Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

Topic: Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280 (Read 1231 times) previous topic - next topic

Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

December 29, 2015, 03:39:34 pm

I have rodent damage to both the grey, black water tanks and all black low pressure water drain pipes. Poor inspection on my part. I do not think the tanks are repairable. If they are I would like to know the method. If not is there a source. They were made by Elk Plastics. Part # 221h and 222h. I have attached a photo of each tank. Thanks.

Re: Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

Reply #1 – December 29, 2015, 05:14:49 pm

You could call FT and see where they source it from or if they have one.

Re: Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

Reply #2 – December 29, 2015, 05:22:51 pm

There are a number of companies that will make tanks to dimensioned drawings. Here is an example: Custom All-Rite Holding Tanks - RV Holding Tanks - All-Rite.com

Re: Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

Reply #3 – December 29, 2015, 06:42:40 pm

Another way to repair is by welding a patch, yes they do plastic welding and I would contact your local BIG RV dealer to see. Do not use the patch kits they sell. Do you have a photo of the actual damage?
JohnH

Re: Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

Reply #4 – December 29, 2015, 06:47:15 pm

Hi Emit Trap,

You might be surprised how well an experienced welder of plastic tanks can rescue your project. That sure would beat buying new tanks. Try calling or Googling the metal welder shops in your area and ask about people who might do plastic welding. It isn't rocket science though experience is quite important.

Jim

Re: Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

Reply #5 – December 29, 2015, 06:52:16 pm

There is a way to do it also by going to a car body shop and see if you can get some of the filler etc they use to repair the plastic bumpers on cars. I have seen this done and it is a compatable product.
JohnH

Re: Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

Reply #6 – December 29, 2015, 07:07:44 pm

They show quite a few tanks with the number series like yours but not the exact number . I'd call them and ask about your model number.
Plastic Holding Tanks | Elkhart Plastics, Inc.

Re: Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

Reply #7 – December 29, 2015, 08:16:25 pm

Plastic Fabricating & Acrylic Forming by AmericanPlasticSC.com

They're about 65 miles from Inman, SC.

Re: Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

Reply #8 – December 29, 2015, 08:51:18 pm

As I recall the tanks are polyethylene. I repaired a 2" X 4" hole in my black tank in my old coach with a patch made of chemical resistant fiber glass. I used 3M 5200 urethane caulk to seal the edges andI used stainless steel screws to mechanically anchor it. To my knowledge it never leaked again.

Also I recently repaired my Hobie Kayak by heat welding. I believe the tanks are polyethylene and if so you should be able to make the small repairs like where the rodent chewed through it by welding.. Icontacted Austin Kayak and ordered their heat welding gun and polyethylene welding rods. After some practice I got pretty good at plastic welding but I think I would order a better heat gun, ie hot air type to pre-soften the tank material. If you need to patch a large hole find pieces of any polyethylene and weld over the damaged areas. It probably would hold better than the urethane caulk patch I mentioned above. I think Urethane Supply Co. Polyethylene Welding Rod has polyethylene welding sticks as does Amazon and maybe even better welding apparatus.

I'm betting fixing it will be easier than repairing it.

Re: Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

Reply #9 – December 30, 2015, 04:52:47 am

Thanks for all the responses and links. I checked with FT no luck. I will check with Elk tomorrow. In my former life I owned an injection molding co. We used mechanical welding of PE often, but no experience with stick welding. Guess I need to learn. As you can see from the attached picture the location and size is my concern with repairing. I will post the results of what I come up with.

Re: Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

Reply #10 – December 30, 2015, 08:16:48 am

I definitely see your concern with repair. I was working on a flat surface and high on the tank. I too would be looking for a replacement tank using repair only as a last resort.

Re: Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

Reply #11 – December 30, 2015, 10:27:35 am

I see this as fixable but never had much luck with plastic welding.

Clean tank inside and out. Take a probably 6" square of pe and heat form it with a hot air gun to form an outside corner. Coat this with 3M 5200, place over damaged corner and secure with a half dozen or so stainless steel self tapping tek screws. Give the 5200 a few days to cure, then take a tube of Dicor self leveling lap sealant, squirt it into the tank aimed at repair area. Roll tank around to give good coverage to repair area, and prop it so the mtl ponds on repair area. Let it cure and put tank in service. This assumes there's enough space to reinstall with patch on outside of tank.....

Re: Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

Reply #12 – December 30, 2015, 10:29:02 am

I would not be worried about repairing it and another way I have seen it done is to use fibreglass to cover hole. the heavy matting and a few yayers, then after set use 5200 to completly surround the patch. Before anyone laughs, this was done last year on a friends Black tank on his TT and it was successful. The corner is not hard to form or cover with glass or a piece of aluminum angle to cover most of it.
Just an opinion if one not available.
JohnH

Re: Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

Reply #13 – December 30, 2015, 11:18:19 am

Looks like the tank MAY be ABS plastic, which is "glue-able" using a solvent type glue. Take a little acetone, or MEK on a rag, wipe a place on the tank vigorously, if your rag shows black plastic, it will be an easy patch. Only on black colored plastic tanks.

Edit
From the location, you'll have plenty of "head" pressure on your fix, what ever it is. I believe I'd try to get a piece inside first to handle most of the mechanical pressure. You can put this in with 5200, let it set for a week or so, then work on the water tight outside patch. Then, and I know I don't really need to say this....but test by filling with fresh water before installation.

