travel with water or not

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We start with a full tank of water.  We've been in campgrounds during storms where they lost electricity and couldn't run the pumps for water to the sites or to fill the pool.  We've spent nights in unexpected places and needed water to cook dinner and clean up.  Once we ran into a couple where the fellow refused to travel with water (worried about fuel mileage) and the campground didn't have water so his wife couldn't have her morning coffee or brush her teeth and she was furious with him.  We gave him both coffee and water so she wouldn't kill him!  Never travel in the desert without a tank of water because you simply can't foresee the future and unexpected things that might happen.  It's best to be prepared.

ArdraF
 
We always travel with a full (92 gal) freshwater tank. Besides having freshwater,  it rides better with the additional weight.
 
We also travel with at least 2/3's of a tank. Doing so saved our bacon several times.
 
I travel with 1/3 tank.  Always, you never know when you are going to need water.  We also take bottled water, and I simply refill gallon jugs for coffee etc for short weekend trips.  Being a new RV and all, I certainly recommend that you connect at home and make sure everything works as you anticipate.  Nothing would stink more than arriving at your destination and instantly having to repair something, or worse.
 
thank you for all the replys and information, this weekend i will be sanatising the water tank and going through everything and make sure everything works correctly.
 
Up in the library tab is some good general reading, might give you some good overviews and pointers.  Nothing better than field training though.  Good luck, try everything out and holler if you have questions or concerns.  There are many around here that have been doing this for decades, you won't stump them  :))
 
I travel with a quarter tank of water so I can flush as I go.  Nothing like not being able to flush.

As a full-timer, i bought my motorhome new and have been drinking the water from my tanks for 8 years without getting sick.  I have a whole house filter I change fairly often and in some places also use a hose filter when i fill my tanks.  I also shock my fresh water tank about every 3-4 months.  With my two filters, the water in my tanks tastes better than the water coming out of the faucet on the outside.

Also, I buy the better quality replacement filters.  The cheap ones are just carbon filters, but the more expensive .5 micron ones filter out a lot more than the usual 2 micron filters, including giardia, toxoplasma, and cyproidium cysts, plus the usual chlorine, lead, and sediment. You get what you pay for, so check the side of the carton to see what it filters before you buy a replacement cartridge.
 
thanks everyone last weekend i sanatised the fresh water tank and now have a full tank going to be heading out friday for our first trip and only going a couple hours away to a campsite with full hook ups here in maine. the trip was up in the air waiting on the govener to allow the sites to open and she announced yesturday they can open friday. we also have reservations for mid june in ny near lake george  no reason to let it sit.
 
Several times, I not even bothered to hook up the hose.  If only there a night or two....or if I know we'll be coming and going, driving to the beach or whatever....(in a motorhome with no towed car)
I try to store mine full for emergencies, so majority of the times I'm driving full starting out....although I am weight sensitive in my rig, so I try to keep that in mind. If it's been in storage a long time I'll drain and refill...at least half full or so, depending....
 
If I were you I would travel with a full water tank simply because the RV is new,and you need to test out all the systems. 
I usually travel with a full tank,even if I know the water supply is good where I am going.
 
sscottab said:
thanks everyone last weekend i sanatised the fresh water tank and now have a full tank going to be heading out friday for our first trip and only going a couple hours away to a campsite with full hook ups here in maine. the trip was up in the air waiting on the govener to allow the sites to open and she announced yesturday they can open friday. we also have reservations for mid june in ny near lake george  no reason to let it sit.
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I would like to point out that most of the respondents here have motor homes where it makes absolutely no difference on the filling up their water tank or leaving it empty. They can add  lot of weight and it never effects them

You have a travel trailer, where "unnecessary weight makes a big difference in your stopping,  your gas mileage and the wear on your Trailer brakes"  and you are going to a place with full hook ups.

I put quotes around the statement above because that came from the manual with my first trailer.

Jack L
 
Jeff makes a very good point.  Because you're new to it all, you might accidentally do something in such a way that a lot of tank fresh water is used and then you won't have enough to use for daily needs.  Trust me, even we old timers occasionally hook up something wrong after it's been in storage for a while.  About two years ago the fresh water ran into our black tank - which very fortunately had been dumped and cleaned.  We caught it early so cleanup wasn't too bad but I say this to illustrate that anyone can make a mistake so it's good to carry a full tank if you can.  I hope you also have a full propane tank if you have one so you can experiment with different usages.  And, of course, full batteries!

ArdraF
 
You don't need to travel with food, there is a McDonald's right down the road. No need for a battery, there is electricity at the campground.  No need for a spare tire, just drive the flat to a service station.  No need for extra clothing, the campground has a washer.  ;D
 
We traveled with water, DW needed the toilet frequently so it was a no brainer. I would shut the pump off when traveling, a line developed a leak which we caught before it did any damage. It would have been major had the pump been left on.
 
Think of it like this... Water weighs about 8.3 lbs per gallon. If your fresh water tank holds 70 gallons, and it's full, you're carrying 581 lbs of water, or about the weight of three additional 190 lb people. There's no aerodynamic penalty, because the weight is inside the structure of the RV or tow vehicle. From a mileage perspective, I think one would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between carrying, or not carrying, three additional people - especially on relatively flat terrain. Gas pedal "technique" would have a bigger impact.

IMO, the biggest potential drawback of carrying a full water tank has to do more with the design of the RV. If the water weight is centered over an axle that is already carrying its max load, something (I.e. bearings, shocks, tires etc) might need to be replaced sooner.

Kev
 
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