Storage Tubes

Farmhat · Senior Member

Storage Tubes

woolman · Guru

I would use sewage pipe as it is heavier and more stable

Neil

EJP · Senior Member

If you have room on the van, get the 200mm dia pipe, fit more in, easier to stow items, etc. As woolman said use pressure (sewage) pipe, heavier, thicker wall thickness and stronger. If you are not too worried about security, get 2 screw ends and caps, cut the pipe to length, glue the screw ends on and screw the caps on tight, they won't come loose. Irrespective of what end caps you use, glue some thick rubber on the internal end surfaces of the caps. This will reduce any chance of damage (breaking, holing etc) to the caps with the bits and pieces sliding around inside the pipe. Happened to me once with a pvc tube mounted on a roof rack on a 4wd.

Regards EJP

Cupie · Guru

EJP wrote:
If you have room on the van, get the 200mm dia pipe, fit more in, easier to stow items, etc. As woolman said use pressure (sewage) pipe, heavier, thicker wall thickness and stronger. If you are not too worried about security, get 2 screw ends and caps, cut the pipe to length, glue the screw ends on and screw the caps on tight, they won't come loose. Irrespective of what end caps you use, glue some thick rubber on the internal end surfaces of the caps. This will reduce any chance of damage (breaking, holing etc) to the caps with the bits and pieces sliding around inside the pipe. Happened to me once with a pvc tube mounted on a roof rack on a 4wd.

Regards EJP

Agree with EJP.

I drilled holes in my screw on caps & inserted a mega nail that was drilled to take a padlock for security. (See attachment)

Long Weekend · Guru

Yes, the larger diameter the better.

Also, put removable caps on both ends - makes it easier to retrieve bits that fall off the AFKs and other rods, poles, etc.

(Yes, I have had that pleasure of trying to snag loose items out with a long pole.)

Murray

Nevd · Senior Member

Definitely go for the 200 mm one. It can depend on what sort of deflappers you get. Mine have clamps in the track, so take up a bit of room. I have 2 delfappers, one curved support, a tent pole for an aerial, and a broom that unscrews from the handle. It's a tight fit even with a 200mm tube. I was going to make one up from bits from the Big Green Shed until I worked out it was considerably cheaper to buy one from ebay. Needed to replace a flimsy hinge though.

yobarr · Guru

Farmhat wrote:
G'day. Reckon I should ask some advice before buying a storm water type storage tube for the front of the van. Thinking of getting deflappers with the 2 tracks in them, 1 for each end of the awning, and also 2 awning rafters (the ones with the lesser curve in them - hope they are the better choice for an unstretched awning)
Can 2 deflappers and 2 small curve rafters fit easily into a 150 mm tube or would I need a 200 mm diameter tube?. The type I looked at had a slide on end cap that comes with a bolt that drops through a hole in the tube, then you can put a small padlock through the bolt.
Thanks, Joe.

Go for the 200mm,simply because it has nearl 80% more storage space than does the 150mm pipe. Cheers

Rod Mac · Veteran Member

One tip I offer, is if you use screw on caps with the 'o'ring seal in the cap, either remove the seal or put a smear of silicone type lubricant on the 'o'ring in the cap. I had trouble undoing them as sun and heat made the 'o'ring seal stick to the pipe.

And make sure you use surgical type gloves and or clean your hands after using the lubricant, not nice internally.

Iva Biggen · Senior Member

Hi Joe,
Just another tip apart from the 200 mm pipe recommendation is that if you make one rather than buy one you will be able to make it to the length to be able to leave the two end antiflap bars assembled rather that pull them apart.
I originally bought one and at 2 metres approx it was not long enough so I made one at 2.2 or 2.4 long if your van is wide enough which means I never pull the ends apart and therefore I dont loose the thread clips and thumb wheels inside the tube.
The result is it is much quicker to fit to the awning and also quicker when dismantling.
I also found that everything would not fit if I used the vynil bags the anti flaps and the rafters came in so they just go in nude now.

Farmhat · Senior Member

200mm seems to be the go. I would like to make one up as in Iva Biggen's suggestion. I have rung everywhere here in SA. There does not seem to be a 200mm pipe in existence here in storm water or dwv. IT's either 150 or 250mm. Someone care to let me know where the 200 mm is hiding :)

Thanks Joe.

EJP · Senior Member

That surprises me. I thought 200 mm would be readily available. Maybe not. All I can suggest is to check the plumbing suppliers, but I suppose you have already done that. I just measured mine, I thought it was 150 mm but it is actualy 100mm and there is not much room to fit everything in. Maybe you will have to settle for the 150 mm, 250 mm may be a bit big.

Regards EJP

Iva Biggen · Senior Member

Just measured mine and it is 225mm dia.
Its size is ideal for me.

Vinidex plastic pipes list it as stormwater.

I got mine off a plumber mate but I bought the ends from a Reece store and I made the clamps from thin aluminium flat.

www.vinidex.com.au/products/pvc-stormwater/

Craig1 · Guru

Ivan, maybe spec savers? Stormwater and DWV are nominal 225 but measure 250mm outside. There is a 200mm nominal pressure pipe with varying wall( thinest is 5.7mm) thickness es that measures 225mm outside. There was at one stage a thin wall " dust cap/ push on cap" You may have got lucky. I would be interested in a brand on your caps. cheers Craig

Farmhat · Senior Member

Thanks for all the info.

Joe