Should I fill the fresh water tank full?

[archer75]

I have an 80 gallon fresh water tank. I certainly won't need to bring that much water, 40 gallons would do it. However only filling it half full would have a lot of weight in water sloshing around and i'm concerned it can cause issues with towing.

Should I be concerned about towing with a half tank of water or should I fill it all the way to eliminate the sloshing movement?
It will be a short 80 mile trip up and over Mt. Hood in Oregon.

[parkerbill]

I don't think it's a major concern. While my FW tank is a lot smaller than yours I routinely only put a third to a half tank in if I know we're going to a campground with water hookups. I only fill it if we are going to be dry camping and I've never noticed a towing problem. Again though, my mass of water sloshing around is probably half yours.

[iamthestig]

We have a Timber Ridge 250RDS with an 80 gallon tank. We also live in Oregon and routinely tow with a full water tank when we boondock. We also have a 2016 Ram 2500 Cummins. No problems at all going over the Cascades or anywhere else for that matter. I really can't tell a difference in towing with an empty, partially full or full FW tank.

[Bob1340]

I normally carry about 20 gallons in mine. My trailer is rear heavy and I like the added water weight on the front. It's also good to have some water in there in the event you break down on the road and need to wash up or go potty. Most public restrooms now a days are so bad I many times hit the head in the trailer at gas stops etc instead of contaminating myself a those filthy public restrooms. Where I store my trailer has a nice clean out station. No charge and they even encourage you to wash your rig on the pad.

The sloshing of 20 gallons in a 80 gallon tank is not a problem. I just wish they had a bigger drain valve on them. I like to drain out the old water once in a while. I never drink it but it can take on a plastic smell after a while. And there is that bacteria thing. I don't know if it is Kosher, but I have but a little bleach in the tank while I am on my return home and let it slosh around in there with the water to sanitize the tank. Once home I drain it.

[1bigmess]

How is the water tank laid out in the trailer? Is it rectangular, square, round, trapezoid, rhombus? Does it mainly lie fore to aft, or side to side? Is it tall and narrow, or short and wide?

There is a lot to consider when it comes to tank surge. If in doubt, either fill it full and carry that extra weight (sometimes that is what I do) and let it feel more like "dead" weight, or leave it lightly loaded so that when it does surge, it doesn't have much force.

[archer75]

it's a rectangle. It lays about half way between the axle and front of the trailer. Trailer is 27.5' long bumper to hitch. It lays side to side.

[TDI-Minnie]

I prefer a full tank.
Less sloshing and a lower center of gravity. Both add stability.

[1bigmess]

Originally Posted by archer75

it's a rectangle. It lays about half way between the axle and front of the trailer. Trailer is 27.5' long bumper to hitch. It lays side to side.

Side to side is better when it comes to surge fore and aft, less room to surge either forwards or backwards.

My tank is fore and aft, so I either go full to the brim, or nearly empty.

Each rig is a little different.

[powderman]

The weight difference between half and full is only 300 lb. It won't make a difference in puilling, and I would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

[archer75]

The weight doesn't concern me. It's the constant shifting of that weight that does.

[Old-Biscuit]

We we 1st hit the road FT I would only fill our fresh water tank 1/3 for potty breaks/hand washing etc.

About 2 months of that and we pulled into a CG....got set up and later than evening their water supply line broke......no water for a week.

We had already planned for a week there and other CGs were full.
Had to go buy 5 gallon bottles of water to get thru the week

LAST time we ever traveled with less than a FULL fresh water tank.
Sure a lot easier FULL then having to deal with 'no water'

[DTG173]

I have a 110 gallon FW capacity in two tanks. I generally fill them half to 2/3 full. I do need to cap the overflow when travelling because it tends to spill out. I haven't noticed any sloshing problems though.

[charliez]

I prefer an empty tank. 0 pounds to haul. I've only been one place where we needed to bring water so I took it full. And in regard to needing water to wash up.....

I took my drain plug out and replaced it with a length of Pex going back right beside the dump valves. Then i added a small valve and a short length of Pex out of that and I can add a couple gallons just for washing up when dumping. Very handy.

I also drain my W/H before traveling and switch it to bypass at home while we clean before and after a trip. I turn it off the evening before or I turn it off and let it run to fill the kitchen gray tank that way it flushed the tank better and it cools the water in the heater for draining without scalding yourself.

[archer75]

We're dry camping. I kinda have to bring water. I just don't need anywhere near 80 gallons of it.