Custom water tanks?

eatSleepWoof2

New member
I'm looking to add a water tank in the bed of my Tacoma for drinking/cooking/cleaning water. I'm after a tank that's fairly narrow (say, no more than 12"), not too tall (I have a retractable tonneau that has a roughly 8"-tall drum, resulting in about 11" of free height underneath it), and as wide as possible given my bed's constraints (somewhere in the 42-46" range).

This water tank from FrontRunner is a pretty close fit, but it could definitely be longer, and I want to maximize my use of the space. With this tank being 67L, I'm guesstimating that a custom-sized tank that uses all available space should be in the 80-90L range, which would be just about perfect.

I've got a SeaFlo 12V water pump that I've already used with great success, and will be reusing that with the new setup. For filling up the tank, I'm imagining a short garden-hose extension from the tank to any garden-hose tap. I will have a metal bracket fabricated that will "wrap" the tank and attach to the bed's original D-ring tie-down spots on two sides. If that doesn't prove stable enough, I can always drill into the bed.

Is there anything else I should consider?

Had anyone ordered a custom-sized water tank before? If so, what company did you work with, and were you happy with the results?
 

e60ral

2016 4Runner Trail w/KDSS
I've used terracon solutions in industrial applications, but I don't know if they do anything like you need.

for your application i would contact some metal fabrication companies in your area and look at getting a SS tank built, I bet a rectangular metal tank is less expensive than custom HDPE or plastic
 

eatSleepWoof2

New member
I've used terracon solutions in industrial applications, but I don't know if they do anything like you need.

for your application i would contact some metal fabrication companies in your area and look at getting a SS tank built, I bet a rectangular metal tank is less expensive than custom HDPE or plastic

I hadn't considered SS. Interesting idea. Will explore local possibilities.
 

Robert Bills

Explorer
Try http://www.ronco-plastics.com/. They manufacture a wide range of RV and Marine water tanks, grey water tanks, etc.

For example:

24W (27 gal.) 43" L x 16" W x 10.5" H (the same tank as in the Plastic Mart link above. Plastic Mart price is $279.99 - Ronco Plastics sells direct for $264.01)

RV29W (20 gal.) 35" x 11" x 13"

RV27W (19 gal.) 32" x 12" x 12"

I have a 14 gal. Ronco Plastics tank in my offroad trailer (Model RV37W). I picked mine up from their facility in Tustin CA and they put the fill and drain ports where I needed them for my particular application, which required that the tank be mounted vertically rather than horizontally as was the norm for that particular tank.

The prices have gone up in the 14 years since I bought mine, but so have the prices for nearly everything.
 
Last edited:

krick3tt

Adventurer
We have decided to use water bricks. At $18 each, holding 3.5 gal and portable they weigh less than a full Scepter can and fit behind the seats in the LR just right. Installing a permanent tank in the vehicle does not work for me. Only way I would want a permanent tank is if I could put a round one where the spare tire goes under the vehicle, no one makes one yet. There is a fuel tank that is sold in So Africa for diesel but not available in US.
Did keep Sceptor cans on the roof rack but that weight is in the wrong place for balance.
It is good that many are able to fit tanks in their vehicles. I did once make a tank using 10 inch round ABS pipe for a Tundra with lumber rack mounting to clean up on construction sites when I worked.
 

rayra

Expedition Leader
...Only way I would want a permanent tank is if I could put a round one where the spare tire goes under the vehicle, no one makes one yet. ...

On my Suburban the framed space which the spare winches upward into is a wide open rectangle. Must truck-framed vehicles are that way. IT's only the compact and 'crossover' style SUV that are cramped in that area. It should be a straightforward task to find a poly tank that would fit in that space. Or have a tank made.
 

krick3tt

Adventurer
Land Rovers are configured to fit the spare in that space...it is round. It is not a cross over SUV or a truck framed vehicle. If the space were rectangular it would be a simple task.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
185,527
Messages
2,875,540
Members
224,922
Latest member
Randy Towles
Top