Dealer OK's Aftermarket tank.

[EricBu12]

Just called my local service place and asked if installing an aftermarket replacement tank would void any warranty and he said not at all. .



Just as long as filtration is kept up and so forth, no problem... Sooooo . guess what I want to do to my truck next?? . .



The Aero D-60 Replacement tank. $785.

Try to do this by next towing season.

 

[jelag]

We've built custom tanks for all our trucks... they hose into the factory tank so no pump or valve is needed... . something close to what you'd see on a class 8 truck... .

We than have installed a 10 micron primary filter and a 2 micron filter between the factory tank and the engine... we've had no problems with the factory mounted pump (in tank) supplying fuel to the trucks... .

We've had these trucks in the dealers as well as through DOT inspections with no problems...

 

[EricBu12]

Cant remember who this truck with the tank install was... . in the pic. . who's truck is that and how is it holding up?

 

[Bob4x4]

Warning :-laf Steel tanks are on the high risk inspect first hit list with the 6. 7's

Why add to the possibility of adding Rust? Too many good alternatives in tank materials to use outdated steel imho

 

[HBarlow]

Bob,

Are you aware of cases of damaged injection pumps or injectors proven caused by steel aux fuel tanks?

I've been using a Transfer Flow steel aux tank since about 2002. It pumps direct into the OEM tank and I use no aftermarket filtration. I've never seen an indication of rust or other contamination.

Back in 2007 I had a sharp Cummins tech at the selling dealer run an injector performance test at my expense on my '06 which had over 200k miles on it at the time. Everything was great but the tech was a young hotshot who had earned Level 4 training and certification and had an attitude. He made a speech about my Dipricol gauges and the TF tank. I assumed their must have been some information bulletins coming from Dodge warning techs to look for metal flaking or rust in warranty claims cases.

 

[EricBu12]

What about a liquid tank liner? Something that will protect the fuel from getting to the rust?. Plus a diligent upkeep of paint outside should help.

 

[Bob4x4]

I have seen more contaminated fuel systems with steel tanks than others. Not saying that steel tanks specificly cause issues but with any water contamination it will escalate faster with a steel tank.

Many owners will transfer their old steel in bed tanks from their old truck to their new truck making for some old tanks being used.

If I were to add an aux tank today I would surely add filtration in between the 2 tanks. All it takes is seeing how expensive it is with a crd contamination issue to shy away from any risk possible

 

[Bob4x4]

What about a liquid tank liner? Something that will protect the fuel from getting to the rust?. Plus a diligent upkeep of paint outside should help.

Can't really say about the tank lining systems. Some have ok results when using on old classic motorcycle tanks but we have easy options they don't.



The aero tanks have way too much welding. each seam(and there are many) is another point of rust to form.

 

[HBarlow]

I should probably install a simple inline fuel filter between by Transfer Flow tank and the OEM tank.

In the early years of using the aftermarket aux tank I never worried about it because I was running 600+ miles almost every day and pumping lots of fresh fuel through the system. Now I don't even drive the truck much and it spends a lot of time parked in my barn. Low humidity and low rain fall amounts probably allow me to get away with it.

 

[Cosmo]

600/day = 10 hours straight driving at 60. I thought commercial drivers were limited to fewer hours than that, and that doesn't take weigh stations, poop breaks, or feedings into account.

That's a pretty stout pace to keep up day after day.

 

[EricBu12]

11 hours max driving. . 14 hour max on duty and driving including short stops. . so if the speed limit is 65the and average 60temp or so, you can average that or more. . some companies demand a 1/2 hour lunch break.

 

[Mark31]

600/day = 10 hours straight driving at 60. I thought commercial drivers were limited to fewer hours than that, and that doesn't take weigh stations, poop breaks, or feedings into account.



That's a pretty stout pace to keep up day after day.

I once figured the number of miles on Harvey's trucks and the period of time to put them on. Now THAT was "pretty stout"! Mark

 

[HBarlow]

Eric explained it. Eric is a real truck driver, I was only an amateur who pulled RV trailers with a dually.

I started pulling trailers for Horizon Transport in late January 2005 when I had 151k miles on my '01. By January 2006 I had 325k on the truck and ordered a new '06. The '06 went in service in March 2006 and by late October '07 it had 230k miles on it.

