Has anyone actually built a water storage system out of 6" PVC pipe? If so, how did it work and have any pictures? I am thinking about how I can make 20 or 30 gallons worth of water storage and I saw a few posts about possibly using 6" PVC and coupling them together to get the desired capacity.
anyone use 6" PVC pipe as water storage tanks
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Neat idea. Low profile if you wanted to stick it on a roof rack which in turns opens the possibility for a gravity feed system. Might be a little heavy, not sure how thin you can get the pipe walls.
Opens the possibility of mounting under the rig either in the spare location or next to the frame.
Better break out the geometry books to figure out how much 5" ID pipe it takes to contain 30 gallons of H2O.
Opens the possibility of mounting under the rig either in the spare location or next to the frame.
Better break out the geometry books to figure out how much 5" ID pipe it takes to contain 30 gallons of H2O.
I had a Tacoma with one of those lumber racks, for which I built a shower that ran the length of the rack, made of 6" ABS. One end was capped, the other end was capped, but with a tap and ball valve drilled in to the cap before putting it on. Just before the tapped cap, I used a joint with a 2" pipe extension as an inlet valve. I don't have any photos, but I did a quickie diagram for you:
For a little over 5' of pipe, I remember I got a little less than 5 gallons. I primarily used it as an after-surf shower, and as such, it worked great. Only problems were:
--Water pressure fizzled quickly, unless parked with valve facing downhill
--Had to be left open to dry, because it would not empty out completely
--Inlet valve had to be tightly secured on bumpy tracks, or water sloshing would send the cap sky high, along with the water itself
If I had to do it over again, I'd use a slightly wider pipe, and make it vertical. It worked well, and was easy to make. Construction time was a little under an hour, and cost (if I remember correctly) around $15 at Home Depot in the late '90s.
Items were:
5' of ABS plastic
2 end caps
1 "t" joint with 2" pipe
1 x 7/8" ball valve
ABS glue
plumbers tape
I fastened it to the rack using those metal rings that have screws to tighten them.
Good luck.
For a little over 5' of pipe, I remember I got a little less than 5 gallons. I primarily used it as an after-surf shower, and as such, it worked great. Only problems were:
--Water pressure fizzled quickly, unless parked with valve facing downhill
--Had to be left open to dry, because it would not empty out completely
--Inlet valve had to be tightly secured on bumpy tracks, or water sloshing would send the cap sky high, along with the water itself
If I had to do it over again, I'd use a slightly wider pipe, and make it vertical. It worked well, and was easy to make. Construction time was a little under an hour, and cost (if I remember correctly) around $15 at Home Depot in the late '90s.
Items were:
5' of ABS plastic
2 end caps
1 "t" joint with 2" pipe
1 x 7/8" ball valve
ABS glue
plumbers tape
I fastened it to the rack using those metal rings that have screws to tighten them.
Good luck.
what about a setup that you could tilt the one end up when parked to get a better pressure? i think it's a great idea, has anybody ever tried heating water up?
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Panzer said:
OK 10 foot of 6" PVC pipe seperated into two 5 foot sections mounted on each side of the trailer (that is what this is for) will produce 18.7 gallons of water at 114 lbs. so 30 gallons will be 15 foot (a little less than 30 galls)
I was thinking about NPT tire fillers for pressuring the system with a low 20lbs cut off switch and a little cheap compressor. HAve that all attached to a hose that hangs over the sink with a regular control valve.
metalonmetal said:
The black ABS kept the water pretty warm, but much like the solar showers, it produced scalding hot water in the summertime, and slightly less than freezing water in the winter. Of course, I live in So Cal, so on any sunny day, the water would warm up at least some. ABS is not a great insulator either.
If I had had a shell, I would have tilted the setup over the wheel wells, feeding down to the valve at the tailgate, and plumbed the top end for the inlet valve. Not only would that have left more room for additional pipe, but would have created satisfactory pressure, and as the water ran out, a lower center of gravity. I may do something similar for the back of my FZJ80 as well, but fastened to a drawer system and feeding down to a spigot at the rear of the tailgate.
