Mounting extra weight on rear bumper bar will increase the propensity for the caravan to Yaw (sway), and is major culprit on rollover scenarios - retrofitting/adding grey water tank may have same effect - consider these modifications carefully.
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Possum; AKA:- Ali El-Aziz Mohamed Gundawiathan
Sent from my imperial66 typewriter using carrier pigeon, message sticks and smoke signals.
Our 2017 Jayco Outback Pop Top has a grey water tank fitted. I recall it is about 60L capacity. We purchased the van second hand and that tank was already fitted. The tank works mostly ok, except one point which I can explain later. I can get some photos tomorrow as it is dark at the moment. The van is Jayco Outback 17.55 DX Pop Top with Dual JTech suspension. ATM 2,704 kg.
The spare wheel is located under the van immediately forward of the front drinking water tank. The grey water tank is immediately to the rear of the rear drinking water tank.
The spare wheel is supported by hinged bar frame that is lowered and raised on one side of the van by a cable winch.
The kitchen sink drains to the grey water in its own pipe with a Hepvo valve located under the sink in the pipeline. I cannot see how it enters the top of the tank. The shower and vanity basin drainpipes eventually join with another Hepvo valve in the combined pipeline. That Hepvo valve is located immediately behind the grey water tank. The bathroom pipeline enters the grey water tank the top of the tank also. The grey water tank has similar stone protection as the drinking water tanks.
The tank is fitted with sensors for its contents level. The tank level is displayed on a panel with the drinking water tank contents display. An overflow for the tank is fitted on the top somewhere. We overflowed the tank once.
There is no separate drainage of grey water from the van except through the tank. Some people do not like that method. I does not matter to me. What I dislike is that the outlet and the shut-off valve of the grey water tank are located adjacent to a chassis stub or jacking point. The location of the outlet and its valve is difficult to access from the side of the van to fit a waste hose. I am intending to try and source a suitable tight right angle bend so the pipe end is directed to the rear of the van.
I have added some extra pipe protection to most of my plumbing and drainage pipe. Also added an extra support to the outlet valve pipe stub from the grey water tank
-- Edited by watsea on Wednesday 22nd of May 2024 08:15:57 PM
Thank you for the responses so far. I take on board the concerns raised by Possum3. I have looked at the specs of the current Jayco Outback 17.55 and it is very similar to the 2020. Jayco do offer the grey water tank option on the later model.
I am hoping that someone that has the later Jayco Outback with grey water tank installed is able to provide some information and photographs if possible.
Watsea, I look forward to the photos and further information.
When we purchased our Windsor poptop from Adelaide (were in Perth), I spoke to a caravan coromal/windsor guru there about fitting a grey water tank, and he was honest and said he removes more than fits grey water tanks. Because of the issue of it becoming black water amongst other reasons.
We use a portable water container at the back to catch the grey water and dispose of safely and we dont have a problem, in a way Im glad I listened to him then again I am sure others have different views ..
Hi vblerk23.firstly let me say i have no experience with Jayco poptops ,but the past 6 yrs having 2 Jayco journeys,both tandem axle, here in NZ.Our 1st 2018 20ft model had 2 x 80 ltr fresh and 1x 80 ltr waste water ,which is mandertory in NZ. and come as standard on Jaycos over here The wastewater tank was behind the rear axle.The spare wheel was a standard Jayco fitment and mounted above the rear bumper.We ALLWAYS travelled with this tank empty as it did upset the weight distribution .
Our current 21ft slide out model has the same tanks ,same position for the waste ,fresh water tanks are slightly more forward than previously.Spare wheel is now mounted underneath just to the rear of the waste water tank.Again we ALLWAYS travel with this tank empty.Remember 1 ltr of water weighs 1 kilo.and 80 lts moving about front to back /side to side makes a suprising differance.
Please be aware that any alterations you do will have minor or a major effect on towability/stability of your rig.
Just my 2 penneth .
Cheers and rock on .
Andy.
