30 gallon metal drum as greywater tank.

[debit.servus]

Since I am poor and cannot afford an ready-made greywater tank, like established people; I got the idea of using a 30 gallon metal drum with lids & bungs on both ends. If inside rust is an issue due to greywater line the inside of the tank with some kind of plastic spray or paint. For dumping take a standard garden hose spigot or two inch valve for faster dumping. To prevent solids from clogging the dump outlet, put outlet an inch or two from the bottom of the tank. For inlet use standard garden hose on top of tank, gravity powered holding tank. Here is the type of 30 gallon drum I am looking at:
www.amazon.com/SKOLNIK-Carbon-Steel-Tight-gallons/dp/B006P5RPOI/

This is a poor mans idea for effective van greywater holding, please share any tips & advice about this setup.

Anybody built a greywater tank like this?

 

[akrvbob]

It might very well work, but why would a van need a 30 gallon grey tank and where would you put it? Even the Class Bs usually have very small tanks.
Bob

 

[GotSmart]

* lbs a gallon...

This would make things much easier.  The right part.

http://www.adventurerv.net/totealon...rtsfeed_ppc&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=Froogle

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Also remember that you have to have an air line open to atmosphere on any water tank.  If you design it so that a couple inches of solids will always remain on the bottom, rotting, you're going to eventually smell it.

Regards
John

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Will take up a lot of space:  4 cu ft, or think of six 5 gallon buckets (1 gallon = .1336 cu ft).
Will be heavy: empty ~ 30 lbs, full ~ 280 lbs. (1 gallon = 8.34 lbs).
You will need to use RV dump stations to empty it.
It only makes sense if you are also carrying 30 gallons of fresh water, so double above numbers!

A lot of guys I know use 5 gallon buckets, either under the sink or attached to the drain outside.

-- Spiff

 

[oldogre]

I am just going to use a 7 gallon water jug with a hose from sink drain, then when it is emptied I can rinse it so it won't start stinking.  showers will be outside most of time.

 

[compassrose]

If you get a blue boy (tote) make sure you get one with the 4 wheels. My two wheeler gets heavy really fast. I also got the bobber indicator (had to drill a hole in the top of the tube to get it to work right). It was first gotten for the pop-up as I got tired of dumping the 5 gallon water jug we were using as a grey tank after the girls washed the dishes. It got old fast. There are instructions for mods to add better wheels to the 4 wheeled tote on rvnet and, I think, modmyrv . I still have my 30 gallon two wheeler but it will be added as an "accessory" to the class c when my daughter sells it this summer.

 

[highdesertranger]

I have one of the blue totes. it's a pain in the ass. I imagine a 30 gallon drum would be a bigger pain in the ass. I only use my tote when I am forced to. highdesertranger

 

[SoulRaven]

I really don't use a holding tank at all. I use plastic dishpans for sinks, and a storage tote to catch my shower water.

Normally whenever I'm doing something that entails using water, I'm parked at a local park, and immediately use my grey water to water the plants at the park. That way even my grey water gets put to good use rather than to just be discarded.

That's one of my personal ways of "Living Green".

 

[akrvbob]

I think it goes back to the main key of vandwelling: think small!

* A few ounces of urine in a bottle is much easier to dispose of than 5 gallons of urine.
* A little sack of trash is easier to dispose of than a big sack of trash.
* A tiny bag of poop is easier to dispose of than a big bucket of poop.
* A little gray water is a thousand times easier to dispose of than 30 gallons of gray water!!

KISS: Keep It Small and Simple!!

Bob

 

[MikeRuth]

LOL@Bob, I am not going to correct your acronym of KISS, your version seems to be more PC

 

[akrvbob]

It's the vandwellers Version!  


Because if you live in a van, you are really smart!

Bob

 

[debit.servus]

It might very well work, but why would a  van need a 30 gallon grey tank and where would you put it? Even the Class Bs usually have very small tanks.
Bob

Under the van behind the fuel tank there is an space for it. I might lose a little ground clearance however it's worth not having to manage 5 gallon buckets anymore. If anybody remembers I used 5 gallon buckets to manage greywater at the 2015 RTR, and I did not like the valuable space under the sink being used for a 5 gallon bucket. I especially didn't like hauling around 10-20 gallons of stinking greywater inside the living space of the van waiting for an oppurtune time to dump it all.
As for why I need it. I plan to be places where I can't dump for a week, like the Burning Man Playa.

