[Cookie]

At some point in the future I'm looking to install a 350L upright tank into my Vauxhall Combo. It's an ex-BT van and has a very soild bulkhead so I'm considering these Uni-Klamps from Medworthy Solutions which will enable me to secure the tank via the vehicle bulkhead rather than having to drill through the floor.

http://www.medworthysolutions.co.uk/uniklamps-tank-cages.htm

Have any of you used this method before?  Would you recommend it?

   

[Scrimble]

bolting to the floor is by far safer, the tank will be more secure to the floor,  it is very easy to do as you can get to the underneath of the floor behind the seats

[Cookie]

bolting to the floor is by far safer, the tank will be more secure to the floor,  it is very easy to do as you can get to the underneath of the floor behind the seats

Thanks for your advice Scrimble. From the lack of replies I have received it looks like most of you bolt through the floor rather than the bulkhead anyway ......  I investigated the holes behind the seats which go underneath the van floor and it does look more straightforward than I thought it would be. 

[dazmond]

i got my local garage to bolt my frame through the van floor with 6 spreader plates.they had to take the fuel tank off and exhaust to fit it securely but they only charged me £100!happy days.

saves faffing about.i couldnt be bothered trying to do it myself.

[Pete Thompson]

Bulkheads, even metal ones are made from 1-1.5mm steel, and have almost zero structural strength.  They are there to keep the wind and cold out of the cab, nothing else.  You can bend that metal just with the strength of your hand.

If you attach something as heavy as a tank of water to one, it will buckle just from the strain of the tank pulling/pushing on it at the fixing points during normal driving.

My advice, for what its worth, is not to faff about trying to save a hundred quid here or there, life is too short.  Just get a system professionally installed, the cost isnt that great.  I paid £2,700 for my 400 litre pure2o system, including vat and fully installed.  Never had a bit of bother with it.  (And its secured to the van chassis - nice and safe)

[Cookie]

I called Pure Freedom today and they suggested I would have to drill through the van floor, through the void and attach to spreader plates under the chassis. I asked for a ball park figure for just securing the tank and they quoted me £300 (which seems quite expensive). I might stick with the 25L barrels for the moment since my van is nearly 11 years old & this is quite a big investment.

[Cookie]

However, thanks for all your replies.

[Smudger]

I disagree, factory fitted bulkheads are very strong, they are also shaped to add extra strength to the sheet of metal - if your sending a concrete mixer unsecured from the back of the van from 40 mph, yes your gonna get some deformation and failure but if the water tank is tight to the bulk head already then no it's not coming through, my old combo had the tank here and anothe thing to consider was the size of the tank was bigger than the cab space so the tank was also supported by the structural sides and roof line.
It was held in place by 5 tonne straps

Hope this helps
Darran

[davids3511]

I disagree, factory fitted bulkheads are very strong, they are also shaped to add extra strength to the sheet of metal - if your sending a concrete mixer unsecured from the back of the van from 40 mph, yes your gonna get some deformation and failure but if the water tank is tight to the bulk head already then no it's not coming through, my old combo had the tank here and anothe thing to consider was the size of the tank was bigger than the cab space so the tank was also supported by the structural sides and roof line.
It was held in place by 5 tonne straps

Hope this helps
Darran

Just to add to this, a good friend had a head on collision two weeks ago tomorrow. He had 250 in a 500 upright strapped not to go backwards and just the bulkhead stopping it going forward. The bulkhead bowed but stopped the tank in a 50mpg head on crash. It was the jack than nearly killed him, smashing through the glass window in the bulkhead.

[Shane sharples]

I called Pure Freedom today and they suggested I would have to drill through the van floor, through the void and attach to spreader plates under the chassis. I asked for a ball park figure for just securing the tank and they quoted me £300 (which seems quite expensive). I might stick with the 25L barrels for the moment since my van is nearly 11 years old & this is quite a big investment.

Hi cookie, do you secure your barrels at the moment?

[dazmond]

Bulkheads, even metal ones are made from 1-1.5mm steel, and have almost zero structural strength.  They are there to keep the wind and cold out of the cab, nothing else.  You can bend that metal just with the strength of your hand.

If you attach something as heavy as a tank of water to one, it will buckle just from the strain of the tank pulling/pushing on it at the fixing points during normal driving.

My advice, for what its worth, is not to faff about trying to save a hundred quid here or there, life is too short.  Just get a system professionally installed, the cost isnt that great.  I paid £2,700 for my 400 litre pure2o system, including vat and fully installed.  Never had a bit of bother with it.  (And its secured to the van chassis - nice and safe)

i paid £600 for a brand new 500L baffled tank and frame(including fitting)does the same job.

[Cookie]

I called Pure Freedom today and they suggested I would have to drill through the van floor, through the void and attach to spreader plates under the chassis. I asked for a ball park figure for just securing the tank and they quoted me £300 (which seems quite expensive). I might stick with the 25L barrels for the moment since my van is nearly 11 years old & this is quite a big investment.

Hi cookie, do you secure your barrels at the moment?

Hi Shane, I have built a wooden framework inside the van. The wood is secured to the load eyes via carriage bolts (one piece of wood each side). The 25L barrels fit snugly behind a 6" section of wood and the van bulkhead (as you can see in the photo).

[Shane sharples]

Nice 1! I need to do something like that, iv bought the ratchet straps but it's so awkward