[chris@c.m.s]

I see from one of the other topics some of you have tanks in estate cars including Alexg who has one of 320 lts, I have recently changed cars and now have a volvo 740 estate that I'm thinking of having a static system in, does any know what the maximum load would be approximatly? I'm quite sure if it is about 320 ltrs then that would be plenty for what I need.   

[Chris Cottrell]

I , quite frankly am amazed to see Alex uses an estate car, I used to have a volvo 850 estate this did the job quite well but 200 ltrs (in 25l barrels) and that was about the limit and you could defo notice she was fully loaded and I'm sure if I ever got eyeballed by the local pold I'd have been in for a grilling.

Dont forget its not just the water you carry its all the other stuff Poles,hose reels,full petrol tank,You,your trad gear too it all mounts up

[matt]

Ive helped fit a 200 L to a estate car, when you think of it, its only the same as a BIG FAT bloke sat in the rear seat

we seatbelted it in the rear seat, worked very well if im honest, and when / if i decide to go 100% WFP i will be doing the same

[Alex Gardiner]

Dont just rely on seatbelts, as they are not designed for the job. Strapping the tanks in always needs careful attention. We have always gone for Estate cars that are 7 seaters as they have a heavier carrying capacity.

Check your vehicles stats before using.

 My dad uses a Volvo 940 2.3 turbo estate, what a tank of a vehicle,  rear seats fold flat leaving a perfectly flat load area, also has built in tie downs. He has had the suspension uprated as well.

We prefer large estates as they have a lower roof line for fixing ladders and poles to.

My ultimate would be a 9 seater commercial Vito with a custom built floor tank, that way I could get all 6 of my Kids in if I needed to! Dream on

Alex

[AuRavelling79]

Honda accord estate (Similar to a mondeo estate)

Back seats flat, tank longways (only 125L) behind passenger seat.
2 x 25L barrels in front passenger footwell. 2 x 25L barrels behind me.
Pump, hose and 100m microbore in far back with trad tools and backpack.

Pole (unger 4 piece cheapo) inside down left hand side of car. Brush on top of hose reel (generally stays connected to the reel)

Total 240L (inc backpack)

No ladders.

(Except for two jobs which need to get me over a wall after I have placed the pole and hose over it.) This ladder is cut down to 6ft and on the odd day I take it it's rungs fit snugly over the head rests of the front passenger seat and over the tank.

[matt]

i carry

1 25L barrels in the front seat footwell (it will squeeze 2 at a push)

1 25L in the rear passenger seat footwell (behind the front passeneger seat)

6 X 25L barrels in the rear estate boot (behind a dog gaurd, i know it wouldnt stop the barrels, but it would slow them down a fair bit)

it does me for now, but if i decide to do all WFP upstairs and down, it'll mean a trip home at lunch time to refill OR a tank in on the rear seat (it has tie down eyelets in the rear, so i could use that aswell, cheers alex)

[chris@c.m.s]

Thanks guys it gives me some idea, think I may go for a 175 ltr in the rear luggage space and with the Fat bloke driving it should balance things out hopefully , I'm hopeing to use a hose reel and be able to fill my backpack from a main tank lifting barrels isnt doing my back any good  :.   

[Alex Gardiner]

Most estate cars are rated to carry 4 passenegrs (not inc. driver) and about 100kilos of luggage in the boot.

This equates to 4x80kilos + 100 kilos = 420kg this is quite a lot but would need to be evenly spread through the vehicle not just in the estate part of the car.

A 7 seat estate car is usually rated at a slightly higher limit, always check with the manufacturers guide before using.

Loose jerry cans are probably the most dangerous way of carrying water in your vehicle. Each one could kill you if it breaks free.

Alex

[chris@c.m.s]

Agreed with the jerry cans Alex thats why I have a large box in the estate to stop them going forward but I still want a fixed container with any extra carried as Matt says in the front passenger footwell, or behind the passenger seat, you definatly feel them if they are behind the driver seat in a emergancy stop as I found out  :

[JM123]

 

I am shocked that anyone would consider the boot of their car safe for transporting tanks of water.

I'm not having a dig at anyone but I will tell you that you are nuts, what is stopping your tank/s from flying straight at you in an accident?

I can tell you this much (here we go with the engineering again) that a lever arch file (empty) is a lethal weapon in the back of a car, continue at your own peril  but I have seen the damage done by small light objects in a collision, a water barrel would simply kill you.

