Will a metal fuel tank work for black/grey holding tank?

Lin · December 07, 2012, 04:21:49 PM

I have no experience with the stainless tanks but was told that sewage will corrode them eventually. I have had a gas tank rust through. I also once had a steel water tank rust through. By the time is leaked in one place, it was paper thin lots of places.

chessie4905 · December 07, 2012, 05:27:12 PM

remember that septic tanks were made of steel, and also in ground fuel tanks. Sure, they will eventually leak, but with some sort of asphalt coating on the inside, it should last longer than he'll have the coach, especially at current fuel prices. If you are doing this on the cheap/ economical..go for it.

Midwilshire · December 07, 2012, 05:37:31 PM

Thanks for the replies everyone!

gus · December 07, 2012, 07:17:31 PM

Well, yeah, guys do roll down the road with tanks 1/2 to full all the time?

Isn't that what they're for?

Ace · December 08, 2012, 12:54:44 PM

Not really!

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belfert · December 08, 2012, 03:20:10 PM

Quote from: Ace on December 08, 2012, 12:54:44 PM
Not really!

Different people buy buses for different uses. Not all bus owners camp at places with full sewer service. In Minnesota it seems a lot of campgrounds don't have sewer service probably in part because the season is short. I suspect there are more RV parks in the south with sewer service because of year round operation and all the snowbirds.

A friend of mine has a travel trailer at a seasonal campground in northern Minnesota. The campground offers no water, no sewer, and no electric. My understanding is the place is mostly full so there are folks who don't mind using their tanks. (I believe electricty was added in the last year or two.)

Ace · December 08, 2012, 07:39:45 PM

Im not talking about camping at a full service campground!
What I'm saying is you dont or shouldnt STORE your crap in your tank!
Scenario: you go out in your bus for a weekend and you use your crapper. Your tank has waste. You go home But you shouldnt go home without dumping someplace! WHY would anyone STORE crap in their tank until their next outing?
Did I say NOT to travel with your crap in your tank? NO! What I DID say was not to use your tank as a storage tank!
It doesn't have to become FULL before it has to be emptied!
If you ARE at a campground with full hookups, you can do one of two things. One hook up sewer hose and OPEN valve and let it drain as it's used OR hook up your sewer hose and keep the valve closed until your ready to leave and then dump!
Personally, i cant see why anyone would STORE their crap and use their tank to hold it for LONG periods!

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belfert · December 08, 2012, 08:16:33 PM

Of course nobody should be storing waste long term. If you're the type that goes out every weekend or two I suspect a steel tank that isn't coated would develop issues after some period of time. I expect an aluminum tank wouldn't be as bad.

When I was young a Boy Scout summer camp was using plain steel tread plate to make urinals. The urinal at our site was so rusty that huge flakes of rust were coming off and plugging the drain. The camp kept promising to replace it with a plastic urinal. After a few days one of our leaders took the urinal down and beat it with a hammer to remove the major rust. The camp finally replaced it a day or two before we went home.

Iceni John · December 08, 2012, 10:43:06 PM

Quote from: Ace on December 08, 2012, 07:39:45 PM
If you ARE at a campground with full hookups, you can do one of two things. One hook up sewer hose and OPEN valve and let it drain as it's used OR hook up your sewer hose and keep the valve closed until your ready to leave and then dump!

If you do the former, isn't there a risk of the dreaded Mound Of Doom growing like some malevolent brown stalagmite in the poo tank? Some folk prefer to not dump until the tank's at least half full, to ensure a vigorous and uninterupted flow of effluvium. I do agree with the wisdom of not storing the caca for too long - it's probably not going to improve with age like a fine wine.

John

sledhead · December 09, 2012, 06:18:06 AM

On our return trip home (huntsville ontario canada ) end of jan. from our visit to sister inlaw in florida we use the craper .When we ge back sometimes its -20 f . I back the bus in to the garage add about a 1/2 gal. of water and some poo treatment to sit in the tank (plastic ) untill I can dump in the spring 2 mounts later. If there is some water in the tank so the poo will break down from solid to a brown milkshake its fine untill I can dump it.Now I would not use a steel tank. I would use a old plastic barrel 20 gal if it is a money thing untill I could replace with a rv pllastic tank. dave

Oonrahnjay · December 11, 2012, 03:14:08 AM

Hmm, let's see. I'm going "cheap", so I'm going to buy a tank, cut the end off to remove the baffles then weld it up again, and then coat it with Rhinoliner? This is cheaper than a real, rustproof tank? Maybe, I just don't see it.

scanzel · December 11, 2012, 03:50:47 AM

You know what happens when you go cheap sometimes, it comes back to bite you in the butt latter when your out on the road and are now having major issues. Then it costs you more in the long run. Do it right the first time. I would not want to have leaking black or gray tank in my cargo area. A real mess to clean up.

bevans6 · December 11, 2012, 04:20:03 AM

If I'm using my bus, it has waste in the tank. The only time it's empty is when I winterize it, or when I happen to stop at a campground with sewer hookups or a dump site I can get to easily. Probably 90% of the time in the summer months, there is waste in it. I have a 100 gallon plastic combined black/grey tank, so the black waste is well diluted with grey and dumps very easily.

Brian