The weight balance of the van depends entirely on the van design, such as where the axles are positioned, where the water tanks are fitted and how the van is laid out with regards heavy items such as fridge, oven etc.
We have the spare wheel on the rear bar, plus aluminium ramps on the bar for my wife to access the van as she is wheelchair bound and they go 46kgs, and a 10litre jerry can of fuel.
We also have a grey water tank of 90 litre capacity behind the rear axle and with that near full I notice no real decernable difference in the stability of the van.
But our van has the axles positioned fairly rearward, the freshwater tanks are in front of and between the axles and the heavy items are either over the axles or slightly forward of the axles.
I generally tow at 100kph if conditions allow and the van is good to tow with good stability.
i have attached some photos of the grey water tank fitted to my Jayco Outback pop top.
The fresh water tanks and the grey water tanks are a neat fit with the stone protection and holding brackets in between chassis cross members. The holding brackets which support the tanks are bolted neatly into holes in the chassis cross members, so there has been some thought engaged with the fitting of the tanks.
The access to the outlet valve of the grey water is obstructed by the Steady Leg bracket not the jacking point bracket.
I have some finger scratching printing on some of the photos trying to show which pipes are being shown. Finger writing on an iPad is not very neat, sorry. Looks like some of the images are sideways too. The image numbers in my worded description are how they appear in the post. The image file numbers are not the same.
Image 7 on the right shows the winch for the spare tyre frame.
Image 6 on the right shows spare tyre mountings to the chassis. Factory welded brackets holding the wheel frame.
Image 1 shows the Front Water Tank and the pipe from the kitchen.
Image 2 shows the pipe from the shower joining the vanity basin pipe, then Hepvo valve. All behind the grey water tank.
Image 3 shows the kitchen pipe around the front of the front water tank to the GW tank.
Image 4 shows GW Kitchen pipe and GW tank outlet valve next to the Steady Leg bracket.
Image 5 shows the two pipe entries to the GW tank and the GW Outlet valve.
-- Edited by watsea on Friday 24th of May 2024 03:38:04 PM
-- Edited by watsea on Friday 24th of May 2024 03:57:54 PM
Watsea, thank you for the information and photographs. I will definitely be considering doing this modifications as more off grid places are moving towards self containment. This is also about the convenience of an onboard grey water tank. I will also be considering how to isolate the grey water tank when not required. I note on your photographs that your spare wheel is actually located fore of the axles whereas on mine, the spare is located rear of the axles. It looks like they have it all worked out on the other side of the ditch. NZ seems to be way ahead of us in this area.
Caravan weights are always controversial and the adding of any item can potentially have an adverse affect on towing comfort and safety, and I am mindful of that. All I would be doing in this instance is redistributing the wet weight.
Thank you to all that have shared their experiences and knowledge.
I note on your photographs that your spare wheel is actually located fore of the axles whereas on mine, the spare is located rear of the axles. It looks like they have it all worked out on the other side of the ditch. NZ seems to be way ahead of us in this area.
Maaaate,
I am Aussie. The van is too.
-- Edited by watsea on Saturday 25th of May 2024 02:52:04 PM
Maybe you could investigate about fitting the grey water tank to forward of the axles. A rear basin would drain ok but a rear shower might be a bit slow to drain. Not sure if anyone else has a setout like that. Maybe some experiments to test drainage flow with the small differences in pipe levels that would be involved.
Separate pipes from the shower and from the basin would negate backflow of the basin to the shower, unless the shower had its own Hepvo valve.
Have you checked out any similar vans with a grey water tank by browsing at a dealer?
-- Edited by watsea on Saturday 25th of May 2024 05:27:44 PM
Hi again thought i`d point out that we also carry half a dozen h/d 20ltr containers with us to de-cant into when required if there isn`t a dump station handy .Also easier to dump the water like this if your staying a while in 1 place and saves moving the caravan every few days .
Just wish Jayco would add a bit more length on there waste outlet pipes,to save having to reach too far under the caravan to connect up to .Suppose thats a job to add `on the to do list `.
Rock on neighbours
Andy .NZ.
The van is too.
