Opinion on auxilary fuel tank

deltadude · 08-21-2015, 04:44 AM

I found a used Taylor Wings toolbox/fuel tank combo for sale near me for a pretty good price. It's a 45 gallon tank. It's the type with a fuel hose and nozzle.
Aside from the fact that you have to exit the vehicle to fill the truck's tank, are there any other negatives to this type of setup?

SteveC7010 · 08-21-2015, 05:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deltadude

I found a used Taylor Wings toolbox/fuel tank combo for sale near me for a pretty good price. It's a 45 gallon tank. It's the type with a fuel hose and nozzle.
Aside from the fact that you have to exit the vehicle to fill the truck's tank, are there any other negatives to this type of setup?

You don't have your trailer listed in a signature so we don't know if you have a TT or 5er. If it is a fifth wheel, and the fuel hose, etc. sticks up above the bedrails, you may be creating a clearance issue. Same for the toolbox. Most of us with 5ers lean towards the in-bed boxes that don't protrude up above the bed rails, especially if we have short beds.

I live in the foothills of the Adirondacks where there are lots of loggers and other outdoor work types. About every third or fourth truck has a fuel tank with the nozzle and pump crank sticking up out of the bed. Seems like a pretty popular setup to me.

I'm tight for space between the fifth wheel and the in-bed tool box. If I could fit a similar tank and pump in there, I would.

deltadude · 08-21-2015, 05:36 AM

I guess I should update my profile. I have a bumper pull trailer and will most likely always have that style. The setup is a flush mount to the bed.

bsmith0404 · 08-21-2015, 05:58 AM

The only negatives with that type that I can think of is the tool box portion is typically pretty small, but if you don't have a tool box now, it's still more than what you have. Personally, I'd pull the pump out and replace it with a cap and then run hoses and an electric pump to the OE tank overflow hose for filling. It's easy to do and much better for making the tank useful for you especially if you don't have any intentions to use it for fueling other vehicles.

Campy · 08-21-2015, 06:41 AM

I added a 37 gallon tank to my truck and when I bought the tank new I welded in a bung for a fitting to drain into the main tank. It has a small valve that I open and it refills the tank as I drive. Love it for long drives!

**hankpage** · 08-21-2015, 07:14 AM

I have a comfortable cruising range of 700/800mi solo and 300/400mi towing. My bladder has a comfort range of 250/300mi ..... never had the need to carry more weight and loose bed space. If I had to I would consider an over-sized replacement tank first. Truck stops are open 24/7/365. JM2¢, Hank

bsmith0404 · 08-21-2015, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hankpage

I have a comfortable cruising range of 700/800mi solo and 300/400mi towing. My bladder has a comfort range of 250/300mi ..... never had the need to carry more weight and loose bed space. If I had to I would consider an over-sized replacement tank first. Truck stops are open 24/7/365. JM2¢, Hank

Oversized replacements for the OE tanks (65 gal) run in the $1500 range, about double to triple the price of an auxiliary tank to only gain 30 gallons. The bladder range is a constraint on driving range, but my bladder doesn't dictate the price I pay for fuel. Depends on how far and where a person goes on trips. With my 70 gal aux tank, I can plan a trip and fuel in locations with the cheapest prices. Many times saving 20-25 cents per gallon over bladder and OE tank range. I can go 2000 miles unloaded and 1000 loaded. I have easily paid for my tank 2-3 times over, but I put on a lot of miles so I'm an unusual situation. My break even point for my tank on fuel cost savings was about 22k miles.

notanlines · 08-21-2015, 08:30 AM

We added the 46 gallon aftermarket aluminum fuel tank and piped it in using the kit supplied with the tank. Makes for a total usable gallonage of 65-70 gallons. This is an RDS brand tank and total with shipping was about $450.00. We only buy fuel every other day if we want.

deltadude · 08-22-2015, 05:30 AM

Thanks for the replies. I called back and he had sold it about 15 minutes prior to my call. I'll keep looking but will keep an open mind. I did see a couple of the other types that connect in line. I also looked at the Northern Tool website and on You tube at a few different versions.

bsmith0404 · 08-22-2015, 07:18 AM

Northern Tool has some nice tanks with good prices. I went with an ATTA (Aluminum Tank and Tank Accessories) tank. Theirs are a little more money, but they have a float and you can add a fuel gauge with them (I found mine on craigslist for about 1/2 price). They also have a kit which you can wire into your truck that will automatically turn the pump on when your tank gets down to 1/2 full and shuts the pump off when it gets to 3/4. If you ever drop below 1/2 you know the aux tank is empty. Personally, I just have mine set up through a Holley gravity pump ($45 at Autozone). I run the pump for about 15 seconds, it creates a siphon and then will continue to fill the tank through the siphon while I drive. Every now and then it'll break siphon so I turn the pump back on for a few seconds to get it going again. Real easy to set up. If you get a tank and want more info, PM me.

theallde · 08-22-2015, 07:23 AM

I replaced the stock 26 gallon fuel tank with a 50 gallon Titan Fuel Tank and could not be happier. I still have the full bed for storage "plus" a longer driving range.

notanlines · 10-30-2015, 11:55 AM

A short story and then a question. A friend is towing a super-lite 5th wheel and has a gasoline engine. He was told by the RV dealer that 11-14 should be his mileage. Now that he has gotten home he and momma did he REAL math and got 8.1 over 2600 miles.

