Water tank hatch

[Steve and Rosemary]

I know I've seen folks modify their water tanks so there's a hatch or lid on the top to allow for easier cleaning. But of course, now that I want to do it, I can't find an example. Any tips, pictures, or product information would be a huge help. Thanks!

[captsteve2002]

I'm getting ready to do mine next week. I bought the waterproof 6" hatch and after cutting the hole will use 3M 5200 to seal it in the hole. I will also bolt the plastic hatch through the plastic tank top. I did notice that the plastic hatch that I'm going to use says to use flat head bolt/screws not countersink ones. The hatch has the countersink holes in it from manufacturing. I think they have had problems with the mounting holes splitting because people tighten the bolts/screws to tight and the plastic ring splits.

[Paul O.]

Note that "flat head" IS "countersink". Many instructions are often not well written, impossible to read, so most of us skip them. Hence the advice: "If all else fails, read the instructions!" There are variations: Metric countersinks are 90 degrees, US standard could be 82 or 100! I think, as you already pointed out, they want you to avoid damaging the parts. Match the angle of the c-sink so you do not dig into the plastic, overstress it and break it. Torquing bolts too high is as bad as too low, but it is half art, half science; says a retired Mech. Eng.

[Carol H]

Steve, what you are looking for is called a Screw out deck plate - can be purchased at most marine stores.

[captsteve2002]

I bought mine at West Marine, San Diego, when i was there a couple of weeks ago. Get a screw out one with an O-ring and make sure that it is good quality to reduce leaking.

[David Tilston]

I don't mean to be alarmist, but since the deck plates that we are discussing are not rated as suitable for potable water, is it safe to use them for that purpose?

[Borrego Dave]

Dave, being that the deck plate is in the top of the tank the water will have little or no contact with it. During towing is really the only time but as most only run with only a few inches them the water should never even touch it.

[Steve and Rosemary]

As always, this group is a huge help. I appreciate the concern about the toxicity because we'll probably fill up at home and then drive to our destination. With that, there's ample sloshing to contaminate the water. However, I was only planning on using it for dish washing and toilet flushing. We usually drink water out of big water jugs that we bring along. Any thoughts on this? Should we not wash dishes with this either? I figure there must be a way around this problem.

[Steve and Rosemary]

I feel like a bit of a dummy because there's another thread about this topic.

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...k-63040-3.html


I'm still curious about the sealing process. Do we think a rubber gasket will be tight enough to avoid leaks?

[David Tilston]

I think the gasket will keep the water in the tank. The deck plate is designed for use on a boat, where the water is likely much higher velocity. Think big storm, waves washing over the deck.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by David Tilston

I don't mean to be alarmist, but since the deck plates that we are discussing are not rated as suitable for potable water, is it safe to use them for that purpose?

Well there are a heck of lot of folks here who have installed them and no one has been reported dead yet that I know of if thats of any value I don't think it would be a big concern to me either if I was not in the habit of drinking the water from the tank and only use it for washing up.

Don't ask me why but while reading your question I thought of this Facebook post that was going around a while back

[Steve and Rosemary]

Thanks for the reassurance. I'm not overly worried and we won't be exposed to the deck plate adhesives very often so I'll just try the rubber. It's dry here so if we get a few drops leaking out, no biggie.

Carol, thanks for the reminder... Seems like we're a little OVER cautious these days. Kids need to eat more dirt!

In other news, it's 10 pm here and I just came in from turning a cupboard door painting project into a floor removal project. I'm definitely not looking forward to scrapping all that linoleum out tomorrow but my husband says I can't come home until I'm all finished. And it'll be rainy so it might be perfect!

As always, thanks for your help everyone. We're going to paint the floor to match the cupboards until we lay some vinyl planking. In a few days, our girl will look like a different trailer!

[Jared J]

I put 4" deck lids in mine from west marine, with 3m 5200.

If most people looked at their rv water systems, the last thing they would be worried about is the plastic on the deck lid, IMHO. I drink out if my tanks at all times, I don't carry any other water. If you had seen the 1/2" of sludge, black stains in the old tank, black slime around the inside of the old hoses...the last thing I'm worried about is the hatch install to keep that crap out.

As for leaking, I filled my tanks full, cracked the deck lids loose until water came out to bleed off all air in the tanks, and kept them under pressure from the hose for two hours, the tank top stayed bone dry. I travel 700 + miles with 40 gallons of water, and they stay completely dry.



After every trip, I drain the tanks, dry them with a clean towel, then put a clean rag over the hole for a week or so to let them air dry, then put the covers back in.

[Steve and Rosemary]

Thanks for the info, Jared. I have similar feelings about the water system and consuming water from them. All I know is I've swallowed far dirtier and scuzzier water in my life and live to forget about it!

Out of curiosity, how did you seal yours... Did you just use the included materials or did you add glue of some sort or a rubber seal?

[Jared J]

I used 3m 5200.

[Kenny in Ohio]

Jared,
What did you use to cut the hole?

[Jared J]

Holesaw

[Kenny in Ohio]

Are you talking about the kind that you use with a drill ? I've seen your work and could not picture you using a jig saw and having a raged or elongated hole. I've never seen a drill holesaw that size and would imagine it would need a little horsepower to cut that diameter. Just wondering because I have been considering doing this to mine.

[Jared J]

Yep. IIRC, it was a 4.5", but don't quote me on that. I just used a cordless drill. A jigsaw would work fine also, you should be able to do a perfect circle that size with one.

[Lil M.]

I installed a 6" deck plate in my water tank. Drilled a starter hole. Then tried to cut the hole with the jigsaw, but it went wonky on me. Used a fillet knife to finish the job. I believe I sealed it with silicone. Got my deckplate on Amazon. The clear plate helps for quick inspection.