holding tank leaking can i drop it to repair

[swabby]

Sent: 7/21/2004 4:23 PM

hey everybody on my last outing my black water tank started leaking in a couple of spots, some i can't get to.  its a fiberglass tank, how much trouble is it to drop the tank to repair it.  would love to add a grey water tank of some sort to stop having to use a tote tank.  would it be that hard to do these two little projects.  this site has been a wealth of info since purchasing my winnie 3 years ago.  i have a 72 d-22 indian.......thanks

[jughead]

Sent: 7/21/2004 4:34 PM

mine was leaking in two places also.. bought a repair kit at local rv center.. lifetime guarenteed not to seperate from tank if properly applied.. if you can see the cracks..drill small hole at each end of split... to stop it from going any further. clean area with prep solvent ..peel backing from patch and apply firmly..... not a problem anymore.....numby...

[70winnie]

Sent: 7/21/2004 6:01 PM

Removing the old tank shouldn't be terribly difficult, but it will be time consuming, so give yourself a day or two for the project.

Note that you'll have to remove the toilet first, as well as the 3" waste pipe that connects it to the tank.  The entire waste pipe SCREWS INTO the top of the tank... and after many years it might require a lot of pressure to loosen it.  Be patient!

You might have to cut some of the waste pipes and/or the vent pipe to get the tank completely out.  If so, be sure to cut as straight as possible and leave about 1.5" on each side of the cut so you can re-attach the pieces with an ABS coupling later.  I recommend not cutting the 3" tank drain pipe.  Even if you have to cut more smaller pipes instead, it's probably worth it.

Re: installing a new gray tank, the most difficult task will be finding someplace to fit it.  There are dozens of sizes of new tanks available.  Different vendors seem to carry different types, too.  A new tank will cost about $150-200.  Keep in mind that not only will you have to install the tank, but you'll have to re-route the plumbing for it and it still has to drain properly.  As part of my complete remodel, I converted my black tank to a gray tank and installed a new black tank.  The hardest part was coming up with a design that would actually work.