How full is too full?

[goducks]

I wouldn't buy an RV of any kind that I could fill the tanks full while traveling.
Would you expect the same out of your car?
If you're worried about the tank falling out then simply install some cross bracing under the tanks. Bolt then to the frames then the tank will never fall out.

[Roscommon48]

how did dumping water come on this thread?


twisties asked about carrying a full load of fresh water.....yes, you can do it--i would not do it all of the time. Just do it either way and enjoy.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by Roscommon48

how did dumping water come on this thread?


twisties asked about carrying a full load of fresh water.....yes, you can do it--i would not do it all of the time. Just do it either way and enjoy.

Well, you've been around long enough to know these threads ebb, flow and sort of move around. "Carrying a load of fresh water", to go somewhere to use it; possibly with dump facilities or not....you have to do something with it....right?? Seems logical.

As far as "can you do it" I doubt anyone would say you can't do it but more should you do it. I believe it was on this forum? that a member recounted the event of his fresh water tank falling out from under his trailer.....

[Customer1]

I always travel with the fresh water full. Our old trailer carried 100 gallons so we have to be more conservative only having 60 gallons now.

[Fishsizzle]

Side point, I’m kinda chuckling here with the grey water thing. No doubt it’s a no-no, but here is a wrinkle.

We are in the process of building a dog Kennel (commercial) and the state has deemed dog water incompatible with people water. So my people water goes into one tank and into an approved under ground septic system and my dog water has to go into another tank and then poured out on the ground in a swale.

DEQ for people water and Dept of Ag for dog water regulate what happens. I have to install 2 separate drain systems in the kennel. The rules just changed last year, a month before we applied for permits.

[chuckster57]

Another side: when I worked in the Bay Area, I was informed that the drains in the parking lot were ONLY for rain water. I dumped fresh water that I used to fill the tanks and was told the dealership could be fined $10,000.00 for dumping non rain water. Funny thing was the wash rack drain was the same system.

[Fishsizzle]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

Another side: when I worked in the Bay Area, I was informed that the drains in the parking lot were ONLY for rain water. I dumped fresh water that I used to fill the tanks and was told the dealership could be fined $10,000.00 for dumping non rain water. Funny thing was the wash rack drain was the same system.

But it’s ok the release raw sewage into the rivers when it rains to much and overpowers the treatment plants ability to process water LOL!

[chuckster57]

They call this the left coast and the Bay Area is the epicenter.

[Brantlyj]

Originally Posted by Fishsizzle

But it’s ok the release raw sewage into the rivers when it rains to much and overpowers the treatment plants ability to process water LOL!

and in Colorado it's illegal to collect rainwater. Common sense isn't so common when the government gets involved.

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by Brantlyj

and in Colorado it's illegal to collect rainwater. Common sense isn't so common when the government gets involved.

Same here. Big troubles during our multi year drought.

[Fishsizzle]

Originally Posted by Brantlyj

and in Colorado it's illegal to collect rainwater. Common sense isn't so common when the government gets involved.

Wow! Here in our town it is illegal to let rain water leave your lot. You have to collect all the rainwater in swales or other means. The city doesn’t want to clean the catch basins in the streets.

[flybouy]

I get the "collection ponds" for rainwater run off. Think of the amount of water not being absorbed by say a 10 acre parking lot at a mall. Here in MD there is a town called Ellicott City. It's an old mill Town so it's at the bottom of a fall line that drains into the Patapsaco River. The town was prone to flooding during the 50 or 100 yr. storms. Uphill from the town was farmland. Over the last couple of decades the farms were paved over with housing and the flooding is now catastrophic in even heavy thunderstorms.
https://www.google.com/search?q=elli...KOHYaQ_Aaevpd4

Unfortunately, when gov'ts get involved they tend to err on the ridiculous. I can't count how many zoning boards I've testified in to get a restaurant approved. I had one in NJ that I had to explain what an electrified grease trap was to...the Director of Public Works. In Tom's River NJ I had to take a piece of green board with the red stripe on it to "prove to the building inspector that fireproof green board existed." I guess he hadn't been in a Home Depot in a while.

