Traveling with fresh water tank full

[Kevan Gibbings]

We have a Compass 185 which has a 100L fresh water tank. The advice in the manual is to travel with it empty (or near empty) which we do, althogh we do want to do some wild camping up in Scotland later this year.

Has anyone got any experience of Compass/Elddis motorhomes and traveling with the water tanks full/partially full?

I understand about the weight issue 100L = 100KG but the calculations I have done we should be within the weight limit. But I am worried about the strength of the tank/brackets.

Are they specified for traveling full?

Thanks in advance

 

[Manic]

We always travel with a full water tank in our Hymer especially when in France using Aires because you never know where you’re going to get it.

 

[ontheroadagain]

We previously had two Elddis motorhomes.
An Accordo 120 and an Autoquest 155.
Always travelled with full tanks.

 

[cyberyacht]

Ditto with my Marquis Majestic 125 (Accordo). Happiness is full fresh tanks

 

[Reallyretired]

Always travelled with full water tank. Any place you stop may not have water. Even a uk site once as all the taps were frozen.

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[rolosroller]

Full

 

[jako999]

We go with a full tank 200L. We haven’t done enough trips in this van yet but did the same in the old one and it didn’t effect the mpg and felt more stable to drive.

 

[PP Bear]

Always full, plus 80 spare litres under the bed

 

[Kevan Gibbings]

Thanks very much for your replies, I will fill up the tank!

 

[Lenny HB]

Most converters say only travel with 20 Lt just BS so they can quote higher payload figures. Our Hymer has a 160 Lt tank always run with it full.

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[Two on Tour]

Always travel with a full fresh water tank, unless we are traveling to a rally site where we can fill up, in which case we just travel with enough to make a couple of brews on the way.

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

Know someone who travelled from Germany to Switzerland up and down mountains with 360ltrs
on board only to park 4ft away from a tap on site

 

[dunnah01]

Ditto with my Marquis Majestic 125 (Accordo). Happiness is full fresh tanks

But true happiness is full fresh and empty grey and black tanks

 

[Richard n Ann]

Always travelled with ours full 90L tank elddis accordo 105 (prestige )

 

[Littlewheels]

Always full, plus 80 spare litres under the bed

You need to empty the pow more often

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[PaulOH]

Many replies talk about how good it is to have lots of available water and if you are unsure of where your next tap is going to be, then this is sensible. I don't think the handling characteristics of modern vans would be greatly influenced by 100 extra Kilos - mind is but it's not modern!

If however, you have planned your trip to include known, available water stops, then I wouldn't carry much more than you need for the journey.

Some people say that they like to have drinking water from their taps - and that is what many of us are used to at home - but I'd stick to an onboard bottled source for my refreshment, which further reduces the need to fill up. I just don't like the idea of the water sloshing around and then running through the pump to get to the tap which I then down in gulps...

I suppose it comes down to personal preference - I have made coffee with water from the MH, but it was boiled!

 

[Richard n Ann]

We never drank from the tank, even when the van was new. We took bottled water and full shit coke, just the same as we have at home

 

[Stealaway]

Do you lot also totally brim your fuel tanks?
Even when there's a fuel station ever twenty miles or so through out Europe?

 

[rod_vw]

Do you lot also totally brim your fuel tanks?
Even when there's a fuel station ever twenty miles or so through out Europe?

Yes, but only at the cheapest filling station that we can find.

 

[peterc10]

Do you lot also totally brim your fuel tanks?
Even when there's a fuel station ever twenty miles or so through out Europe?

Yep

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[PaulOH]

God no! If you know your MH, then you can roughly tell how many miles or Kms you've got - the needle connected to the tank or (for the more modern) an onboard calculator has become much more important these days.

I try where possible to take advantage of prices varying from area to area and juristiction to juristiction, so if I was on a run to Andorra (for example), I'd only do half a tank and save myself about 2cent a litre there, but if I was going to La France, I'd fill up at my cheap station as I left, and top up again just before crossing the border, as the current French discount on diesel is 2cent per litre less than Spain.

It has to be said that the discounts and pattern of prices since the price of oil rose has been thrown into disarray and the huge shopping around advantages that were there previously have by and large dissappeared - still pays tho - 2 cent per litre is still 2 cent more provided it's convenient to do it!

 

[Minxy]

Always full, plus 80 spare litres under the bed

Is the stuff under the bed 'alcoholic water' though?

 

[Reallyretired]

Always fill my fuel tank even if I'm not going anywhere. It is in storage at the moment, with a full tank.
I try to refill when it hits 1/4 full on a trip. Can be sure if you get low there will not be a petrol station for 100miles.

 

[Widge]

Yes, but only at the cheapest filling station that we can find.

The Fuelflash app is works well in France if you keep an eye on it you can pick and choose where to fill up, somtimes a little way off the route can be worth it.

 

[Jim]

he advice in the manual is to travel with it empty (or near empty) which we do, althogh we do want to do some wild camping up in Scotland later this year.

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[dunnah01]

Do you lot also totally brim your fuel tanks?
Even when there's a fuel station ever twenty miles or so through out Europe?

If only the 120 Euro limit would fill the tank nowadays

 

[gpat]

We go with a full tank 200L. We haven’t done enough trips in this van yet but did the same in the old one and it didn’t effect the mpg and felt more stable to drive.

I am afraid the laws of physics tell me it definitely effected your mpg. What you mean is you didnt notice it.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

Thanks very much for your replies, I will fill up the tank!

Depends where we are going,if wilding a full tank plus we have 2 x 5 litres and 1x10 litre containers that we use for drinking water only ,they sit nicely in the hab door footwell when travelling.
I doubt that your water tank construction would be made any different not to travel full.

 

[Beacons]

Full water tank always .plus bottles of drinking water never use tank water

 

[Tina the Tourer]

We have a Compass 185 which has a 100L fresh water tank. The advice in the manual is to travel with it empty (or near empty) which we do, althogh we do want to do some wild camping up in Scotland later this year.

Has anyone got any experience of Compass/Elddis motorhomes and traveling with the water tanks full/partially full?

I understand about the weight issue 100L = 100KG but the calculations I have done we should be within the weight limit. But I am worried about the strength of the tank/brackets.

Are they specified for traveling full?

Thanks in advance

It’s more to do with the cost of the fuel to haul it I think