NW Conversions 19 Gallon Slim Dually Wheel Well Water Tank (SP-DU-19)

Takes up no width between the wheel wells at all. It goes tall and narrow so your cabinetry keeps the full aisle.

This is the tank for builders who have run the numbers and decided that width between the wheel wells is non-negotiable. Only 10" deep, but 20" tall and 46" long, so the volume climbs the wall rather than reaching into the van. Nineteen gallons out of space that would otherwise be a shelf full of nothing.

It is the slim version of the SP-DU-25. If you can spare four more inches of depth, the 25 gets you six more gallons in the same footprint. If you cannot, this is the one.

Should you buy this tank, or a different one in the range?

• Buy the SP-DU-19 if your build depends on keeping the full width between the wheel wells — a slide-out, a fixed bed across the van, a garage with a specific box in it.
• Buy the SP-DU-25 if you can give up 4" of depth for six more gallons.
• Buy the SP-C-20 if you have a single-rear-wheel van and do not need the dually profile.

Confirmed fitment

Specifications

These tanks are not pressure vessels. They must be vented to atmosphere — a sealed tank will balloon on a hot day and collapse inward when the pump draws it down.

What ships to you

• (1) SP-DU-19 19 gallon rotomolded tank
• Fittings, hose and mounting hardware sold separately

Installing it: what actually happens

Tall and narrow means the tank has a high center of gravity relative to its footprint. Strap it high — a strap across the top third does far more than one across the middle — and tie into the wall ribs, not just the floor.

The port on the wheel-well end is the awkward one to reach once cabinetry goes in. Plumb it first, or build a service panel.

• Strap high, into wall ribs as well as the floor.
• Plumb the wheel-well-end port before the cabinets go in, or leave an access panel.
• Bench-drill any spun-closed ports; rinse thoroughly.
• ProMaster: about 3.5" of elevation required.

Questions we get asked about this part

How much weight am I adding to the van?

Water weighs roughly 8.34 lb per gallon, so 19 gallons is about 158 lb of payload once full, on top of the dry weight of the tank. Put that number in your build budget before you order rather than after — it is the most commonly forgotten figure in a van conversion.

Does the tank need a vent?

Yes. It is designed to run unpressurized. Run a vent line from the top 1.5" port up above the maximum fill level and out through the floor or a body vent. Skip it and the tank will deform on a hot day, then pull its walls in when the pump runs.

Do I have to drill the ports myself?

On the wheel-well tanks the 1/2" NPT ports arrive open and ready to thread. The 1.5" ports are spun closed at the factory so you only open the ones your plumbing actually uses. Open them with a hole saw on the bench, before the tank goes anywhere near the van, and vacuum the shavings out. Plastic chips inside a fresh water tank are a mistake you only make once.

What is the difference between this and the SP-DU-25?

Depth. The 19 is 10" deep, the 25 is 14". Same 46" length, same 20" height. If you want the aisle, buy the 19; if you want the water, buy the 25.

Pairs well with

• Van water tanks and plumbing — the rest of the NW Conversions range

Sold and shipped by Campervan Parts R Us, the parts counter of Noke Van Co. — a working van conversion shop in Roanoke, Virginia. If you are unsure whether this fits your van, email us the year, model and wheelbase and we will check it against a build sheet before you order.