55 gal drums/barrels?

[Mr P]

Is anyone using drums or barrels as holding tanks? My bus has a raised floor and I think a 24" diameter barrel would have adequate ground clearance. I did a quick search here and didn't see anything. I'm looking for advice, though I am likely several weeks from focusing on that aspect.

 

[Tejon7]

Seems like they were more popular way back in the early days of this forum. Definitely doable, but my guess is that rectangular RV tanks were harder to come by back then.

Whoa... I just checked prices on the RV tanks I bought in 2020 (classacustoms.com)... Yeah, plastic drums look pretty appealing all of a sudden.

Whatever you hang, please make sure it's well supported and secured in all directions. There are pics on this site of 55 gal drums hanging from two loops of 3/4" galvanized pipe hanger strap...

 

[nikitis]

The problem with 55 gallon barrels is no baffles. When you stop it's a lot of weight sloshing back to front. To the point of potentially breaking your mounts holding the barrels. If there's over engineering involved in the mounting of the barrel it can definitely work, but do not underestimate the weight of the water.

 

[Mr P]

So, nikitis, are you insinuating that other tanks are baffled? Show me a link to tanks that are baffled.....please.

 

[nikitis]

So, nikitis, are you insinuating that other tanks are baffled? Show me a link to tanks that are baffled.....please.

Baffled Water Tanks For Camper Van & Motorhomes Archives

 

[Dbacks2k4]

Major downside to drums versus rectangular containers is just loss of capacity with the same height penalty. Pre-fab'd tanks also usually have access ports ready for connections.

 

[Mr P]

With the understandings that barrels:

1. are cylindrical and won't "nest" as well as a rectangular tank
2. will require adequate support (like any tank)
3. are pennies on the dollar vs others
4. will fit the space I have

Who HAS done this? Surely somebody out of 2 million members.... lol

 

[BamaBus]

There is always a first time. Maybe you are the one to make the how-to on this.

 

[nikitis]

It's been my observance that maybe 3/4 of the members go with square tanks with or without baffles. A fourth go with 55 gallon like drums.
The reason being is though allthough 55 gallon drums are cheap, there's also less holes required to house water.

You need a vent upwards to allow for better flow, an intake, and 1 or more outputs depending on what you are feeding with it. Pre-made square tanks also include many of these ports and in the right places already while a 55 gallon drum does not, and you may find it difficult to put ports on the side where it's round. You can do it, but will it fail at some point?

There's also videos showing tricks with those White square tanks where you can use a drill to "mend" new ports to them. The type of plastic that is used. (I forget the name of it), when spun and heated can actually friction mold.

See video link at timestamp posted:

 

[Mr P]

There is always a first time. Maybe you are the one to make the how-to on this.

Step:
1. Find cheap barrels
2.
3.
4 1/2.
5.
back to 2.
3.
Ect.

More in a few months! lol

 

[peterbylt]

Mine were definitely a different type of install, but I used 55 gallon drums in our MCI, we have one for Black water, one for grey water and one for fresh, I will be adding a second fresh water.
At the time I installed them, custom tanks would have been $400 to $500 a piece, the drums were $7.
I have absolutely no complaints.
I also used Seelevel tape on tank Monitors and they work good with the drums.

Peter

 

[nikitis]

Mine were definitely a different type of install, but I used 55 gallon drums in our MCI, we have one for Black water, one for grey water and one for fresh, I will be adding a second fresh water.
At the time I installed them, custom tanks would have been $400 to $500 a piece, the drums were $7.
I have absolutely no complaints.
I also used Seelevel tape on tank Monitors and they work good with the drums.

Peter

Using wooden blocks like that is an extremely cleaver use. You also have an undercarriage, which many of us do not and have to build our own.

Looking at your picture I have almost no complaints and that will work. I can't see if you have two sets of wooden blocking, one for each side of the barrel or just one, but if only one, I'd probably add 2 sets to help keep the barrels from warpage over time, but otherwise, I can't fault this setup. Good work.

 

[Mr P]

Peterbylt, that tank monitor system is interesting. Also interesting, what type fitting did you use to pass through the round part of the barrel?

