Filling on board water tank

paul18

paul18

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newbie, but was caravanner for 20 years
Going away first time for a week in a while, but wont arrive first night until after dark. Should we fill on board water tank before we leave, or wait until we get there? Disadvantages and advantages to both I guess, but what are they please?
 
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:Eeek::Eeek:
NickNic said:
We drink ours too. No filter or anything like that and never had any ill effects.
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Wife and me find it amusing that we drink French tap water but they buy :Eeek::Eeek: bottled water.
We always fill up with water at every opportunity and dump the waste. Can be 2 or 3 days before the next chance. Have bought French gas bottles so always have plenty of water and gas. Also have a hair dryer (see other threads), no inverter, just a 2800cc turbo charged unit under the bonnet set to hot on her side !
 
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lennyhb said:
If you tell us exactly what your van is hopefully should be able to find the info online.
You will also need to check axle weights.
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Ace Modena 2004
 
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lennyhb said:
If you tell us exactly what your van is hopefully should be able to find the info online.
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Some info will certainly be online somewhere but it will be the manufacturer or converters made up numbers.

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We always travel with a full tank. You are then independent. You can never by 100% sure of water at your next port of call. Even on official sites the water may be too far away for a hose, or be frozen. Aires often need a token which you may not be able to get, and some aires just don't have water at all. Never noticed any difference in mpg.
We also use the water for everything, though in hot weather we keep a bottle, filled from the tap, in the fridge as the tank water is decidedly tepid.
 
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Reallyretired said:
Aires often need a token which you may not be able to get, and some aires just don't have water at all.
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Whenever we go somewhere that needs a token we buy 2 or 3. That way we have a little stock in the van so if we ever can't buy one we should be OK.
 
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On the subject of handling I have found the extra weight increases stability in very windy conditions. Like others we always travel with 1/2 or 3/4 tank of fw, can't be bothered worrying about having to fill up when arriving at any site, Sod's law being what it is the weather will be cold and wet and possibly dark.
 
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Only half a tank of water only use it for toilet and washing if off sites ,always use bottled water for drinking..

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We used to have bottled for drinking but the last few years we have used a jug filter, easy to do and no instalation, I never go anywhere without at least half a tank apart from anything else the weight low down gives added stability especially on a high top like mine at 3.25m
 
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Reallyretired said:
We always travel with a full tank. You are then independent. You can never by 100% sure of water at your next port of call. Even on official sites the water may be too far away for a hose, or be frozen. Aires often need a token which you may not be able to get, and some aires just don't have water at all. Never noticed any difference in mpg.
We also use the water for everything, though in hot weather we keep a bottle, filled from the tap, in the fridge as the tank water is decidedly tepid.
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We are the same, not worth the risk of getting caught out.
 
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Should do what we do and fill up with that dehydrated water, you hardly know you're carrying it !
On a serious note, if it's your first time away, make sure you reset the frost drain tap on your van. Our first time away, I couldn't understand why I couldn't get water out of the hot tap till a bloke knocked and told me I was flooding my pitch (n)
 
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Just put in sufficient for your needs for a couple of days.

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Two watering cans on arrival then a watering can every day thereafter. Usually does us.
 
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As an old, old hippy who has been using a motorhome for over forty years I have, as all of us do, developed life style methods to suit me.

Like the vans we use, these ways of doing things change over the years.

One of the very first policies I settled on was to ALWAYS have a full water tank as often as possible.

Water is the most important item in our lives.

You never know how your journey is going to go. I have been stuck in a snowed up motorway traffic jam for hours and actually had a hot shower and something to eat whilst waiting for it to clear.

The method I now use to fill my water tank appears very, very odd to others.

I carry my water from the tap/stream/roadside spring and pour it into the tank using an old 6/7 litre plastic water bottle.

No hose pipe to store, no tap fittings to concern myself with, no having to park near enough to the tap.

I, like billions of people on our earth, carry my water myself.

Too old to fetch water... too old to live in my motorhome... (plus my phone keeps reminding me I need the exercise)

JJ :cool:

PS. Anyone who worries about the vehicle handling changing with a full water tank is driving their motorhome much, much, much harder than I ever do.
 
