Holding tanks and gvwr

[bsmith0404]

Originally Posted by jasin1

post #14.. when i left the campsite to head to the dump station …all three tanks were close to full ..i filled up fresh water again in middle of trip with a couple of hoses…it was about a mile to the dump station. just thinking it isn’t good to overload the tires and axles even for short distances…i guess i’m overthinking but if i had skipped the dump station until the next campground that wouldn’t have been good for the rv..
with all three full tanks i have about two to three hundred pounds of available payload…wouldn’t be a problem if the axles and tires weren’t on the very edge of minimum

I guess I just don’t see a reason to fill the fresh tank if my other tanks are full, no where for it to go as I use it. I don’t like carrying water weight as it is, sure ain’t gonna carry more of it than I need to. Just a comment on the Jayco claim in the video (I didn’t watch it, just going off another comment) I’ve seen several RVs drop tanks while traveling. I added a piece of 1” angle iron bolted to the I beam frame under my tanks. I don’t trust the straps they use to hold them.

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by bsmith0404

I guess I just don’t see a reason to fill the fresh tank if my other tanks are full, no where for it to go as I use it. I don’t like carrying water weight as it is, sure ain’t gonna carry more of it than I need to. Just a comment on the Jayco claim in the video (I didn’t watch it, just going off another comment) I’ve seen several RVs drop tanks while traveling. I added a piece of 1” angle iron bolted to the I beam frame under my tanks. I don’t trust the straps they use to hold them.

i may look at my straps one day..my wife’s cousin had a tank leak on a grand design momentum from traveling with full tanks..i emptied my gray and black tanks but kept water in my fresh tank for the trip home..fresh wasn’t completely full and i did empty once with a portable cart while staying at the campsite

i am just going to be aware of the extra weight going forward…we keep paddle boards and a kayak in our basement and a portable solar panel along with a bunch of other stuff so i can’t have extra water weight

[NH_Bulldog]

We typically run with 6 gallons in the fresh tank for pitstops on the road and the only thing in the waste tanks on the road is coming from the fresh tank.

[Essvar]

Originally Posted by bsmith0404

I guess I just don’t see a reason to fill the fresh tank if my other tanks are full, no where for it to go as I use it.

The scenario I've had when filling the fresh while waste was also full plays out like this...



I was at a site with Water/Electric only and I was heading to drycamp at my next destination. I knew I needed water for the next stop and also that very very few dump stations have potable water available. So... Filled up with fresh water then traveled onto the next available dump station large enough to accommodate my rig. Dumped waste and had full fresh ready to go.

[bsmith0404]

Originally Posted by Essvar

The scenario I've had when filling the fresh while waste was also full plays out like this...



I was at a site with Water/Electric only and I was heading to drycamp at my next destination. I knew I needed water for the next stop and also that very very few dump stations have potable water available. So... Filled up with fresh water then traveled onto the next available dump station large enough to accommodate my rig. Dumped waste and had full fresh ready to go.

I guess if you’re worried about potable water. We take 5 gallons of potable water plus water bottle for cooking/coffee/washing dishes with us so the fresh tank is only for toilet/showers.

[Essvar]

Originally Posted by bsmith0404

I guess if you’re worried about potable water. We take 5 gallons of potable water plus water bottle for cooking/coffee/washing dishes with us so the fresh tank is only for toilet/showers.

I don't drink out of my holding tanks either, but I do like to have clean water for washing myself and my dishes

[bsmith0404]

Originally Posted by Essvar

I don't drink out of my holding tanks either, but I do like to have clean water for washing myself and my dishes

I bring along a 5 gal water container for washing dishes. I guess I’ve never come across a location where water is so contaminated that it’s not safe to shower with. Maybe the time I spent in Afghanistan where the holding tanks for the water we showered with was labeled “non potable” has made me less concerned about that. 🤔

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by bsmith0404

I guess if you’re worried about potable water. We take 5 gallons of potable water plus water bottle for cooking/coffee/washing dishes with us so the fresh tank is only for toilet/showers.

The weight of water/gal remains constanf no matter where it's contained. You add a very small amount of extra weight in the bottles or jugs themselves vs inside the tank but that's splitting hairs.

[bsmith0404]

Originally Posted by flybouy

The weight of water/gal remains constanf no matter where it's contained. You add a very small amount of extra weight in the bottles or jugs themselves vs inside the tank but that's splitting hairs.

I understand that, but 5 gallons of water in a jug is a lot different than 60 gallons in a fresh tank. It doesn’t do any good to put 60 gallons in the fresh tank when the gray and black are full. Plus, I can put water jugs in the bed of the truck if I was really worried about an extra 100 lbs being added to the trailer GVWR and still had a need to take water with me. It’s all splitting hairs and I guess some people see this as a potential problem/concern because if situations they’ve been in. In my 20+ years of camping, I’ve never had a need to carry that much fresh water with me when the other tanks were full.

[gearhead]

Originally Posted by jasin1

i’ve followed along when you had that done…Brent’s (Gearhead) also …seems like a nice upgrade

The best money I ever spent on a RV.
I brought up to Betty the independent suspension upgrade, but she put a hold on that.
Now waiting for a spring failure. LOL

[bsmith0404]

Originally Posted by gearhead

The best money I ever spent on a RV.
I brought up to Betty the independent suspension upgrade, but she put a hold on that.
Now waiting for a spring failure. LOL

Been planning on swapping mine out for the Roadmaster comfort ride setup. Just hard to justify $2k when the current suspension is still working. I guess I need to stop maintaining it so it’ll finally give out and make my decision easier. Be nice if it was a $500 system. That’s easy to take a chance on bang for buck. I’d hate to spend two grand and not see SIGNIFICANT improvement.

[CWtheMan]

The bottom line here is cargo. Water is cargo. Do your math accordingly.