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Old 09-30-2011, 04:34 PM   #1
chuckretnav
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Smile Extra Fuel Tank

I have a chevy 3500 long bed gas, 2010. Set up to pull my fiver. But Im tired of stopping every 150 miles to get gas. Has anyone added a extra fuel tank to thier truck. If so about how much did it cost and any other info you could share would be nice. Happy camping
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Old 09-30-2011, 06:13 PM   #2
Bob Landry
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I replaced my Tundra's stock tank with a Transfer-Flow. Tank was $1300 and it cost me $300 to have it installed. Money well spent. Went from 26 to 47 gallons and didn't eat up bed space.
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Old 09-30-2011, 07:00 PM   #3
hankaye
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chuckretnav, Howdy;

My 2004 F-250 SD w/6.0L Diesel came stock with a 42 gal. tank.

I go about 250 miles (near 1/2 tank), pull-over strech legs and top it off.

Hate getting caught short.

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Old 09-30-2011, 07:37 PM   #4
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Our Dodge averages 11.3 MPG pulling the fiver. The truck has a 36 gallon tank which works out to 406 possible miles in a single tank. Realistically, it's about a 300 mile travel range before we need to fuel up. I would not travel any further with only a quarter of a tank left.

As a backup, I carry two of these guys:


10 gallons of diesel gives me another 100+ miles of security, and the cans are only about $15-$20 each. They don't take up much space or add much weight. No installation cost, either..

300 miles works out to about a 5 or 6 hour travel day not counting rest or meal stops. DW has some limitations to riding in the truck for long periods so we use a maximum of 300 miles a day for planning our trips.
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Old 10-01-2011, 05:51 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chuckretnav View Post
I have a chevy 3500 long bed gas, 2010. Set up to pull my fiver. But Im tired of stopping every 150 miles to get gas. Has anyone added a extra fuel tank to thier truck. If so about how much did it cost and any other info you could share would be nice. Happy camping
I know your pain very will. I had a 2001, 2500HD Chevy 6.0L gas with a 26 gallon tank. Took two trips with a 5er attached and had a very very heated discussion about a fill up at one gas station. After that I informed my DW/Domestic supervisor, that we either sell the 5er or buy another tow vehicle before we camp again. End of discussion.
We now tow with a diesel truck, which has a 34 gallon tank with 11 to 12 MPG when towing. This is 374 to 408 miles to a tank. I drive no more than 390 miles a day and I fill-up around 300 miles. Use the truck islands to fill-up and have no issues getting in and out with the 5er attach.
I know it would be painful to sell the 2010 truck, but I would consider it and buy either a late model diesel truck or a new 2012 diesel truck. GMC/Chevy, may give you a good deal. You may want to consider the 4Th Generation Rams, they have been received very will.
Jim W.
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Old 10-01-2011, 07:15 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chuckretnav View Post
I have a chevy 3500 long bed gas, 2010. Set up to pull my fiver. But Im tired of stopping every 150 miles to get gas. Has anyone added a extra fuel tank to thier truck. If so about how much did it cost and any other info you could share would be nice. Happy camping
I don't know how heavy your 5r is, but remember that extra fuel is very heavy. In your case I would not go through the expense unless I could at least double my capacity. TransferFlow makes some nice tool/fuel truck boxes but you would be adding around 500 lbs. to your load for 50 gal. combo.
On our annual 1250 mi. trip I only stop three times for fuel. (The truck has a better cruising range than my bladder) But, like Steve said above, I carry two five gallon yellow insurance policies. I have also seen 15-26 gallon gas containers with dispensing hoses that would not need installation but still require stopping to transfer fuel. It is a tough decision, but there are solutions out there depending on how much $$$$$ you want to spend and how much towing you will be doing. Good luck and travel safely, Hank
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Old 10-02-2011, 04:48 AM   #7
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Extra Fuel

Thanks everyone for your suggestions, got such a good deal on the truck when we bought it, never thought about the drop in gas mileage vs diesel mileage, just thought of the 7 to 8 thou we saved gas vs diesel. Might just do the big gas can thing. A lot cheaper for one thing. Will have to look for the real big one that I can put in the bed and transfer fuel myself. Thanks again.
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Old 10-02-2011, 10:30 PM   #8
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Will have to look for the real big one that I can put in the bed and transfer fuel myself. Thanks again.
The majority of 12V pumps designed for in bed tanks are not compatible for gasoline use.

Jason
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Old 10-03-2011, 02:19 AM   #9
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The 2011 and later GM HD pickups now come standard with 36 gallon tanks (both short and long bed, gas or diesel). I have a 2012 Silverado 3500 on order right now.
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Old 10-22-2011, 06:13 AM   #10
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we have a dodge with only a 20 gal. can. on our dodge hemi so I found a 20 gal slip tank and installed it in the front of the box in a wooden box I built. Bought a holly electric fuel pump and use it to transfere fuel when we stop. plug it into the trailer plug. Takes about 8 minutes to pump the full tank.
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Old 10-22-2011, 05:36 PM   #11
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I've been quoted $1,200 to drop my tank and put in a titan tank. Can't remember the exact difference but it is just shy of twice the capacity.

