[Nick_Thompson]

With the idea of purchasing a new transit, I'm curious as to whether there may be an alternative procedure that enables the tank and frame to be secured, but doesn't involve drilling through the vans floor.

Are there any other options?

[Total shine cleaning services]

ratchet straps could be an alternative but I would only do this with a flat tank of a limited size

Graham

[johnny bravo]

your rear base will have floor clips to atach ratchet straps too,      i think.

[Ian Lancaster]

your rear base will have floor clips to atach ratchet straps too,      i think.

These are only for retaining light cargo - half a ton of water or more travelling at upwards of 30mph takes a lot of stopping.  If the van stops suddenly (in a crash) the water keeps moving and you will be directly in it's path.  Think of lying on the ground and someone dropping a tank full of water on your head..........

[barry mallett]

I've used hard as nails to secure mine . 3 tubes from b n q

[dazmond]

i never know when your joking barry!

have you really used "no more nails".have you ratchet strapped it as well?sounds like a cheap way of securing tank.good idea!i might do this with a 500L tank in my next van.im making sure i have a full steel bulkhead in my next van though.

best wishes


dazmond

[PoleKing]

i never know when your joking barry!

have you really used "no more nails".have you ratchet strapped it as well?sounds like a cheap way of securing tank.good idea!i might do this with a 500L tank in my next van.im making sure i have a full steel bulkhead in my next van though.

best wishes


dazmond

Default to 'always'

[Ross G]

I had a 350l upright strapped into the back of my connect never moved an inch in all that time, I've now moved into a Vivaro with steel bulkhead but that paranoid nagging doubt came back into my head about ensuring my safety. I took the hit (financially) and had a 650 Brodex system installed I feel a lot better about things when im out and about now but like I said I had 4 years prior without incident, maybe I was just lucky 

[dannymack]

Had it bolted in once was a knightmare to remove had to take off petrol tank what a nightmare.  I've got the new transit custom but my tank is on a skid plate so ratchet strapped down, I've sat it on a square piece of marine ply which I've also sewed it to the plastic - rubber floor which comes in the transit as it still moved side to side a little. I'm sure the metal bulk head would stop the machine coming they to the cab as its strapped right against it, if it was strapped at the back doors which would be stupid then it may have a great chance of putting a great whacking dent in the bulk head or even come thru !!!! Strap down every time incase you need to take it out. When I took my tank that had be bolted into the floor had X4 holes in the floor not good when you want to sell on !!!!

[Dave Willis]

how on earth do you sew it to the floor?


I had a layflat 650l tank strapped in the van once I even made up angle iron to bolt it to. One day I tried to lift the tank out of the van - it still had about an inch of water in it, I couldn't believe the weight of it and couldn't get it out. I used to carry my kids in the cab. My new van has a cage and is bolted down. I would never use ratchet straps with that kind of weight, the angles are all wrong for strapping anyway - they will hold a tank down pretty well but I'm sure they would be next to useless in a smash to prevent forward movement. Some of the metal bands in my opinion look horrific too - plenty of examples on here where they've strapped the tank the wrong way round  

Why didn't the suppliers with crash tested systems simply make bigger straps? 

[Nick_Thompson]

Had it bolted in once was a knightmare to remove had to take off petrol tank what a nightmare.  I've got the new transit custom but my tank is on a skid plate so ratchet strapped down, I've sat it on a square piece of marine ply which I've also sewed it to the plastic - rubber floor which comes in the transit as it still moved side to side a little. I'm sure the metal bulk head would stop the machine coming they to the cab as its strapped right against it, if it was strapped at the back doors which would be stupid then it may have a great chance of putting a great whacking dent in the bulk head or even come thru !!!! Strap down every time incase you need to take it out. When I took my tank that had be bolted into the floor had X4 holes in the floor not good when you want to sell on !!!!

Danny, would you elaborate a little on what you mean by "a skid plate", please.

[dannymack]

Sewed it down pmsl !!! Bloody used loads of cotton lol 😀
Nick if you go on Gadiners site they have them it's a plastic thank that sits in a metal frame of which I have my battery, pump bolted to it

Skid plate they are called

[Nick_Thompson]

Thanks Danny!

[CleanClear]

With the idea of purchasing a new transit, I'm curious as to whether there may be an alternative procedure that enable the tank and frame to be secured, but doesn't involve drilling through the vans floor.

Are there any other options?

Yes, fabricate an appropriate size of flat bar to bolt from the tank frame through the pre existing holes in the van door pillars, and if you want to go the extra mile do the same again to bolt into the rear and/or side pillars (depending upon what van you have).
 There are lots of ways to secure a tank in a van, and make it stronger than anything that currently exists on the market.  Its a simple affair to extend the tank frame to reach all the pillars, these extensions could be incorporated into some sort of pole racking affair etc..
 All the market leaders seem to favour a bolt through the floor option,thats because its a one size fits all scenario and suits them best (not neccesarily the customers needs). Custom fitting requires a bit more thought but results in a lot safer securing system. It would also be very costly to get accreditation for every vehicle permutation, thats why its not done i imagine.
 As an aside, i hope i'm not taking your post too far off topic, i have come across vehicle insurers who are now insisting they will only insure fitted tanks that have been installed by how can i say it? The leading manufacturers fitters, i.e Ionics, Brodex, Grippa etc.
 Nice to see their concern for our safety extends to ensuring we can only be insured by using one of them and their old hat techniques of bolting through the floor. Perish the thought of them investigating baffling techniques !!! The only technique thats baffling me is how they are persuading the insurance market to require them to be used :-)

[Nick_Thompson]

With the idea of purchasing a new transit, I'm curious as to whether there may be an alternative procedure that enable the tank and frame to be secured, but doesn't involve drilling through the vans floor.

Are there any other options?

Yes, fabricate an appropriate size of flat bar to bolt from the tank frame through the pre existing holes in the van door pillars, and if you want to go the extra mile do the same again to bolt into the rear and/or side pillars (depending upon what van you have).
 There are lots of ways to secure a tank in a van, and make it stronger than anything that currently exists on the market.  Its a simple affair to extend the tank frame to reach all the pillars, these extensions could be incorporated into some sort of pole racking affair etc..
 All the market leaders seem to favour a bolt through the floor option,thats because its a one size fits all scenario and suits them best (not neccesarily the customers needs). Custom fitting requires a bit more thought but results in a lot safer securing system. It would also be very costly to get accreditation for every vehicle permutation, thats why its not done i imagine.
 As an aside, i hope i'm not taking your post too far off topic, i have come across vehicle insurers who are now insisting they will only insure fitted tanks that have been installed by how can i say it? The leading manufacturers fitters, i.e Ionics, Brodex, Grippa etc.
 Nice to see their concern for our safety extends to ensuring we can only be insured by using one of them and their old hat techniques of bolting through the floor. Perish the thought of them investigating baffling techniques !!! The only technique thats baffling me is how they are persuading the insurance market to require them to be used :-)

Dear Mr CleanClear, your suggestion to use additional bolt to the frame fabrication, in the form of flat steel bar that can then utilize existing bolt holes, is an excellent idea; just the kind of noninvasive securing solution that I was hoping someone might envisage. Well done sir! That is exactly what I'm going to do on my next van venture, just as soon as I'm forced to surrender my present vehicle to the ravages of oxidation, which ain't gonna be long by the looks of things.