Fresh water tank

[Buck944]

I have 25' safari with a fresh water tank. I have honestly never used it...

We always have water hookup...

My trailer is a 1998 and I would be very curious to see the inside of that tank...

I had a 1977 trillium trailer that I removed the fresh water tank and that tank was disgusting... Full of mold...

Also, why people are traveling with fresh water tank full?? Your afraid of running out of water?? To use the toilet?? When traveling I keep a gallons of water to flush the toilet... Not 400 pounds of water...

[Silver Hawk]

Some of us don't like to be packed into rvparks like sardines - with a full tank we can seek out places far from the madding crowd - that's why we bought and fixed up a trailer - to get away from the city and it's madding congestion. Also the noise - with solar panels we don't have to run our generator or sit next to another running theirs - or listen to their A/C going non-stop ( in BC we sat next to a bunch running their A/C's with the temperature at 72 degrees - they said it was warm inside in the sun - I said why not open the windows and enjoy the breeze. My TV doesn't notice the 400lbs. Usually once a week or so we go in for a hook up - water, showers, clothes washing and dump the poop.

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by Buck944

I have 25' safari with a fresh water tank. I have honestly never used it...

We always have water hookup...

My trailer is a 1998 and I would be very curious to see the inside of that tank...

I had a 1977 trillium trailer that I removed the fresh water tank and that tank was disgusting... Full of mold...

Also, why people are traveling with fresh water tank full?? Your afraid of running out of water?? To use the toilet?? When traveling I keep a gallons of water to flush the toilet... Not 400 pounds of water...

If I don't have too far to travel and I know the campground doesn't have water hookups, I'll fill the water tank because I don't know where the water station is and I'd rather set up camp and go several days on my tank before I have to run the hose or pull the AS to a station. If it's a long journey, I'd travel empty and fill up before setting up camp.

[Aage]

Also, filling the tank on an AS makes the trailer more stable, since it lowers the COG of the trailer (COG=Centre Of Gravity).

And what they said above!

[Sbb]

Where I stay there r no water hookups, so I fill at home and off I go.

[Buck944]

I understand...

One day I will go to those remote location off the grid...

[Ray Eklund]

Hello Buck!

We rarely park at a RV Park or an area where hookups are available. Sometimes you have no choice, other than a Pay to Stay park and there is nothing at all wrong with that.

Some people think their home's water supply is better and safer. Much of the time it is recycled sewage from upstream into the city's water and sewage plant with chlorine, a shallow well on their property or distilled water from a water supplier (probably filtered city water, anyways).

Some people think hauling a full hot water tank, full fresh water tank and trailer water lines full is the way to go. That is fine and there are some advantages. Most escape my attention, but one is when it is WINDY, like Wyoming, the trailer is attached to Planet Earth and the wind is just a mere bother. It will affect the gas/diesel mpg! But... it is only, their money.

Some people leave home with a full pantry of food and have the fridge full of frozen and cold food. Some people... many eat only potato chips and at McDonald's. When we leave... the fridge is packed.

There is NO absolute RIGHT or WRONG and I am just poking a little fun at each of our preferences. So, please, if you do any of the above...it is OK with me. But do not criticize how any of us prefer to travel. You may or may not like it... but most of do not really want an opinion... we would like to know what YOU DO. OK, now that I have cleared that up.

OUR PREFERENCE BEFORE AND DURING OUR OFF THE GRID AND IN THE GRID TRAILER CAMPING:

(1) Leave all of your water shut off valves OPEN and hook up a filter to your water hose and flush out the interior plumbing. If it smells moldy, you are probably way to late to clean this up without lots of work. Check with a swimming pool or water supplier for techniques to take care of that. This is not good.

For most of us, the flushing will help when you drain at home or on the way back home. The way back is nice as it sloshes around on the unlevel roads and really does a nice job cleaning out the systems.

(2) Close up the hot and cold lines and the water system. Have the hose connected to your trailer and flush the AIR out of the system. You can run it down your drains and keep the Grey Water tank open to drain into your yard.

(3) Take a five or six gallon water container of water and put it into your fresh water tank IF YOU HAVE A CLEAN SYSTEM.

If the trailer has been sitting a long time and neglected, check with #(1). You can fill the tank 30% and after driving a few miles around your area, drain the fresh water tank after it has sloshed around your tank. If you do not want people behind you honking as if you are leaking Black Water or gasoline... do it during a rain where the roads are already wet. Get the idea?

Using City Water with chlorine is actually good to help get you up to some tolerable level of "taste". Since we always flush BEFORE we leave and FLUSH AFTER we return, our water is tasty. We also have a filter on our kitchen sink for drinking and the rest for washing or shower.

(4) Our well water is nearly 400 feet into an slightly acidic (6.5pH), cold aquifer. For the house we treat it to raise the pH and then soften it for the best water for a home. But... it has no chlorine, so you cannot leave it sit for months and expect it not to taste funny... although we have never tried to find out. We do the Drain and Flush... without excuse.