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Despite what manufacturers publish about weights I am never convinced they reflect true life, do bear in mind that anything added after manufacture, line a second leisure battery comes off your payload.
There is only one way to find what you weigh when you hit the road, and that's to fill everything up near home, load up as if you were setting off on your travels, and find a local weighbridge. Only then can you compare your actual weight with your vehicles gross and axle weights.
Bear in mind VOSA use fixed sites in the UK to weigh you on the move, and they can and do pull you to take you to a proper weigh area to confirm. I have seen several MH's in the Staffird M6 VOSA site, though couldn't say if it's just weight why they were there.
Have a good trip.
 
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You should have a plate under the bonnet which gives gross vehicle weight ( GVW), gross train weight and each axle weight.

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PaulyP said:
You should have a plate under the bonnet which gives gross vehicle weight ( GVW), gross train weight and each axle weight.
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That will be the vehicle manufacters plate which probably will not be the same as the converters plate. The converters plate succeeds the manufacturers plate. The majority of 3500kg vehicles will have an under bonnet plate that says 3850kg, the converter will have down rated it, that is why it is important to use the figures on the converters plate.
 
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WillH said:
Two watering cans on arrival then a watering can every day thereafter. Usually does us.
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That's all very well if you know where you are stopping and you know there is a working tap. Wouldn't work for never know were we will end up each day, much prefer to run with a full tank & sometimes a couple of 20 Lt containers in the garage.
Also carry a spare cassette for the loo.
 
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Wobby said:
We've always filled up, 100lts on our Exsis which has a payload of 900kg isn't over the top. We also drink and cook with the water, all be it after its passed through the excellant Nature pure purifier. I've haven't notice any difference in MPG with or without water on board, what's the point in having the tank and not useing it and I've never bought bottled water.

Wobby
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Noticed with our Exsis with a full tank the steering gets a bit lighter when cruising at 70, I put this down to the water tank being behind the rear axle.
 
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lennyhb said:
That's all very well if you know where you are stopping and you know there is a working tap. Wouldn't work for never know were we will end up each day, much prefer to run with a full tank & sometimes a couple of 20 Lt containers in the garage.
Also carry a spare cassette for the loo.
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That's exactly how we travel (y)

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You know the old sayings;

Never a bad time too fill with water.
Never a bad time too empty the cassette.

Follow those you'll not go far wrong.:)

Never believed in the idea I must not carry water on board as the van will do .001 of a mile more to the gallon or wont handle properly. Done over 50'000 in this van mostly with full tank of water hasn't fell in half yet likewise carry a motorbike in the garage.:eek::eek:Lost count how many times have I've been told I can't do that.:rofl::rofl::rofl:
 
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Paul 18 - Under your bonnet, at the front near the bonnet catch, you should have either one or two small metal plates riveted to the bodywork.

One is the original Fiat plate, mine shows a max weight of 3650KG, and a second plate showing the Manufacturers plate – in my case a Pilote plate showing a max weight of 3500KG.

If you don't know what your MH weighs take it to a local weighbridge and get it weighed – it should cost around a fiver (unless they're trying to rob you!).


As for water – we fill up before going away and then know we have at least three days water before we need to restock – minimal difference in mpg and stability.

Be prepared as some sites turn off the water supply during the Winter months especially abroad.

Fiat Plate.jpg PILOTE PLATE.jpg
 
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lennyhb said:
That will be the vehicle manufacters plate which probably will not be the same as the converters plate. The converters plate succeeds the manufacturers plate. The majority of 3500kg vehicles will have an under bonnet plate that says 3850kg, the converter will have down rated it, that is why it is important to use the figures on the converters plate.
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As in Roryboys post above I also have the two plates on my Pilote from the manufacturer and converter.
 
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Agree with others who always travel full and top up at every opportunity..

If a van is overweight with a full water tank it isn't fit for purpose.. may as well have a caravan with two aquarolls..

also, the water in a full tank won't slosh about the way it will in a half or quarter full one..

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Always travel with the tank full

Best advice I was given when we first started:
Always fill up the clean water tank whenever possible
Always empty the grey water tank whenever possible
Always get the wife to empty the thunderbox
(y)
 
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