Road Trip and Fresh Water Tank

[Rusty E]

My wife and I are headed out in our TT for a couple weeks from our home in Las Vegas to Waco, Texas, on to Laurel, MS, and then back home. We plan on staying at RV Sites in the bigger cities for a couple days of our trip, but mostly boondocking along the way and back.

I had intended to just fill up our fresh water tanks and then hitting the road, but have watched a couple vids saying this is a bad idea?

We have a 27 gallon fresh water tank and 30 gallon gray/black tanks.

Thoughts?

My wife prefers a shower each morn and we intend on using our “facilities at each boondocking spot.

This is our first “long” trip in our trailer (new owners since May 2022, first TT). Thanks for your thoughts.

[bsmith0404]

What’s the point of having a fresh tank if it’s a bad idea to use it? That’s what it’s intended for. Someone may have had a bad experience (it happens) so others jump on and say this happened to someone so it’s a bad idea to do x,y, or z. Use you’re trailer the way it was intended/you want.

[roadglide]

Rusty you mentioned Laurel Missouri . I have stayed at the hillbilly campground in Laura $20 With water ele and dump station. You’re right on the lake of the Ozarks . I would think you will need to dump every three days with the holding tanks you have .

[Camp CA]

If we were planning to boondock and do not have an idea where to fill water near the boondock site, we would fill the water tank before leaving home and rv parks.

[gearhead]

Originally Posted by Rusty E

My wife and I are headed out in our TT for a couple weeks from our home in Las Vegas to Waco, Texas, on to Laurel, MS, and then back home. We plan on staying at RV Sites in the bigger cities for a couple days of our trip, but mostly boondocking along the way and back.

I had intended to just fill up our fresh water tanks and then hitting the road, but have watched a couple vids saying this is a bad idea?

We have a 27 gallon fresh water tank and 30 gallon gray/black tanks.

Thoughts?

My wife prefers a shower each morn and we intend on using our “facilities at each boondocking spot.


This is our first “long” trip in our trailer (new owners since May 2022, first TT). Thanks for your thoughts.

You talking about Laurel Missouri or Laurel Mississippi?

[roadglide]

Originally Posted by gearhead

You talking about Laurel Missouri or Laurel Mississippi?

Small print on the iPhone 13 correct . Rusty is talking about Mississippi I am talking about Missouri.

[travelin texans]

Is that 27 gallons of fresh water as per the brochures or actually metered into the tank? If from Keystones specs that will include the water heater which I'd guess is 6 gallons. Even with the full 27 gallons you'll need to do VERY quick Navy showers or you'll looking for water & a dump every morning.

[RollaMo]

Yep.


MS = Mississippi
MO = Missouri

[Canonman]

Welcome Rusty!
We usually travel with around 10 to 15 gallons of fresh water. This helps keep the weight down while allowing for our needs if we can't fill up completely prior to camping.
With a little planning, you can usually find places close to where you want to camp to fill your FW tank. Short "Navy" showers will save on water use and the need to dump your gay tank as often. Also part of our planning is a place to dump.
We find it practical to stay at a full hook up RV campground every 3 to 4 days to dump our grey and black tanks and refill the FW.
As you use your camper more you will become more accustomed to how it functions for your needs.

My suggestion, start with a full FW tank and get familiar with how much water you really use. Then adjust how much you really need to travel with.
Enjoy your trip and safe travels!

[Rusty E]

Originally Posted by roadglide

Rusty you mentioned Laurel Missouri . I have stayed at the hillbilly campground in Laura $20 With water ele and dump station. You’re right on the lake of the Ozarks . I would think you will need to dump every three days with the holding tanks you have .

Meant Mississippi. Sorry. Thanks for the dump info. That’s about what we’ve found with our size tanks and not super-conserving.

[Rusty E]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

Is that 27 gallons of fresh water as per the brochures or actually metered into the tank? If from Keystones specs that will include the water heater which I'd guess is 6 gallons. Even with the full 27 gallons you'll need to do VERY quick Navy showers or you'll looking for water & a dump every morning.

Thanks. We were able to get 2-3 days out of our tanks before needing to dump. Yep, we get wet, turn off the water, soap up, then rinse off. No long, hot showers.

