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Old 02-13-2020, 08:51 AM   #41
BadmanRick
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I always travel with FULL FRESH WATER TANK. I know my water is pure and if we get to a camp with crappy water I know I have good fresh water to use for cooking and drinking.
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Old 02-13-2020, 09:01 AM   #42
awaywego
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I have always traveled with water in the tank but you will find the tank does not hold as much as they say. they figure the water heater and water lines and etc. Your tank holds about 45 to 50 gallons is all the tank will hold. I try not to haul black and grey in the tanks but sometimes cannot help it.
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Old 02-13-2020, 09:07 AM   #43
LewisB
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Travelling to hookup site we carry 1/2 to full tank FW. Travelling to boondocking site we carry full (110 gallons).

Never had a problem on the road. With over 900 pounds of fresh water, I can't tell the difference in weight or mileage with our 2017 F350 DRW (900+ft-lb torque). I tend to hold my gray water for rinsing the system when we dump. It is a relatively "closed" system; occupants convert FW from tank and food from cupboards to waste in black & gray tanks. Weight should be relatively constant, just shifted around. Fuel consumption drops weight, grocery store adds weight. But I sure can't detect any appreciable difference in performance from our TV.

I've always just used the systems like I want and never had any problems on the road.
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Old 02-13-2020, 09:46 AM   #44
FlyboyD8
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We currently tow a 08 Hornet 31RLDS and our FW tank is over the axles. I never leave home without it as full as possible. Every camper we have ever bought other than the starter 75 Couchman cadet has had FW over the axles, I look before purchase. I do not put chlorinated water / city water, in our camper unless that is the last resort. We only dry camp and I often leave home with an additional 7 water jugs 42 gal. in the bed of my TV. We always travel home with whatever level is in our 2 grey and black tanks. Our TV doesn't know the difference. I do have a dump station on the edge of my driveway so as soon as My rig is one the level area of my driveway I can dump the tanks.



Being someone that has never lived were cable tv was available I always chuckle at not draining some grey water on the ground, soapy water with environmentally friendly soap, it all is today. The last time I looked out back all the deer and critters dump their cart where ever they are standing at the time.
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Old 02-13-2020, 09:56 AM   #45
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Quote:
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I've always just used the systems like I want and never had any problems on the road.
I agree with this statement and I think this is the best philosophy/perspective. I bought my trailer so I would have the freedom to camp comfortably and do what I want. What is the point of having systems on your trailer, which provide a great benefit, if you are not going to use them as designed.

If you are dry camping, travel with the water tank full. Life is too short to limit yourself because you are constantly worried something will go wrong.
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Old 02-13-2020, 10:14 AM   #46
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We do alot of dry camping and with all the rvs we've owned we always run with the fw tanks full. Even when hooking up at the "ritzy" places I prefer my own well water to whatever the cg wants to dish out. I also use the device that Canonman mentioned for draining my grey water unless of course if we're hooked up where I save it for flushing the other tank.
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Old 02-13-2020, 10:20 AM   #47
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Full Tank!

Usually I prefer to travel with a full water tank. The Fresh Water tank on the Cougar 327RES is located in the very back of the trailer. Too me it seems to balance the trailer out better for traveling with a full tank.

Now that said, the last trip of the season Oct 19, I failed to fill the tank before going to Ocean City Maryland. I thought there was water hookup at the site for Assateague State Park. Bad memory! The sites had electric and not water!

Pita - rather than hook back up and go over to the water faucet (at the dump area), I purchased a couple jugs and filled the jugs and trailer tank manually!

I do not plan to do that again.

I understand the concern about support of a full water tank. The strapping on the bottom of the Cougar fresh water tank does not appear to be that great. I am not an RV engineer so maybe it is adequate.

I sold the rig a few days ago so that issue is something I need not worry about any more! Moving to a Class C!


On this same subject see Love Your RV on YouTube.
RV Fresh Water Tank was Falling out!
https://youtu.be/R9abzEgrs04
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Old 02-13-2020, 10:35 AM   #48
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Logan X:
Quote:
What is the point of having systems on your trailer, which provide a great benefit, if you are not going to use them as designed....Life is too short to limit yourself because you are constantly worried something will go wrong.
I agree...worrying about all this stuff is going to defeat the enjoyment aspect of having a camper in the first place. the reasons this dealer told the OP not to tow with a full tank could be one of dozens - we will never know. follow your common sense and let things play out. i usually tow with 1/3 FW and try to dump black/grey before moving but that's not always an option and many times i've towed with a full 60 gallon FW. no issues so far after 9000+ miles. i do however think adding support straps is a good idea for peace of mind although with belly insulation this is a more involved upgrade. as for dumping on the ground - IMO it should be a no-no...haul it in and haul it out.
as John Bender said: "Screws fall out all the time, the world is an imperfect place." ask any astronaut willingly strapped to a rocket
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Old 02-13-2020, 10:38 AM   #49
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How full

I have to agree with Canonman, but then we live in the same western area. Camping in our National Forest "campgrounds" or dispersed camping pretty much requires carrying full tanks and I
have for 20 years over some horrible roads. Because there is limited resupply water available we have learned to get by on about 10 gallons a day. Many of our National Forest sites are also tent only or only large enough for pop-up etc. You can bet that all of their bathing, dish washing gray water, etc. ends up on the ground. If you have to drain of some gray water, watch what you put down the drain, put a filter cloth over the end of your drain hose, and spread the filtered gray water over a dispersed area. You should be fine in a sparsely populated camping area.
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Old 02-13-2020, 11:18 AM   #50
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I was going to add straps to the bottoms of our old toyhauler tanks since they bellied so much when full. But I figured the extra tank volume was nice so I just put the straps loose enough to hold them when full.
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Old 02-13-2020, 11:19 AM   #51
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On our first trip with the 5vr I towed it with the main fresh water tank full.


