Under slung water tank pro's / con's ?

Post by **v-lux** » 22 Apr 2012, 16:45

Anyone got an under slung water tank?

I'm considering fitting one and wonder if anyone has any info about using one? Do you hate it, love it, find it a pain to clean, never need to, where do you fill it from etc etc etc.

Any info would be great before i decided to take the plunge on buying one.

Post by **PetenAli** » 22 Apr 2012, 16:50

Wouldn't you risk ripping it off Al? Would it be better to have one inside a la Westfalia? You could set it up with a Brickwerks pump etc.

Post by **lloydy** » 22 Apr 2012, 16:58

I keep on coming back to getting one, i get really annoyed carrying water inside. Things that put me off are drilling body for filler, and the tank freezing in winter

Post by **v-lux** » 22 Apr 2012, 17:42

That's a very good point lloyd, i wonder if it could be insulated well enough to stop it from going solid...? Possibly not....hmmmm

Pete - If i do put one underneath i'll make up a bash plate for it.

Found one that'll fit in really well and not stick out too much, but still dubios ......

Post by **lloydy** » 22 Apr 2012, 17:54

Cak tanks do insulated ones, but only in a few sizes.
I've always held back from getting one, for me it's more because my kitchen unit isnt fixed so getting plumbing to it would be tricky, well at least to make it look nice. Presume your kitchen is in a fixed place?

Post by **v-lux** » 22 Apr 2012, 20:59

I would rather have it inside, but I just can't work out a way to do it without it seriously denting my cupboard space.

I very much doubt that any amount of insulation would stop it from freezing in alpine winter temperatures..

Post by **lloydy** » 22 Apr 2012, 21:17

probably not, i have a westy water tank that doesnt fit under a multivan R&R bed

Your welcome to borrow to see if it fits yours?

Post by **ringo** » 23 Apr 2012, 06:20

I think the point of under seat westy tanks is they don't freeze up when your "in" the van with the heating on.

Underfloor tanks do.

Off course they all freeze up when parked up - happened to me last year. Fortunately I got away without damaging my taps and pipes etc.

Ringo

Post by **1664** » 23 Apr 2012, 08:50

From a freezing perspective the bigger and especially deeper the tank the better. Mine is under the rear seat and when it's really cold it does freeze but only the top half inch or so. The rest remains in liquid form underneath. Unlike almost all other substances, when water starts to freeze (4 degrees C is the cross over I think) it actually becomes less dense, so the colder water/ice migrates to the top leaving warmer water below. In nature, the ice also (believe it or not) insulates the water below from the freezing weather above. Good job that water does this else there'd be a lot of dead fish come the spring....

Obviously if you have a large deep tank but it only has 2" of water in it you'll still be stuffed; and I'm not saying it's not possible for my entire tank to freeze but goodness knows how cold it would have to get for that to happen.

Bottom line I suppose is that you can't really have an underslung tank of any appreciable depth so I'd opt for internal.

Post by **v-lux** » 23 Apr 2012, 16:50

Hmm, its looking like i might have to re-think this water tank plan then. It's no good to me if its going to freeze.

The tank i was looking at was a great fit, only 100mm deep so would'nt even poke out the bottom of the cavity, shame.

Better start looking at cupboard space again...... yawn.

Lloyd, you got the dimension of that westy tank anywhere? Might see if i can squeeze it in somehow....

Post by **Ian Hulley** » 23 Apr 2012, 17:00

ringo wrote: Underfloor tanks do.

Our's has had ice form in it quite often but it didn't stop working even at -28 up @werk 2 years ago .... much to the amusement of our manager who came to offer me a warm seat while we were waiting to be convoyed along the 515, I was in the back with the Ebber on having a coffee

Post by **lloydy** » 23 Apr 2012, 17:09

v-lux wrote:
Lloyd, you got the dimension of that westy tank anywhere? Might see if i can squeeze it in somehow....

here's measurements from when i bought it. it has curved edges, so measurements are +/- couple mm

Post by **JerseyMike** » 23 Apr 2012, 18:34

Have you had a look at this set up

http://www.drivenachodrive.com/about-nacho/water-1/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I think they were engineers or something but they have done some nice stuff to the van.

http://www.drivenachodrive.com/about-nacho/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Post by **lloydy** » 23 Apr 2012, 18:51

That looks a lot of work for water! Nicely done though

Post by **jed the spread** » 23 Apr 2012, 18:54

v-lux wrote:Hmm, its looking like i might have to re-think this water tank plan then. It's no good to me if its going to freeze.

The tank i was looking at was a great fit, only 100mm deep so would'nt even poke out the bottom of the cavity, shame.

Better start looking at cupboard space again...... yawn.

Lloyd, you got the dimension of that westy tank anywhere? Might see if i can squeeze it in somehow....

Yeh, I had one underneath on my first van. It was a total waist of time in the winter due to freezing up all the time.

jed

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