Re: Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

Reply #14 – December 30, 2015, 12:35:53 pm

Quote from: toyman – December 30, 2015, 11:18:19 am

Looks like the tank MAY be ABS plastic, which is "glue-able" using a solvent type glue. Take a little acetone, or MEK on a rag, wipe a place on the tank vigorously, if your rag shows black plastic, it will be an easy patch. Only on black colored plastic tanks.

If it is ABS and you want to glue it, you can add acetone or MEK to fumed silica, brand name Cabosil, to make it a paste or gel. It will slow evaporation and hold vertically much better than liquid solvent. If you should buy Fumed Silica System Three 3105S16 White Silica Thickener, 1 quart Tub: Automotive..., get the smallest quantity you can buy. It goes a long way.

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Re: Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

Reply #15 – December 30, 2015, 06:02:07 pm

Let me relate my experience with a 95 U-300 black tank. I had a small crack on a rounded bottom corner. I had it plastic welded twice with no luck. I tried my hand at it with heat, also to no avail. I called the manufacturer in Elkhart and they advised me that the tanks are cross linked polyethylene and cannot be repaired. They said they could fabricate one for me but the cost was in the thousands. I called Foretravel and of course, they didn't have any of those old tanks. They did, however (after a lot of looking) find one out designed for a newer model that was almost exactly the same. It was just a tad longer as it held 56 gallons rather than my stock 54 gallons. So I ended up with a shiny new black tank.

During my search for a fix I visited a lot of sites including rv.net. There and at others I came across numerous owners relating how they had repaired their tanks themselves with heat, glue, chewing gum and so on. Maybe you can add to that group with your own repair. Good luck. (still amazed that the little critters ate a hole in that tank!)
for

Re: Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

Reply #16 – December 30, 2015, 06:13:03 pm

I'd think MarineTex would fix it also.
Marine Tex, epoxy resin, adhesives, silicone grease, engine treatment,...

Re: Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

Reply #17 – December 30, 2015, 06:27:23 pm

Quote from: stump – December 30, 2015, 06:13:03 pm

I'd think MarineTex would fix it also.
Marine Tex, epoxy resin, adhesives, silicone grease, engine treatment,...

I haven't used Marine Tex to patch ABS but have used it on fiberglass and have been well pleased.

Re: Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

Reply #18 – December 30, 2015, 06:40:10 pm

Quote from: D.J. Osborn – December 30, 2015, 06:27:23 pm

I haven't used Marine Tex to patch ABS but have used it on fiberglass and have been well pleased.

ITW, formerly known as Illinois Tool Works, the makers of Marine Tex were a very reputable company and I presume they still are but I was not aware they produced anything for ABS or PE. I would not be inclined to use epoxy to repair either surface.

Re: Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

Reply #19 – December 30, 2015, 09:38:45 pm

Then if JOR is correct I would think that a mechanical repair plus the 5200 is the best bet (and would work too) That means a piece of angle to fit the inside (easily put thru the drain hole) and temp' held in place with 5200 till that dries then another piece on the outside, but before putting that in place fill the void with more 5200 then fit the outside piece on top and screw it to tank and inner piece with SS screws. Then more 5200 to cover screws and edges. That would never leak and only take a few minutes to assemble on tank. Of couse there is the initial drying/hardening time to set inside piece in place. May sound complicated but actually simple.
If it was my problem I would do this.
JohnH

Re: Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

Reply #20 – January 01, 2016, 08:31:52 am

JOR thanks for bringing up the possibility that the tanks could be XLPE. Luckily the tanks are HDPE. JOR is correct if the tanks were XLPE they could not be welded. XLPE is a thermoset meaning it will not re-melt with the same molecular structure.

Located a hot air gun designed for plastic welding at a local tool wholesaler $60 pic attached. With the help of a friend I cleaned the tanks scuffed up the repair area. The welder kit came with 1/32 steel mesh screen. I cut the screen a little larger than the hole as a bridge and melted the perimeter into the tank. I had a black bucket made of HDPE that I cut into strip and used as welding rods. The key is to make sure what you're welding to and with melt together. Took about an hour for each tank. I let them set overnight full of water and the repairs appear to be successful pics attached. No leaks. Fingers crossed. Thanks for all the help.

Re: Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

Reply #21 – January 01, 2016, 09:08:22 am

Outstanding! If that fix is as good as it looks you've got it whipped.

Re: Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

Reply #22 – January 01, 2016, 11:03:48 am

Ricky..nice job..I gotta come out and see your rig

Hans

Re: Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

Reply #23 – January 01, 2016, 12:22:28 pm

Good looking fix !

Re: Need source for grey and black holding tanks for 94 U280

Reply #24 – January 01, 2016, 01:09:46 pm

While off road in our old RV, we scraped a long hole in our black water tank. I tried several RV store fixes as well as a HF plastic welder. Nothing even worked short term. I then took a DA air sander to the area, cleaned it up, bent some fine stainless steel screen to fit the corners and then used West System's 105 epoxy along with several layers of glass cloth with several inches of overlap.

The old RV just sits getting ready to be compressed and go overseas but the tank is still dry.

Pierce

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