Where to Buy Plastic Tanks

[bec.chandler]

So we ripped out our very leaky aluminum water tank from under the port settee on our 1976 Valiant 40 this week. And now we want to replace it with hard plastic tank(s). The space is a very funky size (i have attached a sketch with dimensions), and we'd like to maximize this space of course. We are either thinking of doing one large tank, like the one we took out, with baffles etc. Or three smaller tanks that connect (see attachment).

Getting into too much detail...what I'm really after is where I should buy our tank(s) from? I see the big 'depot' companies like plasticmart (literally), but I want some customer service and quality. We live on the central coast of BC, so shipping from anywhere is expensive, but west coast is probably better.

So where have you bought your tanks? Positive or negative feedback?

Thanks!

ps...I don't need a discussion on what material our tank should be, just where to buy plastic ones.

[cburger]

Welcome to Vetus.com!

[Badsanta]

google Rotational Molding

[steamgoat]

Ronco plastics, roto moulded in many sizes, nice to do business with,they supply other firms who sell tanks. If they don't have one the right size, try Kracor tanks.

[SailFastTri]

Ditto Ronco -- very nice to deal with and everything was as ordered. Price was right too.

[Rex Delay]

If your tanks are rectangular in form, cheap and readily available. If you require some funky shape to fit the hull and they have to be cusom built - very expensive. My tanks were shot last year, stock tanks were cheap but did not fit. To duplicate what I had, $750 each for 40 gallon tanks. I went with bladder tanks at $150 each.

[delmarrey]

Just got a new holding tank from Raritan. Good service and average pricing. Good quality as well.

Raritan Engineering | Holding & Water Tanks

[HopCar]

Ronco: Ronco Plastics - Marine Water Tanks, RV Water Tank, Auto Detail Tanks, Water Tanks
Raritan: http://www.raritaneng.com/pdf_files/...nk/L165htw.pdf

Both are very good companies.

[peghall]

Ronco Plastics is your best source...they make TOP quality thick-walled (min. approx 3/8") tanks for a very reasonable price and have more than 400 shapes and sizes, over 100 of which are non-rectangular...and they install fittings in the sizes and locations specified by the customer when they make the tank. They supply at least 90% of Raritan's tanks...Plastics Mart is a retailer who sells Ronco tanks exclusively and discounts Ronco's already very good prices..Raritan puts a whopping mark up on 'em.

Kracor makes a decent tank, but they do NOT like one-off special orders. They'll do it, but only for a ridiculously high price with no choice when it comes to fittings sizes OR locations...AND their tank walls are 50% thinner than Ronco.

Here's a link directly to Ronco's marine tanks: Ronco Plastics Marine Catalog

[S/V Alchemy]

It would have to be funky to the point of a tesserect to not be in the Ronco catalogue, and if it is, I suggest sacrificing a couple of gallons to get one of their models in. Me, I'm not fond of carting around loads of poo close to the bow.

[bec.chandler]

Thanks for all the responses! I will look into Ronco, as that seems to be the overall consensus.

[Cheechako]

Tank Depot. Custom made to your sketch. Quick delivery. Put as many fittings as you want anywhere you want. Thick welded plastic contstruction.

[nwdiver]

A couple of years ago I found good custom welded plastic was about 2/3 the cost of custom welded aluminum, the aluminum will be more expensive now. Look at all the shapes and sizes and see if you can fit premoulded standard sized ones or as you have said sets, the sets strung together would take care of the baffle issue.

[peghall]

Unfortunately just the reverse is true today...the price of a a weld plastic tank is more than double that of any rotomolded tank for which the mold already exists...an aluminum tank is about the same price as a rotomolded plastic tank. However...

While metal is an ok choice for water and fuel holding, ANY metal, even 316 SS, is a bad choice for waste holding...'cuz urine is so corrosive that, on average, it'll eat through a weld at a seam or fitting in about two years...turn the tank into a colander within 10 years. And the first leak in any metal tank is always only the FIRST leak.

Rotomolded plastic tanks can't be baffled, but you'd have to have a tank larger enough to turn your boat into a honey wager to need baffling in a waste tank.

[S/V Alchemy]

True words, Peg. I am going to four 50 gallon HDPE water tanks (probably from Ronco) from two 100 gallon SS tanks (still one for sale, by the way!) because I found them disturbingly loud in a seaway even with the baffling. Not to mention they were too high off the frames.

With 4 x 50 gallons, I get a tank I can devote to collected rainwater for "utility" use (showers, washing up, laundry) and two tanks to "municipal" water, and one tank to watermaker water, gradually expanding to three as I use up the water we can get from trusted sources.

With 50 gallon tanks, too, if I have a "bad fill", I'm not in immediate trouble, and if necessary, I can pump for trim purposes as needed.

The waste tank is a custom-welded job. We had it repaired a couple of years back, but we don't use it much.