30 gallon metal drum as greywater tank.

[wagoneer]

as an attendent to the first " burningman" which by the way cost nothing/ zip/ zero.Just compost. They only wanted my diesel Generator. Do not overthink, it's not rocket science......

 

[highdesertranger]

yep it's as commercial as it gets nowadays. sadly like most everything. highdesertranger

 

[Gary68]

check craigslist for someone scraping out a motorhome,i see them regularly,give them $20 for a tank with all systems go

 

[debit.servus]

Another idea I have for a cheap and durable (albeit 10 gallons) greywater tank is take two identically sized 5 gallon buckets and fuse the top opening lip on both buckets together using some ultra-strong glue or plastic-weld chemical product. Put a standard garden hose barb fitting on the top of the bottom bucket circle, and a standard & common valve on the bottom. Doubling that, have same fittings as last sentence, but add linker tubes/hoses on the top and bottom and a football goalie post shape PVC pipe for dual draining, or just have two valves on each "tank". Yes this would be two round "tanks" and would take up more space than a single square tank, however this idea is worth consideration. Any advice, warnings, improvements, tips, potential hazards, product recommendations for this idea?

 

[highdesertranger]

well again if this just a temporary thing I would not go though the trouble of trying to fuse 2 buckets together or mounting them.  I use more buckets than anyone here,  probably.  there are different grades of buckets.  I can tell you the cheaper buckets  don't last very long.  the home depot ones are cheaper ones.  on the bottom of the buckets there is a number like 50,  60, 90,  120,  etc,  this is how thick they are in mils.  I try to get 90 or better.  the 50s or 60s don't last very long,  maybe 2 years if your lucky.  here's a pic of one of my camps you can count 15 buckets and that's just what happen to get in the pic.

my point being I know buckets.  if you where to use them as waste water tanks that's fine,  but I wouldn't spend money on them trying to make a permanent tank.  my 2cents.  highdesertranger

 

[highdesertranger]

btw if any one is interested in that small bus in the background 51 GMC let me know. the lady that owns it will sell. it was converted to an RV many years ago and has sat for a number of years, so lots of work. highdesertranger

 

[debit.servus]

http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Vehicles/PMRV/Plumbing/Plumbing.htm

Here is a article on how to build a greywater tank from MDF wood. I love how finally somebody does a howto on this. Is this similar to what you put in the bus?

I have about ten lifehacks I have not seen on the internet that I need to create INSTRUCTABLES for, I figured it out & made the mistakes so you don't have to.

 

[highdesertranger]

I am beating a dead horse on this one. I give up. highdesertranger

 

[debit.servus]

I am beating a dead horse on this one.  I give up.  highdesertranger

No you're not. I am now looking at the woodbox tank because the cost is low, and I can build it to fit exactly with minimal space wastage. The horse is still alive.

 

[Sameer]

I think any added weight to a vehicle is likely to pull your gas mileage down and that is not a good thing.

 

[debit.servus]

...there are different grades of buckets.  I can tell you the cheaper buckets  don't last very long.  the home depot ones are cheaper ones.  on the bottom of the buckets there is a number like 50,  60, 90,  120,  etc,  this is how thick they are in mils.  I try to get 90 or better.  the 50s or 60s don't last very long,  maybe 2 years if your lucky. ...

I am sure, I already have one of the home depot buckets bought last year show signs of degradation. Home depot has been shaving their buckets quality and thickness, likely to keep the $2.97 price point. The quality of stuff is gradually going down with our actual purchasing power.

I think any added weight to a vehicle is likely to pull your gas mileage down and that is not a good thing.

I know this, I am not one of those obsessed with shaving weight to get a couple more mpg.

This is what has turned me away from newer cars, all the plastic composite crap and computer controlled fuel systems which cost $$$$ to repair when they go bust. Somebody should do a full real world comprehensive total cost analyses of owning less than 3 year old car vs a comparably sized 20+ year old car. I am sure the new cars cost wayyy more.

 

[debit.servus]

Came up with an adaptation of the strong wooden box water tank, using a plastic storage tote and lid as the watertight liner; the reinforced tote "tank". This is even cheaper as you don't even need a fully enclosed box. It only needs at least two reinforcement rectangles around the outside of the tote, consisting of 2x4s (or smaller wood beams that will do the job) or metal bars (for the welder) like an 275 gallon IBC tote. I plan to build this and report back on the results.


     I have created a diagram for my ideal van water system, utilizing the existing plumbing in the van. So tired of micromanaging the water system so often.

 

[debit.servus]

I think I found a very good, strong & affordable solution for those who want a small greywater tank. I came up with this idea when reading about wood gasification condesate tanks under the bed of a pickup truck from the book Have Wood Will Travel by Wayne Keith.

http://www.harborfreight.com/11-gallon-portable-air-tank-65595.html

The diameter of the circular portion of the tank can fit under a van without risk of hitting rocks or lowering ground clearance. Depending on the metal composition of this particular tank, it will need to be lined inside. The repurposed air tank will need minimum two holes, one for water inlet, second for waste outlet. For a basic gravity fed system, inlet on highest portion of tank, outlet on lowest part of tank. This will require some metalwork but is possible to build with no welding.

 

[debit.servus]

The above is even cheaper to build if you can scrounge a broken air compressor or scrap air tank.

Wait! Is that 11 gallons "air gallons", or water gallons? Because it looks like the tank I linked is about the same size as a 5 gallon bucket. Please explain before I spend my money on an air tank that wont hold 11 gallons of greywater!

 

[TMG51]

The above is even cheaper to build if you can scrounge a broken air compressor or scrap air tank.

Wait! Is that 11 gallons "air gallons", or water gallons? Because it looks like the tank I linked is about the same size as a 5 gallon bucket. Please explain before I spend my money on an air tank that wont hold 11 gallons of greywater!

Air of course does compress, but I think they're rating the actual volume of the tank and not the volume of "how much air at atmospheric pressure will it hold." (And if they were, the air in that tank at max pressure will be compressed much more than ~2x, more like to 1/64th of its original volume I think.)

The measurements given for that tank are H 13-7/8" L 22-7/8" W 12-1/8". Taking a rough conservative figure of 6" for the radius and 22" for the height of the cylinder calculates to a volume of 2488.14 cubic inches, or 10.77116883 gallons. I think it is safe to say that tank has an actual volume of 11 gallons.

I'd personally try to find some kind of plastic tank if at all possible though.

 

[debit.servus]

I'd personally try to find some kind of plastic tank if at all possible though.

Link to me a plastic tank strong enough to live under the van, that has a capacity of 10-15 gallons. One I can buy online for $50 or less, including shipping. I am in the wrong part of the country for cheap RV parts, and I can't afford to be running around the Bay Area to stores that may or may not have a tank that fits my criteria.


I like metal because it can be repaired and patched without proprietary, expensive, and/or hyperspecialized chemicals.

 

[TMG51]

Like I said, if possible. When I was getting into converting a van I bought parts off people dismantling RVs on Craigslist. Then I bought my Class B and re-sold the RV parts. Obviously make do with what you can get in lieu of that.

 

[debit.servus]

TMG51; out of all the ideas I shared for a low-cost & simple greywater tank, I like the modified air tank one the best. Please let me know if you believe otherwise.

I would like to know how I can figure out what metal this HFT air tank is made out of, to know if I need to line the tank or can get away with an unlined tank.

 

[highdesertranger]

knowing Harbor Freight, it's made out of recycled scrap metal. you know Buicks, Pontiacs, Fords, Chevys, etc, etc. highdesertranger

 

[Gary68]

https://vanlivingforum.com/Thread-One-man-s-trash