Water tanks

21
Hi Theo,

Thanks for the info. Seems like Trakka used aluminium for their water tanks. Unsure if this a good or bad thing. From what I have been reading on some boating forums where aluminium tanks are common, chlorine is bad for aluminium. All suggest using hydrogen peroxide instead. To prevent town water chlorine from entering the use of a filter is recommended on the supply side. I witnessed a few caravans using these when we were away over Xmas so might be a good idea.

On our recent trip the 160w foldable panel worked great. We camped for around 10 days with no mains power and on most sunny days had the battery fully charged by early afternoon with the fridge often running flat out because of the high 30 degree heat. They fit perfectly into the rear of the van but are on the heavy side. Roof mounted panels would still be the perfect solution in my mind. There was a T5 Trakkadu in one of the places we stayed. The entire roof was devoted to film solar panels. Unsure of the cost of these but something I might look into in the long term.

Jon.

On 27/01/2014, at 4:08 PM, "Theo Weiss" <teows@melbpc.org.au> wrote:

 

Hi Jon,

 

Good time to check our tank water. Christine could not tell the difference between our filtered water & our stainless steel tank water.

It is really amazing considering it was leftover water from our Tassie tour 10 months ago.

I cleaned the tank sometime ago according to Ken's sugestion but also use "Drinking Water Freshener" made by VALTERRA USA.

 

Thanks for the tip about the solar panels, the shop is a bit of a mess but the prices are right.

 

Cheers

Theo & Christine

 

From: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Jon Bartlett
Sent: Sunday, 26 January 2014 7:32 PM
To: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Syncro_T3_Australia] Water tanks

 

 

Hi Greg,

 

Polypropylene might be the way forward. Our tanks have started to impart a distinct metallic taste on the water. I am going to give them a good flush through and clean. Any tips from others appreciated. Might try baking soda then Miltons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



22
Hi Greg,

How did you get on with the poly water tanks? I have been looking for off the shelf tanks but all seem to be too wide to fit. 

Cheers,

Jon.



On 22/01/2014, at 8:24 AM, Greg Esposito <gregespo73@yahoo.com> wrote:

Hi Jon, Good to see keen cyclists on the forum. I am looking at having a tank made for the spare wheel well and a new one for the rhs. This is all dependant on me making the swing out carrier of course. I have found a guy who makes them out of polypropylene food grade material. I will keep you and the forum informed of my progress.
The only way to roll will littleins. Greg

From: Jon Bartlett <mail@jaybe.net>
To: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, 21 January 2014 9:30 PM
Subject: Re: [Syncro_T3_Australia] Water tanks [1 Attachment]

Hi Greg,

I have also been pondering how to deal with the combination of bicycle carrier plus water and extra fuel for future trips. We have 100 litres of water capacity in 2 x 50 litres side tanks. Given that I struggle to get a full 70 litres into the fuel tank, extra petrol is always going to the issue. Much like you, leaving the bikes behind isn't an option.

Where exactly do your 45l of water "up front" live assuming your spare wheel is in the standard location?

One option is to increase the capacity of the side tanks and then dedicate one to fuel and one to water. This company seems to have been able to squeeze 80 litre capacity each side (translate via Google).


Attached is a pic of our current set up. Tomorrow we take on the Barry Way north through to Jindabyne. Last time I did it was on a push bike with a trailer. A fair bit of altitude gain for either set up.


<1544541_10153714526080099_726234607_n.jpeg>

Jon.

On 08/01/2014, at 12:00 PM, Greg Esposito <gregespo73@yahoo.com> wrote:

 

Sorry Les I must have worded that badly as that is what I am proposing. Fuel tank on left side between chassis rails and rocker, 40l water on right and 45l water up front. All baffled and protected. Jerry cans are a lot simpler option however due to the fact that Alice and I are bicycle obsessed and the need for a swing out wheel carrier there will be no room left on the already bulging bustle. Thanks Skot, yes I think you are right. The old adage of "all your eggs in one basket" applies to most facets of outback travel.
From: Les Harris <leslieharris@optusnet.com.au>
To: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, 8 January 2014 11:30 AM
Subject: RE: [Syncro_T3_Australia] Water tanks

