What is this???

[Sirwalshalot]

I have no idea what this is, other than some sort of LP tank ( I think). It is not hooked up to anything. I'm doing a complete renovation and would like to remove this but I have no idea what it is.

Thanks!

[OTRA15]

Not propane IMO, as it does not appear to be a pressure tank, and the line coming into the right end (rotating picture mentally clockwise 90 degrees).

Is that a cutout under the tank for some aluminum panning under the trailer? And isnt that a drain plug in the the lower part in the middle? Is there a separate smaller access door so one could drain the tank from under the trailer? Or what about that smaller pipe at the left end, does that lead to the exterior where you can see it, as maybe the drain for the tank?

Then look on the far wall -- the front/back of the trailer? -- to the right of the black rectangular shape on the lower part of the wall -- isn't there a vertical galvanized pipe which could have received waste water from a sink? Or is that grey "pipe" attached to the rectangular box further to the right.

If you post some close-up shots you might get some more informed answers. Also, was this trailer parked somewhere as basically an aluminum cottage? What functions did it perform?

What year and model is this trailer?

Curious . . .

[Alcoa Roller]

Looks like the factory boys left their Kirby in the belly pan. If I were guessing I would say water tank.

[centennialman]

It looks like one of the old pressure water tanks.

[drboyd]

I'm gonna make a complete fool of myself and suggest that it could be a vacuum reservoir if you have dsc brakes.

[dwightdi]

I agree with Dr Boyd. My 77 came with power disc brakes and got vacuum from the truck. It had an accumulator to make the brakes work if the truck was not producing a vacuum at that moment. I changed back to electric drums and abandon the tank, after the calibers experience weld failures.

[Thalweg]

I'm wondering if it could be a compressed air tank. Possibly for a compressed air water pressurizing system. Since it looks like it sets lower than the normal belly pan, I don't think it was from the factory.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by dwightdi

I agree with Dr Boyd. My 77 came with power disc brakes and got vacuum from the truck. It had an accumulator to make the brakes work if the truck was not producing a vacuum at that moment. I changed back to electric drums and abandon the tank, after the calibers experience weld failures.

Was your accumulator this big, and did it also stick down below the trailer framing? In the 1990's I almost bought an AS which had vacuum-powered brakes, and my recollection is that they were designed like truck brakes -- to activate in the absence of the vacuum, in a fail-safe mode. Large springs pulled the brake shoes onto the wheel drums, and the brake cylinders driven by vacuum forced the brake shoes away from the drums.

The pipe going into the right end of the tank seems too large for a vacuum-based system IMO.

[drboyd]

Well, I guess we could go off the deep end here and suggest tracing the hose to see what the other end was hooked up to....

[OTRA15]

Just curious, how large was your vacuum accumulator? I never got to see the one in the trailer I was thinking of buying. Thanks.

[Sirwalshalot]

You guys are correct. This is for the old trailer brake system. I found an old dirty tag that said "trailer brake release".

Thanks for helping me figure this out!

Ryan