[G & M]

Need some help with locating a water tank. We are looking for a 1000ltr flat baffled tank. Who sells them? We need it for the van. We use an Opel           ( Vauxhall) Vivaro. What weight would a 1000ltrs of water weigh? All advice much appreciated. Michael

[ladderman]

650 tank will be your limit in that van!

[Paul Coleman]

I think a Vivaro is the same as the Renault Trafic weight wise.  If so, the vbehicle itself weighs 1.7 tonnes from a total payload of 2.7 tonnes.  This leaves you 1 tonne to play with.  The weight of the tank and other equipment, diesel and water come out of that 1 tonne.  Also what concerns me is your use of the word "we".  This seems to indicate that there would be more than one person working from the van - another drain on the carrying capacity.  There are 2.9 tonne versions of the Renault Trafic (so presum,ably the Vivaro as well).
1,000 litres of water weighs exactly 1 tonne is one cubic metre.  That's how liquid ,etric weights and measures were formed - by using the most plentiful substance on the planet as a guide.
I have a 2.9 tonne Renault Trafic.  I have a full 50 litre (water weight 50 kilos) trolley, a couple of poles, two hosereels and other misc items.  In it I have a 800 litre tank.  If I were to fill the tank and trolley, I wiould be a little bit overloaded and that's while I'm in the vehicle alone.  I checked it on a weighbridge once so that I could get my mark on the tank.
Ifr two of you working from a Vivaro 2.7, I reckon 500 litres would be the absolute max.  You could help matters a bit by keeping the diesel level down.  It's a 90 litre tank.  Maybe save 40 kilos by keeping it below half way

[Ian_Giles]

I have the Nissan Primastar version of the same van.

Mine is the short wheelbase one, max load is just over the ton, so although you can fit a 1000L tank in there you will be over the limit.

Ladderman is right, a 650L tank is the safe option, you could go for the 850L tank, but again, once fully loaded with water, diesel, all your other work gear and you sat behind the wheel you will once again be well overweight :

1000 litres of water will weigh 1000 kilos.  1 litre=1 kilo

If it is an IBC tank then it has to be in a frame, and ideally a custom made one, add the weight of that to the total and things are getting heavy!


In my own van I have a 650 litre tank, and as a one man band working all day long doing tops and bottoms WFP I have very rarely used a full tank of water, and I work with a very high flow rate too.

From your post it sounds like there are at least 2 of you, so with 650L you should be ok, I reckon on most full days I'm using around 300l of water a day, and as I say, I have my pump going flat out all the time.

Don't risk going for the big tank and putting the van over weight, get pulled over for checks, or be unlucky enough to be involved in an accident and you'll be in the do-do

Ian

[Trevor Knight]

Ian and Ladderman are right, 650 litres is good for working safely.

1000 litres is a tonne itself so your way over the limit.

650 litres lasts my guys all day and they work in pairs, just to give you an idea?

Best wishes,

Trev

[JM123]

Assuming the two of you have had a few yorkies too many I'm going to say you are both 100 kg, lets take 70Kg for a full tank of fuel, thats 270 kg off your payload of1023Kg = 753Kg, 650ltr tank actually only holds about 600ltrs as the baffles take up some space - you now have 153Kg left on your payload, the water tank itself weighs 50Kg plus any other equipment such as poles will eat into whats left of the payload.


I'd recommend no more than a 650 tank if there are 2 of you working.  You can apparently upgrade the payload by another 300 kg (fitted a customer van with 900ltr system a while back - was reassured the upgrades had been carried out).

[G & M]

thanks guys, That's the end of the 1000ltr tank. It really does help to ask questions on this site.
 Graham (my partner) and I have been doing w/c about 18 months now and are always trying to improve our homemade setup. This site has helped us no end.
 Thanks again your help as always is invaluable.  Michael

[Paul Coleman]

thanks guys, That's the end of the 1000ltr tank. It really does help to ask questions on this site.
 Graham (my partner) and I have been doing w/c about 18 months now and are always trying to improve our homemade setup. This site has helped us no end.
 Thanks again your help as always is invaluable.  Michael

Here's another suggerstion for you.
When you get the van, take it to a weighbridge with you both in it, a full tank of diesel and all your equipment EXCEPT the water tank.  Subtract the weight the weighbridge gives you from the total gross payload of the vehicle.  Water is 1 kilo per litre.  Then allow for the weight of tank, frame (if used) leisure battery, pump(s), resin and contrainer (if used).  Also allow a bit for error margin and for working after a heavy lunch    .  I think you will be surprised at how little you may have to play with.
I reckon on allowing 500 kilos over and above tank water weight as a minimum (I carry 2 hosereels and a 50 litre trolley full up).  I'm also a fat git.  For a two person operation you may want to allow a bit more.  Also bear in mind that persistently loading a van up to the rafters weightwise doesn't do it any good.