Transporting barrels of water...

[aczlan]

I built a trailer over the winter (still need to paint it) and am looking at the possibility of hauling water on it for various purposes. The deck is 42" wide and ~60" long.
I am debating one of the following barrel configurations:
1. 4 Barrels vertically in a square on a pallet:

Benefits:

• Not much sloshing due to less surface area on top
• Efficient use of space

Downsides:

• Hard to plumb (have to add 4 bulkhead fittings in the bottom)
• Hard to tie down

2. 3 Barrels stacked and a 4th behind:
Top view: Side View:
Benefits:

• Easy to tie down
• Easy to plumb
• Low COG
• More water usable (top 2 barrels will drain into the lower ones

Downsides:

• Less deck space available

Anyone have any thoughts?

Aaron Z

 

[edlegault]

Remember that water weighs about 8 pounds per gallon...

 

[Lou66]

I don't know how much money you have to spend,, but I have seen on craigslist water tank for less than 100 buck,, made of plastic and metal screen cover with a drain valve on the bottom.. I believe they are 275 gal tanks.. full would weight about 2300 pound plus tank and screen.. anyway a thought.. Lou

 

[aczlan]

220 gallons of water will weigh 1760#, there is a 3500# axle under the trailer and it will be pulled with either the RTV500, or the B7500 either of which will be fine with that much weight.

I plan to have some straps to hold the barrels down to the frame and more to hold everything down to the trailer.

Aaron Z

 

[Lou66]

I went back on craiglist and they were 275 gal tanks at 80 buck each but that is Conroe texas.. Lou http://images.craigslist.org/3Ec3La3Ne5K35F65Mcd5k0021e1cd03971105.jpg

 

[aczlan]

I don't know how much money you have to spend,, but I have seen on craigslist water tank for less than 100 buck,, made of plastic and metal screen cover with a drain valve on the bottom.. I believe they are 150 gal tanks.. full would weight about 1300 pound plus tank and screen.. anyway a thought.. Lou

Have seen those, but only in 275-300 gallon sizes. I dont really need that much water (will be filling it and using it to water trees and have water out back by the fire pits) and it would just slosh around in the larger tank which could make driving (and more importantly, stopping) interesting.
We currently use a 30 gallon tank of water for trees every other day and it lasts a week (3 gallons/tree X4 trees)

Aaron Z

 

[Lou66]

but Aaron it would set perfect on your trailer.. :laughing:.. Lou

 

[aczlan]

I went back on craiglist and they were 275 gal tanks at 80 buck each but that is Conroe texas.. Lou http://images.craigslist.org/3Ec3La3Ne5K35F65Mcd5k0021e1cd03971105.jpg

They run $60-120 here depending on how long the seller has had them.
Perhaps I should just build a small (2' high?) platform and put the tank on that out by the firepit area...

Aaron Z

 

[aczlan]

but Aaron it would set perfect on your trailer.. :laughing:.. Lou

That it would. I am worried that it would be too much weight though.

Aaron Z

 

[Lou66]

if it's 300 gal tank it would only weight about 2500 pounds,, you have 3500 axles,, shouldn't be a problem.. Lou