[reflect]

My plan is to ratchet strap the tank down to the floor using the C channels on the bed floor. I will fix steel eye bolts to the channel. However, the channel itself is only aluminium and I have some reservations about those bolts staying put under test.  Are those channels designed to cope with a tank?

[EandM]

My plan is to ratchet strap the tank down to the floor using the C channels on the bed floor. I will fix steel eye bolts to the channel. However, the channel itself is only aluminium and I have some reservations about those bolts staying put under test.  Are those channels designed to cope with a tank?

Think they're max rated somewhere around 400kg so I wouldn't have thought they were strong enough.
Do you need to fix the tank down ?

http://www.upcountry4x4.co.uk/nissan_navara/business-hold.asp

[reflect]

For a long time I have had one strap pulling  it against the bullhead. I know it has two bulkheads and this has always given me peace on mind.  The reason I ask is because 
while my new tank was being measured the fitter started to say that the tank had to be bolted through the floor, and had I seen tomorrows world in the 70s when they did crash tests. Surprising he showed no alarm when I mentioned I could use the channels.  Interesting he also told me to remove the bed liner and have it sprayed, which turns out to be OTT.
I guess I'm working out how far to take this. Are two bulkheads and strapping to the channels enough for 350 tank?

[EandM]

Th e two bulkheads with a gap in between offer about as good a protection as your going to get. The tank can't physically move and it's centre of gravity is very low. At a static weight of 380 kg the C Channels are probably fine but at speed, where weight becomes a multiple of that speed, probably not. The Navara C Channel idea was very clever and as usual ahead of the competition.

I have a 400 litre flat tank in my Ranger that sits against the bulkhead. In previous years I've had non-cooperative insurance companies who either wouldn't insure it if it was bolted down and others that wouldn't insure unless it was, subject to an engineers report. I know a lot of the insurance companies have now caught up and it's much less of an issue but the easiest solution for me was just to have the tank sitting in the back.

[reflect]

 interesting to hear your thoughts about the tank. I don't fancy bolting through floor

[EandM]

interesting to hear your thoughts about the tank. I don't fancy bolting through floor

I don't like the idea of drilling holes in the floor. The spray on bed liner is supposed to be very good but I don't know what happens about draining the water out. If I overfill my flat tank the water accumulates at one end of the bed and then drains out through the chassis, which isn't a good idea either, but I take it there's some sort of drainage system in the liner ? Unless mines split of course !

[reflect]

I was hoping there wasn't a drainage system in the liner because pure water is not kind stuff to the chassis and navaras have a weakness here. I have feeling that when you drive off the water travels to the tailgate end and then falls out the back over the wheels. Im probably wrong on that theory.

[EandM]

I was hoping there wasn't a drainage system in the liner because pure water is not kind stuff to the chassis and navaras have a weakness here. I have feeling that when you drive off the water travels to the tailgate end and then falls out the back over the wheels. Im probably wrong on that theory.

No  your theory sounds like a good one. I'm with you on the chassis harming as well.  As you probably know a fairly large  number of Navara's have been affected with some chassis breaking in half completely. It hasn't affected all of them and Nissan to their credit are actually doing something about it. Have you had yours checked ?

[Dave Willis]

Surely a pick up truck is designed to self drain? They don't all have load covers or fibreglass tops. Even the ones outside the showrooms fill up with rain.                                                                   Maybe you could drill a couple of holes and run a hose to direct any water away from the chassis?

[EandM]

Surely a pick up truck is designed to self drain? They don't all have load covers or fibreglass tops. Even the ones outside the showrooms fill up with rain.                                                                   Maybe you could drill a couple of holes and run a hose to direct any water away from the chassis?

I'm sure Reflect is right. The tailgate isn't a watertight fit so any excess water will drain through the join when your going uphill.
Load liners are a bit expensive to drill holes in 

[reflect]

I think underneath the liner there are two drainage holes either side of the bulkhead behind the arches.  I think these get covered over by the liner and become obsolete. I've seen pics of people drilling through liner and feeding drainage tube through to outside. Only seems necessary if you have certain tops in. Don't know why

[Dave Willis]

I did a bit of Googling and it seems a common problem with some pick ups filling up with rain water. Don't think pure water is any more corrosive than rain. Some park uphill to let it drain out of the tailgate. It would be the same as the back of a van.

Still fancy a pick up as my next vehicle