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philos1 said:
I believe the "drinking safe" water hoses you buy at the home stores are lined with a PVC material?? I could be wrong though.
The pvc for drinking water would be fine, most new homes use pvc for the water systems. As for mold, just throw a lil clorox for a bit and flush after using it or sitting a while. You could also throw a small amount of chlorine in there like a pool and that would help with any growth in it. I'm going to do the same thing, but set some where on the bottom near the frame and use a lil RV style kitchen 12V pump to get the pressure needed to use a small hose for rinsing off after surfing or dishes while camping. You could make two tanks and use a hose of some sort to connect the two. Just connect them on the bottoms!!! Also you could make a garden hose fitting on top and run a piece of garden hose up high somewhere so its easy to fill the tanks. Also on the cap of the fill hose, put a small hole in it so when the pump starts pumping air can fill in as the water pumps out or the pump will just bog down after a while if the tank is air tight.
Now its just finding a spot out of the way to mount a couple of tanks to atleast give me 5 gallons of water. Send pics if you have already done it.
Also you could wire up a switch next to the shower head thats water proof from a marine shop and just zip tie the wires along the hose with the shower head so you have a switch right there at your hands. You could also get a smaller size pvc pipe with a screw end and mount it to store the hose when driving. Paint it all black and its semi-stealth!!!!!
I have yet to do this, but I already have the pump and the ideas in my head.
Now its just finding a spot out of the way to mount a couple of tanks to atleast give me 5 gallons of water. Send pics if you have already done it.
Also you could wire up a switch next to the shower head thats water proof from a marine shop and just zip tie the wires along the hose with the shower head so you have a switch right there at your hands. You could also get a smaller size pvc pipe with a screw end and mount it to store the hose when driving. Paint it all black and its semi-stealth!!!!!
I have yet to do this, but I already have the pump and the ideas in my head.
One more thing --- keep the pvc away from the exhaust or it may melt and crack.
U could use a momentary switch as well so you have to hold the botton while showering and it stops when you release the button.
U could use a momentary switch as well so you have to hold the botton while showering and it stops when you release the button.
be very careful using air preasure on pvc...it can explode violently if not full of water and PSI gets too high. Don't ask how I know...just trust me that it can compound fracture leg bones 
Taz said:be very careful using air preasure on pvc...it can explode violently if not full of water and PSI gets too high. Don't ask how I know...just trust me that it can compound fracture leg bones
Schd 40 PVC pipe should be good for over 125 PSI.... On board air should be requlated so you don't go over that amount.
Thats a great idea
This is a great idea, I hadn't even thought of using something this simple. This creates a lot of custom applications. I like the idea of multiple sections of pipe vs. a non baffled box under the trailer.
Keep the ideas coming this is great!
Rezarf <><
Keep the ideas coming this is great!
Rezarf <><
PVC in not UV resistant.. I will become brittle later in is life..pressure then BOOM
I considered using some PVC pipe for my trailer water storage. We has a cab-over camper for years that had this from the manufature, held ~ 15 gallons.
I ended up scoring a plastic water tank out of a wrecked camp trailer... I still need to mount it and plumb it, but I figure it will hold ~ 12 gallons. I never really need drinking water on the trail... we carry plenty of beverages in the cooler. So, the 12 gallons should be adequate for my shower/cleaning needs.
I was on a 3 day trip last weekend... we carried 5 gallons of water for the two of us. We were easily able to take two showers (each) with the 5 gallons. So, 12 would give us each 4 showers. I can't think of a trip where I would need more than that...
I ended up scoring a plastic water tank out of a wrecked camp trailer... I still need to mount it and plumb it, but I figure it will hold ~ 12 gallons. I never really need drinking water on the trail... we carry plenty of beverages in the cooler. So, the 12 gallons should be adequate for my shower/cleaning needs.
I was on a 3 day trip last weekend... we carried 5 gallons of water for the two of us. We were easily able to take two showers (each) with the 5 gallons. So, 12 would give us each 4 showers. I can't think of a trip where I would need more than that...