I did not notice any difference but my water tank is located under the sink in the front and it's not very big.
In the 20 years I owned my other pop-up I never had water in the tank, which was located in the left rear under bench.
I usually start with a full tank and then empty it on the way back. I don't mind it on the way up the mountain but don't want the extra weight pushing me when I'm coming downhill.
Yeah, I notice about 8 1/2 lbs per gallon (that's 1275 lbs if I fill 'em) I'm with belemnoid, drain before going home, usually try to fill somewhere close to where I'm going. But it's just weight, sloshing isn't enough to affect stability and I think that's what you were asking?
Always wondered why people would fill their tanks at home. Until I made the mistake of waiting till I got there and didn't taste the water source first before filling the tank! Learned my lesson.
stormspotter wrote: Does anyone notice any difference in the stability of their pu with a full fresh water tank?
Tc happy camping
Fact is. If your water tank is in front of your pup axle, and your TV has the toungue weight capacity to handel it. You won't notice it.
However. If your tank is in the rear of your axle. There is a chance you will unload your tongue to the point of causing sway. Any thing you put to the rear of your axle unloads the tongue. Once you unload it past 10 to 15%. You can upset the balance of your pup.
Also. you need to check the carrying capacity of your pup. A full tank, along with all your other stuff, Can put you over it.
EMPTY coming and going. Why carry all that extra gas consuming weight when you do not have to. The only times I will carry approx 10 gallons in the tank is when we are traveling to an unknown camping location. AS we never ever drink the water coming from that tank, we carry 5 gallons of drinking water in a seperate container for cooking, etc.
I leave home full and come home empty. We do drink the water. It is the same water we drink at home.
We rarely go to campground that we have been to before, so I don't really know what the water will taste like. Sometimes the water is not potable, or they have a pump problem.
Wayne in San Jose
TV1:2002 Chevy 1500HD 4wd Crew Cab,Valley Odyssey brake ctlr,McKesh mirrors
TV2:2008 GMC 2500HD long bed 4wd Crew Cab,GMC brake ctlr,GMC mirrors
TT:Trailmanor 2720
Honda 2000
Yamaha WR250R,Polaris Sportsman 700 X2,Polaris Scrambler 500
I tow often with the tank filled. With both my Rockwood 2290 and my Starcraft 2406, I never noticed a difference in tow.
The water tank on both was located over the axle so the water weight never added to the hitch weight. The Starcraft has a 6 gallon HWH heater located just slightly behind the axle.
With the Starcraft, the water tank filled and the HWH filled, the tongue wight was ~300 lbs when I weighed it. Even if the camper was fully loaded at it's GVWR of 2820, that's 10.5% tongue weight. The camper pulled great. Obviously since the HWH is behind the axle, since it's right behind, it would only add an insignifant about of weight to the hitch. However taking 160 lbs of fresh water off the axle (doesn't add to the hitch weight), and the total weight of the camper, the hitch weight percentage would be even higher, adding even more stability to the towing experience.
I wouldn't worry about filling the fresh water tank unless it's really far back behind the axle or really far in front, closer to the hitch than the axle. The latter would add heavier hitch which adds stability but only if the vehicles suspension can handle the heavier hitch weight. The previous would make the hitch weight much lighter, possibly inducing sway. That would require sway control. The Rockwood and the Starcraft were properly balanced in their built and were designed never to need any sway control. Other makes with factory light hitch weights under 10% will need sway control regardless. Makes the camper compatible with lesser vehicles, but requires sway control because the camper is out of balance by design. Fleetwood PUPs are example as they are already predrilled, according to others, for the friction sway control device. Other makes have models here and there, that have extremely light hitch weights also, that would require sway control.
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