Should water system be empty or full for storage?

[dpinvidic]

What is best for RV storage in non-freezing climate when storing for more than 30 days?
Fully drain and blow out water lines, or completely fill the fresh water tank.

thanks,
Dan

[deandec]

I do not know. For the past 13 years, it is what it is when stored, although I like about a 1/4 tank for unanticipated needs. No problems.

I sanitize the FW tank once per year with a bleach treatment recommended by the manufacturer.

Our municipal water is very soft and contains chlorine.

We drink the water from the tank.

[Firebug5]

How do you keep your coach during the summer months in between trips?

[dpinvidic]

Originally Posted by Firebug5

How do you keep your coach during the summer months in between trips?

This is my first RV, so I am lacking experience here.
It would seem like bone dry is the best way to store it....IF you can get it bone dry.

the only thing we have noticed with this rig is a "plastic" taste...like something from the hose. We have the white water hose.

Dan

[kalynzoo]

We live in Earthquake country. Therefore, our water tank is always full. I chlorine treat the tank about once a year.

[Firebug5]

Originally Posted by dpinvidic

This is my first RV, so I am lacking experience here.
It would seem like bone dry is the best way to store it....IF you can get it bone dry.

the only thing we have noticed with this rig is a "plastic" taste...like something from the hose. We have the white water hose.

Dan

OK, thanks for that. If you are certain your coach is protected from freezing, I am from the camp that keeping the water lines wet, either with water or antifreeze works the best for us. We are fortunate to have a system that can be winterized in a matter of minutes, with a water heater bypass valve. We also use bleach to disinfect the fresh water tank, which then disinfects the entire system as it runs thru all the pipes and water heater before each use and/or season. We typically do not drink from the tank, but would if there were no other options. A service technician in Tucson told us it is better to keep everything in the water system lubricated year round, with water or antifreeze. We keep the p-traps wet, the pump wet, and the toilet seal wet year round, again only using antifreeze during the freezing times. Good luck!

Bruce

[luvlabs]

Drain the system. Open your low point drains and your faucets, drain the water tank, and also the hot water heater. Remove your water filter and drain that. Water left standing in your hot water heater can generate some nasty bacteria that will cause some foul odors and more work for you.

Water does get stale and does leach things out of the plumbing system that can cause foul tastes as well. Draining it is easy doesn't hurt anything in the plumbing system. Make sure your water heater is refilled before turning it back on.

[chboone]

We keep ours full all the time to use as an emergency water supply, it's parked in the back yard. The plastic taste is probably from the newness of the coach. It should go away after a couple of drain and refills. I'm with Firebug5, feel it's better to keep everything wet, especially rubber seals.

Chuck

[stuhly]

X3 on keep it wet.

[Luckiest Dreamer]

I leave it be unless winterizing is needed. 1/2 full 1/3rd or empty makes no diff to me. Although we brush our teeth and shower, as well as doing dishes we do not drink the stored water. Never a problem with things beyond what we have read about here on a normal basis. Just an occasional flushing with a bleach /vinegar solution.

[Scarab0088]

The OP states home is the OC. That means much of the municipal water has arrived after several hundred miles of travel from the Sierra...this water has been treated many times enroute, decreasing the need to treat a tank-full for or after storage.

We are in SoCal too and store with a half a tank for 3 reasons:
-Keep the seals and parts wet - avoiding any dry-out.
-Half tank is a good weight compromise when traveling - not real heavy, but also does not need to be filled for a short trip. Water weighs over 8lb per gallon.
-Lifeboat - just in case "The "Big One" earthquake hits and knocks out water/power, the RV will be called into use at home. We were in San Francisco for the Loma Pieta quake...RV'ers there were happy with power and water while much of the area was not so well off.

Safe travels

[JohnBoyToo]

We too use bottled water for all drinking water - just convenience and clarity,
do it at home too

and please don't let your p-traps dry out, even at home !
with just the two of us and no overnight guests for about a year (when went to visit them that year)
the back master's bath sink p-trap dried out and WHEW what an odor

[Cat320]

Originally Posted by kalynzoo

We live in Earthquake country. Therefore, our water tank is always full. I chlorine treat the tank about once a year.

Unless you need water for something like this...drain it, because you won't want to drink it when you use the MH again.

[Dtwallace]

We've never drained our FW tank even during a freeze period in the winter, just blowing the water out of the system water lines with regulated air pressure no more than 10 PSI and leaving the faucets open, pump turned off. If freezing temps will occur during storage, the water heater tank must be drained.

We no longer use RV Antifreeze in our water tanks or the water heater. If we lived in a colder climate than that we currently experience in eastern North Carolina, we would use antifreeze in the drains and toilet.

We don't get stale water unless it's from an untreated source, like well water from a camp site, and then a few ounces of bleach resolves that in no time. We don't use the stored water for drinking aside from the ice maker but it could be if needed.

We've learned the hard way the differences in water supply hoses, especially in the hot summer sun.

Just our 2cents
DTW