Is 15 gallons worth $600 (or more)?

[RobG]

I guess this is the "price" of having an overdrive in my truck...

Some may remember that when I had my '96 RAM, I had the Aerotanks 60 gal tank in it. Well, I kept that tank when I traded the truck, with the intention of putting into the new truck.

Today, I finally took the time to approximate what would have to be done to the tank to make it fit on the truck now that my US Gear Overdrive is on it, which has caused the transfer case to have to move aft 12".

It means the front 10" or so of the tank will have to be cut off. Doing the math, that works out to about 10 gallons of fuel capacity I'll lose.

Also, given that the only guy I trust to do this work is a bit pricey, I'm estimating the cost of this work, plus installation, to run around $600.

That means the cost of adding 15 gallons of fuel capacity will be about $600. I'm debating if it's worth it.

Maybe it is, since this thing still isn't getting crap for mileage. Get this... with my Lance camper loaded (total truck weight right at 11k), running 65 mph with the cruise control on from Concord to Santa Clara, and back, the best I could get was 11. 8 mpg. Unreal. If I hot-rodded it, I'd get 10, but I figured if I took it REAL easy and suffered through the incredible boredom of "behaving," I might do better. But nooooooo. This super-fuel-efficient ISB (yeah right!) isn't doing crap for mileage. Yeah it only has 5500 miles on it, but as much weight as I've been lugging around from time to time over the past 3000 or so, you'd think it would do better than that.

Okay, so that's more of a rant, but still.

I should go out and take exact measurements, maybe see if we could avoid cutting the whole tank off across the front... maybe notch it or something. The key is to be able to still pull the xfer case (if it's never needed) without having to drop the tank. Still, I figure best-case, I'll lose at least 5-8 gal. And the more fancy welding he has to do, the more it'll cost.

Meanwhile, what could I get for the used tank? I paid almost $700 for it (shipped), I'd hope to be able to get $500 for it if I were to just sell it.

Rob


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2001. 5 RAM 3500 QC 4x4 ETH/DEE Silver/Agate 4. 10 USGear OD, Rickson 19. 5 Wheels, Edge EZ, SPA Guages, Psychotty, Firestone Airbags, Hellwig Rear Swaybar, Torklift Superhitch & Camper Tiedowns, Mag-Hytec Diff Cover, DD 4" Exhaust, US Gear Exhaust Brake, etc.

 

[BPINE]

Hey Rob I checked with Aero at one time and they said you would lose about 5 gal with an overdrive. My vote is leave room for the propane you don't need the extra fuel anyway.

 

[Deezal Man]

Rob,

IMO, the answer is a blatant "NO"

If you REALLY need that extra fuel, put a decent sized transfer tank in the bed, so you can pump fuel into your existing tank. 10-15 gallons is hardly worth the trouble.

Also, what do you intend to gain by adding this extra fuel cell? For the guy who drives through the "middle of no-where". . the answer might be obvious. If you just like being able to run half way across the country without stopping... or for days on end. . You may want to consider the "true" cost of doing so. Weight means more fuel and tire wear.

Bottom line is that it cost money to haul fuel around.

Hey don't get me wrong, I love my 34G tank vs. the standard 15G tanks in most vehicles.

And I've thought about adding a tank as well.
But in my situation, the only thing I gain is that I don't have to fill up during a bathroom break. . Either way, I gotta stop. No way can I convince the little lady to hold it till we get there. #ad


Actually, thats not a bad thing. In the time it takes to empty a tank of fuel... its probably a good idea to stretch the ol' legs anyway. .

OMO

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98. 5' 24v 2500 Auto/3. 54 4x4 SB QC 285-75-16's on Alcoa's. Everything but leather. PIAA 1200's, AMSOIL dual filter relocation system, Smittybuilt Stainless Steel Nerfs, Rhino Liner(Junk), K&N air filter(For Sale)15 year AMSOIL dealer. Time permitting, Soon to include Ultra-lite Pyro,0-50lbs boost, Trans temp in the pillar. Rancho 9000's with in cab adjustment.

 

[DennyDay]

I know the bed tank isn't possible with the camper, but think about going with 275 injectors, this will probably give you a couple of more mpg with the weight you have. My '99 gvw 8625 lbs. and 285 tires went from 17. 2 mpg to 18. 7 - 20. 1 mpg if I stay below 75mph. The larger injectors seem to put more fuel in the combustion chamber quicker making the process more efficient. Talk to some of the suppliers, don't ask for promises, and see what they think, Even tho you are on the left coast, call Jannette in Conn. and see what he thinks, he'll be honest. One other idea is adding a 4' exhaust.

Denny

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Denny
'99 2500 4X4 White short Q cab to much added to put here

 

[LandShark]

Rob: First: I see you have the 19. 5 wheels. Double check and make sure your speedo is correct and you are computing the mileage correctly. I have a similar camper and the worst mileage so far was about 13mpg driving 65 into a 20mph headwind. I usually get 15mpg driving at 62 - 65mph. Best mpg with camper is 16. 5mpg. (I get 19 to 21mpg unloaded). I have over 50,000 miles of driving with the camper on, so this data is fairly good.

Second: If your mileage really is that bad, fix your truck prior to any other BOMBing. You need to start your BOMBing with a good baseline. Form my TDR reading I would look at fuel pressures, valve adjustment and pump timing. Hopefully others with more expertise in this area will chime in.

Third: I would not bother with the larger fuel tank. You are carrying enough weight with the camper that you need to be concerned with overloading various components (axel, shocks, sway bar, frame, etc... ) Weight is a major factor in mpg. My opinion is that the extra weight of a few more gallons of diesel combined with the huge expense does not justify the convenience of being able to skip a couple gas stations.

I would set a goal of at least 14mpg for your truck (at 65mpg and 11,000#). Find a dealer that will do some checking under warranty.

BTW: I found that mpg did NOT improve as my truck got older, as others have stated!

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1995 2500 SLT Club 4x4, auto, 3. 54, 3300 pound Elkhorn slide in camper, AirLift air springs, Ricka dual wheel adapters (used only with the camper on), K&N, DC tow hooks, Rancho RS9000, Hellwig rear sway bar.
110,000 miles and counting.

 

[Big MAK]

Moving over to the towing/hauling experts...

It isn't the weight it's the wind resistance. That big Lance in the bed is just as bad as a trailer three times it's weight since your presenting more surface area.

But I second the opinions on some mild bombing probably helping you out.

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Big MAK
98. 5 ISB 5spd 4x4 Quad Cab 3500, 275s and Original PowerMax
A "WARRANTY FREE" ZONE
https://www.turbodieseltrucks.com

 

[RobG]

Thanks for the opinions...

First, an in-bed tank isn't an option since I have the camper to carry, as at least somebody noticed. #ad


Second, with the 19. 5's I have an approx. 4% speedo error, which I'd forgotten to accomodoate. Still, that puts me at 12. 2 mpg, which still isn't even close to where I think I should be.

Third, something I hadn't thought about until this morning was that when I had my '96 and made my trip to Colorado last Summer, I had a problem with that truck that caused my mileage to drop like a rock. On my initial tankful, from here in the Bay Area, over the Sierras, to Winnemucca, NV, I averaged 12 mpg. I thought that was pretty good given the climb I had to do, and the fact that I weighed about 18,000 lbs.

The next tank, which was all mostly flat road from Winnemucca to Salt Lake City, I averaged 10 mpg. The next tank, 8. Then it stayed between 7-8 mpg for the rest of the trip. The saving grace was that 60 gal tank -- were it not for that, I would have been stopping constantly.

I think what I'll do is take the truck and the tank down to my welder and see what he can estimate it'll cost. If we can keep it cheap, I may go ahead and do it.

Also, when the truck goes back to the dealer the next time, I'm going to remove my EZ and have them see if they can figure out what to do about the pathetic mileage.

As for injectors, I'm already planning on DD3's in the not too distant future, followed by a clutch and an HX-40 at some point.

Still, does anybody agree that low 12's carrying the camper at 65 mph with the cruise on, with no headwind sound a bit low, even for a truck with 5500 miles on it? That was about 1800 RPM in 6th with the overdive on, and EGTs in the mid 700 to low 800 deg. range.

Rob


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2001. 5 RAM 3500 QC 4x4 ETH/DEE Silver/Agate 4. 10 USGear OD, Rickson 19. 5 Wheels, Edge EZ, SPA Guages, Psychotty, Firestone Airbags, Hellwig Rear Swaybar, Torklift Superhitch & Camper Tiedowns, Mag-Hytec Diff Cover, DD 4" Exhaust, US Gear Exhaust Brake, etc.

 

[ralbert]

Your mpg do seam a litle low even with that
weight. I have a 99 3500 auto 354s and I use to get 17 with a Lance in the bed. At 17 mpg I was not happy with the power so my dealer up dated the computers and now I am pleased with the power and I lost 2mpgs. I also gross more than you.

 

[dresslered]

Hey Rob-
Your mileage looks about right to me. I averaged 11. 5mpg running at 75mph up highway 5 to Oregon and back. My camper puts me at maximum GVW.

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David Dressler
2001 Driftwood 3500 Quad Cab 4x4, 155 inch WB, HO Cummins (ETH), 6-Speed (DEE), SLT+, 3. 54 LSD, Camper Special, Trailer Tow, Heated Leather, Sliding Window, Jacob's E-Brake, Rhino Liner, VDO Vision (pyro, boost, engine + diff. temp. ), Weather Guard Diamond Plate Saddle Box, Tork Lift camper tie-downs, Mag-Hytec, Mopar Tow Hooks, AND functional Halo light!
Bigfoot 3000 10. 11 Slide-in Camper. "Do it in a Dually"

 

[Powder Extreme]

Hey Rob, did you get my last email about the fuel tank?

Jerry

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2001 Quad Cab Dually, ETH, SLT Plus, Isspro Pyro & 50lb Boost, 275 injectors, Banks Power Pack FINALLY .

 

[RobG]

Jerry:

I replied to you about your idea, but hadn't heard back from you.

Rob


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2001. 5 RAM 3500 QC 4x4 ETH/DEE Silver/Agate 4. 10 USGear OD, Rickson 19. 5 Wheels, Edge EZ, SPA Guages, