Do you drive with Full Water Tanks?

[Lenny HB]

Always travel with a full 160 Lt tank really can't see the the point of having a Motorhome if you can't have enough water on board for several days use.
Also always carry a spare cassette.

They are so desperate to get to the 3.5t limit.recently hymer included 1 aluminium gas bottle. I would have thought as you need water to use the moho they should be including 20 litres at least, as without water not fit for purpose.

Nothing new Hymer and most other German manufacturers have been using 1 x 11kg aluminium gas cylinder and 20 Lt of water to give their MIRO figures for around 15 years. Weight of van has nothing to do with it, ours is 4500kg same figures apply.

 

[Jonno1103]

They are so desperate to get to the 3.5t limit.recently hymer included 1 aluminium gas bottle. I would have thought as you need water to use the moho they should be including 20 litres at least, as without water not fit for purpose.

Of course they are, nearly everyone born after 1980, so 40 years old and younger only have the 3.5t limit on their license and aren't prepared to fork out nearly £2K to drive anything heavier.

How can it be sensible or safer to allow someone to drive a 3.5t van and tow a 750kg unbraked trailer rather than simply increasing their weight allowance on a single vehicle to 4250kg so at least they have the option to up plate to 3850kg?

 

[Jasz]

We usually have enough for 1 night unless I think it will be harder to get it where we're going, then may fill up if not travelling far. On our last trip where we moved all of 5 miles and had water on our pitch where we were moving from, so it made sense to fill up there (we do have sufficient payload).

 

[scally]

Depends on my payload but sufficient for all important tea

 

[tonyidle]

Did I dispute that. I am a scientist not an engineer. My tank is baffled so the water does not slosh around. Like many new vans it can automatically be drained to 25% into a baffled area of tank. Called the traveling volume in the manual.

I don't dispute there are times when we need a full tank. What amused me was the number of people who said they ALWAYS travel with a full tank, regardless. All I was saying was this was not sensible and it makes sense to fill your tank as fits the journey and the circumstances ☺.

It is simply easier. I don't watch the gauge when I fill - it just gets on with it whilst I do something useful. When I hear the overflow I turn off the tap - usually just after it has started to pour from the filler neck. I don't want to watch the gauge or try to time filling. When I reach a site the last thing I want to consider is where the nearest tap is. I can pitch, stick it in Park and only think about water and waste after 4 or 5 days. Emptying the cassette is enough to worry about. If spending a night or two off-site I definitely don't want to think about filling up. Whether I drive empty or full is simply irrelevant to the drive, the operation of the vehicle, or its handling. It may or may not have some barely noticeable effect: it may or may not cost me an extra pound or two in fuel over the holiday; I just don't care. Everything I do to, or with, the van is to make it less effort to use leaving more time and mental capacity to enjoy the time away from home. Not even thinking about water is part of that.

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[555 FRY]

We always leave home with water and diesel tanks full and are well within our payload of 3850kg.
Also carry 5 litres of fresh water in a separate container for drinks, just feel safer doing that rather than using tank water.

 

[Lenny HB]

Poll results are interesting, whenever this subject comes up all the nay sayers start shouting why would you want to travel with a full tank.
The poll results clearly puts them in the minority with us full tankers ruling the roost.

 

[Cheshirecat57]

Poll results are interesting, whenever this subject comes up all the nay sayers start shouting why would you want to travel with a full tank.
The poll results clearly puts them in the minority with us full tankers ruling the roost.

Nothing new there Lenny, small minorities in most things are the noisiest

 

[Ian Bosman]

With an 85gal fresh water tank I’m carrying almost 7/8ton of water. Then there is the grey tank which when full is 45gal so about another half a ton, then the black, but that’s rarely full except as we exit a Scout camp, brings another 35gal, about 3/8ton. So in total, I could be carrying almost 1.625ton of stuff, that would make a bit of a puddle.

I think your gallon/wieght calculation is incorrect, 85 gallons is roughly 386.5 litres which is 386.5 kg, ie 0.3865 tonnes. similarly 45 gallons is 204.5 litres, 204.5 kg therefore 0. 2045 tonnes. one imperial ton is 1.12 tonnes. This tanks must be one hell of a size or have you misread something?

 

[Blaydon]

Hi Folks,
Touring around in Europe we always take the chance to top up and empty.
We frequently carry a water carrier as a spare so when we runs short we can still do a night without a problem.
We have been shouted at for filling up with fresh water both in the UK and in Italy 'Our water is on a meter!'
When you do the maths, our tank is smaller than a bath so nothing to worry about.

Waste water dumping can be a pest. We try to make sure we drop it in the correct place but sometimes this is hard to find. I sometimes take off 5 gallons if we are brim full, and dump that before we find a service point.

We find we can go about three days without services so our trips need to take that into account. The app we have shows service points so we swing by one when needed.
We keep the tanks clean and have never worried about drinking from the tap.
I just need to work out how to get the second tap working for the G+T and we will be sorted!