(4) Much of this is common knowledge to some, but to others not worth the time or effort. That is fine with me. I do not care if this sounds arcane. It has served us well for eight years of back country camping. So just ignore it.

(5) We now have a flushed system and flushed most of the air out of our trailer. The five or six gallons in the fresh water tank can now be used to flush the water pump. If it just runs and does not pressure up... add more water. Then run faucets to finally finish the most time consuming part of your "water supply". It takes me... maybe ONE HOUR to do everything I have discussed. You will enjoy your own water, if needed, for the entire camping season.

(6) We have our lines flushed. Fresh water tank flushed. Water pump and lines flushed. Most of the air out of our water system, and without knowing it, you also filled your hot water tank and will have to live with that. I always like to have five or six gallons of water on board. But, it you are going to a RV Park... maybe have just a little sloshing on the way there and drain it and FILL your fresh water tank and let it sit while there. You will no doubt be using the outside connection and hose for water use while there. You might even use the water pump to wash with and just get a wonderful cleansing and then dump the Black & Grey Water at the RV Site, and keep five or six gallons to slosh around (IF you have not been keeping your water system flushed for some time.)

(7) For those who are off the grid. The National Forest and BLM office have excellent water for the asking. Use your external water filter to fill your fresh water in the area you plan to be camping. It will be cold for some time. We usually find a place for water within twenty miles or sometimes more, but we know where to go and have done this as a routine for a long time.

(8) If you are wanting to camp for a longer period of time, we carry FOUR 5 gallon water jugs. When we set up camp, the jugs come out and sit in the shade and emptied into the trailer, as needed.

(9) And yes... this is NOT for EVERYONE. This works for US. We live in a remote area and camp in areas more remote. We have this under control and have not died, needed hospital attention or get cramps from bad water. Some small towns in Arizona finding a source of fresh water is tough. We have been denied only once for 30 gallons of water and that was at Payson, AZ. Well... we will not stop there for gasoline or anything, thank you.

(10) Our water may not taste as good as an ice cold small brewery Beer... but it is a very close second!

[Gearheart]

How big a water tank are you running. A gallon is only 8 lbs. 30 of 'em goes 240 and that's a full tank on my trailer. I usually run a half tank as that is plenty of water for a couple of days.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Traveling with the water tank full, on any Airstream or Argosy trailer, IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

WHY?

First of all, and most importantly, it lowers the center of gravity, therefore the trailer handles much better, especially in curves.

Also, if you blow a radiator hose, guess where you can get a bunch of water?????

The addition weight causes a very small fraction decrease in mileage.

Andy

[StreamRivet]

I am preparing for a trip which will involve 10 days in the desert. 39 gals of fresh water is not enough. Does anyone have experience with a supplemental system of say 25 gals.

[TG Twinkie]

I carry a 25 gallon tank with a 12 volt pump to transfer the water to the coach. Just wired a plug on a cord that plugs into the trailer plug on the TV. Used the charge line terminal in the plug. Just plug it in and the pump runs.
Some TV's require the ignition to be on for the charge line to work.

[TG Twinkie]

I agree with Andy. A full tank of water is better for another reason. The water does not slosh when the tank is full.

[blkmagikca]

Originally Posted by StreamRivet

I am preparing for a trip which will involve 10 days in the desert. 39 gals of fresh water is not enough. Does anyone have experience with a supplemental system of say 25 gals.

A lot of this depends on the availability of water. We spend a fair bit of time boondocking in Quartzsite, Lake Havasu City and we overnight at wherever we can. I have 2 5-gal blue tanks fitted with threaded spigots. When we are actually camping (as opposed to overnight stops), during our day trips sightseeing, I'll fill these 2 tanks whenever I find any free water, and when I get back to the trailer I set the tank up on a small step ladder with a short hose attached to it and drain the contents into our fresh water tank.

[Teton Stream]

Originally Posted by StreamRivet

I am preparing for a trip which will involve 10 days in the desert. 39 gals of fresh water is not enough. Does anyone have experience with a supplemental system of say 25 gals.

I throw three of these in the back of my TV:
http://www.amazon.com/Reliance-Produ...gal+water+jugs

Fairly easy to handle if the spigot is not near your airstream... although SO has said she prefers the 5 gallon version (so I bought her one).

[dznf0g]

These work great, fold small light weight. Would have to have the right vehicle if taking water long distance. A suburban, Tahoe or PU with empty bed or back area. Roof is not for road use.

Portable RV Fresh Water Tank: 45 Gallon - New World CW1605 - Fresh Water Tanks - Camping World

[Savage68]

Another issue for Andersen hitch users, they recommend having the trailer loaded with "heavy" items when adjusting the hitch, ie. water tank full.

Another motivation, we are headed for the Tetons and heard Colter Bay water main had blown, so....

[AIRTRVL]

I have a 35 gal water tank mounted in the bed of my truck. It's higher than the trailer tank so I just attach a hose to it and fill the trailer tank. When we are out site seeing we are looking for a place to refill the tank in truck. It works great for us.


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