Auxiliary fuel tank revisit...

[steved]

Well, I have decided that if I keep the truck I want my tool box back. I currently have a 22-gallon RCI fuel cell mounted in the driver's side of my deep/wide TSC crossover toolbox... it takes up nearly half the space of the box.



I was going to see if I could find a used fuel tank, then remembered I have an air compressor tank at home. I thought I was in luck, but it turns out to be smaller than I remembered (14 gallon). So I start looking and find a local guy selling a 60 gallon compressor tank.



I figure (other than its round) it will work nicely... nice and heavy steel, I can weld brackets to it (without it going boom) for mounting it to the floor and mounting a filter/pump to it, and it should have plenty of ports for fuel. It should be right around rail height.



I'll need to install a vented cap and give it some air space for expansion, but it should do nicely for what I want. It will effectively double my current tanks capacity. Probably buy some muratic acid from Lowe's or HomeDepot to clean it of oil and rust (if any). I thought about sealing it, but its diesel and should not rust much, if any.



Any thoughts??

 

[Grizzly]

Sounds like a good plan, but it all depends on what you need all that fuel capacity for. Where are you going that you need all that diesel that you can't pick up as you travel? Remember, it will cost you some mileage to haul that much weight.



I have a simular situation, which I don't believe I need a full time auxiliary tank installed in the bed of my truck. My situation is to make another trip to Alaska. In the two trips we have taken, we went through some very small towns in the Yukon and in remote parts of Alaska with very small and old fuel stations, which could have water and sediments in the fuel. What I plan to do on our next trip is to take about 5, five gal jerry cans to get through those questionable small fuel stations. Also, the cost of diesel in those very small towns is very high. When in the more populated cities in Canada and anywhere in the US I don't have that problem. For me, it's just not worth the expense of adding a permanent auxiliary tank plus the space it takes up when I'm not using it.

 

[steved]

I travel crosscountry, and I like the ability to pick and choose my fuel spots. Not to mention I use my auxiliary tank as a first line of defense against contaminated fuel and water.



I tried the "gas can" trick... they will fill a canopy with vapors (making everything in the canopy smell like fuel). Not to mention the first time one gets flopped over and dribbles fuel all over! Been there, done that... plus you can't use them for filtering...

 

[steved]

OK, bear with me... I don't have my truck here to measure so I'm pulling this off the Web...

The bed is 8-foot long, or 96 inches.

The rear 5th wheel rail (assuming I installed it per instructions) is 28 inches from the rear of the bed.

The front 5th wheel rail is 22 inches further forward of the rear rail.

The toolbox is approximately 30 inches wide with my bracket...

So:

96 inches total useable

-28 inches for the rear rail

-22 inches for the front rail

-30 inches for the toolbox

This should provide me around 26 inches of space remaining between the front rail and the toolbox.

So a 20 inch cylinder should have some room to spare.

 

[GaryOwen]

28+22+30=80



96"-80"=16" or am I missing something.



Gary

 

[AABEN]

Yes it will rust. Diesel will pick up moister and will rust fast. If you are where the temp is up and down and a lot of moister. I would put a 5micron filter on it.

 

[steved]

28+22+30=80

96"-80"=16" or am I missing something.

Gary

No, I just thought it through again, you beat me to the finish... 16 inches is correct. (I knew something didn't look right)

I doubt a 20" tank will work... might have to hold out.

 

[steved]

Yes it will rust. Diesel will pick up moister and will rust fast. If you are where the temp is up and down and a lot of moister. I would put a 5micron filter on it.

I would have a 10 micorn on that tank and then the 1 micron FASS...

 

[MMeier]

No, I just thought it through again, you beat me to the finish... 16 inches is correct. (I knew something didn't look right)



I doubt a 20" tank will work... might have to hold out.

BUT... since that tank is round, it will not be 20" wide at bed level. How far does the actual 5'er head sit back from the rail?

 

[steved]

The box is vertical and the hitch risers are pretty straight too.

Too close to call to make the buy without the truck sitting in front of me to measure...

I have a line on a couple actual fuel tanks... not sure about the configuration (L-shaped or vertical)...

 

[JCasper]

I know you are probably trying to do this a bit more inexpensively then this, but I love my transfer flow.



I have the 40 gallon tank/box combo



Aftermarket and OEM Fuel Tank Systems

 

[steved]

Yeah, if I can't do it for under $100 or so, its not worth doing.

Its more to free up room in my tool box, but not an absolute necessity. Figured if I could gain some volume at the same time, it might be worth it.

 

[steved]

I may have a line on an "L" tank... steel, good condition.



I go look at it tomorrow.

 

[Jorge]

auxiliary fuel tank

I found a 35 gal tank off of a 1995 International 4700 drivers side. I fashioned a cross member that would utilize the 4700 factory supports. Then I removed the spare tire mechanism from rear of my DRW 3500 4x4. I installed it in this cavity and supported the rear of the tank. I then purchased two small filters and a 12volt fuel pump and installed same into the line leading to the vehicles main tank. I vented the rear tank to a 1967 chev charcoal cannister.

I cut the rear molded plastic piece that goes across the bed of the truck and bolted in a rear fold down license plate holder complete with my TDR plate and this serves as my access to fill the rear tank. I carry about 70 gallons of fuel. I did find something really nice about my setup. Filling both tanks to capacity, I leave on a trip and my guage stays at the full mark until about 300miles and then it begins to register as usual. The vaccuum from the main tank pulls off of the rear tank. The 12 volt fuel pump is only used to transfer fuel to the front tank. The total cost was about $125. 00 No problem with ground clearance.









































WO

 

[steved]

Well, after many years of searching, I stumbled onto an aluminum 60-gallon RDS for a pretty good deal:

#ad


I'll only have a couple issues: where to mount the existing pump and filter, and where to mount my CB antenna. But overall, this should fit the bill nicely... and its smaller than my current setup.

 

[B.G. Smith]

That's the brand of tank/tool box I have, mine is 90 gal. though. Love it. bg

 

[n7gxz]

I have a 90 gallon RDS tank/toolbox combo and it works real good.



Kevin

 

[steved]

OK, stupid question... which port is which?

There are two on the back, centered; the drain; and the vent on the fill neck. Which of the two ports on the back is the pickup tube? I'd rather use the pickup tube, and not the drain for my purposes. One is a straight fitting, the other has a 90* fitting installed, with a plug.

I'm assuming the one with the 90* is the pickup... the plug is probably removed from the drain?

 

[n7gxz]

I can look tomorrow when I get home. The two on the back are a pickup and return and the one up by the filler is the tank vent.



Kevin

 

[B.G. Smith]

On mine, the one furtherest from the fill nozzle has the pickup tube. I can't remember if there was one in it or I installed it, this is my second tank installation. I did buy a pickup tube from a marine dealer once. I tied the other vent into the vent tube coming off the main tank. I have a small inline filter on the vent at the aux. tank filler neck with a slip on rubber cap on it as it dripped some diesel once. bg