Do you drive with Full Water Tanks?

[Alanben]

I guess that i' m a depends sort of person

 

[Bobby-gg]

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

Yes, funnily enough

We get there with 50%

 

[SuperMike]

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,

If you say so.

Now lets consider the tote tanks.

 

[Lazyboy]

Nearly always full and top up at every opportunity having had a problem in the past when the tap froze at the aire. Empty waste and WC at very opportunity as well having been caught with a full cassette and struggling to find somewhere to empty it and feeling the wrath of Mrs Lazyboy!! Now if we spend a few days "away from it all" we know we can. No right or wrong I suppose but we believe that is what owning motorhome is all about. As for fuel consumption, unless you "drive it like you stole it" very little if any difference once it is moving.

 

[gus-lopez]

big it is but takes at least 15 minutes with a blasting hosepipe?

On our mains supply 15 minutes would get you between 800 &900 litres

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[Speve]

Always full tank on leaving base and keep topping up as and when available, never had any problems with tanks.

 

[Jenka]

Just pulled into a Super U and just my luck low on water and its turned off oh well at least got the washing done

 

[WESTY66]

Always a full tank also, I just like to be prepared and not have to make the first job in strange surroundings looking for water! Also if I’m moving about I like to fill up when I get to half, the only time I don’t care how full/empty the tank is, is when Im going home

 

[DuxDeluxe]

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.

Yes, my Pilots had a central baffle, but I cannot see if the current van as since the only bit you can get to is the lid (if you are a contortionist) and the drain. As the tank is 3/4 of the width of the van then I assume it has them. The rather huge fuel tank under the chassis runs from just behind the engine all the way to the back axle. It has several sets of baffles moulded into it

 

[62272]

Purely a weight issue, although a half filled water tank can make a slapping noise when driving along which can be annoying sometimes, although just turn the radio up and it disappears! We keep a 5lt container for drinking, teas/coffees etc.. and usually have 20 ltrs in the main tank for toilet use, washing hands and general cleaning en-route. If we are just doing small hops abroad, between campsites (100-200 miles) we dont bother emptying the tanks, just leave whatever is in it. However we have uprated chassis and payload so have plenty of payload. 100 ltrs is like carrying a large adult as a passenger! If you are on 3,500 kgs gvw best to drain to 20 litres, unless free camping, in which case just make sure you are within your weight limit.

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[M-J]

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.

Sounds awfully big!

 

[Astro]

Full tank when leaving. I just like to park up and put the kettle on and not have to faff filling with water.
If I wanted to faff about filling tanks when getting to site, I'd buy a caravan.
100kg is not a lot to lug around - It's only 2.6% of the overall weight of my van.

 

[Richard n Ann]

All this talk of "lugging water about" we don't have to lug it, the van does so no problem.

 

[RandallC]

Have to qualify today's vote.

Given currentvsituation fill up before leaving home to minimise external contacts. Prior to covid would travel with whatever remains in the tank, generally not a lot.

Have alko heavy chassis so payload not an issue

 

[PeteH]

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

I always brim when filling up, it allows me to (more) accurately monitor the fuel consumption, One of the first indications of "issues" is often an increase in consumption. One of the things you learn very early in Marine Environments. When you can be using up to 100tons a day!

not in wintertime France anyway!

Aye, Arrive at Supposedly open campsite?. Gates locked, no water or anything, spend night out side gates, then have to find a Garage for water, before moving on. Many if not all, French garages turn off their water when the temperature falls. Many Aires too shut down the service point. Fortunately at that time we had 60US gallons of fresh, so for us it wasnt a big issue, but I would not transit France in winter without a full tank to start off.

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[pandas]

Not sure I would want to travel with 170kg (1.7ish tons) added to my normal payload. Travelled recently with 1/2 tank of a water tank recently and the handling was quite different. Don’t most motorhomes come with a tap on the tank that has a quarter turn leaves 20 litres in the tank.

 

[Cheshirecat57]

Not sure I would want to travel with 170kg (1.7ish tons) added to my normal payload. Travelled recently with 1/2 tank of a water tank recently and the handling was quite different. Don’t most motorhomes come with a tap on the tank that has a quarter turn leaves 20 litres in the tank.

170 kg is 0.17 of a tonne not 1.7 tonnes

 

[Jim]

1/2 tank of a water tank recently and the handling was quite different.

How was it different?

 

[Phill D]

Not sure I would want to travel with 170kg (1.7ish tons) added to my normal payload. Travelled recently with 1/2 tank of a water tank recently and the handling was quite different. Don’t most motorhomes come with a tap on the tank that has a quarter turn leaves 20 litres in the tank.

so have you got 170 litre water tank or are you adding fuel and water together there.

 

[bigtree]

Topped up from a roadside spring high up in the Pyrenees the other day,tasted almost as good as Scottish water.

