Going to the welder

[A-Merry-Can]

Originally Posted by Bobolo

hey bobolo,

i'm joining this thread a little late, but i'm at the same point you are, sort of. this weekend, i plan on putting the black and grey watrer tanks in the same locations as you have in your diagram, with one exception, i have been thinking about putting the black water tank below the floor as well (not sure if that's better or worse, just seems cleaner). when i got my trailer, it was COMPLETELY gutted of all plumbing, so i too am a bit confused of how to connect the tanks, what special fittings are needed, etc. have you made any progress since the last post? i would be interested in seeing pictures, etc of how you ran everything.

jordan

[uwe]

I have installed fresh, grey and black tanks in my 1963 Overlander.
this is a larger trailer, but I believe that my method can be duplicated on smaller units as well.
Read here: http://www.airforums.com/forum...7&page=4&pp=25

Credit goes to Airstream's original designs. I inspected closely the installation of the tanks on my 1971 Tradewind, and more or less duplicated the factory effort, with a few twists for extra capacity. A fresh tank under teh floor is in no way a problem, all later model Airstreams have the frsh tanks sub-floor. It's nice to have a lower center of gravity. The modern water pumps have absolutely no problem with a 6" elevation.

[A-Merry-Can]

Originally Posted by uwe

I have installed fresh, grey and black tanks in my 1963 Overlander...

i've browsed your thread a time or two, uwe! the sub-floor tank installation you did is what got me planning on redoing the plumbing in mine, in fact. great job, by the way. my 59 was only equipped with a black water tank, installed, i BELIEVE below floor level, but i can't be 100% certain. i really wish mine had been together so i could see how all the parts and pieces fit.

here is the tank i've been looking at:
http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/r...ding-tanks.htm

this size seems to be about perfect for my frame. if i did a fresh tank below the frame, i would need a tank about this exact size. i guess there's no reason i couldn't use this tank as a fresh water, as all of the fresh tanks sold seem to be larger square shapes. (i'm still a little undecided on this, actually... above floor seems to be the easiest way to keep the water from freezing).

anyway, i have a few Qs on the black and grey tanks. i think i read on your post that i would need to put a trap on the shower and sink drains before they go into the grey tanks, and i assume it would need a vent to the outside, like a typical septic tank? the pics in the link above do make things a lot clearer for me on the way the tanks connect upon exit. my questions are mainly on the input. i think i read that your black water tank was below the floor? does the toilet dump directly into the black tank, or does it ned some sort of trap, like the shower? also, speaking of that connection, do you know how far the drain needs to be from the wall? (again, if my trailer was complete, i would have something to go by!) finally, one more about venting, can i vent the black and grey water tanks through a common roof vent, or do they need to be seperate?

thanks for any advice! this is my first trailer, if you couldn't tell!

jordan

[uwe]

Originally Posted by A-Merry-Can

this size seems to be about perfect for my frame. if i did a fresh tank below the frame, i would need a tank about this exact size. i guess there's no reason i couldn't use this tank as a fresh water, as all of the fresh tanks sold seem to be larger square shapes. (i'm still a little undecided on this, actually... above floor seems to be the easiest way to keep the water from freezing).

If freezing is an issue, then you need to make provisions to either heat the tanks in the winter, or insulate them from the cold. I don't have this problem where I camp, and when it's freezing outside, the last thing I want to do is camp....

Originally Posted by A-Merry-Can

anyway, i have a few Qs on the black and grey tanks. i think i read on your post that i would need to put a trap on the shower and sink drains before they go into the grey tanks, and i assume it would need a vent to the outside, like a typical septic tank? the pics in the link above do make things a lot clearer for me on the way the tanks connect upon exit. my questions are mainly on the input. i think i read that your black water tank was below the floor? does the toilet dump directly into the black tank, or does it ned some sort of trap, like the shower? also, speaking of that connection, do you know how far the drain needs to be from the wall? (again, if my trailer was complete, i would have something to go by!) finally, one more about venting, can i vent the black and grey water tanks through a common roof vent, or do they need to be seperate?

thanks for any advice! this is my first trailer, if you couldn't tell!

jordan

Jordan,

My black tank is above the floor, and yes, the toilet typically dumps right into the tank, no P-trap is used. The RV toilets have a slide valve to block off undesirable odors and vistas.
You will need a P-trap for the shower, and galley sink. You can fill the grey tank from the bottom, right by the drain, but you need to make sure to have a decent vent system. Black and grey are always separate, probably by code, but I'm not sure. Kitchen sink drain and vent can be the same, if you tee it off and go tank one side, vent the other side. Inside a closet is always a good way to run a vent to the roof.
I would recommend you take a close look at what you have, as far as existing holes in the skin, then design a floor plan, and then lay out the tank plumbing. Unfortunately, I am unfamiliar with your type of Airstream, so I can't give you much help there.

My 1963 has 2 streetside vents, one for the kitchen drain, and one for the black tank. There is one vent hole curbside rear, for the shower drain.
I am using both drains and vents as combo drain/vent. My shower drains into the grey tank curbside, and vents through a future closet. The galley drain vents above the kitchen, and then a drain line runs into the grey tank streetside, under the bed. The fresh tank is under the floor in front of the front axle. You can see some of the installation and pictures of the tanks in my 63 thread, as you know. I decided to have custom tanks made, becasue I did not want anything to stick down lower than about 2in from the frame.
I am going to have to take some pictures of teh finished belly, with the tanks in place. It looks and functions like a factory installation. Also, by design, my exterior dump valve system is very compact, no long pipe runs on the exterior. See, it is easily possible to do a clean and functional tank conversion, if you just plan it right. But there's more to it than just the tank location. As I mentioned, the entire layout has to be considered. Feel free to ask if you have any specific questions.