[ValueValeting]

Ive helped fit a 200 L to a estate car, when you think of it, its only the same as a BIG FAT bloke sat in the rear seat

we seatbelted it in the rear seat, worked very well if im honest, and when / if i decide to go 100% WFP i will be doing the same

Thats not 1 big fat bloke...its 2 big fat blokes

1L of water = 1 Kg

200L water = 200Kg = 31.5 stone

[james cairns]

guys the issue of wfp against traditiomal is that it is safer not to go up a ladder

yet risk is taken using  heavy backpacks heavy containers which can affect you in other ways as you get older, tanks in cars which in your eyes are secure but has anyone really had them tested to see if they are safe

do you use the rear for the tank then happily drop your kids of to school with this weight at the rear of you

I did not like the idea of this weight in my vehicle and got the wfp fitted into a trailer, even with the trailer i need to think ahead as under braking hard you can feel the weight of the trailer and realised that my braking distance had increased compared to myself just travelling in the van, I went this way as I used to carry containers in the rear of the vehicle, and even 6 containers filled with water put an impact on the steering of the vehicle and the braking distance to stop in  a safe manner on your side of the road.

I am not gettting at you for fitting tanks in your car but can only advice


look further ahead and inticipate situations
allow for extra braking distance
and slow the speed down when carrying this weight

some ponits that maybe the younger lads might not take into consideration

you will understand the above when you have to make a heavy brake

jinky

[Tim Morton]

IMO the safest way to have a tank in a car is to remove it and secure it in a trailer attached to the car.

Tim

[24-7 S C Services]

Hi everyone,

For those people that have tanks in their cars and or carry 25lt containers you could find yourself in serious trouble!!!

Car insurance is a very complex area and all insurance companies look for every excuse possible not pay a claim. If you have a tank installed in your car, by law, you have to notify your insurance company - what happens then? They probably wont even insure you. If they do, the premiums will be massive. You also have to state on your insurance policy that you are using the car for business use. Again, this is a higher premium.

If you have an accident, and you have not informed the insurance company of the above, they can refuse the claim and announce your insurance is void, you will then be prosecuted for driving without insurance and possible for carrying dangerous loads. \If the accident is your fault and if there is a fatality, you could end up in prison.

My advise would be, save your money for a month or two and buy a small van and have a tank fitted in it properly, just to protect yourself.

You may be the safest driver on the road, but it is the other idiots out there that could cause the accident.

Andrew

[matt]

Ive helped fit a 200 L to a estate car, when you think of it, its only the same as a BIG FAT bloke sat in the rear seat

we seatbelted it in the rear seat, worked very well if im honest, and when / if i decide to go 100% WFP i will be doing the same

Thats not 1 big fat bloke...its 2 big fat blokes

1L of water = 1 Kg

200L water = 200Kg = 31.5 stone

what do you define as fat though, im 6ft 3 and 16 stone, not fat at all

[P®oPole™]

Ive helped fit a 200 L to a estate car, when you think of it, its only the same as a BIG FAT bloke sat in the rear seat

we seatbelted it in the rear seat, worked very well if im honest, and when / if i decide to go 100% WFP i will be doing the same

  SEATBELTED IT IN, ARE YOU SURE!!

[matt]

Ive helped fit a 200 L to a estate car, when you think of it, its only the same as a BIG FAT bloke sat in the rear seat

we seatbelted it in the rear seat, worked very well if im honest, and when / if i decide to go 100% WFP i will be doing the same

  SEATBELTED IT IN, ARE YOU SURE!!

yes, seat belt either side, it didnt move a inch, it was really secure

it was up on its side and didnt move

of course with whats said above, its upto the person to decide if its safe

[ValueValeting]

Ive helped fit a 200 L to a estate car, when you think of it, its only the same as a BIG FAT bloke sat in the rear seat

we seatbelted it in the rear seat, worked very well if im honest, and when / if i decide to go 100% WFP i will be doing the same

Thats not 1 big fat bloke...its 2 big fat blokes

1L of water = 1 Kg

200L water = 200Kg = 31.5 stone

what do you define as fat though, im 6ft 3 and 16 stone, not fat at all

Gives you a BMI of 28, which is overweight.

I'm also 6'3" & have been 16.5st...then I stopped going to the gym 4 times a week & playing Rugby saturdays Now a teeny 14st 

[chris@c.m.s]

Thanks for your thoughs guys, Andrew, Tim, Jm123, and Jinky I am now thinking again and your points are taken in, hopefully before December I will be looking at getting a van sorted perhaps I'll hold on untill then, with regards to tank fitting I have a welder in the family so should be able to get some pretty heavy duty straps/restraints made up.