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[Jim]

so have you got 170 litre water tank or are you adding fuel and water together there.

No if its a Hymer it will be around 120L.

If I owned a van where 60kg affected the handling I'd be selling it ASAP

 

[Phill D]

No if its a Hymer it will be around 120L.

If I owned a van where 60kg affected the handling I'd be selling it ASAP

think id be getting a look at the suspension / steering defects....
So a Hymner is 120kgs max of water.

 

[M-J]

Not sure I would want to travel with 170kg (1.7ish tons) added to my normal payload. Travelled recently with 1/2 tank of a water tank recently and the handling was quite different. Don’t most motorhomes come with a tap on the tank that has a quarter turn leaves 20 litres in the tank.

170kg = 1.7ish tons?

 

[PeteH]

How was it different?

People have posted in the past that there is a slight sway noticeable, when the tank is not either full or Empty. IMV it`s normally hardly noticeable. In theory it is a well known "effect" (Free Surface).

2 (non Motorhome) cases come to mind, Westons Cider? ( I think), had some bulk tank trucks built. The maker neglected to put baffles in the tank. First time out the driver had a part load. Stopped for the traffic lights he took his foot of the brake just as the load having been sloshing back and forth in the tank hit the front bulkhead causing the truck to roll forward and push a car into the crossing traffic.

The second was the Herald of Free Enterprise, where the water which gained access to the car deck created a wedge of water on the low side during the turn and was sufficient to capsize the Ferry.

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Not sure I would want to travel with 170kg (1.7ish tons) added to my normal payload. Travelled recently with 1/2 tank of a water tank recently and the handling was quite different. Don’t most motorhomes come with a tap on the tank that has a quarter turn leaves 20 litres in the tank.

Decimal point issue.... 0.17 of a tonne. My (continental) van has a drain tap - nothing else. I think you are referring to what some manufacturers do when they are considerably payload restricted (3500 kg, mostly).

As Jim says, if that amount affected the handling in what is basically a builders van, I would either sell it or get the suspension looked at PDQ

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[DuxDeluxe]

People have posted in the past that there is a slight sway noticeable, when the tank is not either full or Empty. IMV it`s normally hardly noticeable. In theory it is a well known "effect" (Free Surface).

2 (non Motorhome) cases come to mind, Westons Cider? ( I think), had some bulk tank trucks built. The maker neglected to put baffles in the tank. First time out the driver had a part load. Stopped for the traffic lights he took his foot of the brake just as the load having been sloshing back and forth in the tank hit the front bulkhead causing the truck to roll forward and push a car into the crossing traffic.

The second was the Herald of Free Enterprise, where the water which gained access to the car deck created a wedge of water on the low side during the turn and was sufficient to capsize the Ferry.

Referring back to my trusty Derrett’s ship stability for mates and masters, you can calculate the effect of free surface. 3cm in the car deck is enough to capsize a ferry. Construction and door design changed as a result of the sad Herald tragedy. On our large refrigerated gas ships, there were very strict fill limits (<20% or >80%) as I recall for the same reason

 

[Cheshirecat57]

When I got this Elddis earlier in the month, I was leaving with full tanks and arriving with half full

Ive cured the overflow issue and now arrive full as well (100litres)

 

[WESTY66]

When I got this Elddis earlier in the month, I was leaving with full tanks and arriving with half full

Ive cured the overflow issue and now arrive full as well (100litres)

How did you cure it?

 

[PeteH]

Referring back to my trusty Derrett’s ship stability for mates and masters, you can calculate the effect of free surface. 3cm in the car deck is enough to capsize a ferry. Construction and door design changed as a result of the sad Herald tragedy. On our large refrigerated gas ships, there were very strict fill limits (<20% or >80%) as I recall for the same reason

I sailed with a Chief Engineer, newly qualified, who had a "passion" for wanting "his" fuel tanks "pressed up". Until the fateful day when having exited the Suez into the Red Sea, within a day he had oil on the deck. The sea temp was 10deg above that of the Med, and the oil had expanded up the vent pipe and into the scuppers!. "Chippy" saved the day, blocking the scupper overside with Gunny Bags of Sand!. giving us time to lower the tank levels and the deck crew time to clean the deck before we got "nicked" for pollution.

 

[Cheshirecat57]

The overfow is simply a 30mm long 15mm dia pipe poking out of the side ( at the very top) of the tank
As you corner, the water sloshes out.....madness

Bought some push fits at B&Q with matching 15mm plastic pipe + a pushfit tap

Routed all down to the drain taps, so now I have 3 ( fresh, waste and overflow)

Open overfow tap, fill tank until it overflows , when it stops close tap
Arrive at destination and level, then open tap. You lose a pipe full ( 150 ml?)

Note, if you forget to open tap, vacuum created and pump runs out of puff

Remember to close for next journey

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