Partially filling fresh water |
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GlibGuy
Groupie Joined: 14 Apr 2015 Location: Virginia Online Status: Offline Posts: 65 |
Topic: Partially filling fresh water Posted: 25 Feb 2017 at 10:32am |
Does anyone have a way to accurately measure how much water you're putting in (when you don't intend to fill completely)? When I head out on an adventure I try to put in just enough water (say 10/12 gals) to allow me to stay overnight at a Walmart but save the towing weight of a full tank. I have tried pouring water in a gal at a time - messy and very time consuming. Lately I have timed how long it takes me to fill a 5 gal container and run the water that long (or twice for 10 gal etc.) using my hose and water tank filler attachment (a great invention BTW). Works OK but takes a little extra time and wastes some water.
I see on Amazon that I can purchase a farm funnel that I could attach the tank filler attachment which would allow me to pour in maybe more than a gallon at a time(?). I also see a couple of inexpensive water flow instruments that attach to the hose to measure the flow going through in gallons. Any experience out there with either of these? Suggestion/ideas are welcome. Mick |
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MICK
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Leo B
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 13 Jan 2012 Location: Lyndonville, VT Online Status: Offline Posts: 4517 |
Posted: 25 Feb 2017 at 10:54am |
I use a 1 gallon jug and a funnel. Usually carry 5 galls. when travelling
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Leo & Melissa Bachand
2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
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Tars Tarkas
Senior Member Joined: 14 Jan 2013 Location: Near Nashville Online Status: Offline Posts: 1447 |
Posted: 25 Feb 2017 at 10:58am |
You don't need to be perfectly accurate for this by any means. I've used the time method. As you say, time how long it takes to fill a 5 gallon bucket and do the math. Do that once and remember the time for next time.
There's some debate over how much extra water weight really impacts gas mileage anyway. It has to have some impact but probably not nearly enough to spend a lot of time worrying about whether you have 8.4 gallons in the tank or 13.7. TT |
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2010 176
FJ Cruiser |
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Bugout
Senior Member Joined: 01 Jan 2017 Location: S caroline Online Status: Offline Posts: 117 |
Posted: 25 Feb 2017 at 11:16am |
They have a flow neater at home depo it gos on the hose tells how many gallons.look by the garden hoses
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Jk Aiken South Carolina 2016 178 Toyota Tundra 2017 4.6
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Retiree-Pod
Newbie Joined: 12 Jun 2015 Online Status: Offline Posts: 22 |
Posted: 25 Feb 2017 at 11:24am |
Another solution is to use your homes water meter and a helper with a cellphone at the meter and you filling with another cellphone.
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voisj
Senior Member Joined: 19 Jul 2016 Location: San Luis Obispo Online Status: Offline Posts: 471 |
Posted: 25 Feb 2017 at 2:20pm |
GlibGuy,
I have two of these 5 gallon water cans I use. I put 1 in before we leave so I know how much is in the tank and then carry two in my truck, I fill up the tank as near the campsite as i can, and put them in when my wife yells from the shower that we are out of water. This happens more than I like to admit. rgds John |
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Our pod
Groupie Joined: 03 Oct 2016 Location: Olympia WA Online Status: Offline Posts: 62 |
Posted: 25 Feb 2017 at 2:43pm |
I carry two water containers in the back of my tow vehicle, and tow with my r-pod tanks empty. Look up free surface effect to consider how free surface may impact towing.
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Life is good.
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6326 |
Posted: 25 Feb 2017 at 7:44pm |
If we were on the water or trying to tow sideways on a 45 degree slope, then free surface effect might be something worth considering. Most of us will tow on roads which are relatively flat side to side so the sloshing of the liquids in the tank are not going to capsize the trailer. Add pontoons to your R-Pod and take it out on the ocean, and it might be something to be worried about.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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Tars Tarkas
Senior Member Joined: 14 Jan 2013 Location: Near Nashville Online Status: Offline Posts: 1447 |
Posted: 25 Feb 2017 at 10:03pm |
I'm not an engineer, but my sense is that the free surface effect on an RPod is probably more theoretical than anything to be too concerned with. There are times you might be able to feel the liquids sloshing as you go down the road under extreme conditions, but the likelihood of tipping the trailer is probably pretty durn small. Maybe if you lost your brakes and were speeding out of control down a mountain road with a lot of curves, and you were probably going to die anyway, the free surface effect would add the last 3% of force needed to cause you to roll over. Considering how low the tanks are, their shape and configuration, and volume of water they can hold, they may even act as more of a stabilizing factor than otherwise.
TT |
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2010 176
FJ Cruiser |
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ChetC
Groupie Joined: 17 Jul 2016 Location: Las Vegas, NV Online Status: Offline Posts: 43 |
Posted: 26 Feb 2017 at 9:03am |
I used to worry about water weight all the time, but then I sat down and gave it some critical thought. In my humble opinion, unless you are completely maxed out on the capacity of your tow vehicle, it is not necessary to worry about carrying a complete load of freshwater.
On my 180, the fresh water tank holds 36 gallons at max capacity. Water weighs approximately 7 lbs per gallon, so a completely full freshwater tank is roughly 250 lbs or the equivalent of one large adult male. Using this scenario, imagine a large adult male in your trailer while towing. They could completely run amuck while you were traveling down the road and you would be in no danger of an ill handling trailer as a result, nor would you see a noticeable change to your mpg. That's not to say you wouldn't feel them tumble to the front if you slammed on the brakes, but they would be traveling a lot further than water in a confined space.
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Former 2017 rPod 180 owner
Now in a 2019 Little Guy MAX Full timer who logs more than 35,000 miles per year. |
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