Water Hauling Trailer

[kevinwak]

Hi all. I am thinking about hauling my own water to my home instead of paying for deliver and was looking for input onto my different options.
It costs $160+ to have a water truck deliver 2700 imp Gallons and I need a delivery on average every 35 days. Over the course of a year, or even 5 years that is a pretty significant cost and I was considering buying a trailer and tank and hauling my own water. There is a load station in each of the near by towns and it is $1 to load. I was thinking if we had a trailer set up I could pick up water when we go into town for church or the doctor etc...
My F150 has a 7800 pound max trailer tow rating. I have been looking at a used 18' equipment trailer from a coworker with 2 7000# axles. With this unit I am thinking about putting an 850 gallon tank which should be enough water to last me every 10 days. That is a little over the rating for my truck, but I do also have the option of using the GMC 3500 daully from my Dads farm up the road when it isn't busy, and have an older 1 ton available to use in summer months. I am also thinking about purchasing a new 12 foot deck over with 2 #5000 axles, in hopes of shaving off some weight and making it more in the range of the F150. I will potentially be buying a 3/4 ton in the next 3-4 years.
Any thoughts? Should I go with a larger tank, or just stick with what my truck can pull? I do understand the sway and slosh issues wioth half full tanks.

 

[Duffster]

If you are trying to cut weight and maximize payload I would look into one of these.

These are typically thousand gallons.

 

[kevinwak]

Thought about it, but I can't seem to locate anybody near me that sells them. Also I was hoping I could do double duty

 

[BoFuller]

I have a 500 gallon trailer and it has been serving us fine. I would prefer a 1,000 gallon tank to save on trips, but I just have a little Toyota Tacoma, so I'm pushing it as it is. I'd say go as big as you can get away with.

 

[kevinwak]

I have a 500 gallon trailer and it has been serving us fine. I would prefer a 1,000 gallon tank to save on trips, but I just have a little Toyota Tacoma, so I'm pushing it as it is. I'd say go as big as you can get away with.

Do you prefer hauling your own as opposed to getting deliveries?

 

[mdelmarcelle]

There is a load station in each of the near by towns and it is $1 to load.

How come it's only $1 to load? What's the point in even charging?

 

[powerstroke444e]

I was in same spot when we put a pool in and found a 1600 gal tank that fit nicely on my gooseneck. With full load of water I am with in limits of the trailer and my truck. If it was me I would get the bigger trailer as it sounds like you will be upgrading trucks and with water you don't want to have a marginal trailer get 800 or 1000 tank and slow work your way up amount your comfortable with.
Were I get water $18 for 1600gal at closest and $12 at town 5 miles further. I use a 2inch pump to speed up the unloading.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I am curious why you haul water and just don't dig a well? I am sure there is a good reason but it seems like it would pay for itself quickly.

As for towing water I would want the load as low as possible and a deck over is not going to do that very good. As far as saving weight, what are you talking with a new trailer? Maybe 300#, not worth the cost. Save your money and get yourself a F-350 SRW 4x4 truck and you can haul anything you want. Skip the 3/4 ton, they are not much more truck than some of the new 1/2 tons.

Chris

 

[BoFuller]

Do you prefer hauling your own as opposed to getting deliveries?

I have never had a delivery. We decided when we bought the land that we would haul our own until we decided to drill someday.

 

[BoFuller]

I am curious why you haul water and just don't dig a well? I am sure there is a good reason but it seems like it would pay for itself quickly.
Chris

There are places in AZ where there is no water table or the water is not good. There is water in our area and it is good but it will cost at least 15-20,000 to drill. 500 to 800 feet with a lot of rock. The community association has drilled a well for the owners to use, so it's a lot cheaper to buy a tank and haul than to drill your own. It's only about 3 miles for me.

 

[BoFuller]

How come it's only $1 to load? What's the point in even charging?

The well in town has a hose on a meter and it costs 25 cents for 50 gallons. So it would be 2.50 to fill my 500 gallon tank. I believe the RR runs the well. I imagine all those quarters raise enough money to keep it operational (hoses, electric, etc.). I'm sure they could double it and not lose any business, but it's sort of a RR town, so I think it's their way of providing. That's my 2 cents on the subject. :thumbsup:

 

[powerstroke444e]

I have 2 good wells but they wont keep up with livestock swimming pool and garden this year its been way to dry. I only got 2 cuttings off my hay and mowed yard once since end of July everyone around here is hauling water.

