seek underchassis water tanks

Tom J

Why not make your own to the exact size and shape you want? We made all our tanks for a bus conversion out of 1/4" ABS plastic sheet Use food grade (white) for fresh water and regular black for holding tanks. Cut it on a table saw and glued it together, That was back in around 1990 and it is still working well.

George

Pray tell sir, which glue you used for compatibility with potable water?

It has been so long that I can't recall the exact name, however the plastic supply house that you purchase the sheet ABS from would have it available. What you use is a "water type" of cement. I reinforced all seams and them coated them with a "heavy body clear'" cement as additional assurance against leaks. As I said in the earlier post, it has been 18 years and still holding. BTW, I purchased my ABS and supplies from Interstate Plastics in Sacramento but they are in other locations/states as well. If you check the yellow pages underplastics, sheet, etc. you should find suppliers. Another thought. the only "glue" that comes in contact with the water is the heavy body cement and it is completely cured and hard so no problems .

George

It's not really a glue so much as a solvent that dissolves the plastic and allows it to fuse to itself. Because of this, the only issue with water contamination is the solvent itself.

--scott

Thank you Scott. I didn't think of that aspect, but you are right. We used the coach for over ten years, drinking the water out of that tank and the current owners are using it as well, all with no problems. We are both in mid-sevenites and still traveling, full time in a MH so it hasn't shortened our life at all.

A small aside: With all the worry about the "contaminants" in our water, most people are not aware that in many of our major cities, they used lead pipes for water mains. I know that San Francisco os one and I believe that the older parts of LA ha it also. Would not be surprised if the same thing exists in eastern cities. Yet the "Greenies" are so concerned about the lead that is in solder used to connect the copper pipes that seldom comes in contact with the water. As someone once said, "Stupid is as stupid does".

George

Lead pipe is fine if your water is typically alkaline. A nice thick layer of lime soon coats the inside of the pipe and protects the water from even touching the lead. Same goes for solder joints in copper pipe.

The problems come about when the water is slightly acid, and that calcium layer either gets etched away or never has a chance to form. That's why the problems in Washington DC were such serious issues... they changed the water processing slightly which changed the water chemistry, and folks served by lead mains started having elevated lead levels which had never been a problem in the past 80 years those pipes were in use.

--scott