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kevino · 07-09-2007, 01:06 PM

Hi all,

I sanitized my fresh water tank this weekend according to the instructions in my owners manual.

Should I keep some water in the fresh water tank when not in use? I emptied the tank with the valve located on the side and the monitor panel reads empty but I'm sure there's a little left in there. Will this little bit create problems or will it eventually dry out?

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks,
Kevin

SilverCabin · 07-09-2007, 02:03 PM

I don't know if this is the correct answer, but I always keep mine full. My logic is keeping it full presents less surface area for things to grow on.

Randy

**azflycaster** · 07-09-2007, 02:15 PM

I always keep mine empty. I look at the water in my pool (comes from the same place). If I do not add chorine to it daily it will turn green. This may be due to the fact that we have about 100 days of 100+ degree weather. I also empty the water heater when not in use.

rickandsandi · 07-09-2007, 02:22 PM

We always try to keep ours empty whenever we can. I use the main drain under our AS to empty it. When we do need to go FULL/EMPTY I will flush out the tank a few times and then fill it.

**moosetags** · 07-09-2007, 02:32 PM

We keep our fresh water tank about 1/4 full. I don't want to lug the extra weight of a full tank, but I do want some in there to use the toulet or get some water on the road. I that some water sloshing around as we go down the road helps keep the tank clean. We also fill the tank occasionally and use the pump for water for the day even while at a campground. We feel that this keeps all the seals in the pump going.

Smokin Camel · 07-18-2007, 05:08 PM

I am not on the road this year due to renovation, just did axels now the plumbing. I travel with a full tank to lower the center of gravity in the trailer. Wind resistance is the big gas factor, it is a square of speed. for short term storage I leave anywhere from an eigth to a fourth of a tank in it with a double dose of hypochlorite (Chlorine bleach has it as the bleaching agent) to prevent growth of various organisms. When I fill up the dilution puts the hypochlorite below tolerance levels. If I have a full tank when I park I just adjust the Chlorine level. I have a 40 gallon tank and a fourth of a cup of standard Chlorine Bleach is ordinarilly enough. Too much could ... loosen things up

!

Silvertwinkie · 07-18-2007, 05:18 PM

Totally empty when not in use.....and a re-sanitize before being put back in service.

cosmotini · 07-18-2007, 07:35 PM

Just wondering ...
Does draining the fresh water tank also drain the water heater? Or should the plug be removed?

SLVRSRFR · 07-18-2007, 07:54 PM

Thanks folks! I have been reading this thread and found it to be very insightful.....

**azflycaster** · 07-18-2007, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmotini

Just wondering ...
Does draining the fresh water tank also drain the water heater? Or should the plug be removed?

I have to pull the plug on mine to drain it. Be careful it is under pressure. I open the relief valve first then remove the plug.

mello mike · 07-25-2007, 01:51 PM

Does anybody know if there's a drain valve for the fresh water tank? Or do you have to run the water pump and unstop the drain valve to drain the fresh water tank?

**azflycaster** · 07-25-2007, 03:20 PM

The drain valve for my 75 TW is under the sink, below the floor, right where the line from the tank goes to the water pump. It is a little hard to get to and has a handle like a garden hose valve.

mello mike · 07-26-2007, 08:03 AM

Thanks, Richard.

safari57 · 07-26-2007, 09:55 AM

I drain mine as soon as I get home. If we are boon docking I take a full tank but otherwise leave about 5 gal's in for travel. Washroom/picnic stops along the way always require some water. I flush the tank well before reusing it.

Barry

SilverCabin · 08-13-2007, 08:08 AM

After Nick's post here http://www.airforums.com/forums/430815-post3.html on another thread, I did a seatch on Surface Water Effect. The discussion was that a partially full fresh water tank can lead to instability when towing because of the sloshing of the water. Full and/or empty tanks are stable because they have very little Surface Water Effect.

Also on that same thread 2air provides a link to this product Purogene Fresh Water Treatment Information. This sounds like it might be a solution for keeping the tank fresh and full all the time. 2air gives it a good review. Anyone else use it?

Randy

thecatsandi · 08-13-2007, 10:25 AM

Keep it full or empty. I usually keep mine full (60 gals) with about a cup of household bleach in it. You never know when you are goign to need an emergency water.