Also remember that you have to have an air line open to atmosphere on any water tank.  If you design it so that a couple inches of solids will always remain on the bottom, rotting, you're going to eventually smell it.

Regards
John

Having thought over it a little more, a two inch PVC valve drain on very bottom of tank is ideal. The design with a couple inches of solids was because I was thinking the solids would clog a 1" drain. A two inch drain solves any potential clogs and allows for faster dumping, however I would need two inch drain hose.

Will take up a lot of space:  4 cu ft, or think of six 5 gallon buckets (1 gallon = .1336 cu ft).
Will be heavy: empty ~ 30 lbs, full ~ 280 lbs. (1 gallon = 8.34 lbs).
You will need to use RV dump stations to empty it.
It only makes sense if you are also carrying 30 gallons of fresh water, so double above numbers!

A lot of guys I know use 5 gallon buckets, either under the sink or attached to the drain outside.

-- Spiff

Adapting a 30 gallon metal drum with crimped lids on both sides to be a horizontal greywater tank is not the thing that I need help designing. It is the mounting to the underside of the van behind the gas tank I need advice and a design strategy for. So I would need straps/supports for 300 lbs of weight, minimum. What type of strapping to use and how to securely mount it to the adjacent frame and metal underfloor of the van. Could the same strapping that is used for conventional house water tanks be useful in this application.

 

[GotSmart]

No way would water heater strapping work. It is not engineered to take the stress of holding a 300 lb weight bouncing against it for days, weeks years... Look at how your gas tank is strapped in, and go from there. Perhaps scrap yards for a source of the materials.

One problem I am seeing is the tank must be mounted solid to the body. A round surface would not work. How about an old gas tank? (Just a thought.)

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

...  Look at how your gas tank is strapped in, and go from there.

Good advice.  Although I would add: look at how a 30 gal gas tank is mounted.  Being a B250, I would guess your van has a frame.  If so, you will need to mount to that, not the body.

Another consideration is how 30 gallons of waste water will affect your GVWR (your gross vehicle weight rating), especially your GVWRR(rear axle rating), and your tire max weight rating.  For that you will need to know what your current GVWR and GVWRR.  You should have enough capacity with a B250 (although I don't know, not knowing what you carry), but NEVER, EVER exceed the tire weight rating.  Bad things happen.

-- Spiff 

 

[GotSmart]

I had to beef up my suspension on my B250 just for my battery system.

 

[highdesertranger]

you could use thin strapping like what they use for gas tanks, however the tank would have to be mounted solid and not have any play or movement. if it was able to move even the slightest the thin strapping would fail. if I were doing this I would take measurements of the area you want to mount the tank. then look for a regular grey water tank, it wound be lighter and flatter(would not hang down as much). waste water tanks are not that expensive. you might even be able to find a used one. highdesertranger

 

[debit.servus]

Then look for a regular grey water tank,  it wound be lighter and flatter(would not hang down as much).  waste water tanks are not that expensive.  you might even be able to find a used one.    highdesertranger

I remember posting what was on the next line, it looks like it didn't go through or got deleted. 

Since I couldn't find anything specific on Google, please give us some links to stores that sell used grey water tanks, and information and resources about DIY installation of said water tank.

 

[Almost There]

I remember posting what was on the next line, it looks like it didn't go through or got deleted. 

Since I couldn't find anything specific on Google, please give us some links to stores that sell used grey water tanks, and information and resources about DIY installation of said water tank.

Google is my friend - 'RV grey water tank'.

Here's an Ebay sale but the seller is a regular supplier in the RV 'silicone valley' (Elkhart IN). It was the first of many links returned on the search.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/46-Gallon-FR...amper-Trailer-Marine-boat-clean-/190698287065


This one might not be the right size for you but I'm betting they have whatever size you need.

IMO buying a used tank might be a little risky since they are usually removed because they leak. The only chance of getting one used is if you stumble on one that the RV was in an accident or something.

Oh, and the very bottom of the ad on Ebay has a link to the companies BlogSpot with installation videos on there.

 

[wagoneer]

30 gallons wow you could get in trouble. Washing less items like dishes and clothes would help I travel alone and my body odor is not an issue although i have been told to bath more often haha. I reason that smelling your body does give you an indication of your health. A gallon is often too much for me so I get to recycling right away. When i worked on a tramp freighter the biggest fears are unsecured cargo 55 gallon drums with gasoline /kerosene /oil can do a lot of damage in the hold. When the seas got really rough we checked every few hours.