D

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[Ian Bosman]

Hi.
Had a water tank strap fail and the tank drop down, I have photo's to prove this right outside our first house in Portugal. We had come back from the UK " Fully freighted " ( Trail Boss's loaded.?? Mammoth Tanker transport Dene quarry) Had been going at Mega Warp speed all the way back,roughly 1400 miles/three stops at aires,the water tank at most only two thirds full, pulled up outside of the house and Jennifer got out to undo the double gates. I started to pull forward and there was a BANG. Thinking i had hit her,i jumped out and ran around the side,she was stood some distance from the unit looking down underneath it. Both tanks,Water and Waste were strapped up with a plastic coated metal strap with holes in at regular intervals,where the trouble had arisen was that the Back strap of the water tank was fed so it ran around the OUTSIDE of the rear stabiliser bar. This meant that as it moved about,it was chaffing the strap and the strap had had enough. Had this happened at speed,i think the unit would have held a steady course,but any vehicle behind would be eating bits of Plastic water tank and shattered bumper. Easy fix,levered it up,plenty of spare strap at each end,bolted the two bits back together and replaced it INSIDE the rear bar.
On the new one we have now, (bought Three years ago ),the tanks fit in Tailored metal frames suspended direct from the chassis.
I like to set off with a two thirds tank of water..PLUS. I DO carry a 10L plastic container FULL Belt and Braces..
Tea Bag
PS. If someone can let me know how to post the photo's SIMPLY !! let me know if you need to see them.

On mine this cannot happen unless the under floor went and its a solid bit of kit 3/4inch thick. One of the main reasons for buying into this marque is the double floor and lack of wood in construction

 

[SuperMike]

I think your gallon/wieght calculation is incorrect, 85 gallons is roughly 386.5 litres which is 386.5 kg, ie 0.3865 tonnes. similarly 45 gallons is 204.5 litres, 204.5 kg therefore 0. 2045 tonnes. one imperial ton is 1.12 tonnes. This tanks must be one hell of a size or have you misread something?

Yes you are right, I forgot and mixed up gallons with litres. 100 litres is a metric tonne not 100 gallons.

The tank sizes though are correct.

 

[Ian Bosman]

Yes you are right, I forgot and mixed up gallons with litres. 100 litres is a metric tonne not 100 gallons.

The tank sizes though are correct.

No, 1000 litres is a metric tonne (1000kg). 100 litres weighs 100 kg

 

[Blaydon]

100 L = 1 tonne?? - now that's what I call heavy water

Stick to beer - four bottles of Newcastle Brown ale = floor

 

[leggings]

HaHa
Of course. We just travel in out underwear

Save a bit more weight and wear thongs.

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[gpat]

Poll results are interesting, whenever this subject comes up all the nay sayers start shouting why would you want to travel with a full tank.
The poll results clearly puts them in the minority with us full tankers ruling the roost.

That's not quite true is it? Only 45.5% always fill and 54.5% don't. Just the way the poll is structured.

You see you full brigade are in the minority

 

[gpat]

Nothing new there Lenny, small minorities in most things are the noisiest

Check the result. Seems you are one of the noisy minority

 

[pandas]

Poll results are interesting, whenever this subject comes up all the nay sayers start shouting why would you want to travel with a full tank.
The poll results clearly puts them in the minority with us full tankers ruling the roost.

Is the ‘full tankers’ some sort of covert club Lenny, not sure it matters too much or defines your personality.think it would be more interesting if we asked who puts the cream on the jam or other way round or milk first or sleep on the left or right side of the bed. I would like to know when this virus is going to disappear for good.

 

[tonyidle]

No poll ever takes into account who is right. In this case it is the tank full members.

 

[TrebleH]

Depends on where and what we are doing, generally we tend to travel with enough water to cover an emergency or unplanned stop, when in Spain wild camping we travel with more and sometimes full tanks but it gives a harder ride and of course we use more diesel!!

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[gpat]

No poll ever takes into account who is right. In this case it is the tank full members.

That doesn't make sense. You should be in politics

 

[DuxDeluxe]

That's not quite true is it? Only 45.5% always fill and 54.5% don't. Just the way the poll is structured.

You see you full brigade are in the minority

Check the result. Seems you are one of the noisy minority

......just like every general election held, even with a thumping majority.

#soreloser

 

[Calamaster]

Since EU regulations allowed makers to quote payloads without water, it is rare to find one that recommends travelling with water.



So why is it not recommended. Are water tanks causing accidents, are they failing and dumping water? How many water tanks have failed on you? Has water you are carrying ever caused you problems?

Weight / MPG is why I travel empty in Waste Water empty if doable.

 

[Clive and Sally]

Yep, I think you've banged the nail on the head with that comment Paul.

Our last two coachbuilts (Autotrail and Pilote), and both on a light chassis too, had their fresh tanks over and beyond the rear axle; a very poor design and as such the handling was severely affected when the water was added.

Your van is incredibly well built, well designed and nicely balanced on the road but it's nothing like the poorly designed 'toy motorhomes' that are being churned out these days.

I say 'toy motorhomes' as the manufacturers are just playing at building motorhomes these days with very little thought going into how they actually drive or operate in real life scenarios.

I can't believe anybody would design or build a motorhome with the tanks over or beyond the rear axle. On mine both tanks are situated midway between the two axles, the fresh water one being placed internally under one of the bench seats so no chance of it being damaged & less likely to freeze.
Clive

 

[pandas]

Always leave home empty (ish) as everywhere on the planet seems to have softer water than us here in the South East. Always travel the last leg back home from Europe empty which means I can carry more bottles of wine home.

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[Podney]

Always leave home empty (ish) as everywhere on the planet seems to have softer water than us here in the South East. Always travel the last leg back home from Europe empty which means I can carry more bottles of wine home.

If you’re that desperate why not try filling the water tank with wine? A lot of that French stuff is so crap it won’t make any difference to the taste......might even improve it!