Fyi I don't know the rule on how big of tank can haul without cdl with tanker endorsement. I doubt they would mess with home owner

 

[kevinwak]

I am curious why you haul water and just don't dig a well? I am sure there is a good reason but it seems like it would pay for itself quickly.

As for towing water I would want the load as low as possible and a deck over is not going to do that very good. As far as saving weight, what are you talking with a new trailer? Maybe 300#, not worth the cost. Save your money and get yourself a F-350 SRW 4x4 truck and you can haul anything you want. Skip the 3/4 ton, they are not much more truck than some of the new 1/2 tons.

Chris

All of our neighbors have wells and the water is so hard and full of iron that they have to spend about $10k on softening and filtration equipment and it only lasts about 10 years. Also washing machines and dishwashers in the area last about 5 years off of the well water, even with the treatment. Plus it tastes horrid to drink so we would be buying the blue 5 gallon jugs any way. The towns both feed off of a huge deep local lake that has amazing water that is also very good to drink. So when we added all the different factors up it was cheaper to put in the cistern and haul/deliver.

Would love to buy the 3/4 or 1 ton right away but the wife also needs a new car since we had a baby this year. Can't justify 2 vehicle purchases and the tractor in the same year, not to mention we just finished building our house. (at the same time I just saw a 2 year old GMC 3/4 Dmax crew with 27000 km for about $20000 less then new Hmmmm?)

 

[Duffster]

I have 2 good wells but they wont keep up with livestock swimming pool and garden this year its been way to dry. I only got 2 cuttings off my hay and mowed yard once since end of July everyone around here is hauling water.

Fyi I don't know the rule on how big of tank can haul without cdl with tanker endorsement. I doubt they would mess with home owner

Tanker endorsement isn't a concern until you need a CDL.

Simply put if it doesn't need a CDL then it can't require a tanker endorsement.

 

[kevinwak]

In Alberta the destinction for the CDL liscense (Class 1) is if the trailer has air brakes. So that isn't an issue for me. Also I am not anywhere near the weight that I see some guys haul behind their 1 tons. Saw a guy with 17 large round hay bales on his tri axle gooseneck.

 

[schmism]

Id build a purpose built trailer. No deck, just axles and frame under the tank.

Find a neighbor/friend that also can use it and split the cost with him.

when looking at used trailers to transform into a platform to put your tank on.

remember
5 bolt hubs = 3500lb
6 bolt hubs 5K-6K
8 bolt hubs 7-8K

 

[BoFuller]

remember
5 bolt hubs = 3500lb
6 bolt hubs 5K-6K
8 bolt hubs 7-8K

Well that is very useful to know.
Thanks! :thumbsup:

 

[TheGoose]

Just remember, water weighs 8.3 lbs/gallon. So 100 gallons = 830 lbs, and 1,000 gallons = 8300 lbs. Add the weight of the trailer etc and it adds up quickly.

I would suggest getting a 500 gallon tank and filling all the way to the top rather than getting a 1,000 gallon tank and trying to fill it 1/2 or 3/4 full. The reason being is because as you travel the water will slosh around and can push you around in a light duty truck.

 

[forgeblast]

When my fil was out of work he went to get his cdl. He said the liquid trucks were the worse with the movement of the material inside. the baffle helped but not much.

 

[BoFuller]

When my fil was out of work he went to get his cdl. He said the liquid trucks were the worse with the movement of the material inside. the baffle helped but not much.

Back in the 70's I drove a gasoline tanker for a summer and one time they sent me out with a tanker with no baffles. I started to go through an intersection, then slammed on the brakes when I saw someone coming who didn't appear to be stopping. The truck stopped for a couple seconds and I had lifted my foot off the brake. All of a sudden I went lunging into and through the intersection from the load shifting back forward. Fortunately that car stopped. I went straight back to the terminal and told them what they could do with that trailer.