Towing with full fresh water tank

Rendrag · 10-06-2018, 04:00 PM

I have a 2018 264BH. I am asking about the advisability of towing a few hundred miles with 42 gallon of fresh water in the tank. Where I am headed does not have water readily available and I will be dry camping for about four nights.

oldmanAZ · 10-06-2018, 04:13 PM

Opinions vary, but I always tow with our water tanks full; ~80gal.

sasiki · 10-06-2018, 04:14 PM

A lot of people probably do it but that's a lot of weight hanging on some thin metal straps. Most rest areas have water available so you could stop by on the way through. Would that be an option?

**Midnightmoon** · 10-06-2018, 04:37 PM

We pull with the fresh water tank full all the time.

DOUBLETROUBLE · 10-06-2018, 04:45 PM

I pulled ours recently with the fresh water tank full but it was not very far. Maybe 30 miles.

GrumpyDad · 10-06-2018, 09:05 PM

Very commonly done. If possible, it's best to get water as close to the destination as possible, but options are often limited.
My experience is that the trailers I've owned pull about the same with fresh tank full or empty. And I pull with a full fresh tank at least 50% of the mileage every year.

GL243 · 10-06-2018, 10:27 PM

I always pull with a full tank, 38 gal. on my 267 BHSW, when I am going to sites with no water hookups and have not noticed any differences in towing. You just have to take into consideration the weight of the water in your gross vehicle weight calcs when you're loading the trailer, as well as gross combined weight for the trailer and tow vehicle together to make sure you don't exceed either weight rating.

PlayersZ28 · 10-07-2018, 06:22 AM

Pretty hard to go boondocking without hauling a tank of water. Afterwards I'll haul full or near full waste tanks up to a couple hundred miles too.

In ours the water tank is over the axles but the waste tanks are under the basement so they add to the pin weight.

travelingjw · 10-07-2018, 06:51 AM

We have pulled with the tank at different levels, and have not noticed any difference in towing. We alway have a miinumal 1/3 full for stops and any "frozen nights" while camping. Every year we boondock for a week and fill the tank prior to leaving. We travel up two 7% grades and it still has had little or no effect.

LabMan · 10-07-2018, 06:52 AM

Haul with full 100 gals most of the time. Well over 50,000 miles on 2014 Octane. Never had any issues, but I do frequently visually check everything under the trailer ever since I had 2 tires with bubbles on the backside. On the Octane the tanks sit on the flange of the frame members, so straps are not a major concern.

thirdktm · 10-07-2018, 06:58 AM

If we are dry camping, I leave home with a full tank.
If we will be at an RV park, I travel only with enough to flush a few times.
Full water tank adds hundreds of pounds of weight, which can be a negative safety issue and lowers mpg.

NHstuckinGA · 10-07-2018, 07:38 AM

I plan on adding the Happy Camper Extreme cleaner to the (2) grey tanks and (1) black and drive 250 miles to our first stop and then drain everything. This will add 360-400 pounds.
We do not tow with any tank full but do add 2-3 gallons in the black for roadside emergency stops. LOL.

Les7h · 10-07-2018, 08:18 AM

Always full because we never know where we will be tonight - Wally World, Truck stop, Dry camping or a campground with limited water availability Les

CampNow · 10-07-2018, 10:23 AM

Based on online feedback, I'd guess-estimate the majority of folks seem to have freshwater tanks that were properly and securely mounted at the factory. For these folks, driving long distances with a full freshwater tank doesn't seem to pose a problem.

However, if you're one of those unfortunate, unlucky folks (which we read about occasionally) that have a freshwater tank that was not properly and securely mounted at the factory, then there's a real possibility your 300-600 lb. freshwater tank could come lose on the highway---posing a real safety hazard---not to mention the raw inconvenience of dealing with the aftermath.

For those who don't want to play the odds game (even if it's in your favor), it might be a good idea to check your FW tanks to see if they're mounted properly and securely. If the underbelly is not sealed it's an especially easy check to make; otherwise, might have to remove a bit of coroplast. Or, pass on the checks, roll the dice . . . and trust the manufacturer

Rendrag · 10-07-2018, 02:24 PM

Thanks to all. The extra weight is not a problem with my setup. Since there have been zero failure reports on this Jayco Forum, I am going to trust that Jayco does a proper job of engineering and installing the holding tanks on their products.

SloPoke · 10-07-2018, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Les7h

Always full because we never know where we will be tonight - Wally World, Truck stop, Dry camping or a campground with limited water availability Les

yep... that is how we roll most of the time...

DSchmidt · 10-10-2018, 05:54 AM

Rendrag. Don't trust that Jayco attached the tank. Ours wasn't on our 2017 Jay Flight SLX 195RB. See photo. Strap was not attached to anything...

RAurand · 10-10-2018, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thirdktm

If we are dry camping, I leave home with a full tank.
If we will be at an RV park, I travel only with enough to flush a few times.
Full water tank adds hundreds of pounds of weight, which can be a negative safety issue and lowers mpg.

Same here for Dry Camping. 88 Gallons for a 6 hour drive.

If in an RV park, I travel with about 15-20 gallons.
Never had any issues

Kim Gass · 10-10-2018, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DSchmidt

Rendrag. Don't trust that Jayco attached the tank. Ours wasn't on our 2017 Jay Flight SLX 195RB. See photo. Strap was not attached to anything...

Yikes. We check under the trailer but never thought to look at that.. Will do today before horrid weather strikes

DocBrown · 10-10-2018, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rendrag

Since there have been zero failure reports on this Jayco Forum, I am going to trust that Jayco does a proper job of engineering and installing the holding tanks on their products.

Oh, there are at lest a few posts about tanks falling off. Don't take anyone's word for it. It seems to me that some are mounted better than others. Check the mounting of the tanks yourself. Mine are held up by straps of metal held on with single self tapping sheet metal screws. No way would I transport a full tank of anything without finding a way to better secure them.

These are just a few I found searching on "tank fell".

https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...tml#post684951

https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...tml#post682626

https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...tml#post587936

https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...off-49996.html

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