On Board Water systems and Storage

JimboT

Member
I am building my first custom rig and planning on a 10 year life cycle. My rig is a RAM 3500 Cummins HO, with a Carli/King Pin Top system. I have a travel trailer that will be home base for our travels hence the big rig. Our plan is then to go out 3-7 days at a time with the truck into the back-country to tour, fish and hunt. For the next few years our travels will be western North America, but who knows after that. I just did a three week trek through Patagonia with my son, and got the international bug as well. I am an avid backpacker, but once I introduce a stock animal or vehicle my minimalism makes a hasty retreat. As part of one of the luxuries, I am going to put pressurized potable water on board. I am using a marine grade shurflo pump. The question is storage. I have a plan with my builder to use water bladders and place those in custom boxes. My other thought is a custom made tank. The Front Runners do not fit the way I want. My main concerns, are proper baffling to contain displacement issues and lateral acceleration during technical and faster off-roading and also a good fit so as not to waste space. What have others done? Does anyone know of a fabricator that can make a baffled potable tank?
 
This where I plan to get my tank from; they will build you a custom tank with baffles if you want and that is the route I may go with but they have so many options I think an off the shelf option design will fit my needs. My plan is to go flat as possible or tall and narrow to alleviate sloshing. You can have your access ports and in/out lines wherever you want on the build page and price is pretty good.

Make sure you are clear on fresh, potable water needs. They do black and gray tanks too!


Plastic-Mart


Another option:
US Plastic Tanks
 

JimboT

Member
This where I plan to get my tank from; they will build you a custom tank with baffles if you want and that is the route I may go with but they have so many options I think an off the shelf option design will fit my needs. My plan is to go flat as possible or tall and narrow to alleviate sloshing. You can have your access ports and in/out lines wherever you want on the build page and price is pretty good.

Make sure you are clear on fresh, potable water needs. They do black and gray tanks too!


Plastic-Mart


Another option:
US Plastic Tanks
Thank you I will look into it
 

rayra

Expedition Leader
A fixed tank or a storage space for a bladder is a lot of dedicated volume. And a lot of shifting weight, baffles or no. And with a powered pump / pressure system it would be easy to use something like 20L jugs and carry more or less of them as needed, distributed, switching them as needed. Depends how profligate your water use is, or how strong your back. Or how wed you are to a larger tank.
 

Alloy

Well-known member
These people do nice work.


One of the screw ups I see done is not having a drain out of the bottom so there is no water left in the tank when not in use and sediment can be flushed out.
 
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Peter_n_Margaret

Adventurer
If you are "handy" and can weld and get 2mm cold rolled steel cut and bent nearby, then make a mould and have the tank rotomoulded.
I have done a couple in the past and have one for water under construction at the moment and 2 more in the planning stage.
Rotomoulding is a great low volume production method for seamless plastic tanks for water or for fuel. I have a mould that I will use for diesel on one side of the truck and water on the other. The process allows wall thickness to be anything you choose and the mould shape can be as simple or as complex as you wish depending on the time you invest.
Threaded connections are easily added after moulding by spin welding, something I also do at home.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome
 

Kevinm

New member
Why not just run a RV style poly tank mounted under the bed? Thats what im doing on my tacoma build. I should have 50 litres ish. There should be plenty of space under a fullsize for that
 

JimboT

Member
A fixed tank or a storage space for a bladder is a lot of dedicated volume. And a lot of shifting weight, baffles or no. And with a powered pump / pressure system it would be easy to use something like 20L jugs and carry more or less of them as needed, distributed, switching them as needed. Depends how profligate your water use is, or how strong your back. Or how wed you are to a larger tank.

I have the space and GRVW to handle a lot of water. The larger water capacity allows for showers.
 

JimboT

Member
If you are "handy" and can weld and get 2mm cold rolled steel cut and bent nearby, then make a mould and have the tank rotomoulded.
I have done a couple in the past and have one for water under construction at the moment and 2 more in the planning stage.
Rotomoulding is a great low volume production method for seamless plastic tanks for water or for fuel. I have a mould that I will use for diesel on one side of the truck and water on the other. The process allows wall thickness to be anything you choose and the mould shape can be as simple or as complex as you wish depending on the time you invest.
Threaded connections are easily added after moulding by spin welding, something I also do at home.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

I am not "handy" at all :)
 

JimboT

Member
Why not just run a RV style poly tank mounted under the bed? Thats what im doing on my tacoma build. I should have 50 litres ish. There should be plenty of space under a fullsize for that
I am going against the Bed wall next to the cab with a boat tank. Thanks
 
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CascadesTacoma

New member
Follow up question: does anyone have experience with bladders like the aquatank2 or Ivy Bags? I’m interested in the aquatank2 26gallon bag because I have a great spot for it.
 

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