Expeditions West 2004 Tacoma

[HongerVenture]

I'm thinking that if that tank has a longer dimension, it should be oriented running perpendicular to the length of the truck. A side-to-side motion will only be incurred on highly technical trails. Although, arguably that is the worst situation due to the shifting CG from shifting liquids.

I would imagine a half-full tank will cause a larger perceived motion if the length is aligned with the length of the truck. Start/stop and acceleration/deceleration movements will affect the fluid more.

Of course, if the tank is totally full then you won't have this problem at all...
I think the worst effects will result in the 3/4 full to 1/2 full range. Once you get below half full your fluid dynamics will become more turbulent and therefore exert less inertia (that and less mass obviously). Just some rough thoughts from my recollection of fluid dynamics classes.

Still, a "wicked" cool set-up either way.

Joel

 

[Brian McVickers]

Although, arguably that is the worst situation due to the shifting CG from shifting liquids.

I think Scott is on the right track here with mouning the tank lengthwise front to back in the truck. The moving balast will have much less affect on the vehicle when moving lenthwise. Actually I would be surprised if it will ever make a difference at all but in planning you may as well take every precaution you can!
The side to side motion of the balast, if the tank were mounted sideways, would be more detrimental to vehicle trim in offcamber situations and even affect its righting moment once it gets tilted over sideways.

 

[Brian McVickers]

Another thought,
Mounting the tank sideways could also have detrimental affects to the vehicles response time at high speeds on the road. Even in a low CG pickup design like the Taco you would still be fighting the moving balast if you had to swerve since the balast would not move at the same time as the rest of the vehicle.
Probably would not be noticeable unless you were on slick, wet or icy, pavement.

 

[HongerVenture]

I think you're right... the more I've thought about the more I see the shifting CG being worse for side to side situations. While you move backward/forward more often than side/side, it doesn't have nearly the negative impact.

Nevertheless, the real issue is how full/empty the tank is on how much you'll feel it. Scott said something about 200 lbs of water... well even half of that (100lbs) is a lot of weight to be moving around. The size of the container is probably small enough that we are all over-reacting a little anyway.

But what's the fun of building up our rigs if we can't be extremely detail oriented... :victory:

 

[Scott Brady]

Those are my overall thoughts as well. I am more concerned about side-to-side issues than front to back. I will also benefit from a loading perspective, as the stock fuel tank is on the drivers side (along with the heavier occupant), so it should help balance things out.

I do expect that at half tank I will notice the movement (124 lbs.)

Thanks so much for the feedback guys!

 

[bluerunner]

Happy Birthday! :clapsmile

 

[Scott Brady]

Happy Birthday! :clapsmile

Thanks ... Steph got me a video Ipod, so I am pretty geeked!

 

[flyingwil]

Thanks ... Steph got me a video Ipod, so I am pretty geeked!

Thoose are pretty sweet! Congrats! My buddy at work has one and he is able to record shows and movies on his Tivo or DVR thingy and transfer them to his iPod. He then hooks it up at work, and uses one of the monitors at work to play all his stuff during the night shift. (Each computer has 3 monitors at work.) So there definately is some options out there for that nice drop down screen you got there! Perhaps campside movies?

 

[Desertdude]

Thanks ... Steph got me a video Ipod, so I am pretty geeked!

welcome to the club!

and a nod to Steph for the fine choice in electronics

 

[datrupr]

Yes, happy belated Scott. Sorry, I hve been very busy lately and have been away from the boards.

 

[The BN Guy]

Happy Belated Birthday Scott!

:archaeolo

 

[Suty]

Happy Birthday to Ya Scott. May all your Breaks be Right ,so you'll be Left. Tu Compadre, Suty

 

[Scott Brady]

Thanks so much all

The real xmas/birthday celebration starts on the 26th :suning:

 

[Scott Brady]

The last major system install

The final system modification is in process. It involves removing the entire tent system and installing a Wise Industries BedRug. With the rug installed, I will mount the 30 gallon water tank, water heater, pressure pump and all of the hoses and fittings. This final effort also includes running all of the final electronics systems, like the solar panels, inverter, wiring to the platform 12v and 120v outlets and wiring of the battery charger for using an RV hook-up.

The first step was to remove the tent and the tent platform.

Warning: Naked Expeditions West Taco :elkgrin:

Then I assembled the BedRug, which is a simple process of zipping the side panel to the floor panel. Al Walter's recommendation went a long way towards choosing this solution. His BedRug has seen two years of hard use and shows little sign of wear.

The BedRug is an ultra quality unit, and is built to QS9000 quality standards. This picture shows the molded injection foam floor panel. The molded section conforms to the trucks floor, providing a smooth and cushioned surface.

This shows the BedRug installed, but without final Velcro attachments.

The main reason for getting the BedRug was because of its protection properties for gear and equipment. The high dollar StormCase's wont get scratched and the rug makes for a great cushioned foundation for the water tank. Since the area below the deck is secured and weather resistant, this makes for a nice insulated and cushioned environment.

 

[BajaTaco]

Until you showed me the other day, I hadn't seen the underside of a bedrug before - I was impressed. It looks really high quality. I think it will go a long way on eliminating friction/vibration-wear and improving noise levels and insulation of all of your cargo/water components.