Looking for blackwater tank for 2005 Roadtrek Versatile

[PPPRoadtrek]

Anyone know where I can get a replacement blackwater tank for a 2005 Roadtrek Versatile? It is dented and leaking and needs to get replaced. Roadtrek no longer has them. Any help much appreciated. Was hoping to head off to Florida in a month.

 

[Rich W.]

I don’t have a link for you, but when I was building a custom enclosed utility trailer, I saw a seller on ebay that can provide a custom ABS tank any size, any dimensions. So try a search there and you might find it.

 

[PPPRoadtrek]

I don’t have a link for you, but when I was building a custom enclosed utility trailer, I saw a seller on ebay that can provide a custom ABS tank any size, any dimensions. So try a search there and you might find it.

Thanks for suggestion. It's a very wierd staircase like shape. By the way its a Roadtrek 210 versatile.

 

[RoadTrekkie]

Anyone know where I can get a replacement blackwater tank for a 2005 Roadtrek Versatile? It is dented and leaking and needs to get replaced. Roadtrek no longer has them. Any help much appreciated. Was hoping to head off to Florida in a month.

Not sure what the Roadtrek 2005 Versatile black tank is made of, but if metal or plastic or fiberglass it might be easier to repair than replace if you can find out.

 

[PPPRoadtrek]

Not sure what the Roadtrek 2005 Versatile black tank is made of, but if metal or plastic or fiberglass it might be easier to repair than replace if you can find out.

We think it is abs plastic. May have to repair. Complication is that the tank got crumpled a bit. The crumple is on top of an old patch that leaks.

 

[jjrbus]

Finding a holding tank for an RT is the equivalent of winning the lottery. Go to Youtube and look for repairing plastic tanks, repairing RV holding tanks, welding plastic, welding plastic tanks. Building RV holding tanks, can be done with fiberglass and plywood! Can be done DIY or Google your area for people that repair plastic. I assume the tanks are PVC but RT does some weird things!

 

[Kevin D Pem]

Pvc is white or gray, abs is black, poly is typically blow molded.

Poly can't be glued, the others can.

This is how I fix holes in tanks.
Cut a patch out of similar plastic.
Drill stagared hole pattern around outside edges of patch.

Depending on what the tank is used for liberally apply food grade silicone sealer to mating surfaces and press over hole. To form a solid seal and allow silicone to solidify, before fully tighten the screws. I like lathing screws for this, because of the heads.

Any cracks should have a small hole drilled at the end of the Crack to keep the Crack from traveling.

The patch should extend beyond the cracks by atleast an inch.

 

[RoadTrekkie]

Color is no guarantee. Search internet and YouTube on how to identify type of plastic. There are flame tests (destructive but helpful if you have a spare piece), and float tests (a little trickier, also requires a spare piece).
Polypropylene can be welded by the way, as can HDPE. I don't know much about ABS but have seen YT videos of it being done.
First thing I would do is rip away any of the bad patch material, silicone, or other potential contaminants. Clean everything up extremely well, prepare the mating surfaces, then weld them together.

The important point is to always weld with the same kind of plastic welding rod as pieces to repair. I have had good luck at least short term with repairs made using an Ebay/Amazon hot air plastic welder that cost less than $100.

Always prep the surface by roughing it up with stainless steel wire brush. I have used sandpaper but that is reportedly discouraged due to retained grit. Always clean the surface before welding using something like alcohol or acetone. There are 3 major components to a good hot air plastic weld (I am not a metal welder): Temperature, Rate of speed, and Pressure. The temp has to be high enough to melt both the rod and the tank enough to allow melting together but not burning a hole, the speed needs to be fast enough not to burn a hole but slow enough to allow melting together of rod and tank, and pressure must be firm enough (up to 5 lbs) to push the rod into the repaired.

I have seen videos of people using metal wire reinforced crack repairs and a special solder iron for things like automotive parts and motorcycle farings.

I have not seen good results with screw on patches and fittings. The fittings always seem to seep eventually. Especially silicone. If it is on the top of your tank you might get away with it.

Abbeon also makes some nice (and expensive) injector welders which are useful to read about and watch videos of how they work then decide if you can manage with a cheap chinese version.
Lacroix Cruiser YT channel has a two video set on how to build custom tanks using HDPE plastic, but given the extremely odd shape of RT black tanks I think you will be farther ahead to repair yours if it is a plastic that can be welded.