Are pans required for holding tanks?

[kkortum]

Hello everyone,

I am new to the forum, to RV'ing, Airstreams and renovations. I know, that probably has a bunch of you asking what I'm doing here and I should stop now. Please know that just isn't going to happen, so don't bother. Just suffice it to say that I consider myself very handy and love to build so this is an exciting project.

After renovating our home, my wife and decided to take on a 1970 Sovereign Land Yacht, 31-ft.

We have completed demo of interior and sub-floor. Frame is in fantastic shape. We decided to make some mods to the floor plan and change to a side bath.

I just can't find any info on whether or not I'm required to have a pan for the black water tank?

The original had one, but I don't know if that's just how they designed the mount of if it was intended as a secondary containment should anything happen the the tank.

[woodfox45]

The pans support the tanks and protect it at least on my last 2 Airstreams they did .

[J. Morgan]

I put no pans under my tanks. Someday I will finish closing them in...


Superat stultitia.

[TheGreatleys]

Yes the black tank requires some sort of pan. It's not for secondary containment. It's to support the relatively thin plastic tank wall under the weight of its heavy liquid contents. It doesn't have to be galvanized steel, and doesn't need to go up the sides. It just needs to fully support the bottom of the tank. Plywood is a good choice. You might also build in some provision to prevent the tank from shifting while full and underway.

[JCWDCW]

The pans seem to do two things...at least for the water tank; not sure if there is Styrofoam around the holding tanks.

The pan supports the tanks which are as noted quite flimsy(unless you used after market molded Polyethylene). The Styrofoam cushions the tanks so the supports don't grind away at the plastic, and it provides some measure of insulation. The pan also protects against rocks and the occasional grounding in rutted sites.
I would be installing a pan.
JCW

[TheGreatleys]

JCWDCW makes a good point about insulation. On my 74, the furnace was ducted into the holding tank area, and each tank sat on a plastic pan that allowed air to flow around the tank. That pan sat on top of styrofoam, on top of plywood, inside a galvanized box. Since I eliminated the furnace and am using electric tank heaters, my gray tank is now encased in a layer of reflectix, sitting on a layer of rigid foam insulation, sitting on a sheet of plywood, and encased around the sides with canned spray foam.

Depending on how you plan to use your trailer, tank heaters and excessive insulation may or may not be necessary. I wanted the option to live through an extended freeze and still use my plumbing.

[kkortum]

Wow! Thank you everyone for the great info. I bought 2 aftermarket icon tanks to use. One for gray and one for black. The plan is Toni stall them just behind the axles. I'm still working out some of the DWV routing for the kitchen, shower and bath to gray tank but I think I can make it work.

Here's another related question - what's your opinion of the hepVO waterless "p-traps"? And do the tanks need to be vented if I'm using them?

[rugjenkins]

Hepvo is the way to go! No fussing with p-traps it low water to keep out odors and they save lots of space. Yes you still need to vent the tanks- you still have to empty them😄

[kkortum]

Originally Posted by rugjenkins

Hepvo is the way to go! No fussing with p-traps it low water to keep out odors and they save lots of space. Yes you still need to vent the tanks- you still have to empty them😄

Haha! Good point. Didn't think about that whole emptying the tank thing. Oops.

Thanks!