 
Greg,
From a safety point of view, a fuel tank under your feet and at the most vulnerable end of the vehicle is not a good idea.  If you need extra fuel range, a tank in the same place as most water tanks is a lot safer but still demands very solid construction and very well protected fuel hoses.  My preference would be for good quality Jerry cans at the rear of the vehicle.
A person with your skills could replicate the sort of carriers made by Gary Lee:
http://www.telusplanet.net/public/gary2a/rack/swingtire/swingtire.htm
Les
From: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of gregespo73@yahoo.com
Sent: 08 January 2014 10:56
To: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Syncro_T3_Australia] Water tanks 
Morning all. In the process of getting my interior sorted and as an of shoot of this I would like to sort water storage. Currently have about 45l stored in a fiberglass belly tank and 15l in the cabin. What I want to ask those who have experience traveling through Australia 's deserts is how much water do you take - worst case scenario. I am thinking of fitting an extra tank in the unused spare wheel well and a fuel tank opposite the current tank. Thoughts?







23
Hi Jon, the tanks arrived today. Very happy with the quality. They are lighter than the fiberglass one I had and these have baffles. Will try and get them mounted in the next few weeks but life is crazy busy at the moment. 106L all up. Now the hard part is aux fuel tank, any ideas? Greg E

From: Jon Bartlett <mail@jaybe.net>
To: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, 17 February 2014 10:11 PM
Subject: Re: [Syncro_T3_Australia] Water tanks

 
Hi Greg,

How did you get on with the poly water tanks? I have been looking for off the shelf tanks but all seem to be too wide to fit. 

Cheers,

Jon.



On 22/01/2014, at 8:24 AM, Greg Esposito <gregespo73@yahoo.com> wrote:

Hi Jon, Good to see keen cyclists on the forum. I am looking at having a tank made for the spare wheel well and a new one for the rhs. This is all dependant on me making the swing out carrier of course. I have found a guy who makes them out of polypropylene food grade material. I will keep you and the forum informed of my progress.
The only way to roll will littleins. Greg

From: Jon Bartlett <mail@jaybe.net>
To: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, 21 January 2014 9:30 PM
Subject: Re: [Syncro_T3_Australia] Water tanks [1 Attachment]

Hi Greg,

I have also been pondering how to deal with the combination of bicycle carrier plus water and extra fuel for future trips. We have 100 litres of water capacity in 2 x 50 litres side tanks. Given that I struggle to get a full 70 litres into the fuel tank, extra petrol is always going to the issue. Much like you, leaving the bikes behind isn't an option.

Where exactly do your 45l of water "up front" live assuming your spare wheel is in the standard location?

One option is to increase the capacity of the side tanks and then dedicate one to fuel and one to water. This company seems to have been able to squeeze 80 litre capacity each side (translate via Google).


Attached is a pic of our current set up. Tomorrow we take on the Barry Way north through to Jindabyne. Last time I did it was on a push bike with a trailer. A fair bit of altitude gain for either set up.


<1544541_10153714526080099_726234607_n.jpeg>

Jon.

On 08/01/2014, at 12:00 PM, Greg Esposito <gregespo73@yahoo.com> wrote:

 

Sorry Les I must have worded that badly as that is what I am proposing. Fuel tank on left side between chassis rails and rocker, 40l water on right and 45l water up front. All baffled and protected. Jerry cans are a lot simpler option however due to the fact that Alice and I are bicycle obsessed and the need for a swing out wheel carrier there will be no room left on the already bulging bustle. Thanks Skot, yes I think you are right. The old adage of "all your eggs in one basket" applies to most facets of outback travel.
From: Les Harris <leslieharris@optusnet.com.au>
To: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, 8 January 2014 11:30 AM
Subject: RE: [Syncro_T3_Australia] Water tanks

 
Greg,
From a safety point of view, a fuel tank under your feet and at the most vulnerable end of the vehicle is not a good idea.  If you need extra fuel range, a tank in the same place as most water tanks is a lot safer but still demands very solid construction and very well protected fuel hoses.  My preference would be for good quality Jerry cans at the rear of the vehicle.
A person with your skills could replicate the sort of carriers made by Gary Lee:
http://www.telusplanet.net/public/gary2a/rack/swingtire/swingtire.htm
Les
From: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of gregespo73@yahoo.com
Sent: 08 January 2014 10:56
To: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Syncro_T3_Australia] Water tanks 
Morning all. In the process of getting my interior sorted and as an of shoot of this I would like to sort water storage. Currently have about 45l stored in a fiberglass belly tank and 15l in the cabin. What I want to ask those who have experience traveling through Australia 's deserts is how much water do you take - worst case scenario. I am thinking of fitting an extra tank in the unused spare wheel well and a fuel tank opposite the current tank. Thoughts?









