| Author | Message | ||
| Paul Mengert (Prevost_paul)
Registered Member Username: Prevost_paul Post Number: 1 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 205.188.116.13 Rating: N/A |
Anyone care to offer up suggestions on the pro or con of making a black water holding tank out of cold rolled steel? The biggest advantage I see is that I can make it exactly the size I want. (Message edited by prevost paul on July 23, 2006) | ||
| H3-40 (Ace)
Registered Member Username: Ace Post Number: 271 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 70.197.132.208 Rating: N/A |
I would comment but it would only stir up a hornets nest! I used a fuel tank from a Peterbilt semi. Works great and it was free and easy to convert. Being round makes it real easy to clean too. It flushes itself out in seconds and I have it slightly tilted to the dump side. After I cut it to the size I wanted, I used the excess part for a fuel tank for my generator. That was the part with the factory fuel filler cap. Black tank is about 75-85 gallons and generator tank is about 50-60 gallons. Ok I couldn't resist... it's made out of aluminum and I hung them from the main frame rails in the bay! You asked!  Ace | ||
| John MC9 (John_mc9)
Registered Member Username: John_mc9 Post Number: 3 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 66.217.105.74 Rating: N/A |
(ACE - - HAR de HAR HAR) Paul - Take a peek at ACE's bus. Fantastic job! The tank's damned decent also!! As far as your concerns about using steel? Urine is highly corrosive, and will pit all metals. Many of the wastewater chemicals are equally corrosive.... But.... many of the old septic/cesspool tanks years ago, were steel.... go figger? Depending on how large a tank you're designing, and the gauge of the metal, the weight of a large steel tank should also be considered... If it's cheaper for you to do it that way, and you design it to be changed out easily... I'd do it. | ||
| Ed Jewett (Kristinsgrandpa)
Registered Member Username: Kristinsgrandpa Post Number: 255 Registered: 2-2003 Posted From: 64.24.212.117 Rating: N/A |
There are several people who made theirs out of polyethylene, with a plastic welder, to the size and shape that fit their requirements. Craig Shepard detailed his experience building one on his website. Try WWW.gumpydog.com Polyethylene is also safe for drinking water, so your water tank can also be made to fit the niche that you want to fill. Ed | ||
| Russ Barnes (Neoruss)
Registered Member Username: Neoruss Post Number: 45 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 66.83.53.142 Rating: N/A |
"Polyethylene is also safe for drinking water, so your water tank can also be made to fit the niche that you want to fill." CAREFUL, this is not true. It depends on the type poly. The fuel tank poly is cross linked and very poisonous. I used to be in the boat design business. We have a few local suppliers here in the Nashville area that sold off excess fuel tanks for little of nothing to locals. Lots and lots of dogs, cows and other animals died drinking from it. The cross linking is done so that the fuel vapor doesn't leak as fast. SO BE SURE OF THE NATURE OF THE SHEET YOU START WITH. Just a word of warning. | ||
| Ron Walker (Prevost82)
Registered Member Username: Prevost82 Post Number: 235 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 208.181.210.47 Rating: N/A |
Paul, I had my tanks custom make that made tanks for boats. They glued PVC (grey plastic) together then fiberglasses the tank. It ended up been way cheaper than I could get off the self molded tanks for. I had them make 2 tanks 24 x 24 x 70 and glass them then join them together so I only had 1 tank to deal with. This tank is a lot stronger than molded tank (doesn't req any additional support)and won't rust out like a steel tank Ron | ||
| David Dulmage (Daved)
Registered Member Username: Daved Post Number: 122 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 192.139.198.194 Rating: N/A |
I was able to purchase large grey and black water holding tanks removed from large trailers that were semi-permanently located in an RV park. These tanks were new, unused and had the right size inlet and outlet fittings (did not include the valves). I ourchased these form a large RV dealer. I bought new fresh water tanks (designed for this purposes) from RV Surplus in Elkhart. It's important, as has been mentioned to use tanks for fresh water that are suitable for potable water. For me, there wasn't any value in making my own tanks. These fit well in the rear bay of the bus without modification. FWIW DaveD | ||
| H3-40 (Ace)
Registered Member Username: Ace Post Number: 273 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 70.222.120.161 Rating: N/A |
Have any of you posters read the original post? The guy is wanting info on BLACK tanks made out of steel? I'm sure he already knows what the many options tanks are made of especailly FRESH water tanks. Can he make his BLACK tank/s out of mild steel? Yes or NO or would you even know? Ace | ||
| Ross Carlisle (Rrc62)
Registered Member Username: Rrc62 Post Number: 132 Registered: 5-2005 Posted From: 67.142.130.41 Rating: N/A |
I made mine from plywood and fiberglass. As far as using steel? Yes, you can make them out of steel, but they will rot from the inside out. How fast they rot will be anyones guess. You'll know they are gone when a hole blows out and pollutes your tank bay. As expensive as steel is these days, unless you have some laying around, there are less expensive ways to make tanks. | ||
| Gary LaBombard (Garylee)
Registered Member Username: Garylee Post Number: 67 Registered: 3-2004 Posted From: 205.188.116.13 Rating: N/A |