"Ignorance of the law is no excuse". Unfortunately ignorance doesn't apply to the people making the laws.

[Fishsizzle]

Originally Posted by flybouy

I get the "collection ponds" for rainwater run off. Think of the amount of water not being absorbed by say a 10 acre parking lot at a mall. Here in MD there is a town called Ellicott City. It's an old mill Town so it's at the bottom of a fall line that drains into the Patapsaco River. The town was prone to flooding during the 50 or 100 yr. storms. Uphill from the town was farmland. Over the last couple of decades the farms were paved over with housing and the flooding is now catastrophic in even heavy thunderstorms.
https://www.google.com/search?q=elli...KOHYaQ_Aaevpd4

Unfortunately, when gov'ts get involved they tend to err on the ridiculous. I can't count how many zoning boards I've testified in to get a restaurant approved. I had one in NJ that I had to explain what an electrified grease trap was to...the Director of Public Works. In Tom's River NJ I had to take a piece of green board with the red stripe on it to "prove to the building inspector that fireproof green board existed." I guess he hadn't been in a Home Depot in a while.

"Ignorance of the law is no excuse". Unfortunately ignorance doesn't apply to the people making the laws.

I’ll agree for flood prone areas, but I live in the high desert. About 11” of annual rainfall (300 days of sun) . Trying to find space to contain water on a 4000 sqft lot can get......frustrating. We also got a “storm water” tax a few years ago.

[flybouy]

MD had passed a "rain tax" several years ago. It was based on the Sq. ft. of non-permeable surfaces (roof, driveway, sidewalks) but thankfully a new governor was elected and he killed the bill. Just more legislative "foolishness" that had good intentions but lousy implementation.

[larryflew]

8.34 pounds per gallon adds a lot of weight to be hauled around. We do not BD so just enough fresh for bathroom beaks, no gray and parcial blak with soap to clean sensors.

[Stircrazy]

I always travel with a full freshwater tank, you never know what could happen along the way and having water if your stuck somewhere is golden. I think the only reason not to fill them up is if they sold you a trailer that maxes out your payload when its empty.

Steve

[Woodz71]

Being an RV newbie I don’t have much input here but common sense tells me this: my grey water and black water drain out of the same discharge piping. A valve controlling each system then wye together and drain out of the same discharge correct? I’m sure there are grizzled RV vets that consider their discharge pipe “clean” but are they clean enough to dump grey water without the issue of releasing black water residue?

Personally, I don’t boondock (yet) but in the event I did I would treat grey the same as black.

As far as FW tank being full, my pa in law (the grizzled RV vet that he is) told me traveling with it full shouldn’t be an issue. The only consideration would be additional weight.

[CWtheMan]

Sometimes we just need a reminder.

The capacities of the fluid tanks provided with your trailer will describe their contents as being CARGO. Therefore, it, the cargo, can only be managed by the unit owner.

Like everything else with multiple options, the debates will have different conclusions.

[moodman]

To the OP...Each gallon weighs 8.34 pounds, so a full tank would weigh in your case 508 pounds. That's a lot! I can't vouch for the engineering of your rig and whether the supports for the tank can handle that much. I would hope so, but can't swear to it, since nowadays just getting them out the factory door is more important than their ruggedness and survivability. It would be nice to have a chart showing real world experiences by model. That's why I have a Montana, because I "believe" it might hold up in such situations. But I've never actually filled my FW tanks, so I don't know for sure. Good luck.

[Philip]

Usually carry 1/3 FW for road stops, etc. if we know we're going to a place with hook ups.

We are boondocking about half the time, so we fill up at home with water we know is good. I assume someone at Keystone has given thought to properly supporting 100 gal. of water.