We're still new HTT campers so we've only camped at sites with full hook-ups so far, but we're (almost) ready to try boondocking. When you camp somewhere that does not have water hook-ups, do you fill up your water tank at home and tow the HTT with a full tank to your destination? Or do you try to find a water source at or near your destination and fill up there, so you can tow with an empty water tank? If so, what kind of places have potable water available to fill the TT tank -- gas stations?
Does anyone know whether you can fill up a TT water tank at state park or national park/forest campgrounds? I know many state/fed campgrounds have water spigots placed around the campground for campers to share, even if they don't have hook-ups at each campsite. Can you pull up next to one of the spigots, attach your water hose, and fill your tank before you park at your campsite?
Annabeth wrote: We're still new HTT campers so we've only camped at sites with full hook-ups so far, but we're (almost) ready to try boondocking. When you camp somewhere that does not have water hook-ups, do you fill up your water tank at home and tow the HTT with a full tank to your destination? Sometimes Or do you try to find a water source at or near your destination and fill up there, so you can tow with an empty water tank? There is really no advantage to towing with an empty tank. Yes you will burn an additional 6 oz of gasoline or diesel for a gallon of fuel but that's so minimal you'll not be able to compute the cost in mileage. A fill tank is usually little more than adding an extra adult to your tow vehicle. Some smaller trailers are actually DESIGNED to use water in the tanks as ballast to make them tow better (unfortunate as that is).That would be a good option if the campground doesn't have water available as MOST do.If so, what kind of places have potable water available to fill the TT tank -- gas stations? MOST organized campgrounds like NFS, COE, BLM, State Parks or National Parks have potable water available somewhere in the campground. Some gas stations have water also and some road side rest areas also have fresh water fills.
Does anyone know whether you can fill up a TT water tank at state park or national park/forest campgrounds? As mentioned above, MOST have potable water somewhere in the campground. There really is NO single answer to ANY question that will apply to all of those campgrounds. I know many state/fed campgrounds have water spigots placed around the campground for campers to share, even if they don't have hook-ups at each campsite. Can you pull up next to one of the spigots, attach your water hose, and fill your tank before you park at your campsite? Again, sometimes yes and sometimes they go to extreme measures (like designing specifically unusable hydrants) to keep RVers from filling with water. Most who dry camp carry a "water thief" which in some cases will allow connecting to a water pump or faucet that does not have a threaded connection. Sometimes you have to get creative like carying a jerry can to pump water into and fill the tank from that. In short you do what you HAVE to do to get potable water in your tank. In a FEW cases we've had to stop at a private RV Parking lot and PAY them for dump station services which includes fresh water fill up.
Thanks much,
Annabeth
2004 F-250 SCREW Long Bed (new)
OR 2004 F-150 HD (85,000 towing miles) Rockwood 8314SS 34' travel trailer
We have enough YOUTH...how about a fountain of SMART
I always leave home with a full tank of water, but then I didn't get a marginal truck. We bring extra water hose to fill the tank when low. I park close enough to the water source to refill. I have even had to drop a bucket down the well to refill. Our experience is water is always available, one way or the other.
2003 Jayco 308fbs eagle 33' tt, towed by a 2003 Ram 3500 slt, quad cab dually, cummins diesel ho, trailer towing package, with 6 speed manual. Hauls better 1/2, 3 kids, myself, and a 2003 ez go clays car.. I have added so far, neon lights, clearance lights, back up lights, black light, lift kit, mud tires, and everything necessary to make the golf cart street legal. It's now ready to spend the winter in the garage for more mods. More neon, strobe lights, alarm, a pa system, maintance, and whatever else that comes along. This golf cart does wheelies and travels thru 7 inches of mud when need be. Two honda eu2000i gens twinned to supply the electrical power. Latest addition an 04 Honda Goldwing. [url]http://www.hometown.aol.com/rvnagain/myhomepage/profile.html[url]
You might want to check with the manufacturer of your HTT. Kodiak doesn't recommend driving long distances with the extra 320 lbs. of water in the tank.
Mike Butts
DW+DD+DS+Camping Poodle
’07 Kodiak 23TT, 2004 Ford Expedition 5.4L with H.D. Tow Package
I know all of the state parks in our area have spigots, and most of them are threaded. We carry two lengths of hose that gets us to 50 feet, but I have seen some peoepl carry 200 hundred feet of hose so that they can fill their tanks from a spigot while they are parked on their site. We also created our own "water theif". We cut off about a foot of hose with a threaded end off of an old garden hose. Fit the old hose over a spigot without thread, and now you have threads you can hook up to. Got that idea from an experienced camper last summer and it has worked great. One gallon of water weighs 8.3 pounds, so depending on the size of your tank, you have to decide if the added weight is acceptable. I have gone to filling my tank at home for shorter trips, but filling at the CG for longer trips. At the campground I use a 6 gallon plastic jerry can with a nozzle on it when we need to refill our fresh water tank, although I am not sure I will want to be lugging that thing around when I get older.
When camping without water hook-ups we always fill the fresh water tank at home and also carry two 6gal jugs with spouts to make adding water easy.
With four women in the camper i end up carrying 4 jugs back to the trailer each day,yes...we use roughly 24gals per day.
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When you camp somewhere that does not have water hook-ups, do you fill up your water tank at home and tow the HTT with a full tank to your destination? Or do you try to find a water source at or near your destination and fill up there, so you can tow with an empty water tank? If so, what kind of places have potable water available to fill the TT tank -- gas stations?
