Full Load of water while traveling

sabel

We're planning a weekend trip up in the mountains but have never filled the fresh water tank until we get up there. Takes a lot of bucket trips to fill the tank from a camp site. I'm considering filling the tank at home first but am a little concerned about the extra load.
Does anyone else travel with a full load of water? If so, any issues?
Thanks

Verna

Gas mileage went down about 4 mpg when I towed with a full water tank to the Pleasant Valley factory. I was traveling 60 to 65 mph on the interstate. No problems towing, but I could tell I had more weight in the T@B and not necessarily in the correct place. 

Mr_Mrs_Gnome

Given the location of the tank, would a full tank contribute to sway? @sabel, are you in Colorado?

Michigan_Mike

Mr_Mrs_Gnome said:

Given the location of the tank, would a full tank contribute to sway? @sabel, are you in Colorado?

It could if you have more weight to the rear of the axle and your tongue weight is less.  Keep in mind that you store items beneath the bench seat and depending on the weight it could create some sway.  This could be corrected by placing more weight on the tongue of the trailer or forward of the axle.  There are other factors that can create sway and here is an excerpt I found online:

Trailer Sway Causes

Now that we have some of the common terminology out of the way let's talk about the typical causes of trailer sway. Keep in mind that trailer sway is a multivariate condition. Any one of these causes may not cause a trailer to sway. However, when more than one of these causes is present, a trailer is sure to begin to sway unless acted upon by an opposing force.

Towing Speed - Typical highway speeds have become much greater over the last 50 years. The speed at which you decide to tow your trailer may be the single greatest factor in controlling trailer sway. Unfortunately, tests show that any speeds greater than 45mph tend to allow almost any trailer to begin to sway. With traffic traveling at much greater speeds it isn't practical, and most of the time illegal, to travel at a speed that will control trailer sway.

High Winds - Winds blowing perpendicular against the side of a towed trailer push the trailer and pivot it on the hitch ball creating a tow angle. The greater the surface area of the side of the trailer, the greater the force will be at any given wind velocity. Towing in high winds is never a good idea and should be done cautiously if necessary.

Gusting Winds - Winds can gust and increase in velocity due to weather. Winds can also be described as gusting when a high wind is blocked by a tree line or a bridge overpass and you clear this blockage while towing. Your trailer goes from a relative low side force to much higher side force that pivots the trailer on the hitch ball and creates a tow angle.

Bow Wave - A bow wave is a wind produced by a large semi-truck, box truck or van pushing its way through the air on the highway. This wind travels around the truck and down the sides creating a wind disturbance in the adjacent lanes. This wind disturbance creates a sudden high to low pressure in the air traveling down the side of your trailer. The bow wave, as with the other wind disturbances, creates a tow angle by pushing the trailer and pivoting it on the hitch ball. The bow wave produces a "sucking" feeling in some combinations that feels like the entire tow combination is being pulled into the other lane.

Bad Roads - With any type of travel across this great country you'll realize there are quite a few roads that need work. These uneven, poor roads can make a trailer become unbalanced and cause it to pivot on the hitch ball creating a tow angle.

Downhill Travel - Towing downhill can allow your trailer to roll faster than the tow vehicle. The tow vehicle is geared to slow down when you let your foot off the accelerator. However, trailers are not equipped with this feature. When the trailer is traveling at a higher rate of speed than the tow vehicle it can begin to yaw.

Poor Trailer Design - The fact is that some trailers are designed better for towing than others. Trailer design includes a lot of different variables that need to be addressed to properly balance the trailer for towing. Even with a good trailer design the designer can have a hard time determining what the optimal layout of the trailer should be because of the added dimension of the trailer being used by so many different customers.

Improper Loading - Trailers are very sensitive to where you place your load your cargo. Your black and gray water tanks, your supplies, your clothing and anything else you carry with you will change the weight of the trailer and how that weight is distributed throughout your towed combination.

Poor Weight Distribution Hitch Adjustment - When a weight distribution hitch is not adjusted properly it can cause your trailer to have either too much tongue weight or not enough tongue weight to avoid inducing sway.

Mr_Mrs_Gnome

@Michigan_Mike, we have a completely covered fabric under the trailer. Is the fresh water tank in front of or behind the axle?

Verna

The fresh water tank straddles the axle. Part in front, part in back.

I did not encounter sway. I just attributed it to improperly distributed weight. 

sabel

We're from Wyoming and the mountains are the Big Horns.

