Are you supporting your holding tanks??

[scanzel]

I just received my two holding tanks, 110 gal for fresh water 24X24X48 and 110 gal for black gray 16X24X76. Do I need to build a support frame work around them for added strengh. I know some say they will buldge if full.  What has any one else done to theirs? They are plastic, roto molded made by Ronco Plastics, no baffels, heavy duty.  Thanks.

[tekebird]

what material are the made out of?

do they have baffels inside?

[H3Jim]

I have tanks from Ronco, no baffles, heavy duty.  I have two 115 tanks (fresh and grey), a 45 (fresh) and a 58 (black).  They said that the tanks could bulge as much a 4 or 5 inches, but would never break.  I put wood all the way around them, with some 1/4" steel strapping around the wood.  Overkill and it was a lot of extra work.  Of course as a result they have never bulged, but I'm not sure they would have to start with.  I'll try to post some pictures.  I would surround with plywood again, but I would not use the steel strapping.  Partly I wanted to make sure the tanks did not bulge and knock apart the quiet box I built for the generator that is right beside the tanks.

[H3Jim]

Here is the plywood I put around the tanks. Note the 1/4" steel strapping. 

[H3Jim]

The round bars are welded to the 1/4" x 3" flat stock on the other side of the plywood.

[H3Jim]

The green strip is the sensor on the side of the anks that allows me to tell almost to the gallon how much water is in each tank.  It is on the outside only, so it can never get clogged up.

[H3Jim]

Tanks in place.  I threaded the ends of the round bars so I could put bolts on them.  The top tanks are sitting on plywood, and have bracing on the sides.  The hinges are there so the front plywood (not shown here) can be easily removed. If I had used regular angle iron, the front panel could never come off since there is no access on the sides.

Note the spacer plywood between the tanks to keep the rods from wearing a hole in the tanks.

[Dreamscape]

Not only the benefit of sensors on the outside like H3Jim said, but with added support you could add some insulating qualities if you so desire.

I have only one black/gray round 100 gal. Alum. tank, sure wish it was plastic because of the benefits of sensors and no wasted space. Maybe some day.................

Paul

[jjrbus]

I used foam insulation and 1/2inch plywood around tanks. I have also installed heaters underneath.

[H3Jim]

More or less the final installation, with hinges and center bolts in place.  There has never been a hint of bulging in the front, so I conclude that the 1/4" strapping was overkill.

In this one bay I have 330 gals of water / waste storage and a 12k generator in the quiet box, and my hot water heater.

For what its worth, the main drains go out the back toward the duals, and originally had electric valves on them.  Draing out the 3" pipe you see on teh bottom.  The two valves you see on the tanks are backup in case the electric failed.  The electric valve on the black tank failed and I p;ut a manual valve that's accessed by reaching through the wheel well to get to it.  Awkward.  Changing that valve was not fun.  I maximized the amount of space I have have by filling up the bays with as much tank as I could, leaving little room for valves etc.  Generally it was a good trade off.  I may use the upper 3" valve for the black tank and modify it so that manual is the main dump valve.  Might have to re arrange the door closing mechanism to make that work.

[Kwajdiver]

I have two 110 gallon tanks, no supports, they fit really well in the last bay.

Bill

[CindyandJohn]

Scanzel,

I have used the heavy duty plastic tanks, two 115 gallon ones in one bay (grey and fresh) and one 80 gallon in another bay (black). What I did is make a frame around them with 2 x 3's. I wanted to be able to see the tanks as I don't have sensors on them. I used one whole bay for gray and fresh water, hot water heater, water pump, etc.. - insulated the floor and walls with sheets of blue Styrofoam and 2 x 3 frame work with plywood over it all. I use my bus to go skiing and usually park in sub freezing weather for several days. So water bays are framed and insulated as well as heated. I have the 2 x 3's supporting the tanks in a couple of sections so as keep them from bulging - they still bulge a little and you can see them squeeze up tight to the 2 x 3's but it works. I suppose the moral of all of our input is that you need to think about how and where you will use your bus and plan to that. I run with a full fresh water tank often and do not empty other tanks until they are pretty full. Therefore, for me support was needed and heat was also needed.

Please remember to vent your fresh water tank - I found out quickly while filling mine - that they bulge really far when the air can't  come out... Learning from experience is a great thing - thankfully the tank didn't explode!

John

[H3Jim]

Venting also makes it easier to drain them.  I used a 1/2 fitting in the top of the tank, a short nipple, and a sprinkler nozzle on it.  Good flow, but bugs and dirt don't get through.  Easy and cheap since I already had the parts.

[HighTechRedneck]

I vented mine with a faucet aerator tip with just the double screens in it (took the plastic pieces out of the insides of it).  Attached that to an existing fitting on the upper edge of the tank.  Vents freely in both directions and keeps the bugs out.

[H3Jim]

Thats probably a better solution!