Do you travel with a full water tank?

[Ldubs]

One hundred and eleven years ago, when I was 10 years old, me and my sister Claribel were crossing the great plaines in a calistoga wagon. We carried two 30 gallon water barrels because full hook-ups were scarce in them parts.

Well, Jack Crabb coulda said that. . . .

[kmessinger]

Not many boy scouts here.

[akeagle]

Originally Posted by kmessinger

Not many boy scouts here.

I was thinking that exact same thing. Several commenters seem perfectly content that there will always be someone around to help them in situations caused by their own lack of forethought.

[BruceDeville]

Originally Posted by PS56

What area are you traveling in? Africa?

If you used 7 gallons a day you would have 13 days of water!

Call up AAA and get a repair truck to you have an unexpected delay. Really, if you needed water to survive you can call emergency services. It may also be possible to call up a filtered water delivery service. And with all the delivery services like doordash you can have them deliver what you need.

No one here is saying travel with an empty fresh water tank.

My position is the possibility of an emergency and are you prepared?

For more than 40 + years I was heavly involved in the sport of skydiving, I always jumped with a main parachute and a reserve parachute. This activity instilled in me a "back up plan", a "way out" always be prepared.

In a regional or national emergency the cellular telephone system is the very first thing to crash. Without cell phones, what is your backup plan for communications?

In short, I always start with full fuel, including toad, full fresh water and empty waste water. In that same line of thinking, I always have 5 days of non-perishable food beyond my planned trip.

It is what myself and my family feel comfortable with. To put a price on it, I have tracked fuel economy both full and empty, the results is less than 0.3 mpg. Typical driving speed is 60 - 65 mph. Full is defined as full fuel & water, towing a 4200 lb toad plus food. Empty is defined as no toad, minimal fuel, no water or food.

To each his own.

[Ldubs]

Originally Posted by akeagle

I was thinking that exact same thing. Several commenters seem perfectly content that there will always be someone around to help them in situations caused by their own lack of forethought.

I don't think it is that black & white. Some posts back I said I travel empty if I'm going to a place with hook ups. Full if I'm not. We carry drinking water in containers either way. Most of the places I go are less than half day away and not in areas that are deserted. If I were going to an isolated place, I would certainly pack differently. So maybe we are not so far apart as you might think.

My TT only carries 27 gallons of FW. I'm not concerned with the weight. I just don't want to dump 27 gallons of water on the ground when I know I don't need it.

[PS56]

Originally Posted by akeagle

I was thinking that exact same thing. Several commenters seem perfectly content that there will always be someone around to help them in situations caused by their own lack of forethought.

Nothing in the motto about traveling with a full fresh water tank.


"Be Prepared in Mind by having disciplined yourself to be obedient to every order, and also by having thought out beforehand any accident or situation that might occur, so that you know the right thing to do at the right moment, and are willing to do it."

[PS56]

Originally Posted by BruceDeville

My position is the possibility of an emergency and are you prepared?

For more than 40 + years I was heavly involved in the sport of skydiving, I always jumped with a main parachute and a reserve parachute. This activity instilled in me a "back up plan", a "way out" always be prepared.

In a regional or national emergency the cellular telephone system is the very first thing to crash. Without cell phones, what is your backup plan for communications?

In short, I always start with full fuel, including toad, full fresh water and empty waste water. In that same line of thinking, I always have 5 days of non-perishable food beyond my planned trip.

It is what myself and my family feel comfortable with. To put a price on it, I have tracked fuel economy both full and empty, the results is less than 0.3 mpg. Typical driving speed is 60 - 65 mph. Full is defined as full fuel & water, towing a 4200 lb toad plus food. Empty is defined as no toad, minimal fuel, no water or food.

To each his own.

There are different types of back up. One backup is 'the back up of things'. That is what you are proposing.

The other is the back up of 'the mind.' You ask the question. What do you do if the cellular system crashes. You answer - you sit there with your things and possibly die when your things run out.

Yet you have a toad. That gives you many possibilities for survival and is more versatile.

Is your moto home diesel? Is your toad diesel? No. that's not a good idea. If in a national emergency and you are in a RV park, you could use diesel from your motor home in your toad for supply runs. If your toad is gas and the gas runs out you are out of luck.

So, think in terms of the 'back up of the mind' not the 'back up of things'.