24
Hi all fellow nutters.

Noticed this ingenious extra fuel tank which can be fitted to a spare wheel well which holds nearly 35L.

http://www.vwdiesel.net/forum/index.php?topic=33615.0

That is a fair amount and is basically the size of a VW Golf Mk1 spare wheel (I think they were 13 inch wheels as standard).

Apparently there are some plastic and some steel ones on the market manufactured in the USA.

I would guess they would fit in our mainly vacant spare wheel holders.

Skot

On 17/02/2014 10:11 PM, Jon Bartlett wrote:
 

Hi Greg,


How did you get on with the poly water tanks? I have been looking for off the shelf tanks but all seem to be too wide to fit. 

Cheers,

Jon.



On 22/01/2014, at 8:24 AM, Greg Esposito <gregespo73@yahoo.com> wrote:

Hi Jon, Good to see keen cyclists on the forum. I am looking at having a tank made for the spare wheel well and a new one for the rhs. This is all dependant on me making the swing out carrier of course. I have found a guy who makes them out of polypropylene food grade material. I will keep you and the forum informed of my progress.
The only way to roll will littleins. Greg

From: Jon Bartlett <mail@jaybe.net>
To: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, 21 January 2014 9:30 PM
Subject: Re: [Syncro_T3_Australia] Water tanks [1 Attachment]

Hi Greg,

I have also been pondering how to deal with the combination of bicycle carrier plus water and extra fuel for future trips. We have 100 litres of water capacity in 2 x 50 litres side tanks. Given that I struggle to get a full 70 litres into the fuel tank, extra petrol is always going to the issue. Much like you, leaving the bikes behind isn't an option.

Where exactly do your 45l of water "up front" live assuming your spare wheel is in the standard location?

One option is to increase the capacity of the side tanks and then dedicate one to fuel and one to water. This company seems to have been able to squeeze 80 litre capacity each side (translate via Google).


Attached is a pic of our current set up. Tomorrow we take on the Barry Way north through to Jindabyne. Last time I did it was on a push bike with a trailer. A fair bit of altitude gain for either set up.


<1544541_10153714526080099_726234607_n.jpeg>

Jon.

On 08/01/2014, at 12:00 PM, Greg Esposito <gregespo73@yahoo.com> wrote:

 

Sorry Les I must have worded that badly as that is what I am proposing. Fuel tank on left side between chassis rails and rocker, 40l water on right and 45l water up front. All baffled and protected. Jerry cans are a lot simpler option however due to the fact that Alice and I are bicycle obsessed and the need for a swing out wheel carrier there will be no room left on the already bulging bustle. Thanks Skot, yes I think you are right. The old adage of "all your eggs in one basket" applies to most facets of outback travel.
From: Les Harris <leslieharris@optusnet.com.au>
To: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, 8 January 2014 11:30 AM
Subject: RE: [Syncro_T3_Australia] Water tanks

 
Greg,
From a safety point of view, a fuel tank under your feet and at the most vulnerable end of the vehicle is not a good idea.  If you need extra fuel range, a tank in the same place as most water tanks is a lot safer but still demands very solid construction and very well protected fuel hoses.  My preference would be for good quality Jerry cans at the rear of the vehicle.
A person with your skills could replicate the sort of carriers made by Gary Lee:
http://www.telusplanet.net/public/gary2a/rack/swingtire/swingtire.htm
Les
From: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of gregespo73@yahoo.com
Sent: 08 January 2014 10:56
To: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Syncro_T3_Australia] Water tanks 
Morning all. In the process of getting my interior sorted and as an of shoot of this I would like to sort water storage. Currently have about 45l stored in a fiberglass belly tank and 15l in the cabin. What I want to ask those who have experience traveling through Australia 's deserts is how much water do you take - worst case scenario. I am thinking of fitting an extra tank in the unused spare wheel well and a fuel tank opposite the current tank. Thoughts?








