[neiljoust]

Does anyone have the xline 350L compact system, with the reel on top , if so is it any good or the window cleaning warehouse one

[Richard Groves]

I looked at both of these just recently. Having always used DIY on past vans. You pay for the convenience. Neither are anything more than what I already had, just neater looking. What I didn't like was not being able to see, at a glance, the water level  -  important with a smaller tank imo. I saw sense in the end and just bought a 350  lay flat tank for my new berlingo van and used what I already had.

Don't get me wrong, I think they are neat and compact set ups for someone buying for first time who doesn't need the faff. But if you've diy'd  in past you're just duplicating stuff you already have and wasting money.

[neiljoust]

Yes I hear what you are saying, my stuff is 6 years old so I might just do it my self again but been looking and it’s not that much cheaper to get everything separate now days

[Richard Groves]

In my old van I made a pump box from a really useful storage box, 115 ah battery, spring controller, sureflo pump. Tidied things up no end. Just swapped it in to new van plus a new 350 tank ( less than £200) The parts I had were just as old as yours, but if they ain't broke, why fix.?  I'm going to convert the proloc reel I have to electric myself from the parts listed on threads here for £50.  If I'd opted for the wcw compact Face-lift system I'd been considering it would have cost me about £1500, that's half the price of the newer van I just bought !... ask yourself same question I did  -  what would I stand to benefit ?

[Slash]

I dont get the orange,whats with that orange?

[Richard Groves]

I dont get the orange,whats with that orange?

Exactly !, it's style over function. A translucent tank would mean you could instantly see how much water you had left. If I'd have bought one of these I'd have the added expense and faff of drilling holes and making an external level gauge for something I'd already spent good money on.

[dd]

I think there maybe a Dutch connection with the company. Personally I would not want an orange tank, black less harsh and more professional looking.

I also would not want a translucent tank as this can lead to algae type growth in tank due to exposure to light. You just need a sight gauge .

[Richard Groves]

In over 15 years of using translucent tanks in back of vans I've never had green algae in any of them   

[dd]

Maybe you keep yours mostly out of direct light. There have been a few posts on here over the years about the best way to clean out tanks because of this issue.

[wayne m]

Never had an issue with algae either and van doors are open on every job and in summer get light even more and also air the van some weekends and leave van open on the driveway. Clear tank to see the water level and in a cage mounted is ideal.

[NWH]

I dont get the orange,whats with that orange?

Exactly !, it's style over function. A translucent tank would mean you could instantly see how much water you had left. If I'd have bought one of these I'd have the added expense and faff of drilling holes and making an external level gauge for something I'd already spent good money on.

The trouble is you can’t buy a properly baffled translucent tank anywhere.

[Richard Groves]

I dont get the orange,whats with that orange?

Exactly !, it's style over function. A translucent tank would mean you could instantly see how much water you had left. If I'd have bought one of these I'd have the added expense and faff of drilling holes and making an external level gauge for something I'd already spent good money on.

The trouble is you can’t buy a properly baffled translucent tank anywhere.

That's true. In the case of x line it appears to be nothing more than an orange wydale tank though, no different in dimension or style to the translucent one I've just bought from tanks direct. Similarly the black Face-lift compact looks nothing special either. Both of these are what the op was asking about. I think it's daft not for them to have some sort of sight gauge. Given their cost you shouldn't have to start drilling holes and adapting it yourself to make one. Just changed from a pickup to a van and my ranger had a 500 L baffled bespoke tank in it, black with a sight gauge panel. Think I'm going to have to add some of my own baffling to the new 350 with either balls or irrigation pipe.

[nathankaye]

I know when i was first looking at going into wfp from trad and looking at all my options, the need to have everything orange by this company just put me off from looking further into it.

Several years later and Im still of the same mind set.  Another friend was looking into their trolley systems and when we got talking about it, he decided against it. Again the reasoning behind that was the colour, "you know when youve been tango'd"  just screams out at you!

Also like "big kahuna" says, once you have DIY a van, I just see money wasted in buying a full van system. Of course, Daz will disagree!
On you tube for instance, I have seen many a DIY system that look very smart and tidy. In essence, if you have forethought and patience, you can make the inside of your work van very impressive.  Yet, really, who are these ones trying to impress?! If not other shiners.
You have the arguement that its easier and faff free but to counter that, a diy'er knows their system inside and out.

[Richard Groves]

A tank, a pumpbox and a fixed reel = simple.
I nearly forked out ££££'s for a new compact delivery system.
I would have duplicated everything I already had for the sake of convenience and asthetics.
I worked the last 3 days with just a backpack and quick fill hose from my old tank and truck whilst I kitted out the new van to start work with tomorrow. It was much quicker to install keeping the pump/battery box I made about 16 months ago. Like Nath says the benefits to diy is you know how to fix/source parts as you built it. Not that there is much to it anyway. Any problem I have, I can simply take out the pump box, stick it on the bench and fix it without crawling around in the back of my van re-wiring or un-doing things. 

[neiljoust]

Cheers guys , just going to take everything out and re paint and then put the old stuff back in just need a electric reel

[Richard Groves]

X line orange theme isn't really what bothers me. I'm not understanding the "looks less professional" statements either. Its obviously to do with their branding. When they first started they used clear wydale tanks and alu checker plate with their logo cnc cut into it.  What bothers me more is paying good money for something costing far more than the sum of its parts that still has practicality issues in real world use for the sake of looks.

[Richard Groves]

My new set up.
The tank is securely strapped down. Its been hidden by a false top that is held on by bungees and a wooden block on its underside that goes in to the central baffle. I'm going to build storage trays on to it for trad gear etc.

[Richard Groves]

And the pumpbox I mentioned.