Travel with water tank full or empty?

[MandM]

We have a couple of 10 litre water bottles that we use when travelling. Leaving the on board fresh water tank empty between stops. While in France we were advised by a fellow UK MH driver that he travels with the tank full for better stability. We also watched a large Concord owner (German) fill his two huge water tanks before departing....

Now this did not seem a sensible option to me. Less weight seemed to be the way to go especially as it might compromise the vehicle weight limit.

Thoughts please?

 

[Minxy]

The problem with changing the Licence restrictions to allow up to 4 tonne is that the standard Fiat/Ford etc chassis isn't built to allow for that, some can are only capable of 3.5, some 3.85, it's only the heavy chassis that can go up to 4.25 so the licence part wouldn't necessarily solve the problem but may help.

As @Wargenwolf has said, and with which I agree, manufacturer's would then have less 'need' to build to the current limits and may then 'grow' the weight of the vehicle so the end user may not in fact benefit ... they wouldn't have to use such lightweight materials and therefore that would cut their costs so the MH buyer may not end up benefiting at all BUT the risk of then running overweight would be more dangerous as the vehicle would be closer to it's operating limits, eg a 3.5 one could be 'safe' if overweight up to 3.85 but if it's at 3.85 and run at 4.0 that could affect handling, braking etc.
As we all know there are MHers out there who don't give a jot about the weight, or are totally oblivious to their MH being overweight, so I personally would rather it stayed at 3.5 and instead make the MH fraternity get their act together to stop building MHs that are unrealistic at that weight, ie bring in a legally required minimum payload for the number of passengers that can be accommodated and the essentials like full water, full fuel etc.

How long it is going to be before only having a bit of fuel in the tank is the norm to allow for their payload to look sufficient ...????

 

[Kool Kroozer]

Always drive away on our journey with a full tank plus x2 20 ltr containers in the garage, wild camping makes you do these things

 

[cronkle]

Personally I would find it much more useful if manufacturers provided us with the unladen weight plus the actual weights overall and on each axle of the vehicle straight off the production line. I can then do the sums adding 1kg for water and fuel (yes, I know but the error is to the safe side and it makes the calculation easier) and the weights of any other things that I care to include (including food, clothes and passengers etc).

 

[andy63]

Fiat/Ford etc chassis isn't built to allow for that,

I've not looked into it in any great detail but it seems that the Ford chassis as used by coach build manufacturers is capable of over 3.5t as supplied.. its just plated at 3.5 to allow for a larger market because of the current licencing.. and I'll bet the other manufacturers are similar... why not utilise what's available instead of been restricted by a licence restriction..
In general it's always been an issue... in the past the vehicles were turned out with better quality materials and fittings,spare tyres, decent gas capacity etc etc but had little pay load... now it's the reverse.. crap fittings no spares poor gas capacity etc etc but better payload..
It appeas that even 2 or 300 kg would help produce a better van and that is available as standard but for licencing restrictions...
Just my opinion...
Andy

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[Minxy]

The reason for my suggesting that some Fiat/Fords are not able to go over 3.5 tonne is that I am aware that some Fiat based ones are made on the 3.3 tonne chassis which may not be able to go above 3.5 tonne.

 

[andy63]

The reason for my suggesting that some Fiat/Fords are not able to go over 3.5 tonne is that I am aware that some Fiat based ones are made on the 3.3 tonne chassis which may not be able to go above 3.5 tonne.

Could well be minx but these days on a coach built 3.3 ton is gvw is as much use as a pain in the a**e... given the extras that don't come as standard and most people class as essential on a modern mh... extra battery capacity,solar panels, quite often more gas capacity,and then there's the coffee machines microwaves lol..
The list is endless and I appreciate some of it trivial ...
So I'm back to the original point ...accepting the point that has been made that folk will always want more...
There is an easy solution that would help the industry, available now.. I doubt it will happen...
Andy

 

[jdk62]

If we do not have enough water, we just dilute it.... works a treat!

 

[eddie]

A few years ago we used to stock dehydrated water that was originally designed for back packers, tent campers etc

At our request they looked into making dehydrated water tablets large enough to be usable in motorhomes.

They worked extremely well, and we had dehydrated water tablets in 50lt 100lt and 150lt making the problem with payload a lot easier

Imagine just arrive on site, pop in dehydrated 100lt water tablet, top up with water and hey presto Water!

I believe that the company ended up in Liquidation on Winter with Frozen assets unfortunately

 

[Stealaway]

Does any one know what the liciece and weight restrictrictions are in the rest of Europe?

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[PeteH]

OK, so if my reasoning is Flawed?. Take the current most popular Fiat/Alko range. If you check the Alko Chassis range the Only thing needed to get most of the range over 4t is a change of wheels and tyres. (Page 12) the 35L (my Base Vehicle) can be taken to 1850Kg Without any changes On 215/70R/15" tyres. The 40H has the only discernible difference of Uprating to 225/75R/16" wheels and tyres?.

Which from a commercial / production standpoint makes some sense. ie, if you dont need the Larger and inevitably more expensive wheel tyre combination to achieve the load range then that is one more way to "Shave" cost. BUT putting different chassis combinations down a line complicates matters. Which is why IMV so many vehicles come from the factory with for example all the cabling for everything in them, just not the fittings?.

http://www.al-ko.co.uk/edit/files/downloads/al-ko-amc-commercial-brochure-2010.pdf