25
Here is another version in aluminium:

http://www.greasecar.com/article/tank-comparison

Skot

On 20/02/2014 9:48 AM, spbconsulting@bigpond.com wrote:
 

Hi all fellow nutters.

Noticed this ingenious extra fuel tank which can be fitted to a spare wheel well which holds nearly 35L.

http://www.vwdiesel.net/forum/index.php?topic=33615.0

That is a fair amount and is basically the size of a VW Golf Mk1 spare wheel (I think they were 13 inch wheels as standard).

Apparently there are some plastic and some steel ones on the market manufactured in the USA.

I would guess they would fit in our mainly vacant spare wheel holders.

Skot


26
Verrrrry interesting.

The primary problem I see with this one is how high this tank is.
Will it protrude into the space used by the gear shift linkages ?

Also it is probably much smaller than what we could fit into the spare wheel space.

My primary problem with a tank below the gear shift is fire coming up into the cab.

Does anyone know of any racing car fuel tank manufacturers,
the ones who custom make very impact safe flexible tanks ?

Peter



On Thu, 20 Feb 2014 09:48:00 +1100, spbconsulting@bigpond.com wrote:

>/

27
try getting that registered. Aux fuel systems raise alarm bells in the roadworthy system here in WA at least.

Mark
28
They look great Greg. The side belly tank looks identical to those Trakka churned out. If you don't mind me asking, where did you get them made?  Did you come up with the design template yourself or from a copy of your old tank?

With regards to fuel, what do you have mounted on the other side of the vehicle? 

I was looking at what Westfalia did in terms of water and they used precious cab space for the tanks.

Cheers.

Jon.

On 18/02/2014, at 10:52 PM, Greg Esposito <gregespo73@yahoo.com> wrote:

Hi Jon, the tanks arrived today. Very happy with the quality. They are lighter than the fiberglass one I had and these have baffles. Will try and get them mounted in the next few weeks but life is crazy busy at the moment. 106L all up. Now the hard part is aux fuel tank, any ideas? Greg E
<photo 1.JPG><photo 2.JPG><photo 3.JPG>
From: Jon Bartlett <mail@jaybe.net>
To: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, 17 February 2014 10:11 PM
Subject: Re: [Syncro_T3_Australia] Water tanks

 
Hi Greg,

How did you get on with the poly water tanks? I have been looking for off the shelf tanks but all seem to be too wide to fit. 

Cheers,

Jon.



On 22/01/2014, at 8:24 AM, Greg Esposito <gregespo73@yahoo.com> wrote:

Hi Jon, Good to see keen cyclists on the forum. I am looking at having a tank made for the spare wheel well and a new one for the rhs. This is all dependant on me making the swing out carrier of course. I have found a guy who makes them out of polypropylene food grade material. I will keep you and the forum informed of my progress.
The only way to roll will littleins. Greg

From: Jon Bartlett <mail@jaybe.net>
To: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, 21 January 2014 9:30 PM
Subject: Re: [Syncro_T3_Australia] Water tanks [1 Attachment]

Hi Greg,

I have also been pondering how to deal with the combination of bicycle carrier plus water and extra fuel for future trips. We have 100 litres of water capacity in 2 x 50 litres side tanks. Given that I struggle to get a full 70 litres into the fuel tank, extra petrol is always going to the issue. Much like you, leaving the bikes behind isn't an option.

Where exactly do your 45l of water "up front" live assuming your spare wheel is in the standard location?

One option is to increase the capacity of the side tanks and then dedicate one to fuel and one to water. This company seems to have been able to squeeze 80 litre capacity each side (translate via Google).


Attached is a pic of our current set up. Tomorrow we take on the Barry Way north through to Jindabyne. Last time I did it was on a push bike with a trailer. A fair bit of altitude gain for either set up.


<1544541_10153714526080099_726234607_n.jpeg>

Jon.

