Onboard water opinion

[joedarr33]

So I went to my local "camping world" and found a lot of pretty cool shit there, and I seem they had the flo jet that I will prolly pick up but they also had this water carrier bag. I was wondering if anybody has used the bags ? I am thinking about maybe finding one tht fits in the little compartment in the cargo area (the big one in the middle of the cargo) and possibly cutting a small hole for the hose out of. Here is a picture of a one they had there that wa much larger then what I'm looking at but you get the idea.

[The Roadie]

Good idea to carry water back you your RV if you're dry (boondock) camping and need to refill your water tank. Way too weak for offroading while filled. My plan is to slice off the frame braces that used to hold the spare tire winch, and get a custom polyethylene tank fabricated for the spare location. Then skid plate under that. There are many vendors who build these tanks for custom trailer/RV/boat installations.

Flexible bladders may be low cost, but they're fragile.

[joedarr33]

Well I do know they are fragile but if it is in the cargo area under tr lift up thing then it should be protected fairly well right ?

[The Roadie]

In my engineering opinion, the risk isn't from punctures, but in the ultrasonically-welded seams. Since water is incompressible, any increase in pressure is seen by the entire inside surface. If the bladder is totally surrounded and backed up by a container like the well or wood, it might survive a hard jolt. I wouldn't count on it. But then if you offroad much, eventually you're going to (I predict) want a drawer unit in the back and that will mostly hide the well anyway. I think I measured the well once and it only has enough volume for 5 gallons of water or so. Might as well get a nice carry container and use James' trick of the submersible pump instead of the Flojet. I have one of each and haven't invested the time to use either one yet.

[joedarr33]

well i am going to sit and look at my tb hard for about an hour one day this week lol and hopefully i can think of a way to do it. i could possibly make something for were the spare tire is but idk. maybe a long flatter full metal like box that the whole 45 gallon thing will fit into with like a little gate thing. idk lol something.

[The Roadie]

I think it should be REQUIRED that people spend time sitting with a beer(s) contemplating their trucks before starting a project. I've recommended before when the truck is on a lift or jack stands - just lay on your back or a crawler , and MEMORIZE the bottom of the truck. Then when you're on a lumpy trail, choosing a line to take, you can fit a mental map of the undercarriage and especially the frame rails and the sensitive bits, to the visual you have of the rocks and hazards, and often choose a good line without needing to be spotted. Or self-spotting, which is really annoying to do if your door is hemmed in or tilted 20 degrees up, down, or sideways. It's a fascinating 3D puzzle, with ten decisions a second to make.

[Gordinho80]

My OBW is going onto my trailer. I'm thinking either a 21 gallon slimmer profile between my axle and trailer floor or a slightly larger tank (30-40 gallon) inside the trailer body. I'm leaning toward the smaller tank underneath with a skid plate. Not going to be using the water to shower, so might be fine with a smaller tank.

[Trail X]

My 7 gallon tank did pretty well during my long trip... I can't imagine needing 30-40 gallons. That's 300+ lbs of water! When I'm out on trips, I maybe use a gallon per day. If you have 40 gallons, you should be showering.

The problem with any water tank is keeping it clean. So if you can find a tank with an anti-bacterial coating, that's a good bet.

I don't see much of a problem with mounting a bladder in the rear tub. Just protect it against sharp corners and you'll be good. I've got an old bladder that I've really abused and it's still kicking - although it isn't clean enough to drink out of anymore. Just get a thick bladder. Mine's prob a 1/16" thick.