Undercarriage Water Tank

Veganpotter

Veganpotter

Forum Member
Joined
Jan 21, 2021
Messages
191
Location
Salt Lake City, Utah
Car Year
2006
Car Model
Forester X
Transmission
4eat auto
Hi,
I'm new here and turning my 2006 Forester into a mini camper. I'm wondering if anyone here has put a water tank underneath their car? It can't be very big but I'm guessing a 5 gallon tank may be doable if a suitable shaped tank can be found. I'm thinking under the back seats. I cut my rear seat in half to make a 3 seater for storage space. I know I can put a tank there, but I'd rather have it underneath the car to keep the weight low and maintain interior space
 
You already have fuel tanks underneath the car in that location ;-) Maybe you could rig something up in the rear quarter panel spaces.
 
Ha, it's taking up the entire space? I haven't even really looked underneath. My initial plan was to use those nooks for 3-4 gallon water cans but I'm not opposed to sticking with that. I'd just rather have something under the car if possible. I'm very likely removing most of the plastic trim pieces behind the front seats for space and weight savings. So I will be able to fit bigger things back there. But I'm still hoping to make the best of every inch outside of the car if possible. Largely because I want this build to still be good on gas and I don't want a roof rack of any sort unless I'm traveling with a 3rd person and rent a rooftop tent.
*I'm even considering cutting the lower 6' of storage out for the spare(replacing it with a riveted on aluminum plate) and putting a tank under the car there if need be. I bought a 27" donut(it fits poorly in the old spot) I'm building a bumper mount for, and that's gonna hug the hatch with a bumper mount(not a hitch)
 
The space between the fuel tank and the floor is very tight. I doubt you’ll be able to fit anything in there. To check, you’ll need to drop the tank, this means a rear diff crossmember drop to get the tank out.

Better bet is to built some tanks into your front and rear bumper bars. If you’re not worried about over hanging weight front and rear it would work well. Subtle fill points could be built in with some imagination/thought. Tap locations the same.

Cheers

Bennie
 
Or maybe a 20L jerry can of water behind one front seat and another of fuel behind the other.
Strap down, of course.
 
Whatever happened to the old canvas bags you'd hang off the car? That was standard kit when I was young, you never see them now.
:(
Mind you, they didn't hold a lot of water, but at least it was at a drinkable temperature.
 
Ben Up North said:
Whatever happened to the old canvas bags you'd hang off the car? That was standard kit when I was young, you never see them now.
:(
Mind you, they didn't hold a lot of water, but at least it was at a drinkable temperature.
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Probably illegal because too many ppl hung them in front of their headlights.

Or so many have a fridge of some sort/AC in the cabin that their drinks stay cool enough without the need for the old canvas bags.

Cheers

Bennie
 
El_Freddo said:
The space between the fuel tank and the floor is very tight. I doubt you’ll be able to fit anything in there. To check, you’ll need to drop the tank, this means a rear diff crossmember drop to get the tank out.

Better bet is to built some tanks into your front and rear bumper bars. If you’re not worried about over hanging weight front and rear it would work well. Subtle fill points could be built in with some imagination/thought. Tap locations the same.

Cheers

Bennie
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I may just build something into the foot well behind the passenger seat. I definitely don't wanna add weight to the bumpers like that. I wouldn't care if there were a mini RV or road going camper. But I'll be offroading a lot
 
Ratbag said:
Or maybe a 20L jerry can of water behind one front seat and another of fuel behind the other.
Strap down, of course.
Click to expand...
It was nice having my Sienna camper. I had so much space that I didn't even think about efficiently using it😂. I lived in it for 4 months and never had to worry about it
 
There is a fabricator in Sydney with a SG who cut out his spare wheel well, and welded in it's place a 85L secondary fuel tank, anythings possible with the right tools and knowledge
 
That's definitely something I'm considering and something I'm comfortable doing on my own. Just weighing the pros and cons of having that weight in the back, versus behind the passenger seat and on the floor. Either would result in losing interior storage space.
 
Ratbag said:
For fuel, it is further from an impact zone. For both, more central in the car for handling. A full 20L jerry can weighs around 22-23 kgs. That's a lot of mass, and force if in an accident.
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Yup, determine definitely another concern. Behind the passenger seat may be the best place, even though it takes away a lot of space. I just hope I can find 2 cans that fit well back there with nearly full, passenger seat mobility. My bed will have an extension flap that requires moving the seat forward since I'm too tall to lay flat in the back. And I want that seat to move all the way back too.. I tend to date really short, or really tall people😂
 
One behind each front seat.

I carry a 10L fuel can and about 10L of water at all times. My trailer has panniers for 2x 20L jerry cans, plus space in the trailer bed for more 10L ones. Fuel stops can be a very long distance apart in Australia ...
 
Gas has never been an issue for me but I am hoping to drive to Alaska within the next year. So I'll definitely need it then. Anytime I'm pulling a trailer, I'll have two extra passengers and they won't be absurdly remote trips. Maybe just 30-50km dirt miles away from from a gas station when traveling with my parents. And that's assuming I don't rent a rooftop tent.
*Long-term goal is building a pop top but I'll need to own a house before I take on a project like that
 
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