Thread: Front Runner 36 litre rear water tank.

If you are running a tap for water to come out of the tank & your tank has a breather (sort of a given)

The easiest way to fill is to just plonk on a standard hose click-connect fitting on the tap, then open tap and fill from a hose.
Tank fills, air comes out breather - 100% neater install than a fitting a filler neck.

I have a 65L tank under the tray and a tap on the back wall of the 130. With a 3/4" breather I can run standard drinking hose at max pressure and fill tank easily.

There is no need to have a large filler for a water tank

S

Originally Posted by Captain_Rightfoot

There is also one which wedges behind the seat and between the cargo barrier. Great idea.. only our barrier is installed too close to the seat.

I've seen those, but I think my drawers would interfere, as they also interfere with fitting a cargo barrier. I also like the idea of getting the weight of the water as low as possible and keeping the interior clear of obstacles.
I was thinking of fitting the water tank to the passenger side and the extra fuel tank to the driver's side, to gravity feed into the main tank, which would balance the weight.
Then it might be time for a HD suspension.

I've got both the Frontrunner quarter panel water tank, and the 50l (8cm flat) cargo barrier tank, with the cargo barrier tank on the rear side of the barrier, between the barrier and the draw system.

I must have an early type quarter panel tank, as I don't recall a breather.

Installation is an afternoon.

As already suggested, you can fit a clip on garden hose to the tap and 'reverse fill' your tank.

The tap location is handy for washing hands etc, but the tap gets exhaust soot on it, and if you're camping with kids, you'll have a muddy puddle at your back door (sometimes).

It's a worthwhile addition. The 50litre cargo barrier tank is probably better value for money, but having both is handy for a family of 5.

Hi Fellas

Its an old thread, but I wish I knew BEFORE buying the Front Runner 36litre tank that it would not fit my 2007 (Puma) Defender.

I was ready for SOME fettling of the product, but not wholesale mods that took 3 weekends. I should have paid more attention to, for example, this one:
Installation Instructions: the gap between theory and application

It seems that there is less room in the Pumas, not to mention replacing the steel support leg these have. And the tap hanging UNDER the crossmember. And the filler lid with no seal.

The plastic tank is worth at most $200... the rest of it is $400 of frustration.

Cheers.

I fitted one many many years ago to a TDCi (puma)...

*the front runner tank is anything but a square neat shape, more like a blow moulded plastic tank, the shape is all over the place.
*remove the wheel of your defender.
*remove the brace.
*be very very careful NOT to flex out the panel too much as you WILL buckle the panel (no didnt happen to me but a customer showed me the aftermath of what happened when they flexed the panel too much)
*use big flat washers for the support bracket or it will pull through the alum sheet of the defender body.
*easier with 2 people, one can push the tank right up hard into position, while the other bolts it up
*i used a floor jack with a block of wood to push it right up.
*yes the alignment holes / measurements are rubbish, you will need to work it out yourself.
*I ran a hose to a nice brass tap i got from bunnings, the die cast one with the tank is crap.
*all said and done its not a bad idea

*no I really dont want to fit another one again.

*no I really dont want to fit another one again.

Hi Daz

Your comment sums it up!

It is an excellent concept - my Tdi had a 40litre aluminium one (with curved shape to match the wheel) - but this rendition is sub-standard, sorry to say.

I still need to seal it to keep the dust out of the car - and the water in the tank!

Regards

Originally Posted by Ancient Mariner

I built similar in aly for my 110 but don't use a filler just disconnect breather in wheelwell and put hose on outlet tap till water comes out the breather

AM

I had an alloy water tank in my bt50, but found it unsuitable for town water, the chlorine in the water makes heaps of little round white balls, so not suitable for drinking.

Quite some years ago I had an ex Calvert expedition 130 tucker truck, one of 2 specifically built by JRA (in Perth I think) to support the mission (1996). These had dual stainless steel tanks one mounted either side forward of the axel under the tray. I would say around 50 litre capacity and were brilliant. We used the vehicle for towing a dual horse float to events with all the crap they need. 100litres of water was very handy.