Forum Discussion

RamblinAnne's avatar
RamblinAnne
Explorer
Aug 17, 2017

Sagging Tanks

So I'll spare you the unfortunate details of WHY I need to take the camper off the truck tomorrow, but I do. Only for a few hours but it has to be done. It's been a few months since I've taken her off the truck. Not since I've completed the reno and filled the tanks and moved in. Needless to say, she's a lot heavier now than she's ever been. I have total confidence in my jacks. That's not the issue. However, when looking at the underbelly of the camper, I see what appears to be sagging tanks. So much so that it seems to have cracked the thick plastic support structure. (I don't know if this piece of thick plastic actually supports anything or if it's just meant to cover the tanks to shield them from the elements and create a flat bottom).

Anyway. I'm super paranoid that I'm going to lift the camper up, drive forward, and the tanks are just going to collapse to the ground, dumping grey (and possibly black) water everywhere. Is this possible?? Is this plastic membrane the only thing keeping my tanks up?? If so, I'm afraid I'm in trouble. How do I go about reinforcing this support structure?
Truck Campers
  • RamblinAnne's avatar
    RamblinAnne
    Explorer
    Aug 17, 2017
    54suds wrote:
    heres another

    the new plywood you see in the first picture is floor and sidewall reinforcing added to stop cabinet & wall seperation and rear sag on a 10.5 model the second is a 10.11


    Yes! I definitely need to do this. I did notice a bit of separation the last time I had the camper off the truck. Im sure it's normal but the sagging really freaks me out so I think reinforcement totally needs to happen.

    In the first pic from previous post.. I'm not able to tell which way I'm looking at the tanks. Is that the rear bumper in the top of the photo? And I'm guessing that smaller tank is the black and the larger is grey? And then this is the fresh water in this second pic? Just trying to figure out tank placement.
  • bigfootford's avatar
    bigfootford
    Nomad II
    Aug 17, 2017
    Been through this one years ago...

    I really got involved with a solution to the issue, and even contacted BF. That was before the demise and resurrection of BF. They provided no input nor help.

    The black and gray are separate from the fresh water tank. There is not much in the order of support for those tanks... I will look through my archives and see if I can provide some input.

    Draining both the gray and black are necessary... Fresh not so.
    Removing the lower cover fiberglass cover will be needed. Then you can see the minimum support that BF provided for those tanks.

    I did a fairly simple resolution to the problem but it does require some mechanical ability.

    I did not post on RV.net regarding this issue...

    I will pm you for more information...

    Jim
  • bigfootford's avatar
    bigfootford
    Nomad II
    Aug 17, 2017
    RamblinAnne wrote:
    bighatnohorse wrote:
    Your signature says the camper is a Bigfoot. isn't that a one-piece underbelly?
    If you dump the tanks before taking it off the truck, it should not be a problem.
    But I'm a little confused - if it's already on the truck, how can you tell that it's sagging?
    Anyway, dump the tanks before using the camper off-truck.


    So I noticed a bit of sag the last time I dumped my tanks. There's about a foot and half of camper length that sticks out past the rear bumper. (The part where I connect my sewer hose). The underbelly is a few pieces, last I remember. Definitely more than one.. I think 3 but maybe just 2. I'll snap some pics when I get it off of the truck tomorrow.


    The underbelly of the BF's have a Fiberglass plate about 1/16" thick covering all the tanks. It is held on by 10,000 screws ahahahaaa! The fresh water tank is suspended with straps as you can see in the picture. There is foam between the removable plate and the Fresh water tank. That is used to help support the tank when sitting in the truck. When the camper is removed then the Fresh water tank is held up by those straps.

    This is not so for the gray and black tanks, although there is 1 or 2 straps for the gray and black, but no support from the bottom of the camper in the overhang.

    There support is devised by wood blocks and part of the floor...

    Jim
  • Kayteg1's avatar
    Kayteg1
    Explorer II
    Aug 17, 2017
    Tanks strap beside, but if you use jacks with heavy camper, check the footing.
    When the Atwood jacks lifted my camper at 6500 lb just fine, the dually brackets seems to be weak point and on uneven ground they will go sideways.
    I had mine straight up already.
  • 54suds's avatar
    54suds
    Explorer
    Aug 17, 2017
    RamblinAnne wrote:
    54suds wrote:
    heres another

    the new plywood you see in the first picture is floor and sidewall reinforcing added to stop cabinet & wall seperation and rear sag on a 10.5 model the second is a 10.11


    Yes! I definitely need to do this. I did notice a bit of separation the last time I had the camper off the truck. Im sure it's normal but the sagging really freaks me out so I think reinforcement totally needs to happen.

    In the first pic from previous post.. I'm not able to tell which way I'm looking at the tanks. Is that the rear bumper in the top of the photo? And I'm guessing that smaller tank is the black and the larger is grey? And then this is the fresh water in this second pic? Just trying to figure out tank placement.



    the rear of the camper is at the top of the pix, those pix are from a 10.5 which is much "different" than your 10.6 and i think your fresk water tank is like most BF's under the base of your dianette,not in the basement.


    ps not all separation is horrible , some is because workers misused torque drive screw guns and stripped out large numbers of screw attachment points and many times easily ( relatively) repaired.
  • RamblinAnne's avatar
    RamblinAnne
    Explorer
    Aug 18, 2017
    So I successfully managed to raise up the camper and not have my tanks collapse. Weirdly enough, the sagging got better as I raised up the camper. I still want to reinforce the bottom though. Those panels that are covering the underbelly are all messed up. I took some pics while I had the chance. Yikes! Anyone know where I should go about getting a big, custom cut piece of fiberglass (or something else?) to use under there?





  • cewillis's avatar
    cewillis
    Explorer
    Aug 18, 2017
    Wow -- that does not look good. I think I'd be tempted to get a big piece of diamond plate aluminum --assuming there is a good structure to fasten it it to.
  • Grit_dog's avatar
    Grit_dog
    Navigator
    Aug 18, 2017
    Find a local plastic shop and see about getting a sheet of HDPE or umhw.
    That or aluminum.
    If it's not needed to hold anything up structurally then I'd also consider using the plastic/fiberglass paneling used in shower surrounds, from the hardware store. It would be more prone to cracking but it's cheap and easily accessible.
  • bigfootford's avatar
    bigfootford
    Nomad II
    Aug 18, 2017
    cewillis wrote:
    Wow -- that does not look good. I think I'd be tempted to get a big piece of diamond plate aluminum --assuming there is a good structure to fasten it it to.


    No... That plate is nothing more than a cover, nothing to do with structure. Under the plate is a layer of foam for insulation.

    A piece of 1/16" composite wall panel will suffice.

    I do find it strange that the material shown in her picture is so thick. Mine and others I have seen are about 1/16".

    Jim
  • bigfootford's avatar
    bigfootford
    Nomad II
    Aug 18, 2017
    Grit dog wrote:
    Find a local plastic shop and see about getting a sheet of HDPE or umhw.
    That or aluminum.
    If it's not needed to hold anything up structurally then I'd also consider using the plastic/fiberglass paneling used in shower surrounds, from the hardware store. It would be more prone to cracking but it's cheap and easily accessible.


    Excellent suggestion!

    Jim

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