BLACK TANK TUBE HANGER

Message Share Topic Printable Version Google Delicious Digg StumbleUpon Windows Live Yahoo Bookmarks reddit Facebook MySpace Newsvine Furl Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic

   2017 178 - nice camper - certainly not luxurious, or top of the line (pressboard cabinets rather than wood, etc.).  We like it!  Bought it new and in a few hundred miles the strap holding the end of the black tank discharge tube to the chassis failed do to vibration.  Used some stainless strap hanger mat'l from a roll and moved on.  That failed, also.  Took it to a FR dealer - they put a strap with a rubber body in place of the simple thin metal original equip strap - after two years, the rubber portion (designed to absorb vibration) is failing.  I looked at a Bullet on the dealer's lot and they used a metal strap, thick - one that probably does not allow vibration - and looks like it might not fail.  However, I wonder if there is a need for some accommodation to vibration at that point.  If I put a rigid metal strap might the tube/tank connection be forced to absorb all the vibration and then fail?

Author	Message Share Topic Printable Version Google Delicious Digg StumbleUpon Windows Live Yahoo Bookmarks reddit Facebook MySpace Newsvine Furl Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic
TEDDY Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 22 Oct 2017 Location: Arkansas Online Status: Offline Posts: 94	Post Options Post Reply Quote TEDDY Report Post Quote Reply Topic: BLACK TANK TUBE HANGER Posted: 09 Nov 2020 at 10:33am
	2017 178 - nice camper - certainly not luxurious, or top of the line (pressboard cabinets rather than wood, etc.). We like it! Bought it new and in a few hundred miles the strap holding the end of the black tank discharge tube to the chassis failed do to vibration. Used some stainless strap hanger mat'l from a roll and moved on. That failed, also. Took it to a FR dealer - they put a strap with a rubber body in place of the simple thin metal original equip strap - after two years, the rubber portion (designed to absorb vibration) is failing. I looked at a Bullet on the dealer's lot and they used a metal strap, thick - one that probably does not allow vibration - and looks like it might not fail. However, I wonder if there is a need for some accommodation to vibration at that point. If I put a rigid metal strap might the tube/tank connection be forced to absorb all the vibration and then fail?
	Teddy

StephenH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6298	Post Options Post Reply Quote StephenH Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 09 Nov 2020 at 12:29pm
	I used a piece of strap aluminum and wrapped it around the tube, then turned the ends 90 degrees to be flat to the frame and screwed the ends onto the frame. Since the support allows for the normal movement, I have not had any trouble with it. I had two failures. The first was with one factory strap. The second was with two factory straps. I said that there will not be a third time. You can see it in my mods.
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

TEDDY Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 22 Oct 2017 Location: Arkansas Online Status: Offline Posts: 94	Post Options Post Reply Quote TEDDY Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 09 Nov 2020 at 12:36pm
	Thanks- do you know if the aluminum you used was aircraft aluminum (tempered), or just sheet aluminum ..... and the thickness??
	Teddy

StephenH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6298	Post Options Post Reply Quote StephenH Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 09 Nov 2020 at 1:01pm
	It was anodized strap aluminum purchased at Lowe's. It was approximately 1/8" thick. I did the same thing with the gray water tank drain.
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

TEDDY Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 22 Oct 2017 Location: Arkansas Online Status: Offline Posts: 94	Post Options Post Reply Quote TEDDY Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 09 Nov 2020 at 3:10pm
	Thanks again, Stephen.
	Teddy

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Post Options Post Reply Quote offgrid Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 09 Nov 2020 at 4:02pm
	2024 aluminum alloy is probably the most commonly used in aircraft. It is great for resisting fatigue cracking, not as good as say 6061 for corrosion resistance. Note that most airplanes are painted for corrosion protection and kept in hangars so resistance to fatigue cracking is more important. Airplanes kept outside for a long time tend to have corrosion issues (ask me how I know). 6061 is probably the most common Al alloy in general use and so probably what you get down at the big box. Since corrosion is a big problem on the bottom or rpods I'd lean toward 6061, but you could argue it either way. Temper is specified by a number suffix for aluminum, so you can for example get 2024 T0 or 6061 T6. Higher is stronger but less ductile. I wouldn't want a high temper material for this because you're going to need to be able to bend it to make a strap. Or, you can use stainless steel strapping, that's what I did.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

TEDDY Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 22 Oct 2017 Location: Arkansas Online Status: Offline Posts: 94	Post Options Post Reply Quote TEDDY Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 09 Nov 2020 at 5:33pm
	I tried some stainless pipe strapping - comes in a roll, holes pre-punched in it. That fractured, too - didn't last much longer than the original steel strap that, once removed from the R-Pod, you could bend between your fingers of one hand! Thanks for the info on aluminum. I think I'll try that, maybe with a 1/4" thick rubber collar. All ideas welcome!
	Teddy

wthoms2000 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 06 May 2017 Location: Costa Mesa, CA Online Status: Offline Posts: 44	Post Options Post Reply Quote wthoms2000 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 10 Nov 2020 at 2:35am
	I used Zinc Steel Punched Flat Bar, a thick version of plumbers tape, and attached it to a bolt on the black water drain. Very solid and will not brake! https://photos.app.goo.gl/bnAchiotAfqAgAwX9/ Good luck!
	Porta Poddy Wil and Luz, Orange County, CA 2017.5 179 HRE 2021 Ranger XLT FX4 REDARC Brake Controller

TEDDY Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 22 Oct 2017 Location: Arkansas Online Status: Offline Posts: 94	Post Options Post Reply Quote TEDDY Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 10 Nov 2020 at 7:10am
	OK- here's what I'm gonna do ....... 1/8" Aluminum bar/strap. Two bends - one to turn up a 1/2" tip, and then one 1-1/2" behind that. I'll use two stainless pipe clamps (the kind that has the helical notches and you turn a screw to tighten) in the U formed by the two bends. Before I tighten the clamps, I'll make a sleeve out of garage door bottom weather strip - the part that is glued to the concrete, not the part that slides into the door bottom. The clamps will tighten around that sleeve. Then I'll use the existing holes in the R-Pod frame and screw the top (un-bent) portion of the strap into the frame using lots of Loc-Tite. If that doesn't work I'm gonna remove the tube from the bottom of the black tank and replace it with a stopper that I can control from the TV and let the tank drain as I travel on the Interstate! Thanks for all the ideas...... this is a great forum...
	Teddy

tcj Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 05 Jul 2018 Location: Central WA Online Status: Offline Posts: 141	Post Options Post Reply Quote tcj Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 10 Nov 2020 at 8:53am
	I cut this "safety" strap from a piece of conveyor belt from a potato processing plant. My original use of this belting was to make a limit strap for a snowmobile slide suspension. They take a lot of abuse and the original broke. Yamaha wanted about $20.00 for a new one. A two foot by three foot piece of this belting cost about $3.00. The strap I made for the snowmobile had been on it for about 15 years and was still in good shape when I sold it. I used an arch punch to punch the bolt hole.
	2018 R-pod 180 Hood River Edition