Fresh water tank support strap

[penguin149]

When I arrived at home from my last trip, I noticed the metal support strap for my fresh water tank had fatigued and broke. It's a 2 inch(?) wide piece of metal, about 40" long that was screwed into the frame supports, spanned the width of the tank and had some slack in it to allow the tank to bulge and flex. I don't travel with water in the fresh tank but I feel like I need to replace this strap. My first thought was roof flashing but all I can find is aluminum which seems too thin/flimsy. What could I use to construct a support strap for my fresh water tank?

[penguin149]

Very interesting! Thank you for the input! My grey and black tanks have the same "loose" strap back-up support design. Sounds like I've got a project ahead of me! Or more like 3 projects ahead of me!

[goducks10]

Mine was in between two pieces of angle along the edges as normal. It also had a piece of 2x2 angle iron running between the frame rails for added support. We've always had an issue where we could never get the last 15 gals of water out. It holds 54 gal total. I also had a floor squeak above the tank so I thought why not drop the coroplast and fresh water tank and see if I could fix the floor squeak. That would also give me a chance to look at the tank suction area.
Well to my surprise the tank still sagged with the angle iron running under it. It seems as though the tank is made of a semi flexible plastic that will sag when full. The tank was drained prior to dropping the coroplast and you could still see quite a bit of water left in it because it sagged so much that it couldn't drain out.
So I made a frame out of 1-1/4" tubing that spans the width of the 5er frame and has cross pieces at the 1/4 points. Once in place the whole tank is supported and when full it stays straight across the bottom.
Last time out dry camping we used the fresh tank like always and we never had to add additional water like usual. Plus peace of mind knowing that the tanks never going anywhere.
And yes I fixed the floor squeak. 🙂

[mobeewan]

Mine is boxed into the frame with coroplast on the bottom and an angle bar support running under the middle to support the center of the tank. No sagging.

[gmw_photos]

I have a scrap piece of four inch wide nylon "tree strap" ( used to protect a tree when you are winching your 4x4 in the woods ) that I am going to use under my fresh tank when the weather cools enough to get out there and work.

[drsteve]

Similar straps hold up the gas tank in most trucks. Possibly find one the right size at an auto parts store?

[SoundGuy]

My 2014 Freedom Express BEFORE - as manufactured by Coachmen ...



... and AFTER my dealer installed steel angle tank supports ...



There is absolutely no reason whatsoever the tank should sag at all ... flimsy straps installed by the manufacturer just don't cut it. :M

[Lynnmor]

penguin149 wrote:
. It's a 2 inch(?) wide piece of metal, about 40" long that was screwed into the frame supports, spanned the width of the tank and had some slack in it to allow the tank to bulge and flex.

It didn't have slack in it for that reason, it had slack because it was the cheapest junk they could find. Make proper supports from angle iron or at least flat steel bars.

[ScottG]

Here's how mine is built:


That's a solid piece of heavy iron channel.