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Old 10-21-2012, 12:05 PM   #6
jbeech
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 135
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Yes, locating the water tank above the shower is largely driven by consideration of the reduced 'basement' cube available in my particular truck (due to an auxiliary axle).

While an obvious concern centers on the 1000 pounds of mass (95 gallons plus tank and structure) mounted high, e.g. posing an increased roll over risk, this is offset by the simple fact the 22,400 pound truck is a) designed to carry 30,000 pounds of cargo, and b) it's not a sports car anyway. Regardless, I'm sanguine about this risk and on balance (pun intended) don't think it's a deciding consideration.

Adding a pump makes good sense since the camp shower analogy is valid. I had just hoped maybe it wouldn't be necessary. In any case, in the event I don't have electricity, I doubt an impeller reduces the flow in any significant manner and a camp style shower is better than none!

As for why 95 gallons? It's because a 110 gallon container costs $120 more. However, just becasue I can fill it doesn't mean I always have to. Maybe I just fill it 1/3 full, e.g. for a two day event. I think it's nice to have the capability of toting a fair bit of potable water as I cannot foresee all circumstances and too much is better than not enough.

Meanwhile, since I have an auxilliary axle, I believe I can take advantage of it. For example, I can lower it onto stacked 2x12 boards to, in effect, raise the drive wheels. This means it's a built in jack to facilitate changing a flat. Add a 5T bottle jack and I can do the deed for the steer tires also - without a service call. Moreover, I figure routing an air line (the truck is in essence a huge air compressor) into and around the box means I can carry an impact wrench for the times I need to change a tire.

However, thinking laterally, placing boards beneath just the low side makes it easy to level the box side-to-side, which is less expensive than installing leveling jacks (and probablty 90% as useful when you consider my truck is equipped with a squat option, which lowers the back of the box as much as 6 inches). Anyway, this is why I am loathe to remove the auxiliary axle altogether to sell it off to make room for potable and black water storage tanks - not when there may be another way.

Finally, with respect to balancing the truck, I understand what you're saying about front loading bias and agree 100%. However, I don't expect the gross weight to exceed 26,000 pounds in any case (though I'll weigh it when I'm done). Naturally I'm shooting for as even a distribution as I can reasonably achieve.

For example, offsetting the shower, toilet, and potable water in the forward part of the box is the 700 pound Harley in the very back (aft of the axle). I don't expect a lightly built interior wall and door to go much over 100 pounds. Added to it, a refrigerator and microwave combine for another 100 pounds also forward of the axle. However, my Honda ES6500 generator is about 350 pounds, plus 40 gallons of gasoline and a tank with mounting brackets amount to about 300 more pounds (650 total) of which both mounted aft of the axle.

Furthermore, the workbenches (two) will be aft of the axle (though they only weigh 100 pounds each it adds up). Meanhile, a Murphy bed mechanism (plus mattress) amount to maybe 200 pounds give or take, mounted forward of the drive axle. However, all in all, I don't think balance will be a huge issue.

In closing, after adding everything up, this leaves about 2500 pounds before I get to 26,000 pounds for things like a retractible awning, steps, a television, plus a few other items I'm forgetting at the moment.
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