Leaving Water Truck Filled Long-Term

[mfowler]

I have 1969 Mack water truck with a 4,000 gallon tank that I bought last summer. I've heard that it's not a good idea to leave them filled while just parked, hard on suspension/tires? Just wondering what people with more experience than myself think about this. I catch rainwater for my ranch and we've been having a pretty good winter. I have about 60,000 gallons stored right now but my tanks and cisterns are just about full and another few inches of rain are forecast. I hate to just let the water run-off so was thinking I could store some in the truck for a while. I have a 20,000 gallon tank waiting to put online but it won't happen before summer. Thanks for any advice.

 

[willie59]

Well, just an opinion, but a '69 model Mack, don't sound like a truck you're going to be using in daily transport over highways, more of a farm use vehicle. In that respect, does it really matter to the tires/suspension? And if it's a Mack with camel back suspension I doubt it will even care if it's loaded.

 

[Jonas302]

Fire trucks sit loaded every day as an example but there are lots of other things that have nonstop weight moving or not besides its a Mack

 

[lantraxco]

I wouldn't give it a second thought as long as it doesn't get down below freezing too much. The weight will just keep that old Mack from blowing away in a typhoon.

 

[mfowler]

HaHa! Everybody loves to make Mack jokes. I don't mind...I was wanting a Peterbilt or Kenworth but this came up local and I know some of the history (used to belong to a local contractor, rebuilt motor, changed the rear ends, yada yada )and the price was right. You're right Willie59, it is a farm truck I will use for hauling water in the summer. It's about a ten mile round trip, six of it on a dirt road and will be going uphill when loaded. Probably make between ten and fifty trips a year, depending on how the winter rains go. Thank you guys for the comments, that's one less thing I will worry about.

 

[Delmer]

Around here that tank wouldn't freeze until January, so I doubt you'll have to worry about that in California unless you're on top of a mountain.

 

[Dozerboy]

What about rust? Thats why we keep ours drained. Maybe some sort of Cathodic protection.

 

[ol'stonebreaker]

If it has a pump make sure you have a valve between the pump and tank so the pump can't freeze.
Mike

 

[old-iron-habit]

On the rust. Would it not rust more with the water out. I would think a full tank would not be to prone to rust.

 

[lantraxco]

On the rust. Would it not rust more with the water out. I would think a full tank would not be to prone to rust.

That would be my take on it....

 

[Delmer]

That depends whether the tank is dry or has puddles in it. A full tank will rust less than one that's damp, and since the bottom is the part that rusts out first, full will almost definitely last longer than almost empty.

A water heater anode would be easy enough to hang in the middle of the tank. Electrically connected to the tank.

 

[lantraxco]

Yep, or a couple of the zincs they attach to metal boat hulls on the tank bottom.

 

[mfowler]

As far as freezing we're just about past hard freeze weather. I had drained the pump, there is no valve to isolate the tank so tank has been sitting empty until today. Regarding the rust issue, I've also heard a full tank is better off than a partially full one. However, I'm not clear what you guys mean by cathode protection, anodes, and zincs. Somehow this protects against rust? This is all new to me, I will do some googling. Thanks again.

 

[lantraxco]

Anodes, commonly made of zinc or an alloy, are sacrificial metal that erodes away when electrolysis occurs. I think it's actually pretty unlikely to happen in a truck that's parked, but then I'm no expert in the field. Used barrels of them on steel hulled tugboats but then we always had some leakage from the generators, DC power rings, static, etc.

 

[fast_st]

Depends what you're using the water for but yes, a water heater anode screwed into the tank would help as will adding a cup of arm&hammer laundry detergent per 1000 gallons. Had fire trucks that in a month of sitting would pump out tomato soup rust. Seems adding detergent not only helped the water put out grass fires a lot better but perhaps drove the oxygen out of the water or changed something else. Once the detergent was in there, water was crystal clear.

 

[Blk prince]

What ever you decide,please make it kid proof

 

[lantraxco]

What ever you decide,please make it kid proof

Oh God yes.... Grate bars and cut proof padlocks please. Never would have thought of that....

 

[norite]

Well, just an opinion, but a '69 model Mack, don't sound like a truck you're going to be using in daily transport over highways, more of a farm use vehicle. In that respect, does it really matter to the tires/suspension? And if it's a Mack with camel back suspension I doubt it will even care if it's loaded.

If it's a camel back setup the only thing I would expect is it would ride better!

 

[Dozerboy]

Depends what you're using the water for but yes, a water heater anode screwed into the tank would help as will adding a cup of arm&hammer laundry detergent per 1000 gallons. Had fire trucks that in a month of sitting would pump out tomato soup rust. Seems adding detergent not only helped the water put out grass fires a lot better but perhaps drove the oxygen out of the water or changed something else. Once the detergent was in there, water was crystal clear.

The soap is a great idea too. The soap acts as a surfactant and breaks the tension of the water. Soap is used to help water "stick" when trying to get things damp. Like durring asbestos abatement to keep down dust and while applying chemicals to plants.

 

[fast_st]

Its also possible the soap has a higher affinity for the water than the oxygen does so the oxygen comes out of solution, no free oxygen, much less rust, like adding sugar to a carbonated drink.