Do you drive with Full Water Tanks?

[Jim]

I can't believe anyone would be daft enough to carry a full water tank when travelling. Think about it

I have been driving motorhomes with full to bursting water tanks for 30 years. I'm still alive, but then I am 'Lucky Jim'

 

[Reallyretired]

Water can be hard to find, especially in winter. We always travel with a full tank. On one occasion we were travelling to France in sub zero temperatures and had left the water pump on. Boiler frost tap opens and boiler drains, because the pump was still on the pump tried to refill the boiler with the result of no water. We always make sure the pump is off now, losing the 10l or whatever from the boiler isn't too much of a problem.

 

[Milk Tray Man]

More often than not I forget to top-up on arrival at the site and only realise when Mrs MTM wants to hit the shower . After doing that a few times I always travel full

 

[busby]

busby I'm a bit dense... can you go into more detail please? I do worry about being overweight in my Burstner. Do you mean they building them with no allowance for clothes, dishes, tv, and all basic necessities?

Some are making vans with hardly any payload at a at 3.5 tonnes.Only way to find out is visit a weighbridge with your van loaded and you and the better half on board and get gross and axle weights.BUSBY.

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.

Gosh they are huge tanks,,must be an RV..BUSBY.

 

[EzeeRider]

Depends where I am going. I always travel with some water in the tank, mostly setting off half full but if I was going to one of the shows then I would leave home with a full tank.
ezee

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[Steve N Tracy]

Weighed the van fully laden with all tanks full, still have spare capacity so full tank means less to do on arrival.

 

[joe and sue]

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.

If fresh tank is full then waste would be empty and when waste is full then fresh would be almost empty, both never full at same time.
We will never all agree on anything,

 

[ManTheVan]

I haven’t completed the poll as, like some others here, it depends! If we’re heading to a booked site where we know there’s water, then we’ll travel with 20-30 litres, maybe, and fill on arrival if we’re staying a few days. Otherwise, we’ll travel with a full tank, as there’s no guarantee of being able to fill up.

Yes, our 10 year-old vehicle had the tank split earlier this year, (a legacy Rapido issue where the rear tank supports enter their holders) but this was replaced straight away under warranty. It hasn’t stopped us from travelling with a full tank though, as being self-contained is one of the beauties of a MH.

Payload-wise, Laden to the gunwhales with full water and diesel, electric bikes, clothes, gear, food, drink and 2 adults we still have nearly 350kg of payload left on a 3500kg MH, as tested on a weighbridge.

 

[Jonno1103]

At 3500kg we'd always drive with enough to flush the loo a few times en route. Now with a better payload we travel with 50% - 50 litres.

I've noticed that on many newer motorhomes the water tanks are now being fitted with baffles to equalise the water sloshing in the tank.

 

[irnbru]

It depends on where we are going. If we are wilding in Scotland we always drive full but if we are doing aires abroad we drive almost empty.

No option on poll for depends so ive not completed it either.

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[davidbaldam]

I think I’m like a lot of people, it depends on where and how far I’m going.

 

[thebriars]

Incomplete survey. Need a "sometimes" box. I do know my mh weight is quoted with half a tank of water.

 

[The general]

I never fill the fuel tank either. There's lots of fuel station so why carry 80litres around...just saying!

Not beyond the artic circle

 

[jessthedog]

It depends on where I'm going.

A site with water, normally just enough to get us there and top up at site.

Festival/motor racing/field, top up at home but sometimes by the time we get to the other end we're down to 70% anyway with it coming out of the vents

Have you thought of just filling up to approx 70%?

 

[Richard n Ann]

Water can be hard to find, especially in winter. We always travel with a full tank. On one occasion we were travelling to France in sub zero temperatures and had left the water pump on. Boiler frost tap opens and boiler drains, because the pump was still on the pump tried to refill the boiler with the result of no water. We always make sure the pump is off now, losing the 10l or whatever from the boiler isn't too much of a problem.

All our electrics go off with the ignition on and some think it's a bad idea

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[Madmag]

If we are driving down to Portugal or Spain in winter full tanks but driving to a campsite in the uk half full knowing I an get water on site .

Exactly the same for us.

 

[tonyidle]

All our electrics go off with the ignition on and some think it's a bad idea

I simply ensure that the heating is on?

 

[jessthedog]

HaHa
Of course. We just travel in out underwear

Make sure you and the wife, empty your bladder at home before you set off. It all adds up

 

[The general]

I got more important things to think about than running half empty just to save pennies

 

[Pete5996]

My Cheyenne holds 100ltrs but I rarely set off with more than 40ltrs onboard, reasoning that (not doing much driving in the Sahara) I'm very unlikely to be anywhere too far from a watering can's worth of water to top up as required. 40 ltrs is more than sufficient for a couple of days, in my humble experience.

When you think about it, the extra 60 ltrs is the equivalent of hanging two extra e-bikes on the back - and you wouldn't want to do that unnecessarily, would you?

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[Stealaway]

I never fill the fuel tank either. There's lots of fuel station so why carry 80litres around...just saying!

The only time we ever put half a tank of water in, is when we want a shower. Never ever failed to find some, home or abroad. Why would you lug around gallons of water? When was the last time you ever ran out? In 10 year's of constant traveling over six months of the year ---we never, ever have.
There's water everywhere if you look.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

We always travel with water in the tank, but it really depends where we are going. If we were touring France and Spain we would have full tanks and top up as water was available. If going to a site where water was available we would just have enough in to get by.

 

[Jim]

Incomplete survey. Need a "sometimes" box. I do know my mh weight is quoted with half a tank of water.

It asks what you do most often, we all might travel with different configurations sometimes

 

[thebriars]

It asks what you do most often, we all might travel with different configurations sometimes

I never do one thing regularly , it all depends on circumstances. There ought to be an option for that as others say.

 

[bertiebasset]

I remember the first time we took the moho overseas. We topped up at Canterbury and boarded the ferry. On arrival in Calais we went to the vehicle deck and wondered what all the water was on the deck. We travelled down to Rouen and stopped at an Aire. That was when we found we had no water,, the plug in the FW tank had popped out and drained all over the vehicle deck. Checked round the Aire and could not find any water. Ended up no drink etc till visit to supermarche the following morning. No,, water is not always available.
We now travel with full water unless we know we can fill on arrival.
As for these people who will not use their onboard water for drinking I just do not understand their mindset. I have seen people fill their onboard water then fill separate bottles from the same tap for drinking.???? Same water!!! Surely you sanitize your tanks annually.

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[TheBig1]

There is a 7 berth, 6 seatbelted van in the classifieds. Obviously built for family use because of the bunk bed layout but only 3850kg. Forget filling the water tank, you would worry how much you all ate for breakfast to avoid going over weight

 

[Jev88]

Only travel UK and carry 5Litre bottle for backup and about quarter tank of water - not sure how big it is but takes at least 15 minutes with a blasting hosepipe? If unsure where staying or access to water or arriving late/in dark then fill tank up at home.

 

[Duck Truck]

If we are going somewhere we can get water without hastle
we travel with just enough for an unforseen overnight halt.
If we are wilding and moving regularly I fill to the brim at every opportunity.
On the basis I wont' get water easily in some places and don't want to be going off route to find it

 

[Jim]

I never do one thing regularly

Epsom salts might help

 

[mitzimad]

i travel full but ofset the loss of mpg by hyper polishing the cab front to reduce drag evidently it worked on mosquito planes

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