[Andrew46]

I have got 6 good anchor points pre assembled in my van.  I initially did not want to go for straps due to safety but I'm now thinking that my 400 ltr flat tank would be very secure with high quality ratchet straps especially as I have 6 good anchor points just a few inches away from the footprint of the tank.

Would a cage be much safer than this and it the ratchet strap option safe??


Thanks


 

[Alex Gardiner]

There is no guarantee that a non crash tested cage would be any better than correctly load rated ratchet straps. As long as you used sufficient of them to good anchor points and wrapped them through the tank.

[Andrew46]

Thanks Alex

Sorry for my ignorabce but how do you wrapp then through the tank? I have a flat 400 ltr.  With the 6 points, I was going to ratchet from bottom left to midd right x1 ratchet.  Midd right to top left x 1 ratchet. Bottom right to mid left x 1.  Mid left to top right x 1. and mid left to mid right. top left to top right x 1.  that's 6 ratchet straps.  The bottom two anchor points are slightly below the tank foot print  so i couldn't cross tank at bottom from bottom right to bottom left.

Would this be enough and how could I wrape through the tank???

[rich fraser]

Andrew if you do end up strapping your tank down make sure the points are sturdy enough. Ihave a 500 litre tank tripple straped down in the back of mine. Ihad to do and emergency stop a while back and if it wasnt for my tank being right up against my bulk head i think i would have been squashed over my steering wheel. The bulk head bent at either end and pushed my seat forwards about an inch. The strapping points peeled the van floor up and snapped. I have now drilled holes through van floor and put anchor bolts through with backing plated on the underside

[AuRavelling79]

Thanks Alex

Sorry for my ignorabce but how do you wrapp then through the tank? I have a flat 400 ltr.  With the 6 points, I was going to ratchet from bottom left to midd right x1 ratchet.  Midd right to top left x 1 ratchet. Bottom right to mid left x 1.  Mid left to top right x 1. and mid left to mid right. top left to top right x 1.  that's 6 ratchet straps.  The bottom two anchor points are slightly below the tank foot print  so i couldn't cross tank at bottom from bottom right to bottom left.

Would this be enough and how could I wrape through the tank???

A 400L tank should be baffled IMO and will have two elongated "holes" or baffles moulded through the tank through which you can put your ratchet straps.

[Ian Lancaster]

It is VERY unlikely that any pre-fitted anchor points will be strong enough to secure even a small tank.

Any restraining device MUST be secured to the chassis.  I believe the safest way is to fit high tensile "U" bolts around the chassis members and then through heavy angle irons on the van bed.  You can then attach whatever you like to the angle iron (cage, ratchet straps etc) by drilling through the upright section.  In the event of an impact, nothing will move unless the chassis itself gives way.  If that happens, you're dead anyway so no need to worry

[mark dew]

Cleantech do these fixings for ratchet straps. I wouldn't trust a fixing that is welded to the interior.
www.cleantech.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=22_25&products_id=90

I don't know if/how much less safer these are, but my insurance company doesn't view these as a modification. Which can void the policy if any additions or changes are not mentioned to them.

[Ian Lancaster]

Cleantech do these fixings for ratchet straps. I wouldn't trust a fixing that is welded to the interior.
www.cleantech.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=22_25&products_id=90

I don't know if/how much less safer these are, but my insurance company doesn't view these as a modification. Which can void the policy if any additions or changes are not mentioned to them.

That's the same arrangement as I described above, but the important bit is how it's attached to the chassis.  Bolts through the floor with plates under are next to useless, they will rip the floor up like tissue paper if you have a crash.

And you don't need stainless - you can buy lengths of heavy angle mild steel from a stockist and these will always be much stronger than your chassis, so we're back to the fixing point being the most important element.  See my post above.

[Ian_Giles]

Concerning a bolted cage v ratchet strapped tank....

If your tank is caged & bolted, as I understand it, that counts as a vehicle modification and can really affect you in an insurance claim.
But if your tank is simply ratchet strapped down then your tank is now cargo...isn't it? And that means you don't have to inform them you have modified your vehicle.

Don't read that as gospel mind!

But I would be very interested in how an insurance company would view things.

Vehicles, especially builders vans, carry things equally as heavy as we window cleaners do.

A pallet of bricks in the back is cargo, and  as such in an accident, and will mash you to a pulp as easily as a tank of water!

Now a well caged & bolted tank is going to be safer in most instances than a ratchet strapped tank....but if you haven't notified your insurance company about your modification it could well be all they'll need to void your insurance claim....if your pulped and mashed body is still capable of making a claim of course
Yet they will have to pay up if you have 'safely' strapped down 1/2 ton tank with a bit of webbing

As I said, I don't know for certain, I'm just musing....

Mind how you go,

Ian

[mark dew]

Ian L, mine were fitted with plates through the floor. Your way sounds the business.

Ian G, yes, that's exactly how my insurance company (quinn-direct) explained to me when i called them.
I wondered if having this fixing kit fitted would count as a modification. It doesn't with them.

[LWC]

I havent read through all info on here but when i was painting the van with proteckta coat i removed all the anchor points and couldnt beleive whats they are, they were about an inch long and thin bolts.

Personally i wouldnt trust em. Plate em up through chassis.

[GWCS]

so if strapping it in is a temporary load and not classed as a mod, what is a quick release cage then?

A cage that you can just take in and out as you needed it, just bolted down rather than strapped via load plates thru the chassis?

[Andrew46]

Ok Guys thanks for the feed back.  I've been searching this subject on previous posts and it does seem to keep being asked 

I think professionally fitted cage may now be better.

[Alex Gardiner]

Thanks Alex

Sorry for my ignorabce but how do you wrapp then through the tank? I have a flat 400 ltr.  With the 6 points, I was going to ratchet from bottom left to midd right x1 ratchet.  Midd right to top left x 1 ratchet. Bottom right to mid left x 1.  Mid left to top right x 1. and mid left to mid right. top left to top right x 1.  that's 6 ratchet straps.  The bottom two anchor points are slightly below the tank foot print  so i couldn't cross tank at bottom from bottom right to bottom left.

Would this be enough and how could I wrape through the tank???

You would go through the baffle holes that your tank should have.

[a900]

I only have a 250l tank but even with a small tank i can feel it sway the van back and forth when half full.  I have a welded box section frame around it. I have high tensile rods with 2 nuts throught the chassis to the frame. This has to be the safest way.

I got family to help me. Maybe a local trusted garage could help you.

Some of my ancor points have broken with lighter loads so i would not recommend using them.

I noticed that no one has mentioned. If you are securing to the chassis there will be a gap between the floor of the van and the chassis member. You need to have some sort of tubing for the bolts to go through so they dont put the chassis and van floor together.