| Author |
Message |
Tony Wahl (152.163.207.186)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 26, 2001 - 12:57 am: | |
Hi Guys,
I have a question:Do the DuraCast holding tanks need to be framed or "boxed" for support? I have one that is 18h x22w x 55 long that I am stuffing into the former battery bay of our RTSII and I have about 2inches of space at each end of the tank: Do I have to fill in those spaces flush w/ the tank?
Let me put it this way: Can (Do) you folks w/ those huge luggage bays in your intercity coaches let a DuraCast holding tank freestand on the deck of the bay w/o fear of the unthinkable happening?
I've read on the boards that these are a good tank but I'm wondering just how good?
Tanks for the support,
TonyW |
Scott Whitney (63.151.64.84)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 26, 2001 - 1:26 am: | |
Is DuraCast a rotational molded tank? If so, the maker of my rotational molded tanks said that they should be supported on all sides. Mine are boxed in and tight as a drum. A few strips of plywood along the top will keep them from bouncing out when empty too. This is in a transit in a custom built truss hanging from the frame.
Scott |
Dwight.RTS (208.32.172.185)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 26, 2001 - 1:30 am: | |
None of my business but why not use that bay for the generator, If I remember right the gen. comparment has to be lined with metal, don't mind me just thinking out loud... |
FAST FRED (209.26.87.51)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 26, 2001 - 6:53 am: | |
The Duracast will stand with out being supported too much, its done on the cheap ,poorly engineered boats .
And boats bounce and slam into waves , with higher G loads than you will get falling into deep potholes.
BUT , it IS goos practice to box them all around, AND secure them so if the coach rolls over they { or anything else in the conversion} will not tear loose.
Do it right the first time , it saves doing it over.
FAST FRED |
Jim Wilke (199.181.167.68)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 26, 2001 - 5:45 pm: | |
Tony, my 110 gallon Duracast is not boxed and has been sitting in the baggage bay for at least 6-7 years. I wish that it were & will likely do so in the future. The sides bow out about 2" and the top sags a similar amount. There is also the other problem and that is freezing. If you box and insulate then you won't freeze. A warm weather coach is crippled from the start. We passed up a chance to go to North Carolina this year because the plumbing would likely freeze. You may not want to winter in the arctic but it might be nice to be somewhere snowy once in a while. I have also heard of folks setting the water tank on a waterbed heater to prevent freezing (inside the box.
Jim-Bob |
Tony Wahl (64.12.103.178)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 27, 2001 - 1:34 am: | |
Hey Guys, After reading your replies to my dilemma, I decided to "err on the side of caution" and got that tank all boxed up today. So thank you very much everyone!
I have another query: Is it necessary to insulate a black water tank? What's the poop on that?
TonyW |
FAST FRED (209.26.87.38)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 27, 2001 - 6:11 am: | |
IF the tank is down in a bay and you travel in COLD country there are electric heaters that fit UNDER the tank, that work to keep the tank from freezing.
OR the tanks can be mounted "transit" style inside the coach , and kept from freezing with the normal coach heat.
The folks that enjoy lots of complexity heat each bay on a seperate zone ,real HOT SH.. !
FAST FRED |
Scott Whitney (63.151.64.84)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 28, 2001 - 1:33 am: | |
I decided to put some one inch insulation under my fresh tank which sits in an unsealed truss built under my transit frame. I figured I may pipe a heat duct down that way if if I can. Question: If the fresh is insulated, can one throw some anit-freeze in the black and grey tanks when in cold dountry? |
Donald Peter (Don) (172.171.129.196)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 28, 2001 - 3:12 am: | |
To what purpose adding anti-freeze to the holding tanks? Usually the problem in cold areas is pipes freezing. A large body of water such as a fresh water or holding tank usually won't freeze solid and cause any trouble. I did have a 10 gallon water heater freeze and burst many years ago in -17F weather. Even then, I had no damage to the fresh water or holding tanks. -- Don |
jmaxwell (66.42.93.134)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 28, 2001 - 4:04 pm: | |
There are 2 guiding principles invovled here: Go SOUTH and Oct.15 thru Mar. 30-MEXICO! |
Scott Whitney (63.151.64.84)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 29, 2001 - 6:36 am: | |
Oh, ok. Then I won't worry about anti-freeze at all I guess. I've used Qest tubing so it should stand some cold weather, I hope. However, the tanks would freeze at some temp . . . but maybe it doesn't matter. |