[Ray,IN]

July 2020, enroute to Mayo Clinic for DW's appt. My engine would not start after overnighting at an RV park. Before the tow truck arrived I emptied my holding tanks, filled fresh water tank. Had to dry camp 5 days at Cummins Great Plains due to pandemic-caused worker shortage, repair parts unavailable. Used genset to power the air conditioner.
Local motels were on lock-down, so If I hadn't filled the fresh water tank before leaving RV park It would've been a miserable 5 days in 95° weather at Moline, ILL.

[Mr_D]

My rig weighs 51,800#'s loaded for a trip. Deleting all my water would leave me at about 51,000#'s. No way can I detect that in handling or fuel mileage. 100 gallons of water from home easily gets me and the 4 cats through 30 days at Quartzsite.

[twogypsies]

Originally Posted by Mr_D

My rig weighs 51,800#'s loaded for a trip. Deleting all my water would leave me at about 51,000#'s. No way can I detect that in handling or fuel mileage. 100 gallons of water from home easily gets me and the 4 cats through 30 days at Quartzsite.

... and Quartzsite's water is terrible! Best to bring it with you.

[Bobby F]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

... and Quartzsite's water is terrible! Best to bring it with you.

?!?!

La Posa S had the freshest sweetest water I've found for quite a while. It was good enough that I headed back home with a full tank and 5 6g jugs, and I usually don't do that.

Tastes vary, I guess.

[BruceDeville]

Originally Posted by PS56

There are different types of back up. One backup is 'the back up of things'. That is what you are proposing.

The other is the back up of 'the mind.' You ask the question. What do you do if the cellular system crashes. You answer - you sit there with your things and possibly die when your things run out.

Yet you have a toad. That gives you many possibilities for survival and is more versatile.

Is your moto home diesel? Is your toad diesel? No. that's not a good idea. If in a national emergency and you are in a RV park, you could use diesel from your motor home in your toad for supply runs. If your toad is gas and the gas runs out you are out of luck.

So, think in terms of the 'back up of the mind' not the 'back up of things'.

I really don't think we are that far apart in our thinking. In an attempt to keep my posting short and concise I omitted complete details of my contingency plans. For example; Communiations - like most folks my primary device is my cell phone. Followed closely by ham radio (KE5CPL) for voice, text and email. A distance 3, 4 & 5 is GMRS, FRS and even CB. Total cost of my communications setup is less than $500 (excluding cell phone). I would go with a satellite phone if my wife (KI5CSA) and I were not both ham radio operators.

Diesel vs gas? Motorhome and generator are both diesel the toad is an old Dodge Ram that I nursed back to life after a ten year long rest in a barn. I am seriously thinking of doing an engine swap to diesel-powered. The possibility of using bio-diiesel is the moviating factor.

The list goes on and on, I have 1000 watts of solar.

This could turn into a novel instead of a short posting.

In my flying days I would plan a trip and fuel required, plus fuel to an alternate plus 30 minutes. If the weather was really bad then a second alternate and so on.

Sometimes my contingency is a physical thing and sometimes it is a procedure that you hope you will not need, but are prepared to use if the situation demands.

As always anything I write is an opinion.

[PS56]

Originally Posted by BruceDeville

I really don't think we are that far apart in our thinking. In an attempt to keep my posting short and concise I omitted complete details of my contingency plans. For example; Communiations - like most folks my primary device is my cell phone. Followed closely by ham radio (KE5CPL) for voice, text and email. A distance 3, 4 & 5 is GMRS, FRS and even CB. Total cost of my communications setup is less than $500 (excluding cell phone). I would go with a satellite phone if my wife (KI5CSA) and I were not both ham radio operators.

Diesel vs gas? Motorhome and generator are both diesel the toad is an old Dodge Ram that I nursed back to life after a ten year long rest in a barn. I am seriously thinking of doing an engine swap to diesel-powered. The possibility of using bio-diiesel is the moviating factor.

The list goes on and on, I have 1000 watts of solar.

This could turn into a novel instead of a short posting.

In my flying days I would plan a trip and fuel required, plus fuel to an alternate plus 30 minutes. If the weather was really bad then a second alternate and so on.

Sometimes my contingency is a physical thing and sometimes it is a procedure that you hope you will not need, but are prepared to use if the situation demands.

As always anything I write is an opinion.

From what you wrote; I understand your position better. Focusing on the water does not give a complete picture.

I like you was not too worried when covid started. I was prepared for what I was going to do. I was only unhappy at the beginning when I was stuck in Phoenix for 2 weeks at the beginning of their hot season.

[PS56]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

... and Quartzsite's water is terrible! Best to bring it with you.

The RV Pitstop in Q has filtered water. Also, if you are using Q water; you should use a filter such as Zero water or Britta.