Opinions on water storage tank plZ.

[NBCsurvivor]

At our place in Baja, Mexico we have to haul our own water. We haul it in 3 or 4 55 gal water barrels with screw tops. Those barrels ride in the back of the pickup. The water is then transfered to a 600 gal black tank via a 12 volt pump plugged into the 12 volt outlet in the cab of the truck. From the big tank it is pumped via a 12 volt pump that is powered via the RV. It gets transfered into the 80 gal water tank in the RV and from there its pumped, again via 12v, to sinks, shower, washingmachine,etc. The tanks in Mexico run about $300 and can be hauled in back of pickup. The valves, etc., come with the tanks. Many there have an old truck that the water tank sits in all the time and they pump directly into house or RV from that tank. We have to drive to town where we get free water or if you have a friend up on the highway where the water is pumped from town. And yes the town water is drinkable, however we don't drink it as its salty as the wells are pretty close to the beach. We buy our drinking water at Culligans stands that are all over the town. It costs us $0.77 for 5 gallon jug. The jug sits on the counter in the RV and has a hand pump on it. BTW you can paint the black tanks any color you want using latex pain. Some down there are really works of art. Our tank sits on a level bed of sand.
Taz

When Dennis suggested 'pea gravel', I was thinking sand before that was brought up. This will be my first foundation for a heavy load item (1st. foundation period) and I wonder what would be better... ???? ...

 

[Dennis Olson]

Pea gravel, topped by a railroad-tie platform, will provide a good foundation. If you want, you can lay 1" of sand under the pea gravel.

 

[NBCsurvivor]

Pea gravel, topped by a railroad-tie platform, will provide a good foundation. If you want, you can lay 1" of sand under the pea gravel.

OK, railroad-tie is like this (right?) ...

(information and educational purposes)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railroad_tie

A railroad tie or sleeper is an oblong object used as a base for railroad tracks. Traditionally, ties have been made of wood, often heavily creosoted or, less often, treated with other preservatives (for more information on wood preservatives see lumber), but steel has also been used and concrete is now widely used.

Ties are laid on top of sand, gravel or heavy crushed stone - called track ballast. They are laid across the grade at intervals of about two feet. The steel rails are then laid atop the ties, perpendicular to them. If the ties are wood, then cleats are laid down and spikes driven through them into the ties to clamp down the rails. The rails are held on wooden ties with rail spikes. For concrete ties, steel clips (for example the Pandrol clip) are often used to fasten the rails. After this is done, additional ballast is then added to fill the spaces between and around the ties to anchor them in place.

The ties then act as anchors and spacers for the rails, while providing a slight amount of give to accommodate weather and settling. The ties are "floating" in the top of the ballast. Failure of a single tie is generally insignificant to the usability and safety of the rails. A datenail was implemented and coded by the railroads to identify the age of the railroad tie (that was usually layed down in sections) by hammering it into the railroad tie after installation for maintenance purposes.

In recent years, wooden railroad ties have also become very popular for gardening and landscaping, both in creating retaining walls and raised-bed gardens, and sometimes for building steps as well. Traditionally, the ties sold for this purpose are old ones taken from rail lines when replaced with new ties, and their lifespan is often limited due to rot. Some entrepreneurs sell new ties. Unfortunately, due to presence of wood preservatives such as coal tar, creosote or salts of heavy metals, railroad ties introduce an extra element of soil pollution into gardens and are avoided by many property owners. In the UK, new oak beams of the same size as standard railroad ties, but not treated with dangerous chemicals, are now available specifically for garden construction. They are about twice the price of the recycled product. In certain places, railroad ties have been used in the construction of homes, particularly among those with lower incomes, especially those residing near railroad tracks, including railroad employees.