Underneath storage ideas

[Beck]

Wondering if y'all could post pics of underneath storage ideas and plumbing, holding tank set ups looking at redoing mine just wanting to get some ideas before i get started

Thanks

[TomC]

What bus model do you have?

[Beck]

Tom 1955 beck

[Iceni John]

Does your Beck have underfloor bays, or is it just empty space behind the bodyside skirts?   Both Tom and I have made underfloor storage bays and hung tanks under the floor because our buses never originally had big bays like MCIs etc., so we may have some ideas if that is what you want to do.   Is your Beck a pusher, a mid-engine or a FE?   (That's hugely pertinant to what you need to know.)

John

[Beck]

Under bay storage plenty of room and is a pusher

[Iceni John]

As has been said so many times, a bus conversion is designed around its toilet!   Here's the thinking behind my conversion:

On the basis that the dump valves should be ahead of the left rear wheels (to suit most dump stations), that can determine where the poo and grey tanks sit.   To absolutely prevent cross-contamination of the fresh water it's prudent to have the fresh tank(s) well away from the waste tanks.   Because the fresh and gray tanks are more likely to have significant weight in them, they should be mounted on the bus's centerline.   The heaviest weight in tanks and batteries should be nearer the rear axle than the front.   Any propane should be stored within the wheelbase and in a well-ventilated separate fire-resistant compartment.   Anything that can leak downward (LPG, water, battery acid) should be open to the ground to avoid problems.   Gray and poo tanks each have two vents, to help air flow through them while driving and when stopped.   Put in the biggest tanks you have space for, and room for the most batteries you think you'll ever need  -  when have you heard a busnut complaining about having too much of anything?   And lastly but not leastly, everything must be easily accessible for repairs/upgrades/modification/tinkering.

With these ideas, everything is falling nicely into place as I get close to finishing all the essential support systems under the floor.   The interior will be easy in comparison!

John   

[Tom Y]

Here is a pic of my fresh water. Tank is raised in the back (center of bus) to drain better.  Tom

[Tom Y]

Here is a pic of my black/gray tank. The 1" line is a shower drain, and the 1" over the fresh tank is my kitchen sink drain. They both run to a common trap. Sorry pic needs rotated.  Tom

[Beck]

Where is the best place to get holding tanks, don't really need a tank for clean water I will always be hooked to a hose, just mainly using it for camping for family
Thanks
Grant

[TomC]

I think it would be a mistake not to put in a fresh water tank. Some of the best camping spots do not have hook ups. A 24" x 24" x 48" tank will hold 60gal. We have a 130gal fresh water tank and if my wife and I are very careful can go a week with showers and washing dishes. On my truck, I'm using 196gal water tank (two 98gal tanks tied together), 115gal gray water and 69gal black water.

What part of the country are you in? I got my tanks custom made at http://www.ronco-plastics.com/ . By picking up at the factory, I got 50% off catalog price. Good Luck, TomC

[Seangie]

In our Eagle we have a ton of bay space.  So our layout may be different then what will work for you.  Our goal in setting up the plumbing was to put the largest tanks that I could in a single bay for fresh and gray.  Without having to build our own tanks the largest pre-made tanks we could find were 115 gallons from Ronco.  The black tank went in its own bay in the back.  Again - Having a suburban model with 2 extra bays allowed us to do this.

[Seangie]

More Pics .....

[Seangie]

last few pics.... Sorry guys, usually I use tapatalk but I am posting from my laptop today.  One thing to note about the water pump shown in the picture,  I had to rearrange the plumbing as the pump would not pump water when it dropped below the height of the pump.  I put the pump on the floor and have not had problems since. -Sean

[Iceni John]

I think it would be a mistake not to put in a fresh water tank. Some of the best camping spots do not have hook ups. A 24" x 24" x 48" tank will hold 60gal. We have a 130gal fresh water tank and if my wife and I are very careful can go a week with showers and washing dishes. On my truck, I'm using 196gal water tank (two 98gal tanks tied together), 115gal gray water and 69gal black water.

What part of the country are you in? I got my tanks custom made at http://www.ronco-plastics.com/ . By picking up at the factory, I got 50% off catalog price. Good Luck, TomC

Actually a 24 x 24.5 x 48" rectangular tank with 3/8" walls will hold 110 gallons:  http://www.ronco-plastics.com/newRonco/product_details.php?prodID=323   I have two of these, interconnected to keep the weight balanced side-to-side.   Having your own supply of fresh water on board will hugely increase your options  -  why would anyone only want to go where there was a guaranteed supply of fresh water?   Think of all the fun places you could go to that don't have a convenient water spigot!   Plus, if something bad happens (earthquake, tornado, hurricane, etc.), you'll have the means to survive comfortably  -  without water you're screwed.

John

[Beck]

I'm in raleigh, south 30 min

Near gene Lewis

Thks will look at pics tonight when I get home

Thanks

Grant