Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 08-08-2011, 07:19 PM   #1
Airstream Fanatic
 
ND10CentCan's Avatar
 
1976 31' Sovereign
1959 17' Pacer
1965 26' Overlander
Bismarck , North Dakota
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,035
Images: 9
Tanks to order and from where?

Husband dearest is willing to just put the old crusty tanks back in unless I can discover the replacement sizes and source to order from so I am going to do what works best, ask the nice folks here. He said he checked our repair manual for the 1976 31' Sovereign rear bathroom model but it didn't say the sizes for the tanks. He is willing to do some measuring to make sure we get the right ones but I am not sure where to start.

We will need the gray, fresh, and black tanks so we are sure they are good to go for our lifetime. Steel and axles are supposed to be here on Friday but I will not hold my breath on those just yet. Seems as if nothing has gone according to plan but it is moving forward which is great.

Thanks for any help anyone can give me.
Sandy
ND10CentCan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2011, 09:14 PM   #2
Rivet Master
 
Ganglin's Avatar
 
1971 27' Overlander
Central , Ohio
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,365
Images: 13
You can buy tanks several places. Do a Google search for RV holding tanks.

A couple places that come to mind quickly:

RV TANKS

Plastic-Mart - Rectangular Water & Waste Tanks

Probably the best bet for an easy fit:

Inland RV Center Inc.
Ganglin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2011, 09:26 PM   #3
Rivet Master
 
Sugarfoot's Avatar
 
1958 22' Flying Cloud
1956 30' Sovereign of the Road
1963 16' Bambi
Southeastern Area , Tennessee
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,116
Ganglin's first link (RV TANKS) is to Inca Plastics. I know for certain they were the supplier for some of Airstream's holding tanks as far back as the 60's.
__________________
Traveling With Elvis
life with a 1956 Sovereign of the Road
Sugarfoot is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2011, 09:52 PM   #4
Moderator Emeritus
 
overlander64's Avatar
 
1964 26' Overlander
1978 Argosy Minuet 6.0 Metre
Anna , Illinois
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 5,705
Images: 194
Send a message via Yahoo to overlander64
Tanks to order and from where?

While I can't say for certain, you may be able to order the tanks your coach needs direct from Airstream through your dealer or service center. It never ceases to amaze me the number of parts that Ace Fogdall RV has been able to get for my '64 Overlander from Airstream. I know that Airstream was the source for my new fresh water tank, and my new black water tank came from Inland RV . . . . both were direct fit replacements requiring very minimal tweaking to make them travel ready.

Good luck with your investigation!

Kevin
__________________
Kevin D. Allen
WBCCI (Lifetime Member)/VAC #7864
AIR #827
1964 Overlander International
1978 Argosy Minuet 6.0 Metre
overlander64 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-14-2011, 07:43 AM   #5
Tool Hoarder
 
Currently Looking...
West , California
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 907
Images: 3
I ordered my tanks from Ronco I really like them
marzboy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-15-2011, 02:21 PM   #6
Airstream Fanatic
 
ND10CentCan's Avatar
 
1976 31' Sovereign
1959 17' Pacer
1965 26' Overlander
Bismarck , North Dakota
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,035
Images: 9
Finally bit the bullet today and ordered all of the tanks from Inland RV. I didn't want us to have to struggle with any retrofitting after the total hassle the frame has been. Two tanks should be here in a week or so and the other one is being made once they get the mold finished. Good thing is that we should be good for tanks for the next 40 years and so those worries are over....hopefully.

We probably could have used the old tanks but I didn't want any surprises down the road and I didn't want to develop a leak and have to tear into the floor after all that we have had to go through on this project so far. So I am not sure what to do with the old ones...birdbaths? beer vats? dog hair collection units? nuclear waste? Open to suggestions here.
Sandy
ND10CentCan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-01-2011, 04:12 PM   #7
Airstream Fanatic
 
ND10CentCan's Avatar
 
1976 31' Sovereign
1959 17' Pacer
1965 26' Overlander
Bismarck , North Dakota
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,035
Images: 9
Next question....how to make this work.

We were trying to fit the tanks up into the frame today to double check that we got the right ones and they all fit within the space on the frame but the fresh water tank is different than the original one. The original one is almost a small square within a larger square. This internal square area is there to allow for a plate to come up from underneath and help support the tank.

Problem is that the new replacement fresh water tank is a square with no internal square so I am not sure how that goes on now. The new tank has a long rib down the center but no holes to pull it up like the original. Anyone with any ideas on how this might work? Are we missing something here?
Sandy
ND10CentCan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-02-2011, 12:59 PM   #8
Airstream Fanatic
 
ND10CentCan's Avatar
 
1976 31' Sovereign
1959 17' Pacer
1965 26' Overlander
Bismarck , North Dakota
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,035
Images: 9
Picture of old fresh water tank from 1976 Sovereign

Here is the old tank with the square within a square design so hopefully someone can tell me what to do to put a new one up that doesn't have that center square on it.
Sandy
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	Late Summer 2011 102.jpg
Views:	157
Size:	362.6 KB
ID:	141445  
ND10CentCan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-02-2011, 01:12 PM   #9
x
 
XXXX , XXXX
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,601
Sandy does you new tank look like this?
Click image for larger version

Name:	Painted & Ready New Frame 003.jpg
Views:	371
Size:	171.6 KB
ID:	141448

If so the tank actually just sits on top of a one inch thick piece of plywood. The plywood slides in from the front of the trailer into pieces of angle iron that are welded to the bottom of the main frame rails. There is also another piece of angle iron across the rear of the fresh water tank area. It supports the plywood at the back. A fourth piece of angle iron across the front of the fresh water area completes the box frame to support the plywood that the tank sits on. The front piece is bolted to the two side pieces.
wasagachris is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-02-2011, 06:13 PM   #10
Airstream Fanatic
 
ND10CentCan's Avatar
 
1976 31' Sovereign
1959 17' Pacer
1965 26' Overlander
Bismarck , North Dakota
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,035
Images: 9
Gadzooks..that's it!