Verna

@sabel, if you adjust your weight, you should be OK. I think it had too much weight behind the axle. I wasn't carrying my normal spare 20 lb propane tank in the rear of the truck, so I had less tongue weight. I only carried about 3 gallons of water back home, traveled the two lane state roads and reduced speed to around 55 mph. I got my normal gas mileage plus an extra mpg. 

rkhammond

Hi Sabel, we have towed our Tab up the Big Horns loaded with water (all 12 or so gallons we could squeeze in☺). We live on the west side, and tow up & down 14A.  We have also towed it into Yellowstone with water...no problems. Our TV is rated for 4500lbs (2015 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk)

sabel

Ours is a Toyota 4Runner with a tow capacity of 5000 lb.
It'll be a short ride for us so I might partially fill the tank as a "science experiment".
Short ride but lots of switchbacks and steep grades as you know.
Wonder how many other T@Bs are in the Big Horn area?

rkhammond

I have wondered that also...I know we 'zombied' a gal from Cody before we finally determined just which model we wanted to order, and my husband claims there is one parked at a residence near the Manderson/Worland area.  So at least a few of us ☺. Hope the fire's on the mtn don't interfere with your trip. Oh, and we do make sure our tanks are empty before decending...no need for the additional weight down these steep grades.

Nomad

I travel with full water quite a bit - get it while I can. In fact, I'd bet 75% of the time. If I know that where I'm going has fresh water for sure I'll wait but I do tend to get sidetracked so I always carry some. Never had any sway.

RVABuff

Not sure what model you all have, but the fresh water tank on my 2015 T@B M@X S is forward of the axle thus the weight is on the tongue.  I have no issues with towing it with a full tank (approx 88 lbs).  I have towed it to my campsite full when I didn't know if water was available, but do drain it prior to heading home.

RZRBUG

My 2013 Q only has a five-gallon tank.  It's not all that much more weight, but all of it is up front under the counter, so it makes a difference.  Since I have a heavy battery and my spare is on the tongue, I never carry water if I think I can get it in camp.  Sometimes I even carry my spare water in the back of the truck.

Ratkity

My 2015 T@Bitha FW tank is slightly forward of the axle. You can see the drain spout on the passenger side to the left of the step.

As a matter of practice, I always fill my tank before I leave on a trip. It adds 88 lbs and doesn't do anything to my gas mileage (big pickup) and I don't have sway.

I have encountered "iffy" water at state parks. Not just odors, but tags saying to not the drink the water because of microbial contamination on various water spouts where the tags have been put there and obviously ripped off (I can't rem the park's name, sorry). My water filter will not take care of heavy microbial contamination. It's meant for particulate matter, off taste and odors. 

PS As a crazy mad scientist and microbiologist, I'm paranoid. Also keep in mind I have a compromised immune system due to a chronic illness, so I'm extra careful. YMMV.

Subism

Keep in mind that not all of the weight goes to the tongue if the FW tank is forward of the rear axle. As an estimate (and not knowing exactly where the center of mass of the tank is in relation to the axle and tongue) it is likely you will only see 50% or less on the tongue.

One concern I would have when we discuss sway is having a less than full tank and no tank baffling, allowing the water to slosh around. I haven't tried it and it may not be enough weight shifting around to matter; has anyone seen issues with this?

Verna

Subism said:

Keep in mind that not all of the weight goes to the tongue if the FW tank is forward of the rear axle. As an estimate (and not knowing exactly where the center of mass of the tank is in relation to the axle and tongue) it is likely you will only see 50% or less on the tongue.

One concern I would have when we discuss sway is having a less than full tank and no tank baffling, allowing the water to slosh around. I haven't tried it and it may not be enough weight shifting around to matter; has anyone seen issues with this?

My fresh water tank has about 1/3 of its length over and behind the axle, gray water, approximately 1/2 over and behind the axle. I did not feel any sloshing from the fresh water as I drove home--gray water tank was empty. I never have felt any sloshing. I do not feel any sway, either. I feel the tanks are small enough that any movement in the ranks is overcome by the size of the T@B's weight.... but please don't ask me to put this in a mathematical calculation

Cyclonic

Like @RZRBUG , my 2012 Q has the 5 gallon fresh water tank in the front corner, deep behind and below the counter.  I usually travel with it full as it adds to tongue weight for me, which I need as I run a little light up there.  Doing so, for me, seems to make it ride better and I have no sway.

The newer T@B's have the fresh water tank under the unit, between the axle and the floor.  It is larger and runs the length of the floor.  I don't know how it would affect towing beyond simply adding more weight.