Travel with full tanks

[Mike Lewis]

Travel with tanks either full or empty, but not half-full. In that situation the contents can slosh back and forth when towing, setting up an instability. It seems to occur to me when I'm being passed by a large truck. The experience is unnerving and might be unsafe.

When on a long trip with multiple camping stops I usually travel with the fresh water tank full and the other tanks empty. This is because you never know the condition of the fresh water supply and the dump station at your next stop.

[Dcboyd]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

Travel with tanks either full or empty, but not half-full. In that situation the contents can slosh back and forth when towing, setting up an instability. It seems to occur to me when I'm being passed by a large truck. The experience is unnerving and might be unsafe.

When on a long trip with multiple camping stops I usually travel with the fresh water tank full and the other tanks empty. This is because you never know the condition of the fresh water supply and the dump station at your next stop.

Excellent advice. Thanks.

[Vermilye]

I have no stability problems towing with 1/3 full fresh water tank & empty gray & black. I keep the 1/3 tank for bathroom stops, and fill it just before heading into a dry camp.

[Emjay]

I travel into a rugged dusty washboard road in AZ once Yearly and my Escape TOTALLY empty. I find our similarly dusty camp spot, set up and then go to a water spot down the road with my 3 gallon jugs. The extra pounds of liquid weight on the way in would be too much stress. It’s washboard as only Arizona can do it... definitely slow going. When at creeping
Speed on that road, I’m still having to bungee stuff inside and check for loose screws. Don’t want to have to worry about trying to bungee a freshwater tank.

Emjay

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by Emjay

When at creeping
Speed on that road, I’m still having to bungee stuff inside and check for loose screw

Unless there are potholes, I travel washboard at about 60kph ( 35-40 mph ). There is a sweet spot for the suspension to run smoother.

[Emjay]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Unless there are potholes, I travel washboard at about 60kph ( 35-40 mph ). There is a sweet spot for the suspension to run smoother.

Yes there are those who do that but that dust gets inside everything and I try to minimize.

Emjay

[Tigger1]

Originally Posted by Perryb67

So we shouldn’t travel to Alaska?

Enjoy,

Perry

Sure, why not? Lots of people do, well not right now due to Covid but once the Canadian/American border opens the roads to Alaska will be open and good to go.

[Doug2000]

If I'm going further than a few hours I travel with the fresh water empty. If it a quick trip than I fill it up at home.

There's nothing worse than pulling into the park and waiting for fresh water.

[Dave Walter]

Whenever possible, I travel with all tanks empty. Going to Jasper tomorrow for the weekend where I know it is easy to fill the freshwater tanks (and dump the black/gray). Will fill up when I get there and dump before I return home.

Some trips, I will fill the freshwater about 1/2 full or less before leaving just in case we need a bathroom break.

[brroberts]

Whenever I can, I travel with freshwater full and black and gray empty, but it’s not always possible. Most of the time; however, I can do this.

[Chama]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

I have no stability problems towing with 1/3 full fresh water tank & empty gray & black. I keep the 1/3 tank for bathroom stops, and fill it just before heading into a dry camp.

John, this is what we do also, same percentage. I have towed with full fresh water tank and I thought the trailer felt a bit squirrely going down the road at 65mph so stopped doing that.
Chama

[CADreamin]

We've always towed with our tanks empty, making sure if we're going to a 'dry' spot, we're cognizant of nearby fresh water. We were boondocking early last year and filled up the water tank at the designated 'fill spot' before heading to the campsite. When I stepped into the trailer after filling, I was quite surprised to see how much the trailer had lowered. That in itself got us to thinking about how much weight a full tank of water adds (28 gal x 8.34 lbs = 233.5 lbs). In case of on-the-road bathroom use, I always have a gallon of water in the blank tank (with Happy Camper) and we carry a couple of jugs of water for flushing.

[Craiger]

The pothole that they hit was in the Yukon. So it was a Canadian pothole and since they weren't in Alaska it couldn't be an American pothole.

[Eggscape]

We always leave home with a full tank of fresh water as we never know where we will be should there be a break down.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by Craiger

The pothole that they hit was in the Yukon. So it was a Canadian pothole and since they weren't in Alaska it couldn't be an American pothole.

American potholes are bigger and deeper.

[huskersteffy]

That in itself got us to thinking about how much weight a full tank of water adds (28 gal x 8.34 lbs = 233.5 lbs).

Assuming a fairly level ground, the physics of pulling a trailer change from slower speeds to highway speeds. At slow speeds, weight matters more and will reduce gas mileage (think stop-and-go traffic). At highway speeds, weight matters less and wind drag becomes a dominant factor as far as gas mileage. Things change again when climbing hills at highway speed.

233.5 Lbs equals approximately one midwestern male

[gbaglo]

You probably save more fuel by turning off the radio so that you're not subconsciously pumping the gas pedal to the beat.

[PleinAirCedar]

gbaglo, I traveled on a VERY bad washboard, pothole filled and rutted road in the northern San Rafael Swell in Ut last Oct. There were over a dozen broken things on my 17B :-( My Tacoma 4WD package was fine. I know it was bad because all the spice jars had their lids rattled off and in the bottom of the box those jars are stored in. Ugh not doing that again. But I've been know to be a little extreme in the backcountry.

[gbaglo]

It doesn't matter how tight the nut on my pepper grinder, when we arrive the lid is off, nut is somewhere in the cupboard and peppercorns are everywhere. I took to using gaffer tape to keep the unit together.

[emers382]

Happens to us too Glenn, even on a 40 minute trip on paved roads! This week I found it on the floor, but the top still on, since the cupboard it was in opened, also a mug but unbroken.