Portable

Portable Water Tank, Collapsible PVC Water Bladder, 29 or 529 Gallon, Truck Mounted

This is a collapsible water bladder, a PVC tank that holds its shape when full and folds down to almost nothing when empty. It comes in two sizes that are a long way apart: a 29 gallon version for a pickup bed or a campsite, and a 529 gallon version for hauling real volume behind a vehicle or holding water on a property. Both are flexible-walled rather than rigid, so they take the shape of whatever they are sitting in.

• Two capacities: 29 gallon, or 529 gallon (2000 litre)
• PVC construction, flexible walled
• Folds flat for storage when empty
• Designed to sit in a truck bed, a trailer or on level ground
• Used for farm irrigation, livestock water, camping and water transport
• Supplier lists it as an outdoor water tank in blue

Why a bladder instead of a rigid tank

A rigid tank takes up the same space whether it is full or empty, and if you only need water on the property twice a year it spends the rest of its life in the way. A bladder folds down to a parcel you can put on a shelf. The trade is that it needs something to sit in or on: the flexible walls mean it spreads out and takes the shape of the surface under it, so a truck bed, a trailer floor or a cleared flat patch of ground is what it wants, not a pallet with sharp corners.

Choosing between 29 and 529 gallon

These are genuinely different jobs rather than two sizes of the same job. 29 gallon is roughly 110 litres, which is around 240 lb of water when full: a pickup bed, a large campsite, a garden you want to water through a dry spell. 529 gallon is 2000 litres, which is over 4,400 lb of water. That is a load you need to think about before you fill it, because the weight has to be carried by whatever it is sitting on and it will shift as you drive. Check the payload rating of your vehicle or trailer before you fill the large one.

Filling, moving and draining it

Clear the surface first and check for stones, screws or anything sharp, because a puncture in a flexible tank is the one failure that matters. Fill it in place rather than filling it and then trying to move it. Water does not compress, so a part-filled bladder sloshes and a full one is rigid and stable, which is why people tend to fill to capacity or not much at all. Drain it fully, let it dry inside before folding, and store it somewhere rodents cannot reach.

Specifications

• Material: PVC (polyvinyl chloride)
• Capacities: 29 gallon (approximately 110 L), or 529 gallon (2000 L)
• Color: Blue, per the supplier
• Type: Outdoor water tank, collapsible
• Construction: Flexible walled, folds flat when empty
• Fittings, valves and hoses: Not stated by the supplier
• Wall thickness and material weight: Not stated by the supplier
• Drinking water suitability: Not stated by the supplier

What the supplier does not tell us

We would rather list this than let you find out after it arrives. The supplier does not publish the wall thickness, the fitting or valve type, the hose connection size, or whether either size is rated for drinking water. If you need it for potable water, or you need to know what fitting your pump will mate to, ask us before ordering and we will try to get a straight answer rather than guessing one for you. Treat it as non-potable storage unless and until that is confirmed.

Questions Shoppers Ask

How much water does each size hold?
The small one is 29 gallon, roughly 110 litres. The large one is 529 gallon, which is 2000 litres.

Can I drink the water stored in it?
The supplier does not state a drinking water rating, so treat it as non-potable storage. Ask us before ordering if potable use is the point.

What fittings does it have?
Not published. If you need to connect a specific pump or hose, ask us first rather than assuming a thread size.

Can I put the 529 gallon one in a pickup bed?
2000 litres of water is over 4,400 lb. That is beyond the payload of any normal pickup, so check your vehicle or trailer rating before you fill it.

Does it come with a pump?
No. The bladder is sold on its own.

What is it made of?
PVC, listed by the supplier as an outdoor water tank in blue.

Will it puncture easily?
It is a flexible walled tank, so a sharp object under it is the main risk. Clear the surface of stones and debris before filling.

How thick is the material?
The supplier does not publish a wall thickness or material weight.

Can I leave it full over winter?
Water expands when it freezes, which stresses any tank. Drain it before a hard freeze.

How small does it fold down?
No folded dimensions are published. It is a flexible tank, so it packs down to a parcel rather than keeping any shape.

Can I move it while it is part full?
Better not to. Water sloshing in a part-filled bladder shifts the load. Fill it where it is going to sit.