Holding tanks sizes, types, round, rectangle Who is using what?

[scanzel]

I have been looking at tanks for fresh and gray/black water for my conversion. My thought is a round tank would drain better but they all seem to be to high or long, rectangle 48x24x24 works for me when I made a mock up tank out of styrofoam. Is any one using a round tank? I have a Prevost so max height is about 26 inches and still be able to connect plumbing to the tanks top. What size in gallons are you using? I expect to do some dry camping also. Trying to get ideas. Thank You.

[Chaz]

Round to me seems like a waste of valuable space. Plus you can put a slight angle on a rectangle tank for drain purposes.
I bought 2 - 100 gallon plactic tanks from Ickes RV Supplies in Montpelier, IN. for 125.00 each. That's a good deal if you can get there.
  Chaz

[Blacksheep]

Chaz I used a round tank for my combined black/gray water and hung it from the main frame of the coach. I didn't waste any space under it as that is where my boxed in fresh water tank is. The round tank was free and it came off a Peterbilt semi truck! It was hung on it too before I found it in a friends shop! I installed the necessary fittings and made the straps to use for hangers. Since installing it I made a site tube that tells me exactly how much waste is in it. Oh, it started out too long for the bay too so I cut about 2 feet from it and used that short part of the tank for a designated fuel tank for my generator! Both tanks have worked flawlessly for about 3 years now and that says something for the aluminum doubters!

BS

[Chaz]

Looks like a nice job, BS! Hanging it would seem to be a way to not waste so much space, but anyway you slice it, You get more in a square tank as per the room you are taking up.
But I'm with you...Free is a GOOOOOOOD thing!!    Even if it does corrode eventually, the price was right! I would guess a person could find other saddle tanks at diesel truck bone yards if they want to take a shot at using aluminum. A person just has to keep their own situation in mind.

Chaz

[bowmaga]

There's a place called tri state rotational in Ashley/Hudson Indiana where i bought mine for my skoolie and i just bought three 95 gallon black/grey holding tanks, and three 97 gallon freshwater tanks. The fresh water tanks are 17" wide x 22" high x 60" long and the holding tanks are called coffins and they are basically 20" wide x 14" tall by 80" long, they all just barely fit in my rear cargo bay.  The i will build racks above and beside them to store other things.  A guy by the name of Todd owns and runs the place.  He makes them and sells them to RV and camper building factory's and also makes other plastic things.  He's a real nice guy if you can get over there.  Has a large storage shed full of different sizes on hand for stock.  He's cheaper on price if you go over there and take a size or tow out of stock so he doesn't have to reset up a mold out of schedule.  On my skoolie i had limited area and needed 240 gallons of fresh so I picked up six 40 gallon tanks and plumbed them in pairs.  The 40 gallon tanks were 12" wide x 16" tall x 48" long.  He will put in your fittings where ever you want them and what ever size you want them, and he also can provide you with the sanitary gasket fittings for you pipes to mount to the tank.  He gave me a deal, but i got all 6 tanks for $600.  Better deal than he gave me the first time I was there!  I have his info in my office at work and I will post it tomorrow if you want it.  I can also take pictures of my tanks that I just got if you want to see what I am planning on doing or what they look like.  They are all heavy duty plastic.  He has problems shipping the big tanks cause the shipping cost as much as the tanks...but if you can drive there....he's cheap.  
Greg

[Blacksheep]

You are soo right and let me add too that I have never had any problem dumping my tank. Being round and combining gray and black together allows it to flow quickly. I mean, it will completely empty itself in about 2 minutes flat give or take a few seconds. Never any corners on a round tank to hold sludge if you know what I mean! If it ever doesw fail from corrosion, I think I would still do a round tank and if I was lucky enough to find another deal, that's the way I would go. If not, I may look into plastic round tanks. This one also retained the original baffles in it for sloshing. Aluminum will only corrode if left wet for long periods of time too.  I try and empty it before I leave for home from a trip or if I can't, I will empty it when I DO get home! There is usually never any waste/water left in the tank while sitting idle!

