Fresh water tank use

[hillsonwheels]

This is a point of curiosty for me. Lots of you folks boondock. When you do, you of course load up all the water you can hold and head out and for the most part are always cycling all the water through the system. And, I suspect are always sanitizing the system.

My question has to do with use of tank water for those of us who just carry enough water to use for roadside flushes, etc.. Purity of that water is, at best, questionable even with occasional addition of bleach to the tank.

Should we worry about sanitation of lines after tank water has been used for the "flush" and the obligatory "hand washing" after use?

What are you solutions to overcome the possibility of contaminated lines? Or, do you just not run tank water and use antibacterial hand cleaner?

 

[branson4020]

Never sanitized my fresh water tank and never had a problem, even when only using it occasionally. Nothing goes in it but fresh water. The "purity" is just fine and the lines are not contaminated.

 

[Riverman]

Never sanitized my fresh water tank and never had a problem, even when only using it occasionally. Nothing goes in it but fresh water. The "purity" is just fine and the lines are not contaminated.

Ditto. We have never put anything but H20 in the tank.

 

[hoefler]

If you are in doubt, you can purchase a bottle of tank sanitizer at any RV dealer or Wal-Mart. Basically, if you are filling from a municipal water system, it is chlorinated from the get go and will continue to sanitize your water system. If you fill from a private water source, such as a private well, it most likely not chlorinated. I carry a spray bottle of dilute bleach, 4-1, and spray any spigot I hook to before hooking up. I started this practice when we stayed at a campground that ha the water connection on a flexible line just laying on the ground. Who knows what has come in contact or whizzed on it. I spray the spigot trying to get the solution as far as I can up in it, then let it set for at least a minute, then flush it out by turning it on for a minute on two.

 

[westxsrt10]

I also use a diluted bleach fill and drain before the camping season. Off season I drain the tank leaving the drain valve open and fill/vent open to outside air. Some people think its ok to drink and cook with the tank water (yikes), we always use bottled type water for drinking or cooking.

 

[jmgratz]

We purchased a water pitcher with filter called ZERO WATER at Target. It filters the drinking water very well. The tank water is filled from a municipal water system and we drank and sanitize on occasion. We also use a full house water filter on the city water connection. So far we have not encountered any problems.

 

[katkens]

I also use a diluted bleach fill and drain before the camping season. Off season I drain the tank leaving the drain valve open and fill/vent open to outside air. Some people think its ok to drink and cook with the tank water (yikes), we always use bottled type water for drinking or cooking.

I guess I'm one of these "yikes" folks and don't understand the non-water tank drinking or cooking. If your system has been bleached , sterilized ,I see no reason for not using it , especially if also filtering your water before use also. There is many tests comparing bottled water to tap and don't see where its any better than tap water and besides all those bottles isn't good for the environment......Kenny

P.S......One of many bottled water comparison articles........
http://www.waterfiltercomparisons.com/bottled_water_vs_filtered_water.php

 

[SJH]

I sanitize each year as part of the "dewinterizing" process! We don't boondock and only carry enough water for the emergency flush. We also usually drink and make coffee with bottled water (the same as we do at home)

 

[porthole]

I will sanitize the system once a year and if there was any questionable water used - aka Hatteras.

I usually will take anywhere from 1/2 to full fresh water (100 gallons) when we leave and use it during the trip. I try and use as much home water as possible, especially for the dogs drinking water.
If we need water during the trip I'll use the CG water, leaving some "home" water for the trip home.

It is easy enough if needed to stay hooked up to CG water and turn on and off as needed, showers etc.

And I am now in the habit of drinking some water before giving it to he dogs if it is not out of our tanks - again, Hatteras.

I really felt bad after getting a glass of water to drink and realized what we had been given the pups for two days.

 

[herefishy]

So, nobody has trouble with the weight of all that water fracturing the tank?

 

[2psnapod2]

With me waiting for my new rig, I hope the tanks are secured enough to hold the weight of the contents in them.

 

[porthole]

No trouble yet.

 

[Dennist]

Hey Porthole, We have been told by service techs to never haul more than 1/4 tank of fresh water as it is not designed to be full going down the road and rupture will eventually happen. This all started when we were in a shop and I asked why they were replacing a water tank in a toy box... they showed me the remains of the tank that was going down the road full.

Not a pretty site.

So we fill up with decent water when we get close to roughing it, sometimes it is a chore to find decent water, but it is what it is!

 

[gwalter]

We have never sanitized our fresh water tank. I do however empty it after every trip and drain the hot water heater. I used to carry a full tank of fresh water when traveling but now only put in a small amount and then fill at the campground. We mostly use state campgrounds and have never had any problems.

 

[jnbhobe]

I always try to travel with a full tank of water. I never know when we will stop and if its overnight at Wally World or somewhere like it, I will get a shower in the morning before we pull out.

 

[porthole]

been told by service techs to never haul more than 1/4 tank of fresh water as it is not designed to be full going down the road and rupture will eventually happen. This all started when we were in a shop and I asked why they were replacing a water tank in a toy box... they showed me the remains of the tank that was going down the road full.

I don't believe the manufacturer would design the trailer with 100 gallons of storage if the trailer was not capable of storing that 100 gallons.

I do realize that there are trailers out there that have had tanks fall out.

I'll be traveling with my tanks full when I leave the house

 

[jnbhobe]

As the water tanks get bigger I have noticed more sag in the tank when full. In my last 3 units I have put a cross brace on the frame to make sure I don't have a problem with the weight of the water.

 

[mjatwalker]

This is a point of curiosty for me. Lots of you folks boondock. When you do, you of course load up all the water you can hold and head out and for the most part are always cycling all the water through the system. And, I suspect are always sanitizing the system.

My question has to do with use of tank water for those of us who just carry enough water to use for roadside flushes, etc.. Purity of that water is, at best, questionable even with occasional addition of bleach to the tank.

Should we worry about sanitation of lines after tank water has been used for the "flush" and the obligatory "hand washing" after use?

What are you solutions to overcome the possibility of contaminated lines? Or, do you just not run tank water and use antibacterial hand cleaner?

Hey Dick, Just like in the ice maker West Virgina creek water works just fine.

 

[hoefler]

I can see a toy box having an issue. Some of the places a toy box would go, may not have unimproved roads or be more like a deer trail. If you do not drive with care, you will tear your stuff up for sure!

 

[Wharton]

We sanitize our tank when we take it out of storage and then fill it up for our trips. We have done this for 30 years and never had a problem. We would never travel without full tanks, you never know when the truck might break down, power failure in a CG and no water, freezing temps and the CG turns the water off at a certain time(you wouldn't have your hoses out anyway), water main breaks and, especially along the southern coast, really horrible water from the hose. We do have a double filter system that the water goes through prior to our use.

Why have these tanks if you are not going to use them? The purpose of trailer is so that you are self-sustaining and not dependent upon connections.