As a result of this decision, the truck/camper combo chucked to the point where it was almost unbearable even though my hitch was good.


On the next trip, I towed with the same tank only 1/4 full where we could use the bathrooms, wash our hand and the unbearable chucking went away.


Perhaps you should consider towing with less than full water tank and fill the tanks prior to getting into the boondocks.
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Old 02-13-2020, 11:33 AM   #52
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Use caution

I have had problems with my galley tank leaking and then separating at the top seam. Tanks and their installation are both marginal on my unit. If it's important to you, take the time to check your tanks and add some reinforcement you'll be good to go.
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Old 02-13-2020, 11:49 AM   #53
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I was going to add straps to the bottoms of our old toyhauler tanks since they bellied so much when full. But I figured the extra tank volume was nice so I just put the straps loose enough to hold them when full.
My BIL did that with his 30' Jayco. He, hid DW and 2 sons were living in it while his house was being built. We were visiting on a the 4 th. of July (he was staying at Drummer Boy CG in Gettysburg PA.) when we heard what sounded like a crack of thunder and a big SPLASH! Yup, the "once was overfull" blank tank cut loose. The tank split down the middle like it was hit with an axe.

I would not recommend "stretching" the capacity to dgain an extra gallon or two. JMO
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Old 02-13-2020, 02:26 PM   #54
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FlyboyD8 View Post
Being someone that has never lived were cable tv was available
Or pizza delivery... same with us. In fact, I had to build my own Internet service.

Quote:
Originally Posted by FlyboyD8 View Post
I always chuckle at not draining some grey water on the ground, soapy water with environmentally friendly soap, it all is today. The last time I looked out back all the deer and critters dump their cart where ever they are standing at the time.
Alamo Lake campground, out near us, has stern signs about picking up after your pooches. You get out to your site, and you have to literally shovel donkey poop off your pad to park.

(Of course, the wild burros there are part of what you go there for. Just like the cows around here, the sneaky little devils also love to open campsite taps for a drink, then stroll away. But you gotta love 'em.)
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Old 02-13-2020, 03:20 PM   #55
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I don't trust my gauges when adding water to the fresh tank or cleaning out the blank tank. I have two water flow meters and I have one on my black tank hose and one on my fresh water hose. For the fresh water I'll put in 20 gallons for travelling and I also keep two gallons of water in jugs in my closet for those time 20 gallons isnt enough.
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Old 02-13-2020, 05:08 PM   #56
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Out west-when we boondock it is not anywhere around “ campgrounds” or parks of any kind. Most of it is isolated BLM land. Dumping gray water out your drain with a garden hose adapter and then adding a garden hose is pretty common. I even know of a couple very primitive RV parks of sorts that allow you to dump grey water and have dump stations for your black water. When we boondock we go in with Full FW, it is not uncommon to stay 2-3 weeks or even a month. A lot of us carry a 30 or 50 gallon barrel to go get more FW with Our truck and then pump it in to our 5er.
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Old 02-13-2020, 07:20 PM   #57
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I absolutely fill up the fresh water in and plan to have full gray and/or black on the way back. Why on earth would anyone do anything else?? (as long as you're within weights). For all of everyone's clinging to manufacturer's specifications to ends of the earth, here is your chance! The manufacturer fits a trailer with tanks of a given size and rates the trailer assuming those tanks are full.
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Old 02-13-2020, 09:56 PM   #58
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Fill your fresh water up before you go boondocking.

So much misinformation and personal conjecture in this thread reference grey water.

Grey water is not black water. Some states still prohibit dumping of grey water, some states encourage it.

Arizona, for example, encourages it and helps it's citizens understand how to do it responsibly.
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Old 02-13-2020, 10:07 PM   #59
fjr vfr
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I have been traveling for years now all over the country with my FW tanks full every time I leave. The weight is low and the trailer is designed for it. I've never seen a warning in any trailer owners manual saying not to travel with them full.
Does anyone worry about filling their fuel tanks to full and falling out?

Anyone heard of someone losing their FW tank on the road somewhere? I never have. I don't think filling it half way is much better because the water will be sloshing side to side and back and forth exerting as much force as it would if full.

I'll also say if someone is noticing handling issues with the tank full maybe they could re-organize the trailers payload in order to adjust?


As for the gray water thing...I ain't touching that.
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Old 02-14-2020, 06:33 AM   #60
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Broken strap

I have a 2013 Keystone Laredo 303TG. I would always travel with the FW tank full. It provided a smoother wide and my truck was well within towing limits. We're never pulling on any rough roads. Always tar roads.

At least I did until one day I was under the camper checking something else. I had cut the plastic cardboard under belly to check something and happened to shine my flashlight towards the FW tank. One of the metal straps holding the tank was hanging down (bolt broke off) and and the other strap was loose. Had I not noticed it, I would have continued keeping it full. It was only a matter of time until it fell off going down the highway.

I repaired it and no longer keep it full. Usually have it empty until I get to where I'm going. I bought some water jugs and a small pump to fill it if we don't have water hookups.
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