Potable water tank location

[jhpsurfboards]

Hi everyone!! I've been scouring this forum for the last six months, it's awesome, a wealth of information. About a month ago I pulled the trigger and bought myself a 2005 E-350 6.0 L Quigley cargo van with 47,000 miles. I had to drive across the country to find it but it was well worth it!
I'm looking to install a water tank for my potable water. I've been thinking I would put it under the van where the spare tire sits now. I'm thinking I would like a 35 gallon tank, filled will weigh close to 300 lbs. I would like some feedback on the location and size of tank. Thanks

[Tammy]

For quite some time I research adding an extra gas tank where the spare tire used to be on our '12 E350 QuadVan. That never worked out so I instead had installed a:

"Plastic-Mart.com PN RW-B347 34.75 X 26 X 11.375 thick". I chose this because it is very thick plastic and fits well. The key was to keep plenty of clearance and have over 40 g capacity.

We travel cross country quite a bit so usually don't fill it full until closer to our destination. I had a header built on a side plate so that I can flip a switch to fill either the 20 g interior tank or the aux tank from an external water supply. I use the hose bib that came with our Sportsmobile conversions to fill either tank.

The key for me was to avoid tying the aux tank with he main tank so as to keep things simple. I elected to use a small transfer pump that I hook up when I want to transfer water from the aux tank to the main tank. I can also use the pump to transfer water to a second vehicle or use it as a garden hose for whatever reason.

If you want more info let me know.

David

[jhpsurfboards]

Thanks you David, that's good to know that someone else has had success with this. Although I had not thought of having another smaller tank inside.

I'm trying to figure out how much water I need to carry. How long does your 40 gallons usually last you?

Also when your tank is full does it effect the ride of your van?

[Tammy]

The van weighs about 9,200 lbs empty so even with the 300 or so lbs with a full water tank it is only an incremental net gain. The location is close enough to the rear axle that it doesn't surprise me that we cannot feel any ill effects.

We use about 5-7 g for the two of us each day so the combined 60 g lasts well over a week. We're hooked on having soft water so we take a small water softener with us. Treating all 60 g at once is easier than treating the 20 g main tank several times.

David

[jhpsurfboards]

That's great news! Thanks for the info. Now I can proceed with relocating my spare tire. I will go ahead and order the spare tire swing arm from Aluminess, then I'll probably go with a 40 gallon tank from Plastic Mart, saving the inside tank for later. Do you have any recommendations for the water pump?

[Tammy]

The one we use is a Wayne pc2 transfer pump. We hook it up only when needed since it is used outside to fill from the aux tank to the main tank. However, most internal pumps that I have seen installed inside, including our van, are Shurflo pumps. They've been used in RVs for years.

[jhpsurfboards]

Thanks for the info David. I can't wait to get started. I have some time off starting tomorrow. I'm going to start clearing out the spare tire area and working on a plan for strapping the tank under the van. I'll take some pics of the progress.

Henry