On 08/01/2014, at 12:00 PM, Greg Esposito <gregespo73@yahoo.com> wrote:

 

Sorry Les I must have worded that badly as that is what I am proposing. Fuel tank on left side between chassis rails and rocker, 40l water on right and 45l water up front. All baffled and protected. Jerry cans are a lot simpler option however due to the fact that Alice and I are bicycle obsessed and the need for a swing out wheel carrier there will be no room left on the already bulging bustle. Thanks Skot, yes I think you are right. The old adage of "all your eggs in one basket" applies to most facets of outback travel.
From: Les Harris <leslieharris@optusnet.com.au>
To: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, 8 January 2014 11:30 AM
Subject: RE: [Syncro_T3_Australia] Water tanks

 
Greg,
From a safety point of view, a fuel tank under your feet and at the most vulnerable end of the vehicle is not a good idea.  If you need extra fuel range, a tank in the same place as most water tanks is a lot safer but still demands very solid construction and very well protected fuel hoses.  My preference would be for good quality Jerry cans at the rear of the vehicle.
A person with your skills could replicate the sort of carriers made by Gary Lee:
http://www.telusplanet.net/public/gary2a/rack/swingtire/swingtire.htm
Les
From: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of gregespo73@yahoo.com
Sent: 08 January 2014 10:56
To: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Syncro_T3_Australia] Water tanks 
Morning all. In the process of getting my interior sorted and as an of shoot of this I would like to sort water storage. Currently have about 45l stored in a fiberglass belly tank and 15l in the cabin. What I want to ask those who have experience traveling through Australia 's deserts is how much water do you take - worst case scenario. I am thinking of fitting an extra tank in the unused spare wheel well and a fuel tank opposite the current tank. Thoughts?










29
With regards to what will fit into the spare tyre housing at the front of the vehicle, see Greg E's new water tank that was designed to fit this area.

A fuel tank of the same dimensions would do the job. Much like this work of art:


Jon.


On 20/02/2014, at 9:59 AM, Peter Schweinsberg <peter@peterandval.com> wrote:

 

Verrrrry interesting.

The primary problem I see with this one is how high this tank is.
Will it protrude into the space used by the gear shift linkages ?

Also it is probably much smaller than what we could fit into the spare wheel space.

My primary problem with a tank below the gear shift is fire coming up into the cab.

Does anyone know of any racing car fuel tank manufacturers,
the ones who custom make very impact safe flexible tanks ?

Peter



On Thu, 20 Feb 2014 09:48:00 +1100, spbconsulting@bigpond.com wrote:

>/


30
Yes,

That is very nice.

So I assume it wouldn't foul with the gear-shift fork area?

That would mean those others wouldn't either.

Skot


On 20/02/2014 9:57 PM, Jon Bartlett wrote:

With regards to what will fit into the spare tyre housing at the front of the vehicle, see Greg E's new water tank that was designed to fit this area.


A fuel tank of the same dimensions would do the job. Much like this work of art:


Jon.


On 20/02/2014, at 9:59 AM, Peter Schweinsberg <peter@peterandval.com> wrote:

Verrrrry interesting.

The primary problem I see with this one is how high this tank is.
Will it protrude into the space used by the gear shift linkages ?

Also it is probably much smaller than what we could fit into the spare wheel space.

My primary problem with a tank below the gear shift is fire coming up into the cab.

Does anyone know of any racing car fuel tank manufacturers,
the ones who custom make very impact safe flexible tanks ?

Peter



On Thu, 20 Feb 2014 09:48:00 +1100, spbconsulting@bigpond.com wrote:

>/



31
Hi Jon, I measured up and designed the tanks from scratch. The old tank I had hung down too far and was too short. I am happy to make public the measurements and tell you I had them made by Abber tanks. Chris is a good guy and turned around the job fast. Give me some time to test fit the tanks and then I can be sure my measurements are spot on.
I have removed a heavy fold down caravan step from the lhs to leave it clear for an Aux tank. I Guess the issue is expense. It would be simple to have one made out of stainless but the cost would be fairly high I would imagine.
I love the westies but the little plastic bottle in the cabin is not a good solution for outback travel.
Greg E

From: Jon Bartlett <mail@jaybe.net>
To: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, 20 February 2014 9:04 PM
Subject: Re: [Syncro_T3_Australia] Water tanks

 
They look great Greg. The side belly tank looks identical to those Trakka churned out. If you don't mind me asking, where did you get them made?  Did you come up with the design template yourself or from a copy of your old tank?

With regards to fuel, what do you have mounted on the other side of the vehicle? 

I was looking at what Westfalia did in terms of water and they used precious cab space for the tanks.

Cheers.

Jon.

