BCM Community

I read the article in the latest Bus Conversions magazine with great interest.  I have two 50 gallon black tanks from trailers that I have been trying to figure out how to manifold and stack/install.  I cannot afford to buy the big poly tanks advertised at this time so I have been trying to figure how to make due with these tanks.  Building my own would be way more cost effective and I could customer fit them to the space I have allocated. 

With that said, how difficult is it really to build these tanks.  The article sounds easy.  I am a fair woodworker (after building the inside!) and I some fiberglass experience over the years.  Overall this sounds like the perfect way to go.  I am just looking for advice on the "watch out for this" type of problem.  Black water is not something I want to have problems with so leaks and tank failure are a large concern of mine.

Any thoughts from you guys would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Kevin

Removed

I built plywood/fiberglass tanks more than twenty years ago and they are still in the bus and still working (I think).  I just made plywood boxes, reinforced the corners with metal drywall corners.  I cut some 1-1/2" thinwall PVC pipe in quarters and used it in all the inside corners just to keep them smooth and easier to clean.

Based on advice I was given at the time, I mixed resin 50/50 with acetone and painted the plywood first with that mixture to seal it.  I also used epoxy glue on all the joints.

I actually made one large tank with a divider in it at about 60/40 for the gray/black tanks, maybe 150 gallons total.

I only made black and gray tanks, used a commercial tank for the potable water.

Thanks.  I think I am going to try this.  Reading the article and the details you provided make it seem like a fairly easy project.  Much easier than trying to install and manifold two travel trailer black tanks.

Regards,

Kevin