How is water tank secured?

[DannyH]

Since my trailer had the water tank removed, I wondered how they are secured. Do they use a simple strap? I wanted to pick up the supplies and use something available at Home Depot or a hardware store.

[Victor Benz]

Danny;

When I overhauled mined, I put in 2"x2" bracing to support the tank, and then used metal strapping to hold it down, with thick leather pieces at the corners to prevent the strapping from wearing through the plastic tank.

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/23463...052473095KHQWji

The hole in the floor is for the tank drain, a 3/4" ball valve.

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/25558...052473095NUaqfL

Note the tank vent and fill arrangement, complete with the water pump.\

Vic

[Robert Johans]

Since my trailer had the water tank removed, I wondered how they are secured. Do they use a simple strap? I wanted to pick up the supplies and use something available at Home Depot or a hardware store.

Yes! The tank sits about 12" or so from the filler port. I attached a simple wood frame to the floor around the tank, securing the tank from shifting. The tank is then strapped down with, well, strapping. I added some foam padding at the corners to keep things snug and to prevent possible chafing. The tank should have both a petcock-like drain valve and a breather tube. The tank drains thru the valve, a short connected hose, then thru the floor to the ground.

[Angelo F.]

I have regular strapping holding mine down, as I presume most all FGRV's do. Well, every one I've ever worked on does anyways. Put a little rubber under the strapping on the corners of the tank so it doesn't cut the plastic.

After I installed the new subfloor, I drilled right through to the frame and threaded it with a 3/8" tap. I put one washer below the bolt head and another between the floor and strap so the bolt wouldn't "tear" the strap, then bolted it straight to the frame. Cut the strap just a hair (~1/4") short so it doesn't quite touch the floor when laid over the tank, then tighten the bolts until the top of the tank just *barely* starts to flex.

Does that make sense?

[Donna D.]

One concern you may wish to address is the lack of insulation around the water tank. Under certain conditions the water tank can sweat. If it's sitting on a wood floor... well you get the idea. This sweating has been alleviated with a scrap of carpet under the tank, or rubber, or encasing the tank in styrofoam.... think a syrofoam cooler surround.

YMMV

[Angelo F.]

Or a few coats of epoxy resin on the bare floor.

[DannyH]

Thanks for all the helpfull replies. All that experience of doing it already is great.

[peterh]

Here's a picture of the original fresh water tank and tie-downs just before I removed them before installing a larger tank during my dinette remodel. The picture shows two metal straps ("metal plumber's tape" from the heating/cooling & plumbing sections of any hardware store will do the job) over the top and blocks of wood front and back to stop the tank from sliding out from under the straps.

[james kent]

During the manufacture of our Boler, pieces of 2X4 were fiberglassed into place under the rear floor. The water tank was fitted in between and then held up in place with the rear window cutout which is bolted to the 2X4's. As the tank fills eith water, the large FG panel flexes with the additional weight.

[Raya]

Danny,

I hope this wasn't totally obvious and I missed it, but is your tank the type that sits in a bench locker (essentially inside the trailer but just in a storage area), or is it the type that is mounted to the underside of the trailer under the dinette?

My Boler 13 has the tank mounted in the latter way. In other words, it's outside the living space, underneath the trailer, attached to the frame.

Raya

[DannyH]

Raya, my tank is located in the storage area inside, under one of the benches of the dinette. Everyone, thanks for all the info coming in.

[Raya]

Thanks for clarifying, Danny.