BS

[prevost82]

I had my tanks custom made and it was cheaper than buying off-the-shelf tanks ... to the size that I want not the sizes that they had.

[TomC]

I used El Monte Plastics, in El Monte, Ca.  They have numerous sizes and shapes.  I used a rectangular tank for my 130 gal fresh and 85 gal gray.  Used a black water tank that is sloped to the three inch outlet that is 45 gal. My next I will go a bit bigger, although my wife and I can go a week without hookups.  Good Luck, TomC

[jjrbus]

If you want to have plastic tanks made, do a web search for rotational molded tanks for your state. You can choose from the sizes they manufactur and have fittings "spin welded" where you want them. This is not expensive to have done. Spin welding is done with a wood  router. The fitting is spun at high speed and melts into the tank.
It is easy to make tanks too big. Making them too small is also easy but a much a worse problem. From what I have seen many people have 100 Gal fresh and 100 gal black/grey.
When doing your plumbing it is easy to figure in a greywater bypass. This eliminates constantly dumping the tank in campgrounds.

[travelingfools]

I have round tanks...Im using them as they were free, but they do seem to take up a lot of space.

[HighTechRedneck]

There's a place called tri state rotational in Ashley/Hudson Indiana where i bought mine for my skoolie and i just bought three 95 gallon black/grey holding tanks, and three 97 gallon freshwater tanks. The fresh water tanks are 17" wide x 22" high x 60" long and the holding tanks are called coffins and they are basically 20" wide x 14" tall by 80" long, they all just barely fit in my rear cargo bay.  

Greg, can you post a drawing or photo of the layout of the tanks to make them fit in the bay?  I know somone that would be very interested in duplicating it in theirs and is already planning a trip up to that area to pick up tanks and other items.

[bowmaga]

As I reread my post, I have to correct myself to make myself more correct!  I said that they all barely fit in my rear bay...but that is just my 3 black-grey tanks, but they barely fit, but there is room for other things.  My three 97 gallon fresh water tanks will be in my center bay along with my generator, water heater, water pumps, whatever else i can put in there.  My 3 black water tanks would fit perfectly on the floor of my rear bay, except the rear air tank bulges in the center rear of the rear bay.  I have to have my toilet 95 gallon tank above the 2 grey holding tanks in kind of in a triangle shape.  its going to be tight, but they all fit together with room to spare.  I don't have them all plumbed up, but i will in a few weeks.   Attached is a drawing of the black/grey tanks.  The bottom is sloped to the outlet and the corners are curved so that it doesn't hold anything in.  I had two of these under my skoolie along with a 40 gallon and they worked good.  I will take actual pictures of the tanks tonight and post them.  If my tag axle was as easy as getting these tanks to fit and work, life would be great!!!!

Tank Place
Tri-State Rotational Products, Inc.
Todd Risedorph
129 E. Railroad St.
Hudson, In. 46747
260-587-3943
tristate@locl.net

[chazwood]

I'm thinking of making my tanks out of glass....like a fish tank. I can make my own to whatever size I want.  I could see when they were full, they would last forever and they would be easy to clean.

[Chaz]

You GO boy!!!!        Seeing "floaters" and "sinkers" would be the high point of my day!! LOLOLOLOLOLOL

Chaz

[belfert]

I bought two 105 gallon tanks at RV Surplus in Elkhart, IN back in April 2006.  One had fittings for freshwater and the other had no fittings.  The tanks are made by Amerikart I believe.  I paid $140 each, but prices have gone up.  RV Exit sells these on Ebay, but they are $250 or more shipped.

I would have liked bigger tanks, especially for waste water, but I couldn't find anything that would fill my available space completely.  I bought a 36 gallon tank intending to make it a black tank, but my friends didn't think it would be big enough so it got left out and I just made a combined tank.