Mounting a Water Tank Holder on Your UTE: How to Do It Properly

Your trips to nature, camping activities, or work duties require a reliable water supply. Driving a UTE means you have enough room in the rear tray for loading enormous amounts of fresh water. Many will install water tank holders over the rear bed and always have enough drinkable water wherever they go.

If you’re about to mount a water tank holder, you will need the essential items to do it, aside from the water tank alone. The first thing to do when you’re planning to add this item to your UTE is to order the water tank and the holder separately. When they arrive and are ready for mounting, you must connect all the dots to have the combination work.

In this blog post, we will highlight the few essential steps to mounting the water tank holder and the tank itself. If you’re skilled enough, follow these steps to do it, but if you don’t feel experienced enough, you can always come to our shop and ask the pros to do it for you. Follow up and see what these steps are.

Prepare the required tools

Before doing anything, ensure that the UTE has the capacity to withhold the weight of the water tank. Although the holder is not extremely heavy, the water may add significant weight to your truck, so check if it can hold. Look for specialized aluminium tool boxes for caravans and UTEs that fit your needs.

Then, have the required tools by your side. The holder comes with a kit of tools, so that should be just enough for the basic things, but you should also have a drill, wrenches, and screwdrivers next to you. If you have all these things, you’re ready to start working.

Select the location for installing and clean the area

While the rear bed is broad, the water tank holder might take the entire space if you don’t install it perfectly. Instead of wasting the area, measure it right and place it, trying to leave room for other tools and items on the side.

Have this in mind when ordering the tank and the holder, too. Based on these dimensions, know where you will mount it. When ready, clean the area and prepare it for the next step. Never work on dirty areas. Clean even the dust, as they might cause trouble while you’re working.

Measure precisely and do the drilling

It’s crucial to do a precise measuring because one centimetre off and the entire holder will not be possible to mount. Read the manual and mark the points where the holes must go. Once you’re ready, start drilling.

Do it carefully. You don’t want to make holes that are deeper than needed. The vehicle’s body is not too thick, so drill steadily and do not go too deep and damage some of the other parts.

Get help to load the holder onto the bed

The water tank holder might be lightweight enough to pick it up and place it over the bed, but the tank is usually more robust and tough to handle. You will need a friend to help if you want to do the job perfectly. Smaller items might be easy to handle, but bigger ones require additional help.

Secure the water tank holder

Once the drills are there, it’s time to place the water tank holder and secure it. Align the holes of the holder with the ones you drilled on the bed and apply the screws. You can use the battery drill or the hand screwdriver to lock everything in place.

Do this for every hole and see if there’s something else you must do according to the manual. When you finish all the steps, the holder should be secured, and you’re ready for the next step - mounting the water tank.

Mount the water tank and connect it

Every water tank is different, so you must read the manual before doing anything. The tank might also need some drilling and connecting, but be careful when doing this, so you don’t damage the tank and have the water leak outside of it.

If the tank is designed for use while applied to the holder, you must connect other items, too. You might want to look at our canopy accessories that will be helpful for this need. When everything’s connected, you can load it with water.

Take it for a test drive

When you finish your work, and the water tank seems ready for use, you should take it for a spin and check if it is ok. Don’t drive too fast, and don’t go too far. Drive around the block and see how it acts when you apply the brakes and accelerate. If everything seems great, you’re ready for a longer trip.