2006 HR Admiral 33PBD increase fresh water capacity by swapping tanks

[06HR33PBD]

Hello everybody ...

I am the owner of a new to me 2006 Holiday Rambler Admiral 33PBD with an 8.1 Vortec Workhorse W22 chassis and Allison Transmission

I spent years looking for a Monaco family 33PBD with the Chevy Workhorse Allison combo ...

This particular RV has the following holding tank configuration has

54 gallon black water tank
45 gallon grey water tank

60 gallon fresh water tank

The fresh water tank sits on the back end of the RV just before the trailer hitch

Has anyone removed the factory 60 gallon fresh water tank and replaced it with a larger one?

I dry camp exclusively... I average 8-10 gallons a day in fresh water(stackable washer and dryer)

I understand that I can use a water bladder BUT I have onboard a combined 99 gallons of black water + grey water capacity

I currently use a 60 gallon aquatank 2 and a 42 gallon barker blue boy

Thank you

[Old-Biscuit]

Is there room to increase size of tank?

[Skip426]

The small tank may be as a result of trying to control overall coach weight .

Before you start modifying for a larger tank , have the coach weighed , ready for travel with a full tank of fuel and water.

B-in-L's Tiffin on a W-22 , he had to choose between a full tank of fuel and carrying enough water to stay overnight on the road, to avoid being overloaded.

When he did get overloaded the coach handled " Like a wet sponge " were his words.

[153stars]

Are you moving a toad to put some jugs in. Best to get better at rationing water. A wash tub for dishes can be used to flush a toilet. You can capture shower water until warm. Take submarine showers.
If it takes 10 gallons to wash 2 loads of clothes that's 86 lbs of water, that's a lot of extra clothes you could carry per weight.

[House Husband]

As already noted. Watch out for over loading. Water is 8.33 lbs. per gallon.

Richard

[06HR33PBD]

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

Is there room to increase size of tank?

Thank you for your reply

I need to measure accurately but there's about a foot of free space facing traverse/north-south on each side

It's in storage.. will update with pics later

[bentjm]

Originally Posted by 06HR33PBD

Thank you for your reply

I need to measure accurately but there's about a foot of free space facing traverse/north-south on each side

It's in storage.. will update with pics later

A gallon is 231 cubic inches. Do the math to see how many gallons you might gain. Then do the math and see how much weight that is.

Then you can decide if it makes sense.

[06HR33PBD]

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

Is there room to increase size of tank?

I went to the RV and took some measurements and pictures... The fresh water tank is located at the rear of the coach just ahead of the hitch..

It runs east west orientation sitting in the middle of the rear most driver side and passenger side basement storage bay


Coach is 100.5" wide

Tank measured around

11 3/4" high
38" wide

The tank sides in the middle with 11" of space on each side(driver side and passenger side) of the basement storage doors.

Since the coach is 100.5" outside dimensions and there's 11" of space on each side totaling 22"

I am guestimating the tank dimensions are

78" length
38" wide
11 3/4" high

Attached are pics

[06HR33PBD]

Originally Posted by Skip426

The small tank may be as a result of trying to control overall coach weight .

Before you start modifying for a larger tank , have the coach weighed , ready for travel with a full tank of fuel and water.

B-in-L's Tiffin on a W-22 , he had to choose between a full tank of fuel and carrying enough water to stay overnight on the road, to avoid being overloaded.

When he did get overloaded the coach handled " Like a wet sponge " were his words.

Thank you for the reply... I travel with 15-20 gallons of fresh water... 3-5 gallons in grey tank and 3-5 gallons in black tank. When I am less than a few miles from the area I will be dispersed camping.. I fill up my fresh water tank...


My coach wasn't optioned and is pretty bare.

I want to increase fresh water capacity from the coaches 60 gallons to a minimum of 80 gallons and a maximum of 100

I consume an average 10 gallons of water a day...

Again I have a total of 99 gallons combined with the grey tank and black tank which I equalize when needed..


Thanks to all you guys for replying... I will go through your comments one at a time in order

I am keeping this coach.. the only people I see building coaches like this at present is tiffin and newmar... This coach is unbelievably well built and this Admiral I am told was HR's entry level model.... WOW!!?

[06HR33PBD]

Originally Posted by 153stars

Are you moving a toad to put some jugs in. Best to get better at rationing water. A wash tub for dishes can be used to flush a toilet. You can capture shower water until warm. Take submarine showers.
If it takes 10 gallons to wash 2 loads of clothes that's 86 lbs of water, that's a lot of extra clothes you could carry per weight.

Yes... I flat to a 4runner...

When traveling I carry 15-20 gal of fresh water.. 3-5 gallons in the grey and black tank

I mostly disperse camp.. just before getting to my destination.. I fill up all 60 gallons into the fresh water tank.. I completely empty the gray and black tanks because they will get use as soon as I arrive at my location..

I have 99 gallons combined of grey/black holding capacity... Would really prefer to equal that with fresh water..

I go through 10 gallons of water per day... Want to replace factory 60 gallon fresh water tank with at least an 80 gallon tank but prefer a 100 gallon tank to increase my wild camping stay... Once I get to my spot.. I rarely move...

[Mark_K5LXP]

Just to throw it out there, what about an auxiliary tank located somewhere and plumbed in vs tearing up what's there and having to refit a custom tank? You select a location suitable for the volume and weight. Depending on where it is it could gravity feed into the main tank as it drains, use a small transfer pump, or the main tank drains into the aux tank and you re-plumb your pump to source from there. In a perfect scenario it's on the same level as the primary tank and you just "parallel" it with a bottom and top hose and it would fill and drain along with the primary tank. Lots of ways to approach the problem with a 2nd tank.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM