Fresh Water Tank Help

[rburditt]

hi, here are 2 pics of the original water tank in '65 safari. i believe that the left side of the tank is the outlet which t's off to a drain below. can someone explain how the right side of the tank works and since i'm replacing all of it, what would be the ideal way to do it. i'm guessing the right side is venting somehow, but i don't quite understand it.

thx,
bob

[Diesel1]

The r/side is your sight glass

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by rburditt

hi, here are 2 pics of the original water tank in '65 safari. i believe that the left side of the tank is the outlet which t's off to a drain below. can someone explain how the right side of the tank works and since i'm replacing all of it, what would be the ideal way to do it. i'm guessing the right side is venting somehow, but i don't quite understand it.

thx,
bob

The venting is in the filler neck cap.

We have the tanks and the filler neck caps.

Andy

[dnrtheil]

Your tank looks similar to the one I replaced in my '64. I picked up a new plastic one for $60.00 from a place in Elkhart, IN. If you are interested I can send along the contact info.

Later - Derek

[purman]

Andy has the originals but mine was a 30 gal and I moved up to a 39 gal.... Most new ones do not come with no holes in them..(unless the original ones.) Because of this you will need to find someone who can weld plastic to put in your fill and out holes...or order an original..

[purman]

Also I am putting probes in so I can keep track of my water level... You may want to think about this instead of the old sight glass method....

[rburditt]

2 more questions...how do the probes work and also, i think i understand the sight glass but what is the copper runninig thru the bottom of the floor? i've already torn it out...i should have paid more attention to it...i dont think it connected to anything however???

[purman]

The copper going through the floor was a vent for the sight glass so it would work... The probes, Well there are two different types from what i understand..

My original one went in the top of the tank and measured empty or 1/2 full...... The new ones are little nuts that drill in the side of your tank.. E .. 1/3 .. 2/3.. full So you need four of them and they connect to a mess of wires that then go to a sensor board you buy to show you how full the tank is... I am going to put in a grey tank so I will also hook this up and the black tank.... Any RV dealer will help you with theses...

[rburditt]

If my tank is vented thru the filler neck and i use probes instead of a sight glass then i'm guessing the only holes i'll need (besides the filler and probes) in the tank would be an outlet & drain?

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by rburditt

If my tank is vented thru the filler neck and i use probes instead of a sight glass then i'm guessing the only holes i'll need (besides the filler and probes) in the tank would be an outlet & drain?

Correct.

Probes can easily be added to the tank, but you will have to install a gauge system. Generic gauge systems are available.

Our tanks have all the necessary holes, except for the probes.

Andy
Andy

[purman]

And if your fresh water tank is like mine.. It is gross.. Black stuff in it... The truth is my Black tank looks cleaner inside than my Fresh tank...

The other reason I didn't go with the original tank is, I'm gonna use my old fresh tank as a grey tank.. Its different than yours.. Mine is only 6 inches high 2 ft wide and 50 some inches long so it will fit right under the frame by the axels...( I hope)

[dnrtheil]

Originally Posted by purman

Andy has the originals but mine was a 30 gal and I moved up to a 39 gal.... Most new ones do not come with no holes in them..(unless the original ones.) Because of this you will need to find someone who can weld plastic to put in your fill and out holes...or order an original..

The one I purchased, not from Andy cuz I like to save money, was a sealed translucent plastic tank. It came with fittings that had rubber gaskets on them, once you drill or cut the correct size holes you insert the fitting and tighten it, this makes the rubber gasket expand and hold to the tank. With a sealed tank you can modify the installation to your liking. I did check the website I bought mine and for a 29 gallon +/- 12" x 12" x 48" tank the price is $70.00 with three small fittings and one large fitting.


D

[purman]

Mine new tank is 9" x 22" x54" It can't be higher than 9" because it goes under the front couch.. mine was a lot more $240 but i didn't pay shipping... and its a 39 gal... I will have to fork out another $50 for the plastic welds, but the fittings will go where i want them, and I don't have to worry about rubber gaskets leaking... Although the rubber should be fine... The probes work with the expanding rubber gaskets... So I will have some...

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by dnrtheil

The one I purchased, not from Andy cuz I like to save money, was a sealed translucent plastic tank. It came with fittings that had rubber gaskets on them, once you drill or cut the correct size holes you insert the fitting and tighten it, this makes the rubber gasket expand and hold to the tank. With a sealed tank you can modify the installation to your liking. I did check the website I bought mine and for a 29 gallon +/- 12" x 12" x 48" tank the price is $70.00 with three small fittings and one large fitting.


D

Rubber, being rubber, eventually will harden and shrink.

Then the liquid leaks appear, and hopefully caught in time so that resultant damage is kept to a minimum.

Andy

[dnrtheil]

Nothing lasts forever. Pretty sure everybody knows that. I do not have any hard truth, but I can bet the rubber will last 30 plus years seeing as the water tanks are inside and away from the sunlight. I would also be safe to say the cleanliness of the tank will go bad before the rubber goes bad. If you can keep your fresh water tank clean on the inside for 30 years, the rubber should also be safe.

D

[Inland RV Center, In]

Our shop experience says that typically, the rubber gommet inserts for pipes, etc, last an average of about 5 to 6 years, and then starts leaking.

That's not good for a fresh water tank, not to good for a gray tank, and a health hazard for the black tanks.

Rubber grommets for the probes however, seem to last 20 to 30 years.

Andy

[dnrtheil]

In my opinion some repair shops use low quality parts to keep customers coming back, you surely do not want to go out of business like Revolution RV, in Santee California.


D

[purman]

Hey, be nice guys,,, There are different types of rubber and some do last longer than others Most will start to break down after 5-6 years but some will last a lot longer If not exposed to the sun...

You will not need to drill a drain hole as you can put a tee off of your outlet hose. so you will only need the inlet, outlet, and probe holes...

The probes do use rubber gaskets so I would check them every few years.. They are only a couple of dollars each so to replace one isn't to big a deal.....