Driving With Full Water Tanks

[Peatmoor]

We fill our tank whenever water is available. My wife loves a lovely long shower everyday and with our van 320 litres capacity we don't have any anxiety as to where our next water is to be found, sometimes we can go for a week or more without having to refill !

 

[Lenny HB]

We fill our tank whenever water is available. My wife loves a lovely long shower everyday and with our van 320 litres capacity we don't have any anxiety as to where our next water is to be found, sometimes we can go for a week or more without having to refill !

Oh for a big tank, I've only got a piddly 160Lt one.

 

[zac]

We fill our tank whenever water is available. My wife loves a lovely long shower everyday and with our van 320 litres capacity we don't have any anxiety as to where our next water is to be found, sometimes we can go for a week or more without having to refill !

Oh for a big tank, I've only got a piddly 160Lt one.

It seems a long time ago when we were dealing with such small tanks like on our delaware which i think was around 135litres, on our rapido tag axle we always travel full when abroad and like most larger motorhomes the water has never caused issues as our fresh water capacity is 300litres. The reason we do this is because like most we never know where or when we will be as most of our stops are now literally planned the same day. In the UK when going away i only ever fill to around 30% as we are never away long enough to get close to using it as the only real time i get off is xmas so most of the time its just long weekends.

 

[Eggs]

Are you assuming they would allow you to dump water before they weighed you or am I reading this incorrectly?....you would be weighed in the condition of the vehicle when you were stopped. They don’t allow you to dump water then weigh you. If you were overweight they would allow you to dump water then reweigh you to see if you were under permitted weight so you could continue your journey but the offence of overweight would be complete and you would be charged accordingly...if the figures were over!

Really?

 

[glenn2926]

Full water, empty grey and black. Whenever we move on. We don’t know where we’re going to be next so having everything we need for a few days seems sensible.
We only have 140 litres of water so not that much heavier than another person.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Don Quixote]

I think you would find it made little to no difference on fuel consumption. We travel with little fresh water and no grey otherwise we would be over weight.

Sorry, but it must as your carrying the equivalent of 2/3 people, but there again each to his own.

 

[nicholsong]

Just to add to the full water and fuel brigade, we only stop at Aires/Wild so we always leave full. Our approx. 100lt fresh water lasts a week - but I was used to short (wet, stop, shampoo, rinse) showers on my boat - and Basia was a Scout.

Geoff

 

[Stoosal]

You must therefore work, or have worked in the recent past in a related job to actually know that.

So, if a motorhome was pulled and weighed, and the overload was marginal, you are saying they would immediately issue a fine, or whatever notice, then let you go if you emptied your tanks so to be under the limit. No flexibility?

No. That’s not what I said.

If you are overweight then the offence is complete. That is separate in terms of what action is taken after that. Eg if you are 1kg over the plated weights then you are overweight.....but I wouldn’t expect anything to happen but from a legal perspective you are in breach of the legislation.

If stopped and weighed and the vehicle was overweight then it would depend by how much you were overweight (and to some extent on who has weighed you ie police or driver and vehicle standard agency, what country etc etc). You will be weighed as you were stopped ie you wouldn’t be allowed to unload vehicle first ie dump water from tanks.

In very general terms up to 5% overweight will usually get you a warning or a fixed penalty ticket. DVSA tend to be slightly harder on non commercial drivers. Dump excess water if you have it to get to weight plate limits and continue journey. DVSA keep record of driver/ vehicles so don’t expect to get a warning a second time.

5 to 10% will be a ticket if it’s a single offence eg rear axle only. £100

Over 10% up to 15% usually ticket £200

Over 15% to 30%usually ticket £300

Over 30% prosecution and a prohibition from continuing until vehicle is taken down to weight plate limits.

These are not set in stone and will change if there’s more than one offence, if there’s been a serious collision, if there are particular dates set aside for targeting certain offences etc.

There will be an expectation that the vehicle is reduced to weight plate limits as soon as possible and in some cases before the vehicle is allowed to continue its journey. It’s a grey area!

Link to DVSA guidance. Note guidance notes on page 312!

