DIY 4 gal Water tube / Shower - strapped to frame

[RangerRick15]

Food for thought: I was able to fit a 4 gallon, 6 foot long 4" PVC pipe section strapped to the frame and running boards of my Ranger.

I had a bicycle shrader valve on one end and a washer hookup nozzle on the other, with a 90 degree section inside that sucked water up low. I'd pressure it up to 50-60 psi with a small slime auto pump, and it would squirt water 25' out of a nice, small 50' coil hose with a quick disconnect.

I kept this strapped onto the frame and running boards with 4 x 200# lashing straps with safety knots. I'd use it for washing paddle boards and bicycles off. I never off-roaded. Highways, dailer driver, and gravel / trails - not "sending it". Never worried about weight since it was well within the factor of safety of x8 on a full tube.

Just using the purple primer and stuff won't do. I added 12,000 psi epoxy to the caps and components. I later used acetone to prep the pvc for paint. Primed. And painted them matt, textured black.

If i did it again, I'd add some padding where it touches the frame and running boards. It showed zero wear after a year on there - but, it would creak / squeak occasionally when going over speed bumps / articulating bumps.

I was going to add a second tube to the drivers side. Just use more cuation with the straps on the drivers side as there are wires and fuel lines, possibly brake lines running down the frame. Easy to run the lashings inside them, on the frame only - just take care to do so. My knots and lashings were unmoved after a year - exactly as I installed them when I removed them today.

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[Rinn69]

Curious, but why use epoxy vs regular PVC solvent and cement ? Like steel welding, the joint is actually stronger than the pieces being joined and PVC is rated to or above 120 PSI. Just seems like overkill and extra $$ for epoxy

 

[bRaptor]

Super neat !

 

[RangerRick15]

Curious, but why use epoxy vs regular PVC solvent and cement ? Like steel welding, the joint is actually stronger than the pieces being joined and PVC is rated to or above 120 PSI. Just seems like overkill and extra $$ for epoxy

The pipe didn't hold pressure with the PVC Primer and Cement alone. Don't know why - it just didn't cure well - I had a very difficult time getting the caps all the way on - so perhaps the hammering, even within the minute of priming, just messed it up. I had the epoxy handy. So, I mixed up the tube of $6 epoxy and spread it around all the joints. Twice. Problem solved.

Cost was maybe about $60-80 total. And that was enough material for 2 x 6' pipes, 8 gallons in total. The second pipe I'm going to make with a valve on each end - so, depending on how I'm parked, I can get all the water.

I just drained the pipe after a couple of days, it was about half full, and still had about 35 psi before spraying all the water out.

Overkill: yes.

Working without issues, even after a year: yes.

 

[Frenchy]

Interesting indeed. Just be careful on the trail a it seems to be a little lower than the frame and I know it could get a rock when you don't want it to

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