Traveling with a full tank of fresh water?

[J&J AIR]

We have a (new to us) 2009 Flying Cloud. Is it OK to travel with a full water tank?

We previously had another brand of trailer (toy hauler) and when we traveled with a full tank it actually bent the bracing under the trailer. Granted the tank on the toy hauler was enormous, but we need to be sure on the Airstream.

I searched for this question in other Forum posts and could not find the answer. Everyone has such great information to share. Thank you so much for your helpful input.

[PaulnGina]

Yes.

Welcome to the forum!!

[Hiho Silver]

Yes, a good idea. It helps lower the center of gravity too


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[Silver Hawk]

All those that boondock do!

[Tater]

We always travel with a full tank. Congratulations on your "new" trailer.

[AnnArborBob]

If we are going to boondock, we fill up but if we are just going from full service to full service campgrounds, we will keep between 25% and 50% for "casual" use on the road and in case of an emergency.

[AWCHIEF]

I always do. Have not bent or broke anything because of it.

[timhortons]

fill 'er up

I had a dealer once tell me that I should drain it for "fuel economy" (or leave the dog behind ?)

about 8lbs per gallon, if your set up is that close then water isn't the problem

[AtomicNo13]

The Airstream was designed to carry a full tank of water.

[J&J AIR]

Thank you all for your response! We feel confident that we can travel with a full water tank and not have any problems. Everyone has so much Airstream knowledge that they are willing to share. It is so much appreciated.

[m.hony]

The trailer rides much smoother with a full water tank. I need to fill my water tank now. I drained it for the winter and have not refilled it.
It is good to have on board water so you can flush the toilet anytime while traveling and not hooked up to city water. It is also good to have water on board in case you are leaving camp before daylight and want to be road ready before dark the day before. You can be totally ready to roll, not hooked to city water, and still take a bath and use the bathroom.

[dannydimitt]

We always travel with a full tank, 10s of thousands
Of miles and no problem

[Wolf Alaska]

Recently in a Navy (govt owned) CG, we were greeted on Friday morning with flyers all over the CG saying the CG water is unsafe. NOT use it w/o. boiling it. CG & public works didn"t say water was OK until Monday PM.

We used our on board water which was good water. Almost everyone else in CG had enough onboard water & did the same.

The people who work @ this Navy. CG know nothing about RVs or RVers.

Let's Roll !
Wolf

[MaineStreamer]

Where is the fresh water tank located? I know from the parts diagram that the black water and grey water tanks are nearly above the drains. Is the fresh water tank on the road side of the trailer where it helps to offset the weight of the kitchen and contents of kitchen cabinets?
I have been told that due the way roads are crowned, it is important to load cargo trailers (in general) with more weight on the road side, or at least to avoid overloading the edge of road side. Thoughts?

[mefly2]

Full water tank reduces the sloshing ...even with baffles.

[J&J AIR]

The fresh water tank is located directly above the axles and appears to be located more on the road side of the trailer. The kitchen is also located on the road side. Generally we travel lite without any excess "stuff".

[Nomad518]

As others have said, if we're dry camping we have a full tank of fresh water on board when we leave for our trip. If we're staying at a campground with full hookups, we have 1/4 to 1/2 tank of fresh water on board in case it's needed during the trip. I learned this lesson the hard way when our dog got sick inside the trailer when we made a stop on the way to Pfiefer Big Sur State Park (I'll spare you the gory details). Because those coastal roads are steep, narrow, and curvy, I left home with an empty fresh water tank to save weight. We had to buy big bottles of fresh water at a store to clean up the mess our dog made before we could continue our trip. That's a lesson I'll never forget.

[FreshAir]

A PO had increased the water capacity by placing a 20 gallon tank under each dinette seat which gives our '66 Trade Wind 40 gallons when full. The dinette is in the front placing that weight on the tongue. Having that capacity is great but requires some planning as to weight distribution and taking consideration our route...ie mountain roads, rough roads and how available is water at our destinations. Usually we travel with half capacity. The tanks rest one on each side of the trailer linked by a 3/4" pipe so the weight is evenly placed.

Neil

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by MaineStreamer

I have been told that due the way roads are crowned, it is important to load cargo trailers (in general) with more weight on the road side, or at least to avoid overloading the edge of road side. Thoughts?

That's a myth. Even if it's a Louisiana back road with no shoulders and crumbling edges, the difference between loading your trailer with even weight distribution or road-side-heavy weight distribution is trivial compared to the load capacity of the asphalt. Your trailer doesn't come anywhere near the weight capacity of the asphalt, which can usually support heavy earth-moving equipment that was used to build the road.

You actually want your trailer to be loaded level, with the weight evenly distributed from side to side. This prevents uneven wear on your tires and brakes, which would have to work harder on the heavy side of an unbalanced trailer.

[slowmover]

And, hopefully, one has also corrected for imbalances between the axles. In other words, the load on all trailer tires is close to the same.