Car Camping / Trip Reports / Photos / Buildouts / “Overland” / Expedition Rigs Area (homeless?)

Do tell?
Do link?
Lol

 

This is mine in nearly completed form.



We ordered the platinum with a few additional upgrades. Here is a video from the manufacturer giving you a tour of a Platinum.

 

Has anyone tried using this Front Runner water tank for an onboard water setup? If the dimensions listed and my measuring are correct it would fit right against the front of the bed behind the cab and provide 10 gallons of water while only taking up less than four inches of useful space.



https://www.frontrunneroutfitters.c...pright-water-tank-with-two-cut-outs-flat.html

 

The outlet is at the bottom on the side. I haven't done a lot of research but I'm thinking you could rig up an external water pump mounted on the wheel arch or something similar.

 

You may have a hard time finding one that shape but I have been looking in to rv water tanks and a 10 gallon tank with fittings for a pump/fill valve runs on the low end $100. I plan on fitting one below my sleeping platform with a 12v pump.

 

When I used to modify VWs for hi performance I liked using water methanol injection. If a larger, similar style pump that doesn't require submersion to work is made it would be a possibility.

 

Yeah I was thinking a tank like one of these.. 150 gallons!

http://www.tank-mart.com/rv-marine-tanks/rv-water-tanks.html

With a pump like this

$28 Seaflo 12V DC 1.2 GPM 35 PSI 21-Series Diaphragm Water Pressure Pump for Caravan/RV/Boat/Marine

https://smile.amazon.com/Seaflo-Dia...&qid=1472181843&sr=8-2&keywords=rv+water+pump

Very early in the planning phase and probably won't do it for sometime since my (2) 7 gallon jugs work just fine but I am always scheming in my head!

 

1200 pounds of water might be a bit much.

 

Yeah but think of all the 30 minute showers you could take!! honestly between the 3 gallons I always keep behind the seat and a 10 gallon tank in the back I should be all set for the type of trips I normally take.

 

Question: does your shower put out hot water? Perhaps implementing a plate and frame heat exchanger using recovered heat from the radiator and an RV booster pump. I see you're in Ontario, CA. Perhaps a meeting of the minds is in order. I'm about 40 miles east in Yucaipa/Calimesa.

 

North from Lake Pillsbury, CA . Spent the first night just below the peak of Hull Mtn. The road up was rough with lots of loose rock and big dips which gave my suspension a workout. The next day on forest rd M1, which I looked up is part of the California Backcountry Discovery trail. This trail is on the eastern border of the Yuki wilderness, which I never heard of until this trip. A beautiful wide open trail that you can go fast on if you want, with big gentle whoops and great views. Got lost and spotted a mtn lion. No pics, and my dang dashcam was unplugged. Acquired a new dent on my passenger side. A day later i eventually made it to Covelo with an 1/8th of a tank of gas. Next time methinks 2 cans on the roof. The expo spec part is I used an old atv ramp as a roof rack to hold my gas cans.

 

I like this

 

This.
It's easy to underestimate how much water weighs. See it a lot when people are packing for a hike; They'll throw way more water then they'll need and then spend the whole time complaining about how heavy their pack is.

 

Weight, location, and moving mass all need to be considered. Don't want to overload the truck or make it top heavy either.

 

I really notice my water jug slushing around in the back when it's half full. Took me a minute to figure out why the truck was rocking side to side at a stop light the first time! I am surprised to see the rv tanks I've come across so far don't have some kind of dividers to reduce water movement.

 

That's why I like the idea of use that Front Runner jug. It keeps the weight centered in the truck and is narrow enough to keep sloshing to a minimum.

 

Sounds like it was a good trip.

 

They make a few tanks I've seen people make systems out of. I'm going with the one on the roof eventually. They also have one that goes in your back seat footwell or behind SUV seats. I'm sure that one would work.

 

I'd love to join this genius meeting and be a fly on the wall.

 

More pics? I'm local to you and would be interested in checking it out.