On 18/02/2014, at 10:52 PM, Greg Esposito <gregespo73@yahoo.com> wrote:

Hi Jon, the tanks arrived today. Very happy with the quality. They are lighter than the fiberglass one I had and these have baffles. Will try and get them mounted in the next few weeks but life is crazy busy at the moment. 106L all up. Now the hard part is aux fuel tank, any ideas? Greg E
<photo 1.JPG><photo 2.JPG><photo 3.JPG>
From: Jon Bartlett <mail@jaybe.net>
To: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, 17 February 2014 10:11 PM
Subject: Re: [Syncro_T3_Australia] Water tanks

 
Hi Greg,

How did you get on with the poly water tanks? I have been looking for off the shelf tanks but all seem to be too wide to fit. 

Cheers,

Jon.



On 22/01/2014, at 8:24 AM, Greg Esposito <gregespo73@yahoo.com> wrote:

Hi Jon, Good to see keen cyclists on the forum. I am looking at having a tank made for the spare wheel well and a new one for the rhs. This is all dependant on me making the swing out carrier of course. I have found a guy who makes them out of polypropylene food grade material. I will keep you and the forum informed of my progress.
The only way to roll will littleins. Greg

From: Jon Bartlett <mail@jaybe.net>
To: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, 21 January 2014 9:30 PM
Subject: Re: [Syncro_T3_Australia] Water tanks [1 Attachment]

Hi Greg,

I have also been pondering how to deal with the combination of bicycle carrier plus water and extra fuel for future trips. We have 100 litres of water capacity in 2 x 50 litres side tanks. Given that I struggle to get a full 70 litres into the fuel tank, extra petrol is always going to the issue. Much like you, leaving the bikes behind isn't an option.

Where exactly do your 45l of water "up front" live assuming your spare wheel is in the standard location?

One option is to increase the capacity of the side tanks and then dedicate one to fuel and one to water. This company seems to have been able to squeeze 80 litre capacity each side (translate via Google).


Attached is a pic of our current set up. Tomorrow we take on the Barry Way north through to Jindabyne. Last time I did it was on a push bike with a trailer. A fair bit of altitude gain for either set up.


<1544541_10153714526080099_726234607_n.jpeg>

Jon.

On 08/01/2014, at 12:00 PM, Greg Esposito <gregespo73@yahoo.com> wrote:

 

Sorry Les I must have worded that badly as that is what I am proposing. Fuel tank on left side between chassis rails and rocker, 40l water on right and 45l water up front. All baffled and protected. Jerry cans are a lot simpler option however due to the fact that Alice and I are bicycle obsessed and the need for a swing out wheel carrier there will be no room left on the already bulging bustle. Thanks Skot, yes I think you are right. The old adage of "all your eggs in one basket" applies to most facets of outback travel.
From: Les Harris <leslieharris@optusnet.com.au>
To: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, 8 January 2014 11:30 AM
Subject: RE: [Syncro_T3_Australia] Water tanks

 
Greg,
From a safety point of view, a fuel tank under your feet and at the most vulnerable end of the vehicle is not a good idea.  If you need extra fuel range, a tank in the same place as most water tanks is a lot safer but still demands very solid construction and very well protected fuel hoses.  My preference would be for good quality Jerry cans at the rear of the vehicle.
A person with your skills could replicate the sort of carriers made by Gary Lee:
http://www.telusplanet.net/public/gary2a/rack/swingtire/swingtire.htm
Les
From: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of gregespo73@yahoo.com
Sent: 08 January 2014 10:56
To: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Syncro_T3_Australia] Water tanks 
Morning all. In the process of getting my interior sorted and as an of shoot of this I would like to sort water storage. Currently have about 45l stored in a fiberglass belly tank and 15l in the cabin. What I want to ask those who have experience traveling through Australia 's deserts is how much water do you take - worst case scenario. I am thinking of fitting an extra tank in the unused spare wheel well and a fuel tank opposite the current tank. Thoughts?












32
Thanks Jon,

It certainly is a nice bit of sheet metal work.

I'm starting to wonder whether the fellow who made the belly tanks for the Bergmeister is still around, because his work is excellent.

Greg,
Can you let us have the external dimensions of your water tank ?

Peter




--Original Message Text---
From: Jon Bartlett
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2014 21:57:14 +1100

werkstatt

33
I know that we have been talking about tanks in the spare wheel well for some time now,
but today my attention was caught by a wheel that I had removed from the well to have dated last week,
a wheel which I will return to the well very soon.