What he is sad mostly over is his truck only has a 26 gallon tank. Anybody have any experience with installing an upright auxiliary "gasoline" tank in the bed. Neither of them are thrilled with stopping every 160 miles to refuel. Many thanks to all.

jsmith948 · 10-30-2015, 12:20 PM

Titan builds replacement under cab tanks. 45 gal, not cheap and will decrease available payload.

Bob Landry · 10-30-2015, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by notanlines

A short story and then a question. A friend is towing a super-lite 5th wheel and has a gasoline engine. He was told by the RV dealer that 11-14 should be his mileage. Now that he has gotten home he and momma did he REAL math and got 8.1 over 2600 miles.

What he is sad mostly over is his truck only has a 26 gallon tank. Anybody have any experience with installing an upright auxiliary "gasoline" tank in the bed. Neither of them are thrilled with stopping every 160 miles to refuel. Many thanks to all.

Your friend must have a Tundra. I also had one and traded it for a F250. I replaced the stock tank with an aftermarket tank from Transfer Flow and went from 26 to 47 gallon capacity. I never could why Tundra would build a truck advertised to pull 10K lbs, witch it does very well and put a 26 gallon gas tank on it. Go figure. But I also don'r understand why they don't put a capable suspension under it and get into the 3/4 ton truck market. It's got the power, just not the payload.

deltadude · 12-06-2015, 05:58 AM

I searched the site and thought there was a solution to my problem but I can't find it.
I did a test of my auxiliary tank by putting 10 gallons in it. When my stock tank got to about 1/2 a tank, I turned on the valve to drain the auxiliary into the main. Sure enough, it worked great. Problem now is my fuel gauge is no longer accurate. When it shows close to empty, I'm only getting about 18 gallons in my truck tank. I thought I had read somewhere about a fix for trucks that had computers that compile mileage data.

notanlines · 12-06-2015, 07:02 AM

Deltadude, I'm wondering why you leave your valve closed at all from your auxiliary tank.....I leave the valve open all the time, I fill the original tank first, then fill the big tank, obviously not opening the fuel cap on the original tank. When the big tank runs out the gauge starts then to move off the full mark towards empty.

bsmith0404 · 12-06-2015, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by notanlines

A short story and then a question. A friend is towing a super-lite 5th wheel and has a gasoline engine. He was told by the RV dealer that 11-14 should be his mileage. Now that he has gotten home he and momma did he REAL math and got 8.1 over 2600 miles.

What he is sad mostly over is his truck only has a 26 gallon tank. Anybody have any experience with installing an upright auxiliary "gasoline" tank in the bed. Neither of them are thrilled with stopping every 160 miles to refuel. Many thanks to all.

In bed auxiliary gasoline tanks are not authorized for safety reasons. You will not find anyone who manufacturers them. Replacing the original tank with something like a Titan 60 gal is the only option.

Quote:

Originally Posted by notanlines

Deltadude, I'm wondering why you leave your valve closed at all from your auxiliary tank.....I leave the valve open all the time, I fill the original tank first, then fill the big tank, obviously not opening the fuel cap on the original tank. When the big tank runs out the gauge starts then to move off the full mark towards empty.

Same here, but I don't use the gravity valve, I run mine through a gravity pump with a return line from the stock overflow line to the aux tank. After you run the pump for a few seconds, it will establish a siphon and drain the aux tank into the main as you drive.

deltadude · 12-07-2015, 05:56 AM

I figured I would just use the auxiliary when we would pull the trailer. I didn't really think of using it for daily use. I'll give that a try.

bsmith0404 · 12-07-2015, 06:36 AM

Now that I'm no longer transporting, I fill my aux tank whenever I find a great price on diesel or we are going on a trip. Other than that, I just use the main tank for around town stuff. Hard to justify 2000 miles worth of diesel sitting in a tank if it's going to take several months to burn through it.

Cyncwby · 12-07-2015, 12:46 PM

Retired cop here....one other thing to consider that most folks don't think about with the big aux tank and pump/hose showing. No good chicken sh-- thieves, I had 2 calls that I can remember where guys got there diesel tanks emptied and one even got the hose stolen along with it. Both trucks were sitting in thier driveways at night. Point is....doesn't pay to advertise.

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