At that time we had had an election that turned over control of congress, the economy and RV sales were slowing, fuel prices were rising, I was facing another winter pulling trailers across I-80, I-90, and I-94 on ice and snow, and I was tired. I decided to quit while I was ahead and came home.

I had run 400k miles in two years and nine months, made a little money, met my financial goals, had a lot of fun, and had a lot of great memories. You have to keep the wheels turning to make any money.

I didn't always follow DOT rules and sometimes ran without a log book and got away with it 99. 5% of the time. I have no regrets. Don't want to do it anymore but am glad I did it when I did.

Others who have been RV transporters can tell similar stories.

 

[MelvinPierce]

600 miles a day is a pretty easy day! I sometimes go 200 miles, then stop for breakfast! Running solo, I averaged a little over 150,000 miles a year.

When my wife and I ran a dedicated produce run from ND to MN to southern CA weekly, we ran 5850 miles a week, 50 weeks a year. And, I would drop her off at home in ND on Wed evening, and deliver in ND two stops Thur AM, reload in MN Friday AM, be home in SW ND Friday night, take Sat off. We would leave for Los Angeles about 9PM Sat, arrive 1 AM Monday. Every week.

So, her week was Sat 9PM to Wed evening. Those who do not drive for a living, really do not understand.

5850 miles a week for a team is low miles.

MP

 

[FParisi]

I've had the D-60 for over 2 years - works great! Gauge is pretty accurate when you get low.

 

[EricBu12]

Thanks fparisi. . just what I needed to know. . I am going to be a little anal and coat it with duplicolor covering. . . . might get the 75 gal unit.

 

[richardcoxid]

I had an Aero 60 gal replacement tank on my ’98 D/C for 9 years and over 200,000 miles and now a D60 tank on my ’05 for over 70,000 miles, no rust problem with either tank!



At the time that I purchased the replacement tank for the ’98, Aero told me that they would guarantee the tank workmanship for 1 year if I installed it myself and 2 years if they installed it. Maybe their policy has changed? My wife’s brother lives about 30 miles from the factory so we went to SoCa both times and had Aero install each tank (I figured that the freight savings would pay about 1/2 of the installation labor cost, visiting the B-i-L and SoCA was a bonus). In both cases they told me that if I had the truck in their shop by 8 AM they would have it out by noon, both times they were true to their word.



Concerning rust, this is from Aero’s web site-

“Our tanks are manufactured out of aluminized steel, which will not rust and will accept new formulated fuels. These fuels include the following: gasohol, alcohol and methanol. Mild steel tanks and galvanized steel tanks will corrode and could self-destruct in as little as 24 months”



Disclaimer- I have no financial or other interest in Aero Tanks.

 

[EricBu12]

Im going to try to get a discount on the 75 gal. I am going to promise a writeup and pictures and such. . I will be doing it at that do-it-yourself shop that has a high lift. . should make it much easier. .
Utah DIY Auto Repair Shop UT | Wrench-It Center

I am going to lightly sand the tank and coat it with duplicolor truck bed coating. They have a spray can that should make it a breeze. Anything like bolts and stuff I will paint.

I am going to look into a tank liner material. . Should give a pretty good coating... Also I might get a regular filter as a main catcher before the OEM filter...

With all this weight, I will get airbag helpers to level the truck when loaded. . should be pretty good.

 

[HBarlow]

Why would you want to spray the tank with a cheap can of spray paint? The Transfer Flow tank is an aluminized tank with powder coated exterior.

"75 Gallon Tank
Our 75 gallon in-bed fuel tank fits short and long bed pickups. It's available in powdercoated black aluminized steel only. "

 

[richardcoxid]

EricBu 12



OOPs!



Maybe if I would have checked the Aero Tanks web site better I would have found that their warranty is now 3yr or 50,000mi when they install and 2 yr or 30,000mi if you install. The est. freight to SLC is $170.



BTW- In previous threads about the D-60 etc. direct replacement tanks some posters say that for the beginner who hasn't installed one yet it is easer to pull the bed off the truck and do the work from above rather than from below.



Richard