Water Bladders

[Nwcid]

Last year I purchased a 50 gallon water bladder for "just incase" use since we mostly boondock. While I did not use it at all last year, we used it a lot this winter. I would like to add more capacity and trying to decide what way to go. I want to add 100-150 gallons total.

The bladder I have right now is an IVy Bag. This comes with 4 corner tie downs and is about $140. I would say it has a medium durability. It did get a pin hole during storage. It is right where the bag was folded and likely rubbing. I was able to patch it with a tire patch. I has been riding well on the tow vehicle while full, something I was concerned about. However I am not sure the long term durability.

When searching potable water bladders Huskey brand 150 gallon bladders keep coming up. Does anyone have one of these? Are they heavy duty? The downside is a cost of about $550.

I also have seen the AquaTank2 150 gallon bladders that run about $200. I see a lot of reviews about seams failing, and overall durability. The other downside for my application is lack of tie downs.

The advantage to the IVy Bag I can carry 2 full bladders on my tow vehicle while I am fully hooked up. If I was go go with the Huskey bladder I would only be able to use it when I unload my side x side. However I would still be able to use the single bag I have now when moving, but then have a total of 200 gallons.

Is the durability of the Huskey worth the price? Is there something equally a durable for less money?

PS. I have plenty of capacity. Even fully loaded and hooked up I still have over 20,000 lbs of allowable rear axle weight.

[KenZ71]

For us at least when fresh water is low grey is high too. So a bladder would not help unless dumping is easier than finding fresh water.

[Nwcid]

Originally Posted by KenZ71

For us at least when fresh water is low grey is high too. So a bladder would not help unless dumping is easier than finding fresh water.

Good thing I have a waste tank on my tow vehicle also.

[hclarkx]

I looked at bladders years ago and instead went with 46 gallon nylon tanks at a bit over $100 each (probably more now) from Class A Customs. They've held up well for seven years of 4-5 months of boondocking each year. Two fit nicely between the fiver hitch and the cab. With my new 2020 truck I could probably accommodate two 60 gallon tanks.

https://smile.amazon.com/Class-Custo...7-93deae8f9840

[Nwcid]

Originally Posted by hclarkx

I looked at bladders years ago and instead went with 46 gallon nylon tanks at a bit over $100 each (probably more now) from Class A Customs. They've held up well for seven years of 4-5 months of boondocking each year. Two fit nicely between the fiver hitch and the cab. With my new 2020 truck I could probably accommodate two 60 gallon tanks.

https://smile.amazon.com/Class-Custo...7-93deae8f9840

I had considered rigid tanks, but they really do not fit how we RV. We will go long periods without needing them followed by times where we use them a lot. I like the fact I can easily store the bladders when not in use.

I did look at getting custom tank that would mount under the deck of my truck. I would easily be able to get a 150+ gallon tank in there, but it would have to be a custom size and that costs a lot. None of the "standard" sizes were the right shape for my application.

[hclarkx]

Originally Posted by Nwcid

I had considered rigid tanks, but they really do not fit how we RV. We will go long periods without needing them followed by times where we use them a lot. I like the fact I can easily store the bladders when not in use.

I did look at getting custom tank that would mount under the deck of my truck. I would easily be able to get a 150+ gallon tank in there, but it would have to be a custom size and that costs a lot. None of the "standard" sizes were the right shape for my application.

My nylon rigid tanks go in and out of the truck as needed for each trip. They are not very heavy when empty (wild guess is 20 lbs each). They are easy to lift in and out when empty.

I lock them forward and down with ratchet straps and a 2x6 or two on the bed floor between the tanks and bed side walls.

The fresh tank is in place for probably half or 2/3 of our excursions, sometimes because we will be without access to water and sometimes, where water is available, simply to bring a second or third tank of potable water to the fiver to avoid hitching and taking the fiver to the water.

I offload the fresh water to the fiver fresh tank with the RV's anti-freeze inlet (we don't need winterizing) or my spare water pump.

The waste tank goes along only if we are going someplace where we will be sitting for several weeks and will be bringing a lot of water with us and don't want to dispose of the excess waste on-site. With three 40+ gallon waste tanks in the fiver, we are usually okay without the waste tank in the truck -- though it's more convenient to just let the galley waste tank fill and pump it into the truck rather than take gallon jugs of waste from the sink to the grey tank or black tank (or outside). Of course, some waste does go from the sink to the toilet for flushing in any event.

Between the fiver fresh tank and the one in the truck, and some blue jugs, we can take up to about 140 gallons with us from home or pick it up near our destination. I've thought about getting a second 46 gallon fresh tank which would replace the waste tank in the truck for those trips simply because it's more convenient than a bunch of 7 gallon blue jugs.