 

[peterbylt]

I used 2x10 and cut out for the drums.

I had a local fabricator make the straps for over the top, the blocks were through drilled and the straps bolted all the way through the floor using threaded rod.

I also wrapped the drum with old inner tubes before placing the barrels and straps to help prevent any abrasion.

As far as the fittings I used on the original fill holes (believe it or not) a Bung Buttress adapter to adapt the Bung holes to standard NPT PVC pipe.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00866CYW2?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_3

On the round sides, I used UNISEALs, they were a pain to get the PVC pipe through, try dish soap, but have worked great for the last 5 or so years.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A8HWLYS?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_3

Peter

 

[shorthair-SKO]

Better utilization of space with rectangular normally unless you have a strange curved spot to fill.

 

[Mr P]

Is anyone using drums or barrels as holding tanks?

Bump.

 

[Rock-N-Ruth]

Is anyone using drums or barrels as holding tanks? My bus has a raised floor and I think a 24" diameter barrel would have adequate ground clearance. I did a quick search here and didn't see anything. I'm looking for advice, though I am likely several weeks from focusing on that aspect.

We did it years ago in our bus. We are full timers. The caveat is that, not wanting to deal with support systems for heavy barrels under the bus, we put them inside. This also eliminates the possibility of freezing.
This being said. Barrels do not use space real efficiently. But they do have some pluses. Number one, they are really inexpensive. We got our corn syrup drums for $20.00 a piece. Number two, they are durable. Since we put them inside and I didn't want to take up more space with air vents, I just put a hose bib in the top bung and would pay attention when filling to not let water run out of the bung bib.
Occasionally we would fill and then want to hit the road before we had consumed any water. In order to not have water sloshing out of the bung bib, I would close the bib, then promptly forget I had done so.
Days later, Ruth would complain the water was coming out slow. Upon inspection I would see that the water pump had sucked the drum down and caused it to crush somewhat before it slowed the flow of water down. Opening the bung bib would equalize the pressure and allow water to flow just fine. On the next fill, I would close the bung bib and let the compressed air pop the tank back into shape.
One other good thing about the opaque blue drums we used is that no light gets in to promote mold growth.
Our plastic barrel tanks served us well until we moved up to water bladders. We like them better. We put 160 gallons of fresh water under our king bed, over the rear axle. There's room for a couple hundred gallons but, I like to have a little storage under the bed for shoes and the like.

 

[Rock-N-Ruth]

The problem with 55 gallon barrels is no baffles. When you stop it's a lot of weight sloshing back to front. To the point of potentially breaking your mounts holding the barrels. If there's over engineering involved in the mounting of the barrel it can definitely work, but do not underestimate the weight of the water.

Agreed. Regardless of the type of tank you use in your build, not realizing the potential inertia your water storage can have when designing how to mount it, can lead to catastrophic failures.

 

[fishe160]

I've put some steel ones under the bus, fit nicely between the skirt and frame. A lot of metal bracing. They've only gone a few miles, haven't finished converting the bus.
Gotta paint them something less ugly eventually. And make some shields.

 

[LargeMarge-TC]

Is anyone using drums or barrels as holding tanks... focusing...

.
Eugene Oregon.
Daily, dozens of junk RecreateVehicles are towed off the streets to dismantlers (aka wrecking-yards).
.
If I was me, I might stroll around a dismantlers.
After the siding is recycled off a factory RecreateVehicle, all the innerds are visible.
I might acquire suitable holding-tank candidates from a factory RecreateVehicle.
They are engineered to contain your entire life-savings, they also have the proper fittings and straps.
.
For reference, I usually estimate the gallon weight of any fluid at around 8#/4kg per.
With its container, we can call it 10#/5kg a gallon.
Multiply by fifty-five gallons.
I think I would want that to not go flying during a sudden stop.
.
Soaked and saturated in nature's bounty, I fully understand if the responding ambulance crew triage me as a 'lost cause'... and encourage me to walk to the hospital under my own power.
.
[edited to add]
What are you thinking for holding your holding-tanks during panic-swerves and bouncing over a topés ('dead cop') in Mexico?