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/956087/dvsa-enforcement-sanctions-policy.pdf

 

[Peppadog]

Thanks for the info Stoosal

 

[jumartoo]

Bet you don't do France in the winter.

We did in the distant past!

This thread isn't only about travelling through France in the winter though, is it?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[pandas]

Just to add to the full water and fuel brigade, we only stop at Aires/Wild so we always leave full. Our approx. 100lt fresh water lasts a week - but I was used to short (wet, stop, shampoo, rinse) showers on my boat - and Basia was a Scout.

Geoff

Not sure this is a debate about personal hygiene or your preference for traveling with a full tank or not. The significance is that even though some believe their vehicle is perfectly safe full with water if it is over the plated weight it is illegal. Again it is irrelevant if they personally believe they are safe, stable or whatever.

 

[JockandRita]

if it is over the plated weight it is illegal.

And regarding those few words, I am with you all the way. Having taken to decision to up plate, I know that we will never be overweight, either on an axle, or totally.

It doesn't cost much these days, depending on who you use, and providing you have the correct driving licence category of course.
Don't rely on dealers guiding you in the right direction regarding model weights and licence restrictions, as many are only interested on ££££s rather than safety and the law. It's your licence and insurance, so it's your responsibility at the end of the day, not theirs.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[Don Quixote]

Even in our little VW campervan now every trip away we call at local weight bridge and I pay 1.5 euro's for the check. We now only have 2800kg to play with but it's doable even fitting in 2 x folding bikes!! Next week we to Germany so packing like mad right now.

 

[jumar]

Many years ago when I was a pioneering figure in outdoor development I was very successful in introducing tasteful outdoor meals for backpacking.
I then decided to expand into liquids....a vital need for everyone, including myself....I was so close to achieve a perfect answer for many who needed to maintain their fluid intake.
We developed De-hydrated water.....all you needed to do was add WATER and shake....sorry to say...it's didn't catch on too well....

 

[dunnah01]

Many years ago when I was a pioneering figure in outdoor development I was very successful in introducing tasteful outdoor meals for backpacking.
I then decided to expand into liquids....a vital need for everyone, including myself....I was so close to achieve a perfect answer for many who needed to maintain their fluid intake.
We developed De-hydrated water.....all you needed to do was add WATER and shake....sorry to say...it's didn't catch on too well....

I think I remember the news when one of the delivery trucks broke down and it started to rain

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Lenny HB]

We only have 140 litres of water so not that much heavier than another person.

I think you meant 2 people.
Me and the boss's combined weight is only 125kg.

 

[glenn2926]

I think you meant 2 people.
Me and the boss's combined weight is only 125kg.

I’m over 80kg. 5’8” 32” waist so yeah a large person

 

[Lenny HB]

I’m over 80kg. 5’8” 32” waist so yeah a large person

I've srunk to 5'8", 36" waist but only 76kg.

 

[cyberyacht]

Heaviest scenario for me would be full water( which would mean I'd just dumped the grey) +full fuel. You would have to be pulled over just after you refuelled but hadn't stopped anywhere to use water. If, as Stoosal highlighted for us, the DVSA criteria is above 5%, that means 175Kg overweight. Below that I read it as a verbal ticking off. If it was a mere 30-40KG would it be regarded as "within measurement tolerances"? I was 40Kg under last time I weighed mine. I'm wondering if I've enough leeway for a scooter to replace the E-Bikes.

 

[Zaria]

We have a 22-year-old Elddis Discovery, and we still haven't figured out how much water the tank holds. It's not cited in the handbook (?). It takes 10 mins to fill but runs out quickly when we're using it. We're a family of 3 (with a six-year-old) and we use waste water to flush the toilet, but we can't believe that we consume water so quickly. How do you figure out the capacity of your water tank (and hence the weight) if you don't have it written down somewhere?

Sorry, rookie question, and messages above very helpful, thanks for posting all.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Eggs]

We have a 22-year-old Elddis Discovery, and we still haven't figured out how much water the tank holds. It's not cited in the handbook (?). It takes 10 mins to fill but runs out quickly when we're using it. We're a family of 3 (with a six-year-old) and we use waste water to flush the toilet, but we can't believe that we consume water so quickly. How do you figure out the capacity of your water tank (and hence the weight) if you don't have it written down somewhere?

