the KOA (in MN) where air started coming out of kitchen faucet (more air than water!) as I was doing breakfast dishes... the CG had a system failure. Fortunately, we were only there for the one night and had plenty of water in our fresh tank. Like the old Boy Scout motto: Be Prepared!

Re: Fresh Water Tank

Reply #16 – January 22, 2013, 05:28:09 pm

I was at a campground hear Jackson WY and they lost their water for three days. I was fine as i had enough in the tanks to live just fine.

Re: Fresh Water Tank

Reply #17 – January 22, 2013, 05:57:44 pm

I note that many people travel with the black and grey water tanks empty, which makes sense. I've also been told that traveling with the black water tank full will loosen everything so that it will drain better, which is done upon arrival at the new campground. What's best practice?

Re: Fresh Water Tank

Reply #18 – January 22, 2013, 06:09:26 pm

Empty. No problem getting stuff out and I can backflush with my grey tank for extra assurances.

Re: Fresh Water Tank

Reply #19 – January 22, 2013, 06:17:11 pm

Quote from: John S – January 22, 2013, 06:09:26 pm

Empty. No problem getting stuff out and I can backflush with my grey tank for extra assurances.

Like John we travel empty. After dumping We will dump a pail down the hopper with a mix of 20 Mule Team Borax and a big squirt of Dawn Dish Detergent on occasion and travel with that sloshing around to keep it clean and smelling much better. Same with the grey tank.

D&D

Re: Fresh Water Tank

Reply #20 – January 22, 2013, 06:22:06 pm

Use dawn too.

Re: Fresh Water Tank

Reply #21 – January 22, 2013, 06:30:53 pm

We travel with lots of fresh water, as it is one less thing to hook up each night if we are in travel mode. We dump and use the great tank flush systems. With the clear connector/back flusher on the waste connection, I know when my tanks are clean. Have heard of people that dump, then back flush, and dump a load of ice into the empty black tank to scrap the bottom clean as they travel. Great idea if you have a working ice maker.

Traveling with a full black tank seems a poor solution. If you get waylaid, or have a break down, you are going to be one very unhappy camper, or at least my wife will. Plus we don't hook up our sewer hose or water hose every night, just power as we make just a one night stop. The last two weeks with 3 on board, we dumped the black every 4-5 day, then the grey to clean the hose.

Re: Fresh Water Tank

Reply #22 – January 22, 2013, 08:09:47 pm

The amount of fresh water I Carrie depends on what where doing. When we where on the road for 6 months going from camp ground to camp ground with stop overs at Wallmart . We went with full fresh water and empty black and gray. When we drive straight through from like Texas to Michigan or Mich to Florida black and gray empty and only about 30 fresh. That saves about 540 lbs of dead weight, and I have never felt any difference in the ride.Gam

Re: Fresh Water Tank

Reply #23 – January 22, 2013, 08:11:26 pm

But at what benefit. I bet you did not get that much better milage. Stopping would be the only realizable benefit and that might not even make much difference if your GVW was not over the limit.

Re: Fresh Water Tank

Reply #24 – January 22, 2013, 09:20:18 pm

Quote from: MR B2 – January 19, 2013, 10:08:28 pm

I really hate the taste and smell of Chlorine in the water,

I will get a small pump and fill from the creeks and rivers here, We do have the cleanest water in the world,
But they put Chlorine in the water as their pipes are that old, They also put in Flouride as well,

Some states, their reticulated water is just off, So a creek or river is much cleaner and nicer to drink, and no additives added.

We use a whole house filter with a sediment section and an activated charcoal section, this gets the chlorene out. We use it when hooked up, but use city water unfiltered when filling the tank with anticipated storage time.

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