Fortunately the 2020 GMC has a 3211 lb payload so it can handle 100 gallons of water.

[Nwcid]

I appreciate the feedback.

We do not do excursions/trips. We are out for weeks or months at a time. We have 120 fresh and 130 waste. This typically lasts us about a week.

During our las time out, we did not use the extra tanks for the first couple of weeks. Then we made the mistake I always talk about not doing. We had plans to stay a couple of nights at full hook ups so we traveled with low fresh and high waste tanks. We did not end up with hook ups..... We had to make several trips to a local park to dump/fill. Then we did not use any extra for the next couple of weeks, but then we had guests so again we used it. Then the last couple of weeks we were out we used it again because we found a great, but hard to getting into location, so we used them again.

I do have a spot between my side x side and tool box where I could set a couple of medium sized tanks, but when we are not using them they would be in the way and frustrate me.

In my situation, to transfer I just gravity feed into the RV. At some point I may end up with a pump but so far I have not needed one.

I have a 60 gallon waste tank permanently mounted on TV. I added a fixed 1.5" hose (side of the outlet) with a shut off valve right at the end, that hooks directly to the macerator to fill. Then to dump I just pull extend the hose and open the valve.

I do not have to transfer water between my gray tanks. I cut off the original sewer outlet and glued on a valve on the end. This way I keep that valve closed, and open both of my gray tanks. They will balance themselves. If I had a need or want to, I could also open my black and combine all 3 but that has not been need.

[hclarkx]

Excursion vs excursion ..... for us an excursion is two to three weeks, never less. A longer trip is 4 to 8 weeks. One of each in the fall and one of each in the spring. All is boon docking or dry camping as in National Parks or such. Only if the shorter outings involve multiple stops thus making fiver tank refills and dumping easy do we leave the tanks home. As I noted, more often than not we need at least the fresh tank with us. Once I recall arriving home with the fresh tank full of the same water we left home with.

One of my thoughts when I went nylon tanks instead of bladder was how to know they were clean inside. With the nylon tanks I can look inside and know there's no debris or mold or what have you. I do flush the fresh tank with a 10 or 20% chlorine solution before each excursion.

We don't take firewood and only a small generator or no generator so the space the tanks take up at the front of the truck bed would otherwise be wasted.

Probably the biggest thing that steered me away from a bladder was it shifting or rolling into something sharp that would puncture it. I visualized some kind of protective sheet between it and sharp edges such as those around the hitch.

I looked at joining the two grey tanks ... but there's 20 feet between them and taking that coroplast down is a days work (kitchen is at the rear).

[Nwcid]

Again appreciate the thoughts.

I have a few hundred miles hauling my bladder now. I was worried about rolling as well. I have mine secured with the "D" rings in all 4 corners and it seems to work well.

I have nothing that is close enough to puncture, or even touch the bladder. I though I had a picture that shows the set up, but I do not.

The current bladder I have has a large enough opening at at the top I can look into if needed. When we store it I rinse with a bleach solution and then drain.

As for combining, all 3 of my tanks are on a common drain.

I have a 60 cf Knaack 90 tool box, then about 18" to my side x side then about 24" to where my deck dovetails down to my hitch.

[Nwcid]

I will likely be picking up one more IVy bag which will give me a total of 100 gallons I can haul on the deck while hooked up.

My truck is in the shop waiting on a back ordered part with an unknown ship date. On another page it was suggested to use PVC pipe and run it under my deck. I am pretty sure I can easily get at least 4, 10' sections of 6" pipe between my frame rails. At ~1.5 gallons/foot that will give me at least 60 gallons of water (not counting fittings and elbows). I might also be able to fit a few more smaller sections in other open areas and connect them getting me close to 100 gallons.

This likely not happen until fall, if I get my truck back by then. I will post up results when I do. It is also likely that I will have to add a pump as the outlet will be about the same height as my RV inlet.

[hclarkx]

Good luck with the truck. Not a great time to be waiting for parts what with the supply chain issues.

Just spent 15 days in Kings Canyon NP. Water was 100 yds away and the truck was above the fiver so had gravity fill. Left with all three waste tanks nearly full.

[Nwcid]

It is not a good time. The expected ship date has passed by over a month now.

If we are moochdocking we are typically near a water source. If we are out boondocking we are typically many miles from a water source.

So far I have transferred thousands of gallons via gravity. If I do the under deck system, and we area on very level ground, it is too close to risk not having a pump. Anything above the deck works just fine.

I also have a 60 gallon waste tank mounted on my tow vehicle so that helps if we are in an area we can not drain our grey.