Trailering with full FW tanks?

[wags999]

Guess it comes down to if your boondocking then you may want to carry full tanks. Since we never boondock we only carry 10 -15 gallons for emergencies. We also typically don't travel just a few hundred miles.
Appears the only correct answer is, what is right for you.

 

[UncleBob-JAY]

The owners manual I'm using is for the 2019 Jay feather and after looking all through section 8
the only reference I could find that talked about traveling with full tanks was this one for grey and black water, nothing about fresh water tanks in this manual..

First, we almost always boondock, or at least a very basic campsite, so I typically have no reliable source of easily obtainable water so I travel with a full fresh water tank. And, through the miracle of camping, I travel home with almost all of that water in my black and grey water tanks. Imagine that! (I do dump any remaining fresh water before heading home though.)

As for the manual, that is odd. I went to this site: https://www.jayco.com/owner/manuals/ and looked at the 2019 Jay Feather Manual. This is what I see on page 112:

 

[Fleetman-JAY]

Situation dictates. But I can't see hauling all that extra weight. Weight costs money. Also, my 2015 Pinnacle 38FLSA's bathroom grey water tank did fall thru brackets from being full, no straps under, just sitting between I-beams.

 

[saunterr44]

If you are headed to a park with fresh water, why bring it ? It's more weight on your engine, and those water tanks are meant to be used while parked. The moving around of that payload isn't something that the water tanks are designed to withstand....

Or, am I talking out of my hot water heater drain ?

 

[saunterr44]

wow

Guess it comes down to if your boondocking then you may want to carry full tanks. Since we never boondock we only carry 10 -15 gallons for emergencies. We also typically don't travel just a few hundred miles.
Appears the only correct answer is, what is right for you.

that's an impressive color display on your map of the continental USA, there..

 

[Xboaters]

If you are headed to a park with fresh water, why bring it ? It's more weight on your engine, and those water tanks are meant to be used while parked. The moving around of that payload isn't something that the water tanks are designed to withstand....

Or, am I talking out of my hot water heater drain ?

Bwaaahahaha!

 

[madmaxmutt]

With the siphoning mess, my fresh water tank would be 1/3 if I filled it before travel. . . . Rarely have I ever had issues finding fresh water nearby my camp spots. I do have a transfer pump and 5 gallon jugs if needed.

 

[RetiredOne]

I wonder how much fuel is actually saved by carrying a few hundred pounds less in the FW or any of the tanks actually? Now compare that to the 13' height of most 5'ers and 70+ mph on the road and the wind resistance. You want to save some fuel - slow down.

Exactly..

Thinking that NOT carrying a few extra gallons of water will make such a fuel savings difference on a 8,000 lb+ rig, is just being "penny wise and dollar foolish".

Being prepared, and having extra water, if needed, outweighs a few pennies of possible gas savings.

 

[Phil Saran]

I normally carry about 1/3 to 1/2 tank of fresh water. We normally only dry camp one 4 day weekend a year. The rest of our camping is at full hookup campgrounds.

 

[oldmanAZ]

If you are headed to a park with fresh water, why bring it ? It's more weight on your engine, and those water tanks are meant to be used while parked. The moving around of that payload isn't something that the water tanks are designed to withstand....

Or, am I talking out of my hot water heater drain ?

Maybe bring some 'just in case''...

Last year the CG had no water pressure all the afternoon and evening because a traffic accident had take out the power to the city's pump(s). We just turned on our FW pump.



Yes, we travel with full FW tanks and have had no problems.

 

[eagle55]

First, we almost always boondock, or at least a very basic campsite, so I typically have no reliable source of easily obtainable water so I travel with a full fresh water tank. And, through the miracle of camping, I travel home with almost all of that water in my black and grey water tanks. Imagine that! (I do dump any remaining fresh water before heading home though.)

As for the manual, that is odd. I went to this site: https://www.jayco.com/owner/manuals/ and looked at the 2019 Jay Feather Manual. This is what I see on page 112:

Well I see it now, can't believe I missed that!
Guess I will be sticking with the 55 gal poly in the back of my truck..

 

[eagle55]

I really need to take a look at how the tanks were installed in my new trailer and beef them up if needed before I trust it.

 

[daveobieone]

I just checked the manual for my 2017 Eagle, and it has the same "Never travel with full fresh, black or grey water holding tanks" warning about traveling with the tanks full.

Don't tell Jayco, but I've been doing this since I got it a year ago, and have never had a problem. But I guess I better stop. If there's damage, I'm sure they could use that as a reason not to honor the warranty, which is in effect for another year on mine (wasn't purchased till last year).

I will ask the dealer service manager about adding some straps under the tanks however, since we love to dry-camp, and often have no choice but to haul our water with us...sometimes for a considerable distance.

If I had been told about this, I would NEVER have purchased this 5th wheel!
Just one more reason to the list that my next RV probably won't be a Jayco...even though I love the Seneca's.

 

[eagle55]

Beings that they haven't provided a reason for not running full tanks I am thinking this warning came down from the Jayco legal dept and not so much whether their rv's can handle it..

 

[daveobieone]

I contacted the service dept at one of my dealerships...one with a very experienced service manager whom I trust.

Their feedback was...
We can certainly add straps under your tanks pretty easily and affordably if I want them, and it will ease my mind. They've done it a few times. But the bottom line was, Don't worry about it. It's HIGHLY unlikely that the tanks are going to fall out!

Since we dry-camp a lot, and have to drive some pretty crummy roads (with full tanks) sometimes to get to places we like, I may have them add some straps IF I ever have something done that requires dropping the bottom covers.

The opinion that this is CYA stuff from the legal dept seems right-on.

 

[CampADK]

Their feedback was...
We can certainly add straps under your tanks pretty easily and affordably if I want them, and it will ease my mind. They've done it a few times. But the bottom line was, Don't worry about it. It's HIGHLY unlikely that the tanks are going to fall out!

Instead of straps, I added angle iron beams bolted between the rails. This helps keep my mind at ease since we always travel with a full fresh tank.