Foiled Again · 08-13-2007, 01:40 PM

I carry water and agree it's better to fill it for stability... found that one out the hard way. Although if you're down to just a gallon or two the slosh factor is minor.

I do wash dishes and myself and operate the throne with the fresh water tank. I don't drink it.

I carry bottled water when I'm away from my home base. I'm not a believer that tap water is bad, in fact my dentist says bottled water is doing wonders for his job security - because people are not getting enough fluoride in their daily diet. I drink tap water at home, but I don't want any trip ruined by getting diarrhea and spending the whole trip getting "ring around the butt" from long uncomfortable sessions in the bathroom. I do add about a cup of bleach when I fill the tank just to keep the green stuff from growing. Bleach ordinarily decomposes in 2 days so in a pinch I could drink it without worrying excessively about the taste. In the desert I would.

Bottled on the road is a personal preference, not a holy grail. In many rural locations you get a lot of iron in the water and I just don't like that taste - and if some campgrounds maintain their well water as badly as they do their sewers... why take any risk. I normally buy a 24 pack of half liter bottles and that lasts for the whole trip.

Paula

**jcanavera** · 08-13-2007, 01:51 PM

We keep the tank empty other than when we know we are traveling to a site without water. With a 60 gallon tank on our Classic, that's a weighty load to pull, especially in light of the fact that I'm dealing with a slide out and probably the heaviest tandem axle Airstream on the road today.

With the many issues with Marathon tires, I'm pretty much for eliminating any additional weight that absolutely isn't necessary. With the local temps as high as they have been in our neck of the woods, I probably would consider even doing a fill locally at the destination site (or as close as possible) than to carry the additional water weight a long distance.

Jack

Frank's Trailer Works · 08-18-2007, 03:44 AM

So let me get this right... I am very new to all this, and behind my ears, well it is wet and green at the same time... Ya'll put clorine in your drinking water? And then ya'll go and drink it? I think there has got to be a better way than that. I think I'll drink from a bottle.
Now as far as traveling full versa empty... water weights around 8 pounds per gallon so if the fella previously was to travel full with 60 gallons.. thats around 480 extra pound. Now I didn't know Wally, but, what I have been able to gather from books and such, is that weight was to be kept to a minimum. Light weight materials and construction techniques were utilized specifically by Wally. The goal was to pull a trailer that was "on air". I find it much easier to pull something that is light versa heavy. If your trailer is effected by trucks maybe you should look into weight distribution and sway control as a more effective fix. A water little in the tank is good so that when the next rest stop is closed for renovations you have the freedom to take care your needs.

Silvertwinkie · 08-18-2007, 04:48 AM

Most tap water does have some chlorine in it as well as other items. You put chlorine bleach into the tank at the correct levels, pump that mixture through the supply lines to sanitize the tank and supply lines. Flush it all out when done, then fill the tank up and enjoy.

At 8.6lbs per gallon of water, it is one of the single largest added weight items in the trailer. Wally may have had the idea of a lightweight trailer, but modern luxury items like microwaves, huge fridges, queen sized beds, large BTU a/c units, TVs, stereos, DVD players, corian countertops, much larger BTU furnaces, 80lbs of LP to feed these beasts, all add to the weight making the reality of a lightweight trailer a somewhat thing of the past, as you may have found out, owning a vintage comparing it to a new Airstream.

Airstream came out with the Argosy line and now the "Sport" line to try to get close to that goal of a lighter weight trailer. Bottom line if you want creature comforts, the weights will go up.

I've towed with a full tank of water, half tank of water an no water. Now I can see how you could get into a situation with water sloshing all around, but in my travels so far, the Safari towed more solid with even half a tank of water, which in my case is about 19.5 gallons or about 168lbs. I think the sloshing around isn't as big of a deal due to the fact that the tank is right over the axles (on larger, newer Airstreams). Since it's so low and the trailer itself has a low center of gravity, could be why in a few evasive driving situations on the road (with a half tank or less) I haven't seen any loss of control. Of course, math was never my strong point, and I never took Physics or Geometry, so your result can and most likely will vary.