Water Tank for Puma

Ian Bavin · 4th February 2016, 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by Bushie

Have a look at the other offerings from Dolium as well

Dolium Pty Ltd

I've got a 50 litre taper tank sitting up against the load barrier. (Tdi though)

Martyn

Hi Bushie,
Can you please tell me which 50 litre tank from Dolium fits between the Defender 110 SW rear seat and the cargo barrier? and which cargo barrier are you using?
Thanks Tank

**DazzaTD5** · 4th February 2016, 10:01 PM

Bare with me, there is a point...

One thing that really bites me is manufacturers/suppliers that fob over or fail to mention some things about a accessory they make/sell...

On my Sh*t list is the side mounted poly water tanks made by Front Runner in South Africa, BUT I do say once they have been installed they are a useful product.

THINGS TO CONSIDER:
*Has the manufacturer even installed one into a Defender TDCi (puma)?
*Incredibly difficult to fit in position, and even with great care u might put a crease in the side panel.
*The threaded insert on the top of the tank are always at an angle.
*The die cast tap supplied is rubbish and needs to be replaced with a quality brass tap.
*The stone guard that also supports the poly tank is bolted through the single sheet of alum floor using two small bolts/washers. A plate on the top to spread the load is needed to prevent the bolts ripping through the floor.
*Once you have drilled the hole through the floor, with the tank loosely in place you will need to screw in the filler neck, then finish mounting the stone guard.
*You will need to use sealant between floor and neck of filler.
*No real thought or mention where to mount the tap.

PROS:
*Great idea, makes use of a dead area without overly added excessive weight.
*Poly tank seems highly durable.

Ideally I try and mount the tap sideways above the end of the chassis line so 1. it doesnt get broken off when off road and 2. people dont walk into it, which will mean you will need to make a bracket to suit.

Regards
Daz

**RVR110** · 6th February 2016, 06:33 AM

In addition to Dazza's comments, from memory there is a strengthening rib in the wheel arch that needs to be removed in order to fit the tank. The 7 seat version of the puma also has some strengthening brackets that I think (but I'm not sure) might need attention during the installation.

I didn't like the idea of having the filler inside the car due to the possibility of spillage whilst filling and inconvenience if trying to fill the tank with the back fully loaded. I agree with Dazza that the location of the tap is not well thought out, but I appreciate the problem that FrontRunner faced when choosing a tap location. I went to a lot of extra trouble with mine to relocate the filler and tap and to add a gauge. There's a bit of info in this post on my build thread.

You also need to consider cold climate use. We had frost on the first camping trip that after installing the tank. Overnight temperatures dipped to about -2 and the exit hose on the tank froze, leaving us without coffee until it thawed. Since then we have always had additional water in the car if overnight temperatures are likely to head to zero.

Having said all that, it it a great modification that I would repeat if I had my time over again. It saves a lot of space in the cargo area and water is readily accessible at any time which is great for quickly refilling water bottles at rest stops.

For longer trips we keep a water hose with several tap fittings in the car, along with a tap key. We also keep a funnel and a modestly sized water jerry can for filling the tank in locations where the hose won't reach the car.

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