Water can be the heaviest total load you carry in your caravan. One litre of water weighs exactly 1kg. If you have three 90L water tanks and you fill them up before your trip, you’ ll be carrying 270kg of water. This will affect the towing characteristics of your rig considerably. It will be slower to get up to speed, require a longer stopping distance, and the caravan will exert additional forces upon the tow vehicle. You will also use a lot more fuel carrying all that extra weight. Therefore, it’ s worth asking yourself if you really need to carry all that water.
I know some people will say that their caravan isn’ t stable when towing unless the water tanks are full. If this is something you’ re experiencing, you need to take your caravan to a specialist to see if there are any weight distribution issues with your rig. A caravan should be stable under tow with or without water in the tanks.
Always look for a potable water sign.
Many roadside stops will have a small water tank for filling small containers. Don’ t fill your caravan’ s water tanks from these.
FILLING YOUR TANKS
The number one rule when filling your water tanks is to use foodgrade hoses. Do not use your average garden hose as it will impart a plastic taste to the water. You may not notice it straight away but, trust me, after sitting in the tanks for a few days, the smell and taste will make its presence known.
As for the need to filter the water going into your tanks, if you’ re filling up from your home water supply in a metropolitan or regional area, the chances are that the water will not require filtering. If you live in remote Australia or you’ re in an area affected by drought, it can be a good idea to pass the water through a simple filter.
I’ m a bit fussy when it comes to the water in my caravan tanks. As a result, I pass all water through an in-line filter and I can say with confidence that I’ ve always had perfectly clean water, even after it’ s been left in the tanks for several weeks.
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