[Rusty E]

Originally Posted by Canonman

Welcome Rusty!
We usually travel with around 10 to 15 gallons of fresh water. This helps keep the weight down while allowing for our needs if we can't fill up completely prior to camping.
With a little planning, you can usually find places close to where you want to camp to fill your FW tank. Short "Navy" showers will save on water use and the need to dump your gay tank as often. Also part of our planning is a place to dump.
We find it practical to stay at a full hook up RV campground every 3 to 4 days to dump our grey and black tanks and refill the FW.
As you use your camper more you will become more accustomed to how it functions for your needs.

My suggestion, start with a full FW tank and get familiar with how much water you really use. Then adjust how much you really need to travel with.
Enjoy your trip and safe travels!

Thanks. Appreciate the advice.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by Rusty E

My wife and I are headed out in our TT for a couple weeks from our home in Las Vegas to Waco, Texas, on to Laurel, MS, and then back home. We plan on staying at RV Sites in the bigger cities for a couple days of our trip, but mostly boondocking along the way and back.

I had intended to just fill up our fresh water tanks and then hitting the road, but have watched a couple vids saying this is a bad idea?

We have a 27 gallon fresh water tank and 30 gallon gray/black tanks.

Thoughts?

My wife prefers a shower each morn and we intend on using our “facilities at each boondocking spot.

This is our first “long” trip in our trailer (new owners since May 2022, first TT). Thanks for your thoughts.

I would recommend "play boondocking" first. If you can keep the trailer at home then fill it up, unplug, and see how long you can manage on the resources you have. You could also do the same thing in a full hook up campsite as well. A lot less drama having the utilities to fall back on than being in a forced situation IMO.

[NH_Bulldog]

We spend a lot of time in semi-modern State Parks. Some have electric, some don’t. None has had water, but we can fill up on arrival and then dump at the sanitation station when we leave. We carry a 21 gallon portable dump tank in the event we need to “unload” mid-stay. But if we balance it right, our 40 gallon freshwater tank is more than enough for 3-4 days split between the 30 gallon grey and 30 gallon black. My personal preference is to travel with only 6-10 gallons of fresh water.

[wiredgeorge]

Laurel Mississippi is the location of the show "Home Town" which is one of my wife's favorites and revolves around a young couple doing a complete refurb on a lower priced home and bringing it into tip top shape. Many of the homes are craftsman style and my wife looks every day on zilliow for that perfect house which we will not be able to afford.

[travelin texans]

Good luck in your travels!
While in Laurel say Howdy! to Ben & Erin!

[Rusty E]

Originally Posted by flybouy

I would recommend "play boondocking" first. If you can keep the trailer at home then fill it up, unplug, and see how long you can manage on the resources you have. You could also do the same thing in a full hook up campsite as well. A lot less drama having the utilities to fall back on than being in a forced situation IMO.

Great idea, thanks.

[Rusty E]

Originally Posted by NH_Bulldog

We spend a lot of time in semi-modern State Parks. Some have electric, some don’t. None has had water, but we can fill up on arrival and then dump at the sanitation station when we leave. We carry a 21 gallon portable dump tank in the event we need to “unload” mid-stay. But if we balance it right, our 40 gallon freshwater tank is more than enough for 3-4 days split between the 30 gallon grey and 30 gallon black. My personal preference is to travel with only 6-10 gallons of fresh water.

Thanks, Rob.

[Rusty E]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

Laurel Mississippi is the location of the show "Home Town" which is one of my wife's favorites and revolves around a young couple doing a complete refurb on a lower priced home and bringing it into tip top shape. Many of the homes are craftsman style and my wife looks every day on zilliow for that perfect house which we will not be able to afford.

Funny you mention that show. That’s the reason we are stopping in Waco (Chip and Joanna Gaines’ show and the silos) and then on to Laurel. We have watched all their remodeling shows and thought it would be fun to visit.

As for me, I really want to eat at the Bird Dog Cafe that they remodeled in Laurel.

[Rusty E]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

Good luck in your travels!
While in Laurel say Howdy! to Ben & Erin!

I’m not much of a “star chaser” but it would be awesome to bump into them. We are planning on stopping at Ben’s shop while there and I think that they have a little store connected to it as well. Maybe we will get lucky.