Have not pulled the trigger yet and, depending on plans for next summer, may wait another year.
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Old 10-22-2011, 06:17 PM   #12
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I replaced my OEM fuel tank with a 55 gallon Supertank. It works great!
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Old 11-01-2011, 09:54 AM   #13
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Correct me if I am wrong and if it is like talking to my wife thats all the time LOL. Is there any diffence if you install a replacment for the factory tank say like from the standard 30 gals up to the 47 gal tank or if you just add a fuel holding tank in the bed say like a 30 gal tank that will bump me up to sixty gallons of fuel Now before we get out of hand I already know that will be more fuel which means more weight. But is there any difference where you carry the weight? I currently own a f-250 6.4L diesel and pull a 2011 Cougar 327 res. Really not looking to add more weight, but I would like to be able to get out of Illinois before I have to buy fuel again. I like the idea of the portable fuel cans, but not sure if thats the way to go but it does seem the least expensive. I can get around 325 miles on a tank of fuel if I keep my foot out of it So what I am looking to do is double that to around 600 miles after that it would been a good idea to get out and walk around for awhile. Just looking for idea's and I am really new to this and I respect people who have been there and did that not looking to reinvent the wheel here so to speak. This next summer we want to get out and see the sites and the last thing I want to do is stop for fuel everytime I turn around
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Old 11-01-2011, 11:26 AM   #14
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DJ85, Howdy;

Depends on which direction you're going as to the fuel requirements to get outta ILL.

I prefer to go side-ways, on I-70 only 156 miles. I fuel up in Mo. (near O'Fallon), then again in In. (Brazil, exit 23). Then I can wander into Oh. and get some more.
Reverse if you're going the other direction.
I used to work for a Trucking Co. that told us that "if ya buy fuel in Il. yer FIRED! Plan accordingly." They didn't appericate the fuel taxes there...

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Old 11-01-2011, 05:44 PM   #15
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At about 8# per gallon, you'll be about 250 lbs extra weight. Really not that much.

Jason
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Old 11-01-2011, 07:46 PM   #16
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A little US gal is about 8lbs per gallon but a real imp. gal is 10 lbs
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Old 11-01-2011, 09:24 PM   #17
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A little US gal is about 8lbs per gallon but a real imp. gal is 10 lbs
Canadians...

It's funny when someone posts outrageous mileage figures until they realize they used the wrong conversion.

Jason
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Old 11-02-2011, 08:40 AM   #18
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Okay this is the way I figured it out. A 50 gallon aux tank wieghts in at 148 lbs empty according to the site that I am looking at and with fuel using that a gallon of water weights 8.33 lbs I figure added another 416 lbs for a conbined weight of 565 lbs. That doesn't seem to be a whole lot, but I am carry a lot to begin with. I guess I need to start by weight the truck and camper togather then go from there and see if I can even add more to the picture!
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Old 11-02-2011, 10:47 AM   #19
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Okay this is the way I figured it out. A 50 gallon aux tank wieghts in at 148 lbs empty according to the site that I am looking at and with fuel using that a gallon of water weights 8.33 lbs I figure added another 416 lbs for a conbined weight of 565 lbs. That doesn't seem to be a whole lot, but I am carry a lot to begin with. I guess I need to start by weight the truck and camper togather then go from there and see if I can even add more to the picture!
Water is 8 lb/gal, diesel is 7 and gasoline is ~6 lb/gal.
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Old 11-02-2011, 12:19 PM   #20
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ATTA auxillary tank

Last December, my Christmas present to myself was a 94 gallon ATTA aluminum wedge tank for the bed of the F350. The tank is made in a Fort Worth suburb. It weighs 150# and has an "auto-fill" device. When the actual truck tank is 3/4 full, the pump comes on and fills it to 7/8 full. With diesel (at cold winter temps) at 7.3#/US gal., a full tank would weigh 686# plus the tank weight of 150# for a total 836#. Based upon calculations and checked by a CAT scale, I am comfortably within the F350 dually limits.

I "love" this tank! It has fill ports on both sides, so I don't have to jockey for position at a "regular" gas station. If at a truck stop, I can put the right fill hose in the auxillary tank, and fill the truck tank (if needed) with the left hose. One problem is the inside guage is not calibrated to the wedge shape, so the tank "goes down fast" but slows to a snails pace for the final 30 gallons. This tank allows me to have the range that I don't really need to worry about having the Alpine in tow when I need to diesel up. As a test, we filled the auxillary a little more than 3/4 full in Cave City, KY this summer (when diesel weighed less ) and drove all the way back to north Texas without buying any more diesel.

The wedge tank's design makes it virtually hidden from view when looking back from the driver's seat. I can see the hitch, king pin, and all without obstruction.

I think it's up to one's own personal opinion, but IMHO if you do the weight calculation math, plus allow for a safety factor, getting a bed tank or a larger "underbody" tank is definitely worth it! It is so much better than a friend who is too close on his weight factors - when he reaches 5/8 of a tank, he starts looking for diesel. The only plus here is that it cuts down on "bio-stop" requests from his DW!

Ron
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