Want to Remove my Fresh Water Tank

[kirsten778]

Hi there,

I live full-time in my 5th wheel, and I am stationary, hooked up to city water, no plans to hit the road, at least not in this. I would like to remove the fresh water tank, as I don't use it, and I want to clear out the area so I can make it into a 'living room' of sorts. I tried searching for a video but all I could find were videos explaining how to repair, clean, deodorize, empty, and fill the tank.

There are some wires stuck to it with some kind of adhesive, I assume for the water sensor. Is it safe to remove these from the tank? Also, when I remove the hoses that are attached to the pump is there a way to close those ends?

Anything else I should know?

Thanks in advance!
Kirsten

[djousma]

kirsten778 wrote:

FLY 4 FUN wrote:
On most 5er's the water tank is under the rig...your saying yours is in your living space?

Actually, it's under what used to be the jackknife sofa that I removed. But good to know it's not as daunting of a project as I thought. Thanks!!

Are you sure its the fresh water tank? For a fifth wheel, that doesnt sound like it could be a very large water tank.

the other consideration is that if you ever decide to trade it in on a new one, you are really going to take the hit.

[bigorange]

BarneyS wrote:
In addition, that trailer, like our present one, was a travel trailer as opposed to a 5th wheel, with the living room at the front and bedroom in the rear. The placement of the tank at the front of the trailer under the sofa added to the tongue weight which helped with the stability of the trailer while being towed. We very seldom filled it all the way up but kept enough in there to use until we reached our destination or at least warmer weather than you find in Michigan in the winter. In addition, there was nothing else under there that needed that space so it would have been just a useless empty space.
At least in your case, you have a good use for the area.

Good luck with your decision to remove yours. I hope it turns out well for you. 🙂
Barney

Agree 100%. My water tank is under the bed in the rear...while inside placement is nice to prevent freezing, I’ll never buy a trailer with fresh water tank behind the axles again. Even with WDH and sway bars in place it is very noticeable when towing with much water in the tank.

That said, I agree with others that this should be a simple project. Nothing to worry about with the sensor wires and in addition to what others have said I’d recommend checking the routing of the lines just to make sure no common water lines with the tank and fresh water supply lines. You may need to cap or bypass the lines to the tank and the pump. The lines in my trailer have easy screw connectors and there are similar screw caps available as well.

[BarneyS]

As already mentioned, that should be a fairly simple and manageable project. If the tank is empty, it should not be too heavy and will be easy to pick up and take outside. I would encourage you to keep it stashed away someplace however, just in case you want to sell the rig in the future.

I do not think that the placement of the tank inside the trailer, under the jackknife sofa, is questionable design however. Our previous trailer had that arrangement and it was nice to be able to fill the tank and not worry about it freezing while we traveled to Florida in the winter.

In addition, that trailer, like our present one, was a travel trailer as opposed to a 5th wheel. It had the living room at the front and bedroom in the rear. The placement of the tank at the front of the trailer under the sofa added to the tongue weight which helped with the stability of the trailer while being towed. We very seldom filled it all the way up but kept enough in there to use until we reached our destination or at least warmer weather than you find in Michigan in the winter. In addition, there was nothing else under there that needed that space so it would have been just a useless empty space.
At least in your case, you have a good use for the area.

Good luck with your decision to remove yours. I hope it turns out well for you. 🙂
Barney

[Lwiddis]

A basement where the water tank...was? A 75 gallon tank would yield 10 cubic feet. Don’t invite lots of friends for a party...a 2 by 5 closet.

[kirsten778]

agesilaus wrote:
Well make sure it's empty first of all. The city water needs to be off and depressurized, just open a faucet and let the pressure bleed off.

Those wires are low voltage level sensors, you can just cut them with no problem. I think most tanks are installed with metal straps holding the tank to the frame. Those straps will have to be removed. The tank can then be lowered and the plumbing connections disconnected. Then the tank may be removed. You need to plug the water line going back up into the rv to prevent backflow from the city water. That should not happen because of the check valve in the water pump but those valves commonly leak.

somehow I cannot imagine a living room in the trailer belly. Maybe for Kobolds.

Haha! I was thinking a living room for the local, over-abundant squirrel population 😄 Actually, the tank is under where the jackknife sofa used to be on the floor of the trailer. Not sure which genius thought that was a good idea, my black and gray water are underneath, and there's nothing below the trailer floor where it sits now. Anyway, that's a moot point, but there are a few design choices made that are questionable. Thanks for the help! I was a bit worried about those wires as I didn't want to electrocute myself!

[kirsten778]

FLY 4 FUN wrote:
On most 5er's the water tank is under the rig...your saying yours is in your living space?

Actually, it's under what used to be the jackknife sofa that I removed. But good to know it's not as daunting of a project as I thought. Thanks!!

[agesilaus]

Well make sure it's empty first of all. The city water needs to be off and depressurized, just open a faucet and let the pressure bleed off.

Those wires are low voltage level sensors, you can just cut them with no problem. I think most tanks are installed with metal straps holding the tank to the frame. Those straps will have to be removed. The tank can then be lowered and the plumbing connections disconnected. Then the tank may be removed. You need to plug the water line going back up into the rv to prevent backflow from the city water. That should not happen because of the check valve in the water pump but those valves commonly leak.

somehow I cannot imagine a living room in the trailer belly. Maybe for Kobolds.

[FLY_4_FUN]

On most 5er's the water tank is under the rig...your saying yours is in your living space? If its under a dinette then removing it permanently is simply a matter of capping lines, removing wires and making them safe (mar connector or electrical tape). Im not sure I like the idea of complete removal but its your rig, so modify it to your liking. Just remember that in the event of a water supply issue at a permanent site you now have NO options to use water in your rig. I would for sure take photos, and keep all parts in the event you want to return it to OEM status for sale or if you change your mind.