Water storage on your 80 (1 Viewer)

[DivByZero]

One thing my rig isn't setup for is anything fancy when it comes to water storage. We chuck a water jerry can in the back for longer trips, but I've seen a few rigs where people had a pump rigged with an onboard water source, which gave them easy permanent access to water, and low pressure flow for washing things off, which seemed like a good idea to me. I was interested in getting something that fit into the driver's rear quarter panel, and lightning struck the other week when I saw this on ebay and bought it on the spot:

It's 20 years old, but brand new in the box and never used. Looks like it's been out of production for some time. It was apparently found sitting on the shelf in the back room of some 4wd supplies store and listed on ebay. It fits in the rear right quarter panel, which is exactly where I wanted to fit something, and provides 30L (8 gallons) of storage. It arrived in the mail today, and I'm keen to have a go at fitting it when I have some time to spare.

Anyone gone down the route of on-board water storage on your 80, or seen a cool setup from someone who has? Any pics or tips to share?

 

[Comet]

I remember a conversation on MUD years ago regarding using it for fuel storage. @nukegoat comes to mind. I know it was a joke to store fuel in it but I laughed out loud all those years ago.

I have seen RV bladders used on the second row floor board to get the center of gravity lower. I have thought of a hard side with baffles to cut down on the sloshing.

 

[LongDuck]

I use the Swedish military water bags behind the drivers seat (*US, LHD), and these being heavy rubberized bags, they're easy to remove for refilling and to pull out and strap to the rear swing out when camping. This makes it easier to access water easily where you're using it, as all of my cooking and cleaning is done at the back of the rig.

The kit you have looks like a good one, and 8 gallons is just about the right amount for a weekend trip, or to augment other water supplies for longer. Given its age, I'd fill it up and check to be sure it's still water tight before you go through the effort of mounting it. Also, I'd have to clear out the spare parts (radiator hoses, belts, et al) that reside in that space to use that. Watch for any sharp edges and maybe worth running some split rubber hose across any seams to avoid chafing.

As with any kind of water solution, making sure it's 100%, dead-nuts resilient is important - be cause the last thing you need is to get where you're going and find out your water is sprayed out on the ground for the last 100 miles...

 

[Outsane]

It's pretty cool, I have looked into these and couldn't find one at a decent price.

I think dirtsunrise had one in goose

Nice score

 

[thatcabledude]

Several people have had them on here back in the day. I remember reading complaints of sloshing sounds and difficult to clean.

 

[canman]

I was on planning on adding a Front Runner slim line tank behind the front driver & passenger seats some time ago, but when I went looking for the vendor recently I had a hard time finding it.

FRONT RUNNER | Upright Water Tank / Flat

A 40l (10.6gal) water tank that is perfect for showers, drinking, and cooking. This slim upright water tank fits inconspicuously behind the rear seat of your vehicle. For showers, drinking, and cooking, this slim upright water tank fits inconspicuously behind the rear seat. The fact that it is...

evergreenoffroad.com

 

[effjay80]

4x4 Labs 3rd row cargo basket (great shop!) with a Wavian water jerry can tapped with a hose and spigot. Works great, easy fill, easy clean, and stays out of the way.

 

[sentient schmoo]

@mudgudgeon maybe you should pass along your set up to Roger ? Unless you plan on bringing it. But could work well for them.

 

[J2P]

I was on planning on adding a Front Runner slim line tank behind the front driver & passenger seats some time ago, but when I went looking for the vendor recently I had a hard time finding it.

FRONT RUNNER | Upright Water Tank / Flat

A 40l (10.6gal) water tank that is perfect for showers, drinking, and cooking. This slim upright water tank fits inconspicuously behind the rear seat of your vehicle. For showers, drinking, and cooking, this slim upright water tank fits inconspicuously behind the rear seat. The fact that it is...

evergreenoffroad.com

View attachment 3100436

Look at Ironman America, they sell them for under $200 and they have sale now.

4x4 Water Tanks | Off-Road Vehicle Water Storage

With these 4x4 water tanks, you’ll always have plenty of H20 for whatever you need. Check out our off-road vehicle water storage options now.

ironman4x4america.com

 

[canman]

Thanks!

 

[gummycarbs]

For general water storage safety (sanitation), look at the sailing community.