Paul, well here goes, I have made my gray / black waste tank out of steel and coated the inside with "RustBullet" like nearly my entire bus. I have posted how I made it if you are interested in viewing, I have not used it yet, bus still on blocks but against what everyone else thinks I did it anyhow like I always do or FF says to do. Go to: http://community.webshots.com/user/converter101 and when you get there look at Album #'s (3, 8, 9 & 10) I hope this helps you make up your mind a little, it is work but I feel well worth it and I utalized a space that is completely supported between my Bogie Wheels on my 1973 05 Eagle. Email me if you want any more information or I can be of any help at busconverter101@aol.com. Hope this all helps. Good luck, as FF says, "Do It Your Way" and be happy. Gary | ||
| bobadame Unregistered guest Posted From: 129.82.229.161 Rating: N/A |
The waste tank in my old Clipper was 1/8 " steel. It was put in in 1967. It was about to fail catastrophicly when I bought it in '96. If it had been coated with something like "Chassis Saver" or "Por-15" urethane it might be still good today. I made my new tanks from 18 gage 304 stainless steel and coated the insides with urethane. They should outlast me and my grand kids. If you can weld steel, you should be able to weld stainless. | ||
| Brian Elfert (Belfert)
Registered Member Username: Belfert Post Number: 1 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 132.148.80.215 Rating: N/A |
I personally wouldn't use mild steel for a black water holding tank. In many older men's rooms, they use painted steel panels to seperate urinals. They rust badly over the years from exposure to urine. Brian Elfert | ||
| Kyle Brandt (Kyle4501)
Registered Member Username: Kyle4501 Post Number: 175 Registered: 9-2004 Posted From: 65.23.106.193 Rating: N/A |
If you have never worked with stainless steel, be ready for some surprises as it moves around a lot more than carbon steel while you are welding. Also, with stainless, you need to be aware of stress corrosion cracking. This has been a problem in boats, but I know of several RVs that have ss tanks & no problems after 20+ years. Check the archives, I got lots of good info when I asked about using ss for my tanks. When it comes to tank materials, they all have pluses & minuses. Steel can last a very long time if properly designed & executed (see rustlessmoneypit) ymmv kyle4501 | ||
| Gary LaBombard (Garylee)
Registered Member Username: Garylee Post Number: 68 Registered: 3-2004 Posted From: 205.188.116.13 Rating: N/A |
I have received 3 emails requesting what Rustbullet is so I thought I would post the information for it one more time for all to see. I hope not to bore those that already know of this product. Go to: www.rustbullet.com and see testing results against 319 other rustproofing products including (Por-15). This product requires minimal preparation and the visual results are amazing, especially if spray painted. There is two types, Industrial & Automotive. The only difference between the two in quality is that the Industrial cannot be sprayed without a large spray guy as it is very thick. Three nice light coats of the Automotive sprayed type will equal 2 coats of the industrial. Make it easy on yourself, use the Automotive but also use protective breathing equipment such as a respirator and chemical resistant rubber gloves and Safety glasses. This is tuff stuff, takes 8 days to wear off your skin. Do not, "DO NOT GET ANY ON A BALD HEAD) and try to use Tryelene to remove, Bad, Bad move. Wear a hat. Anyhow, I used this product on my entire undercarriage as most everyone knows by now and have used it to build my own carbon steel gray / black water waste tank for my bus and have coated the inside of the tanks I made with 3 coats of rustbullet which no chemicals, no urine, no poop, and nothing known can penetrate "Unless" it has been scratched to the bare metal surface and only that little area will continue to rust again. I also built a Radiator Misting tank the same way I did the Gray / Black water waste tank. You have to have an access door to do the very last coating of the inside of the tank to completely seal the entire inside against rusting, ever, again!! Please go see the results of the testing of this product agains every other product made, if you have a better one, contact "RustBullet" and they will arrange to have a lab test of both products and the loser pays for the testing. If you plan to do your own waste tank such as I have then a suggestion is to go to my web site that again has all the procedure in pictorial form of what I did to make a good, long lasting tank to fit exactly where I wanted it. Granted, SS probably would be the best metal to use, it is very expensive to get, difficult to work with and cut etc. metal moves when being welded a lot, and the threaded fittings you will have weld into the side walls of the tank to pipe up the tank is way, way above any figure I want to pay just to Pee & Poop. Carbon Steel, and RustBullet are a heck of a lot cheaper to me. Make up your own minds of coarse but take the time to go to the web site and see the testing and decide then. Request through email contact information not on the site, set up a test of YOUR favorite product if not already done. If you haven't alread gone to see what my tank fabrication procedure was go to: http://community.webshots.com/user/converter101 Look at albums #3, 8, 9 & 10 as posted in above thread post. Sorry to repeat all this again as I have but if it helps those not knowing in the past it was posted by me several times and it helps them now, well then it was worth it and hope it helps. My conversion is being done in the most affordable way possible, making my own replacement parts when possible, rebuilding or reinforcing my framing and all mechanical parts possible also, I pass this information on for FREE to help all I can. I made a very bad, bad mistake not researching 4 years ago like a lot of you newbies are now, (Lucky Dogs), and it take a lot of time to write these extremely long posts as I do but I hope it does help many and if it does, then it was worth my time repeating my information that I do. Gary |