1960 Tradewind water tank

[CAPEHORN31]

What is the best method to clean the inside of the aluminum fresh water tank. It has not been used in 15 years.
Thanks,
Terry

[Fyrzowt]

Hmm, I don't know. My '72 tank is plastic. It seems that a good flush, followed by a bleach solution, then another fresh water flush would be the way I would go.

You should get some more suggestions tomorrow.
Dave

[scottanlily]

Hello Terry ,

you will want to see inside that tank to do a good inspection. Go in thru the fill pipe ,unscrew the outside hosebib cap ,probably very tight and look in with a light such as a small maglight to see if there is any corrosion .It will
look like sand kinda in the bottom .also a borascope type automotive tool
can allow you to see further inside .I found this tool to be a great asset to
my automotive diagnostic tools.Our tank was corroded at the bottom and had
pinholes in it also,so in the recycling scrap yard it went.I had a new stainless
steel tank custom built to replace it ,12" diameter by 55" in length a little bit
larger in the diameter and some refitting to the base mounts .now many will
say to go to an on demand pump and plastic tank and thats good as well .I
like the original pressure setup (no pump cycling in the middle of the night ,or
anything ),but it is antique .If your tank is good (may be ok) no corrosion
in it at all ,aluminum corrosion is not good for your health ,then fill and drain
the tank thru the outer fill .bleach has been used as well ,but there is a procedure for that ,and dilution and complete rinsing is important ,others
should be able to elaborate on the procedure to do that .Fyrzowt probably
has the info on the bleaching solution.Thats about all you can do ,the corrosion business is what will be the big issue to check out .If you do retain the tank and there is some corrosion ,use bottled water for drinking .the crap
in my tank had clogged all the faucets at the screens and got into the fittings also .you cannot use the pressure system with the plastic tank but
again ,you would not need to with the new style water pump.

Scott of scottanlily

[markdoane]

The factory recommendation is bicarbonate of soda and several gallons of water, allowed to stand for several hours, flush until water is clear.

[rickandsandi]

Originally Posted by CAPEHORN31

What is the best method to clean the inside of the aluminum fresh water tank. It has not been used in 15 years.
Thanks,
Terry

Terry- Great question. I haven't yet seen my fresh water tank and I beleive the PO actually moved it from the front. Right now the TW it is having a new axel and tongue installed. I was personally thinking of either replacing it or using a good gin to steralize it. Are you going to keep the system a pressurized one of replace the pump? From what I have seen in photos the plumbing will be a complete redbuild for me so I am looking forward to the challenge.

[safari57]

I took my aluminum tank out of my '51 FC and was pretty disgusted with how it looked inside. I've been doing the soda treatment, as well as bleach and then vinegar per the various instructions that suggest this is the way to clean them.

I'm glad I pulled it. If I'd of had a clue at how scuzzy it was up front it would have been out of there right after I bought the trailer. Sadly no one knows what's been tossed into the water tanks as the trailers sit on driveways and fields for years and years. I'm not sure what cleaning process to use for a tank that's been sitting for such a long time, perhaps some kind of steam cleaning? Whatever, I'm just a happy camper that I'm moving into a new, and much larger, polyethylene tank. If my wife ever sees what the old tank looked like inside I'll be dead meat in a heartbeat.

Barry