Sorry, rookie question, and messages above very helpful, thanks for posting all.

Measure the dimensions of the tank then put your findings in something like this.

Tank Volume Calculator

Calculate capacity and fill volumes of common tank shapes for water, oil or other liquids. 7 tank types can be estimated for gallon or liter capacity and fill. How to calculate tank volumes.

www.calculatorsoup.com

 

[Jim]

funnily enough my new MoHo says never drive with anymore than 20lts in water tank

Plenty of makers have started to tell us how dangerous it is to travel with full tanks. This coincides with their inability to build a van with a useable payload.

I have never started a journey without full to bursting freshwater tanks

 

[Lizbiebrowne]

We have a 22-year-old Elddis Discovery, and we still haven't figured out how much water the tank holds. It's not cited in the handbook (?). It takes 10 mins to fill but runs out quickly when we're using it. We're a family of 3 (with a six-year-old) and we use waste water to flush the toilet, but we can't believe that we consume water so quickly. How do you figure out the capacity of your water tank (and hence the weight) if you don't have it written down somewhere?

Sorry, rookie question, and messages above very helpful, thanks for posting all.

If you’ve got a water meter then note the reading before you fill your tank up and again after it’s full - the difference is the capacity in litres (make sure nothing else is being used in your house like a washing machine or a toilet).

If you don’t have a meter, fill the tank up and then drain it into something you know the volume of like a 2 gall bucket and note how many times you fill it. You can find out how much the bucket holds by weighing yourself on some bathroom scales holding the full bucket and then again whilst holding the bucket empty. The difference is the weight of the water it held in kg and 1 kg of water is 1 L.

 

[cookie]

Only while off grid and travelling in Europe always have full water and empty loo when possible,

No water when travelling home ,wine is better.

 

[Bonsaiman]

We have a 22-year-old Elddis Discovery, and we still haven't figured out how much water the tank holds. It's not cited in the handbook (?). It takes 10 mins to fill but runs out quickly when we're using it. We're a family of 3 (with a six-year-old) and we use waste water to flush the toilet, but we can't believe that we consume water so quickly. How do you figure out the capacity of your water tank (and hence the weight) if you don't have it written down somewhere?

Sorry, rookie question, and messages above very helpful, thanks for posting all.

Drain your system, then use a container (bucket, watering can, etc) which you know the capacity of and count how many time you use it to fill the tank. 5 litre can x 20 fills = 100litres

Always travel with full water tanks and empty waste, then fill up and empty whenever possible

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[ChrisL]

We have a 22-year-old Elddis Discovery, and we still haven't figured out how much water the tank holds.

One way to find out is to buy a hose water meter which will tell you how much you've put in.

Amazon product ASIN B006MWDQZQ

 

[nicholsong]

Not sure this is a debate about personal hygiene or your preference for traveling with a full tank or not. The significance is that even though some believe their vehicle is perfectly safe full with water if it is over the plated weight it is illegal. Again it is irrelevant if they personally believe they are safe, stable or whatever.

Thank you for your comment, but we go to the weighbridge fully loaded before any trip and are about 100kg under our max weight.

Geoff

 

[Jefftheberk]

We're currently on our very first trip with our new-to-us MoHo, in France. We've been on the same site for 2 days and, so far, I've seen 4 different MoHos fill their water tanks full before leaving. Two of them also filled separate water containers. One of them also had 4 adults and two children on board, as well as 3 bikes and no end of chairs, tables, BBQ etc. This wasn't a massive MoHo, just a normal 3.5t one (unless they'd had it re-plated. Anyway, as well as wondering what the weight must be like on these rigs, I'm also wondering why people would do this? Or is it just me being over-cautious about the weight and stability?

 

[Jefftheberk]

I'm finding just the opposite. I can't get enough water. I'm in Croatia with a new MoHo and alone. I have no experience. There are no campsites where I'm travelling. I last filled my tank from the river and use as little as possible but it goes so quickly. Water and wastewater are my only worries.

 

[Silver-Fox]

Oh for a big tank, I've only got a piddly 160Lt one.

Wish mine was as big as yours

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}