I recalled a case for keeping a wheel in the well and not using the well for any other reason
which a couple of us had discussed at the time.

That wheel, with a fully inflated off road tyre on it, is a substantial part of the T3's front on crash protection.

In about 1993 we lost an almost new T3 2WD to a hoon who crashed into the rear of a car parked
behind the car parked behind our van. Our T3 was shoved forward into the rear of the car in front.

It was estimated by onlookers that the offending car, a Commodore was travelling at very high speed.
To give you an idea of the damage caused, all five vehicles were write off.
The car behind the T3, a Ford Falcon Station Wagon had it's rear bumper bar pushed forward almost
to it's B pillar. The car infront of the T3 no longer had a boot.
The T3 had it's rear panel pushed through to touch the engine,
ripples in it's roof and the floor,
and the front bumper and panel were severely damaged,
but the cab was intact and both doors opened and shut almost normally.

I never got to see the spare, but I believe that it contributed.

So even though I've calculated that I could fit a 60+ litre tank in the well,
I'll put the spare back, inflated to 50 psi.

Peter





--Original Message Text---
From: spbconsulting@bigpond.com
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2014 09:49:57 +1100



Here is another version in aluminium:

http://www.greasecar.com/article/tank-comparison

Skot

On 20/02/2014 9:48 AM, spbconsulting@bigpond.com wrote:



Hi all fellow nutters.

Noticed this ingenious extra fuel tank which can be fitted to a spare wheel well which holds nearly 35L.

http://www.vwdiesel.net/forum/index.php?topic=33615.0

That is a fair amount and is basically the size of a VW Golf Mk1 spare wheel (I think they were 13 inch wheels as standard).

Apparently there are some plastic and some steel ones on the market manufactured in the USA.

I would guess they would fit in our mainly vacant spare wheel holders.

Skot
34
All true Peter, but there are other ways of adding frontal protection sans spare wheel.  I finally got around to test fitting my front water tank and all is good. So those interested (Jon?)530mm x 530mm x 200mm is pretty much max if you want a simply designed tank.

From: Peter Schweinsberg <peter@peterandval.com>
To: "Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com" <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, 3 March 2014 9:15 PM
Subject: Re: [Syncro_T3_Australia] Aux Fuel tank in Spare Wheel well

 
I know that we have been talking about tanks in the spare wheel well for some time now,
but today my attention was caught by a wheel that I had removed from the well to have dated last week,
a wheel which I will return to the well very soon.

I recalled a case for keeping a wheel in the well and not using the well for any other reason
which a couple of us had discussed at the time.

That wheel, with a fully inflated off road tyre on it, is a substantial part of the T3's front on crash protection.

In about 1993 we lost an almost new T3 2WD to a hoon who crashed into the rear of a car parked
behind the car parked behind our van. Our T3 was shoved forward into the rear of the car in front.

It was estimated by onlookers that the offending car, a Commodore was travelling at very high speed.
To give you an idea of the damage caused, all five vehicles were write off.
The car behind the T3, a Ford Falcon Station Wagon had it's rear bumper bar pushed forward almost
to it's B pillar. The car infront of the T3 no longer had a boot.
The T3 had it's rear panel pushed through to touch the engine,
ripples in it's roof and the floor,
and the front bumper and panel were severely damaged,
but the cab was intact and both doors opened and shut almost normally.

I never got to see the spare, but I believe that it contributed.

So even though I've calculated that I could fit a 60+ litre tank in the well,
I'll put the spare back, inflated to 50 psi.

Peter





--Original Message Text---
From: spbconsulting@bigpond.com
Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2014 09:49:57 +1100



Here is another version in aluminium:

http://www.greasecar.com/article/tank-comparison

Skot

On 20/02/2014 9:48 AM, spbconsulting@bigpond.com wrote:



Hi all fellow nutters.

Noticed this ingenious extra fuel tank which can be fitted to a spare wheel well which holds nearly 35L.

http://www.vwdiesel.net/forum/index.php?topic=33615.0

That is a fair amount and is basically the size of a VW Golf Mk1 spare wheel (I think they were 13 inch wheels as standard).

Apparently there are some plastic and some steel ones on the market manufactured in the USA.

I would guess they would fit in our mainly vacant spare wheel holders.

Skot