Quote:
Originally Posted by wasagachris View Post
Sandy does you new tank look like this?
Attachment 141448

If so the tank actually just sits on top of a one inch thick piece of plywood. The plywood slides in from the front of the trailer into pieces of angle iron that are welded to the bottom of the main frame rails. There is also another piece of angle iron across the rear of the fresh water tank area. It supports the plywood at the back. A fourth piece of angle iron across the front of the fresh water area completes the box frame to support the plywood that the tank sits on. The front piece is bolted to the two side pieces.
My word, you have it there. The old one was quite a bit different and he welded up the frame exactly like the old one. I guess he is going to have to do some retrofitting but at least now we know how it goes up there. Thanks for that info. Are you getting ready for your big adventure?
Sandy
ND10CentCan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-02-2011, 06:25 PM   #11
x
 
XXXX , XXXX
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,601
Sandy I called it angle iron. I think the correct term is Z angle. The top of the Z is welded to the bottom of the main frame rail. The vertical section of the Z is straight up and down. The bottom leg of the Z is what the plywood sits on. The plywood in mine was 1" thick. I don't think you can get 1" thick anymore so you may have to laminate ( glue) two 1/2" Pieces together. It has to be that thick to support the weight of a full tank of water. The bottom of the plywood that is exposed to the road is skinned with a piece of aluminum and once installed the edges are sealed to the Z angle with vulkem. This makes the plywood watertight.

Yes I am getting ready for the recovery mission. D-day is 19 days and counting.
wasagachris is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-02-2011, 06:39 PM   #12
Rivet Master
Airstream Dealer
 
Inland RV Center, In's Avatar
 
Corona , California
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 16,497
Images: 1
Quote:
Originally Posted by ND10CentCan View Post
Here is the old tank with the square within a square design so hopefully someone can tell me what to do to put a new one up that doesn't have that center square on it.
Sandy
That old tank is obsolete.

An after market tank is available that combines several years of minor designs into one tank.

Andy
__________________
Andy Rogozinski
Inland RV Center
Corona, CA
Inland RV Center, In is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-03-2011, 07:26 PM   #13
Airstream Fanatic
 
ND10CentCan's Avatar
 
1976 31' Sovereign
1959 17' Pacer
1965 26' Overlander
Bismarck , North Dakota
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,035
Images: 9
Z angle...wow, I learn something new every day

Quote:
Originally Posted by wasagachris View Post
Sandy I called it angle iron. I think the correct term is Z angle. The top of the Z is welded to the bottom of the main frame rail. The vertical section of the Z is straight up and down. The bottom leg of the Z is what the plywood sits on. The plywood in mine was 1" thick. I don't think you can get 1" thick anymore so you may have to laminate ( glue) two 1/2" Pieces together. It has to be that thick to support the weight of a full tank of water. The bottom of the plywood that is exposed to the road is skinned with a piece of aluminum and once installed the edges are sealed to the Z angle with vulkem. This makes the plywood watertight.

Yes I am getting ready for the recovery mission. D-day is 19 days and counting.
Thanks for that detailed information. I will share it with the boss when he comes in from working on the Albatross. He has to do some modifications to the frame because he made it just like the original. Minor hiccup I say in the grand scheme of things.

Where do you get z angle from? Maybe everyone else knows this and I don't.....learn something new every day.

Weather is beautiful here right now and hopefully will continue through the time you arrive. Big adventure you are undertaking and lots of miles to cover. Be prepared for lots of AS questions when you arrive...I will let you get out of your vehicle first though
Sandy
ND10CentCan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-03-2011, 08:00 PM   #14
x
 
XXXX , XXXX
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,601
Sandy I had mine made up by a friend but I'm sure you can get it from the same place you got the rst of your steel.
I can get you some dimensions of the Z angle frame if needed and some detailed pics too.
Please send some of that nice weather here. It's been cold and rainy here for days now. Far too soon for this kind of weather.
wasagachris is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-04-2011, 08:53 PM   #15
Airstream Fanatic
 
ND10CentCan's Avatar
 
1976 31' Sovereign
1959 17' Pacer
1965 26' Overlander
Bismarck , North Dakota
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,035
Images: 9
Sending the sun and warm weather and a thanks

Quote:
Originally Posted by wasagachris View Post
Sandy I had mine made up by a friend but I'm sure you can get it from the same place you got the rst of your steel.
I can get you some dimensions of the Z angle frame if needed and some detailed pics too.
Please send some of that nice weather here. It's been cold and rainy here for days now. Far too soon for this kind of weather.
Thanks Chris. I will tell him about the angle iron and see where it goes. This is going to be so much simpler when you can show up in person and give us a good review of the next steps to take on this project.

It was about 80 here today and almost 90 yesterday so I boxed that up and am sending it your way.
Sandy
ND10CentCan is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Airstream, Inc. or any of its affiliates. Airstream is a registered trademark of Airstream Inc. All rights reserved. Airstream trademark used under license to Social Knowledge LLC.



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:54 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.