moving large plastic water tanks

[dfkrug]

It seems that for those of us in the boonies, you can never have too many
water tanks. The plastic ones, made of cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) or
linear polyethylene, are the most economical, but how do you transport them?

When you buy them new, the seller delivers them and rolls them into position
on your pad or foundation. Not too difficult since a 2500 gallon unit may
weigh only 400#, plus or minus. But what if you buy one used and need to
pick it up? How do you lift these tanks up onto your pickup truck or trailer?

This one is a white PEX unit and is about 8 feet in diameter and a bit less
than 8' in height. (Most of them sold around here are black or dark green to
reduce algae growth.) Tipping it on its side and rolling it was easy for the
3 people used in this move....we had to go about 100 feet and around a
bunch of trees and other items. I then used my Kioti fiixed forklift to lift
the tank and roll it onto the trailer. It was quite a ballancing job as my forks
are only 36" and the back rest is maybe 30". I DID use a piece of plywood
on the fork tines to avoid puncturing the soft plastic with the forks.

When all loaded on the trailer, we strapped it down snug. In the 25 miles of
driving on curvy mountain roads, the straps had to be adjusted a few times
as they tended to collapse the plastic.

 

[sandman2234]

As far as loading it, could you just back the trailer up to it, and tip it over into the trailer rather than transporting it with the tractor? When I first saw the picture, my thoughts were you were going to transport water with it, and I knew that single axle tractor wasn't going to do the job, lol.
David from jax

 

[Kays Supply]

How do these PEX tanks hold up in the sun? My PEX pipe says not to expose to UV rays.

 

[dfkrug]

As far as loading it, could you just back the trailer up to it, and tip it over into the trailer rather than transporting it with the tractor?

I was hoping the guy with the Dodge PU was going to get a flatbed trailer
with low deck so we could tip it up onto it. The tank could then be carried
upright. From our experience tipping it on its side, I know we would still
want help lifting it onto the back of the trailer. The forklift could have
provided that last little lift/push in that case.

This tank was shaded by trees; many other around here (usually black
in color) are not. I don't know how UV-tolerant they are, but the white
one needs to be painted IMO. If the manufacturer says keep it out of the
sun, you should. I would if I bought a new one for $1000!

 

[LBrown59]

As far as loading it, could you just back the trailer up to it, and tip it over into the trailer rather than transporting it with the tractor?

***** When I first saw the picture, my thoughts were you were going to transport water with it
David from jax

***** I thought he was going to set it up to store fuel in for his tractor .

 

[dfkrug]

***** I thought he was going to set it up to store fuel in for his tractor .

That would be about 40 years supply for me!

 

[sandman2234]

That would be about 40 years supply for me!

And a 100 year mortgage on your home...
David from jax

 

[3RRL]

Dave, great story there.
I don't know if you remember or not, but early on in my Log Home thread I posted a bunch of photos when I picked up my 5,000 gal tank and set it up on a concrete pad at the homesite. It is about 10' in diameter and about 10' tall weighing in just under 1,000 pounds empty. That thread is HERE Starting on Post #218.

I went to the tank yard where they had hundreds of them in stock. It was Plasticorp, I think in Hanford about 60 miles away from me. Your should have seen the fork lift operator whip that thing up and dump it onto my trailer. He did it all in less than a minute! Getting it home I had to re-adjust the straps several times too and I only drove about 45mph max. Once I got it home, I ended up using a Gradeall fork lift, which the contractor had sitting at the homesite.

 

[dfkrug]

Dave, great story there.
I don't know if you remember or not, but early on in my Log Home thread I posted a bunch of photos when I picked up my 5,000 gal tank and set it up on a concrete pad at the homesite. It is about 10' in diameter and about 10' tall weighing in just under 1,000 pounds empty.

I DO remember your tank purchase, Rob. I did a TBN search for tank threads
just before I did this, but I only searched titles. Your house build thread is
SO long now! Anyway, your link helped me go back and re-read the tank
part. I see that you only strapped vertically. Eek! I knew we would get
some rearward shift if I did not strap if forward also. Around here we have
bumpy and steep roads that can do all sorts of nasty things to your load.
Can you imagine loading a 1000 lb tank that big w/o a forlift? I have heard of
a number of guys moving the 5000 gal plastic tanks around once they are
delivered, by rolling them on their sides. Never did it myself.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Are the plastic tanks that much less than the good metal ones?