A general guideline is to use opaque containers -- or clear/translucent containers stored in the dark -- to prevent algae growth. As far as I understand it, algae can't grow without light, even in a warm quarter panel.

I've used Camelbaks for decades and very rarely do anything more than rinse them out before each refill. I've known people who are insistent on emptying their Camelbak bladder after every use and propping it open to air dry. IMO that just introduces spores and whatnot. Maybe someone has a more scientifically informed opinion on the matter.

As for physical storage on an 80, this is probably the slickest I've seen:

Water tank and sub tank for serie 80 for more pics instagram @kikeadam

Inst. @kikeadam

forum.ih8mud.com

There's also the thread about a black plastic water container that goes on the floor behind the front seats, but I can't seem to find it and I think the sloshing would get annoying.

 

[bonestock]

Several people have had them on here back in the day. I remember reading complaints of sloshing sounds and difficult to clean.

This would be my issue as well. Cleaning would be a total PITaS

4x4 Labs 3rd row cargo basket (great shop!) with a Wavian water jerry can tapped with a hose and spigot. Works great, easy fill, easy clean, and stays out of the way.

View attachment 3100454

This is my exact setup. Those Labs racks are super versatile.

 

[DivByZero]

This would be my issue as well. Cleaning would be a total PITaS

I saw this video on youtube, and it gave me some ideas around that route:

So I like how he went with some basic hose fittings to push water into/out of the tank. He has a fixed large tank under the rig, and I'd have a water bladder in the body, but I figure it's the same thing at the end of the day. I'd probably go a similar route with this water bladder to what he did, so in my mind, I could just connect directly to the garden hose, and flush clean water through the tank. I didn't think I'd need much more than that, but maybe I'm missing something here?

 

[bpenn1980]

I think the company still exists and makes all sorts of bladders. I got one off ebay (shipped from Aus) that lays on the floor in the 2nd row. Huge capacity if needed and keeps the weight pretty low/centered. I'm a huge fan. Good purchase.

Sample item from ebay below. I got the 60L version.

 

[mudgudgeon]

4x4 Labs 3rd row cargo basket (great shop!) with a Wavian water jerry can tapped with a hose and spigot. Works great, easy fill, easy clean, and stays out of the way.

View attachment 3100454

Nice. I've used a similar setup for years, but without the fancy rack.

Recently bought a 60 litres caravan water tank that suits flat on the floor in the back, and I stack gear on top.
Got it cheap, but it's not ideal.
It uses gravity feed too. Super simple.

Ironman send to have a couple of very flat tanks that could be strapped to the floor in the cargo area, then stack other gear on top.

 

[nickolai]

Do you need your middle row footwells?

I have a 60l tank that lives in there. It's in an aluminium frame with a top on it so the dog has more space. Can snap some pics

 

[surfpig]

That bladder thingie is pretty cool! I've been eyeballing this for a while. I currently have several 5 & 7 gallon water containers (Scepter & Reliance) that go on the roof or inside or wherever. It's worked well enough for me...

 

[lumbee1]

I posted this in our local group forum.

Military jerry can with a rechargeable faucet. Press the button and the water runs continuously.
www.amazon.com/dp/B07TRP3N5X?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

I also had plans to build a rechargeable battery powered jerry can with an internal pump, expandable hose, and shower head. Cost was $100 for the parts not including the jerry can.

 

[mudgudgeon]

I posted this in our local group forum.

Military jerry can with a rechargeable faucet. Press the button and the water runs continuously.
www.amazon.com/dp/B07TRP3N5X?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

View attachment 3110236

I also had plans to build a rechargeable battery powered jerry can with an internal pump, expandable hose, and shower head. Cost was $100 for the parts not including the jerry can.

I've watched the video in that Amazon link 12 times, and I still can't decide if I need this

 

[Bludozer]

I posted this in our local group forum.

Military jerry can with a rechargeable faucet. Press the button and the water runs continuously.
www.amazon.com/dp/B07TRP3N5X?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

View attachment 3110236

I also had plans to build a rechargeable battery powered jerry can with an internal pump, expandable hose, and shower head. Cost was $100 for the parts not including the jerry can.

Had no idea something like this existed. Pretty slick, thanks for sharing.