Tanks you can Trust

[TomC]

When I bought my tanks directly from Ronco plastics, they gave me half price off from the catalog prices.  And don't look in their RV catalog-look in their marine tanks catalog.  In their marine catalog, they have the H455 100gal tank for $540.43-hence half off will give you the two tanks for around $500.00!  Search over!  Suggestion-they are also open to price suggestions.  Offer to have both tanks made for $500.00 flat.  Good Luck, TomC
P.S: I had Ronco tanks on my big rig mounted on my fuel tank cross bars with the drive shaft above.  In over 800,000 miles of driving (trucks ride much rougher then buses) no problems with the tanks.  Highly recommend you buy your tanks from Ronco and not fool around with trying to make them-there are just some things that should be bought.  

[Bill 340]

try chemical container in lake wales fl. the cheapest we ever found, pre made.   we have I think 14x 24 x 48 and that's about 70 gal.  they make tanks for chemicals so we assumed that our chemicals would not hurt them.  second coach and would buy again,  cheap an d lots of stock, 

[Mex-Busnut]

Sean:

Something you may also consider is to train your family to use a whole lot less water. When bathing, a quick wet-down. Then shut off the water, soap up and shampoo, then rinse off. You would be surprised. It is possible to bathe in two gallons for us guys, or three if the lady has long hair. For this purpose, have a hot and a cold faucet, plus a third one in line with the shower head.

[Seangie]

The way I figure it, you have only enough space for about 70 gallons for the gray tank. I've been wrong before...

You are correct here - I have to get creative with the space.  Fortunately for me the space I am working with is rectangular, unfortunate is the PO has already done the hard work and run everything and that is what I will have to get creative with.

I have two of those exact tanks in my bus.  One is the fresh water tank with molded-in fittings and the other is the waste tank.  The waste tank came as a sealed tank with no holes or fittings.  I had to add some rubber fittings to attach my waste lines.  The way I did the outlet is not ideal, but it hasn't leaked yet.  I think RV Surplus might be able to have fittings added to a custom tank as the manufacturer is close to Elkhart.

Belfert - Thanks for this - I think for the price this may end up what we go with.  At least for fresh water.

http://www.plastic-mart.com/item.aspx?id=1462
$167 for one 100 gallon tank. They were an easy company to work with. Took the tank to a local plastic parts manufacturer and had them spin-weld fittings into the plastic. Have full-timed with these tanks for nearly a year now with heavy use (lots of people coming and staying with us for a week at a time) and have not had a single issue.

Scott - Thanks for the suggestion - Thinking outside the tank...err...box.... I'll keep that in mind as we look.

When I bought my tanks directly from Ronco plastics, they gave me half price off from the catalog prices.   

Tom, This will be my 1st shot - If they can get a gray tank to me for half off with fittings in place it would seal the deal.

Something you may also consider is to train your family to use a whole lot less water. When bathing, a quick wet-down. Then shut off the water, soap up and shampoo, then rinse off. You would be surprised. It is possible to bathe in two gallons for us guys, or three if the lady has long hair. For this purpose, have a hot and a cold faucet, plus a third one in line with the shower head.

Mex - Thanks again.  I think we will start trying this at home and plug up the tub and see what kind of water usage we get.  We will make it a home school project and post it on the website.


Dave5cs, DmoeDave and Bill340 And Everyone else - Thank you for all the suggestions.  I have looked around at tank depot and will check out chemical container in Lake Wales as well.

-Sean

[jjrbus]

If you have a bit of time, check the phone book or Google poly tanks, storage tanks, rotational molding anything you can think of with tanks. You may find someone in your area. It is possible to get real lucky and find some seconds, left overs, out of style tanks for a real deal. That happened to me in Lakeland FL.

I never drank water from my holding tank.  Too many unknown sources   I carried 6 one gallon jugs in the toad, anytime I went somewhere I refilled the jugs.
                                            HTH   JIm

[Iceni John]

I can second TomC's experience with Ronco.   They made my four tanks that total 400 gallons for about $2.50 per gallon, including spin-welding in three fittings per tank where I want.   If you're near Tustin CA it's a good way to get them.

John

[artvonne]

The way I figure it, you have only enough space for about 70 gallons for the gray tank. I've been wrong before...

  Not sure how your getting that. My rear bay is roughly 105 cu ft in volume, and mine is one of the smaller Buses. If it was a tank, it would have a capacity of 785 gallons. Many of the later Buses have bays as much as 50% larger volume.

  While buying ready made tanks certainly makes decisions easier, it is impossible to entirely fill an area of odd size or shape with any standard size tank, forcing you to waste valuable space. I started looking at ready made tanks early on, and became frutrated they were all some oddball size, to wide, too short, too tall, etc.. That got me looking at custom made tanks, but the costs of those go straight through the roof, which got me looking at DIY versions by searching these forums and the web in general.

  It turns out that many people have made their own tanks for Bus Conversions over the years, and with very few exceptions they all have had very good luck. Gumpy's web page showing exactly how he made his own poly tanks is informative, and right up my alley, and convinced me to give it a try. I have already bought the welder and have located a supplier, I just need to start practicing on some scrap and then go for it.

  By limiting myself to two 125 gal tanks, and making them perfectly fit into a prescribed space, I can save room for other systems and still have room for something else should the need arise.

   

   

[Sean]

The way I figure it, you have only enough space for about 70 gallons for the gray tank. I've been wrong before...

...  Not sure how your getting that.

Umm, from the dimensions he posted at the very beginning of the thread?

My rear bay is roughly 105 cu ft in volume, ...

Well, OK, but Sean is starting with an already fully-converted bus, so he doesn't have any completely empty bays.  Unless he wants to rip everything out and start over, knowing the factory dimension of an empty bay doesn't help.  He stated at the outset that he's trying to make just enough modifications to meet his needs.  FWIW.

Sean -- you have a challenge here.

Roto-molded tanks are absolutely the best possible solution, when you can fit an available size into the space required.  And therein lies the problem -- roto-molded tanks (which have no seams and are essentially leak-proof) are only available in dimensions based on existing molds.  An RV manufacturer has the luxury of paying the setup fee for a mold in any dimensions they might need, but we self-converters have to choose from what's already being molded.

In addition to Ronco, Ardemco on the west coast has an enormous selection of sizes available, but none comes close to the exact dimensions you listed.  If you are stuck with those dimensions, then the best way to get every last ounce of capacity into them is to make the tanks yourself (or have them made).  Your choices then become fiberglass-coated plywood, welded HDPE, or welded stainless.  Of these, stainless is probably cost-prohibitive based on your posted budget.

This is one area where you may wish to look at a judicious re-arrangement of existing bay systems to try to fit more commonly available molded sizes.  The ones from RV Surplus are probably the best deal you will ever find on roto-molded tanks.  Lots of places can spin-weld the proper fittings on for you, so don't let the fitting placement deter you.

BTW, as a calibration, we use an average of less ten gallons per day here aboard Odyssey, for two adults.  We can easily go 14 and in a pinch as many as 17 days on our 135-gallon fresh and 135-gallon gray tanks.  And that's with a not particularly conservative lifestyle -- we do take navy showers, wash dishes by hand, do our laundry at a laundromat, and we have valves that let us make the shower or dish water hot without wasting a drop waiting for it.

HTH,

-Sean
http://OurOdyssey.BlogSpot.com

[artvonne]

Well, OK, but Sean is starting with an already fully-converted bus, so he doesn't have any completely empty bays.  Unless he wants to rip everything out and start over, knowing the factory dimension of an empty bay doesn't help.  He stated at the outset that he's trying to make just enough modifications to meet his needs.  FWIW.

  Umm, first of all, the quote I responded to did not make reference to any other thread, it was simply a statement which I responded to. Secondly, stating the size of my bay was only to make the point there is a lot of capacity. Thirdly, I dont believe anything I said suggested ripping everything out and starting over, I don't understand where you got that idea.

  I was fully aware he was trying to meet his needs, and trying to gain maximum capacity from available space, within a tight budget, which is why I suggested custom made tanks. 

  In fact, there is no other way to achieve that goal. FWIW.

 
 

[robertglines1]

Sean: Poly tanks from Rv Surplus are good product have used on 4 coaches. no leaks. If you were able to go to store could get for about $1 a gallon. Shipping etc cost bucks. Ck where your doing work local supplier. Florida or NC?  Also Could you relocate fresh water to inside coach (pumped water knowns no gravity) and use old tank to combine use to equal enough waste?  I put Poly tanks into computer and found manfacture less than 5 miles from house ( I live in rural America) and know family owners. Building my tanks custom.  Never would have imagined that would have been part of their business:  Porta poties. Never would Imagine they would build sanitary water tanks also (differant plastic) as part of their portable 10 unit event facility (trailer like).    Bob

[topfrog007]

Lots of great info in this thread.

Please let us know what you decide and how it turns out!

Best of luck,
- Preston

[uncle ned]

For goodness sakes don't go to the local trunk junk yard and find aluminum fuel tanks that
fit where you are going to use them.
It will bring the rath of some out.
They will pit out,they will taste like diesel. all sorts of reasons not use.

But they will be "CHEAP"

been in huggy for about 20 years now

uncle ned

[buswarrior]

Hello Sean.

Sorry, late to the game.

I got mine from this place:  http://www.plastictanks.ca/category.php?cat_id=029

That is the rectangular tank catalog, cut the link back to see a ton of other tank options in their catalog.

For my MCI, I got the 49 gallon 60" x 21" x 9.5" ones. Standing up so that the 21" is up and down under the utility channel. Vendor spun in whatever fittings, where ever I wanted them.

I got two to start, one each, fresh and combined gray/black. Expandable to two more for just short of 100 gallons for each side.

Leaves me some good space to insulate and box them and the plumbing inside for warmth, as I intend to be Canadian winter functional.

Also, a warning: lots of people brag on their success building their own tanks, few brag of their failures.

The internet does not offer a fair sample to make a decision in that regard.

happy coaching!
buswarrior