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pvc pipe water tanks

PostPosted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 10:05 pm
by Grid Runner Adventures
with water weight moving in an unbaffled water tank such as a pvc pipe water tank strung underneath the camper. logic states it's wise to suspend it the length of the trailer instead of the width so it has no chance to throw its weight around.

but mounting it width wise would look nice and abit more hidden. what are your thoughts on this.

in a 4 inch pipe would the water have enough weight to throw around? if you have enough pipe for say 5 or 10 gallons at the lowest point of the trailer.

PostPosted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 10:18 pm
by tinksdad
4" pipe 48" long will hold 2.6 gallons with a water weight of 20.8 pounds.

60" long pipe will hold 3.2 gallons with a water weight of 26.1 pounds.

If they are completely full, there is no room for slosh.

Half full would be about the same as a bowling ball rolling side to side.

PostPosted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 10:24 pm
by Grid Runner Adventures
so i could mount em sideways and make sure they are full on departure and end of camping trip drain em.

PostPosted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 10:30 pm
by starleen2

PostPosted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 8:24 am
by 48Rob
so i could mount em sideways and make sure they are full on departure and end of camping trip drain em.


Yes, you could, but keep in mind that to completely fill it/them, the fill opening needs to be higher than the end of the pipe on the other side of the trailer.
It is easier to run it front to back, with the fill in front and the drain in the rear, so filling is easy using the tongue jack, and simply pulling the plug after hooking the trailer to your car/truck will allow it to drain.

If an axle is in the way, a diagonal mount will still take advantage of the tongue jack.

All in all, unless you use a lot of big pipe, the weight isn't likely to cause you any ill effect no matter which direction you mount it, ease of filling and draining is of more importance.

Rob

PostPosted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 8:36 am
by Grid Runner Adventures
the other thing i was thinking of playing around with is a closed tank system no air breather. instead once the fill port is capped it is preasurised with a 12v air pump to force the liquid up to two header tanks. one cold one hot. the hot one is heated by these solar water heaters that i build. im invisioning two pvc pipe tanks in the upper top most part of the camper behind the top cabinets. then gravity feed down to the sink/shower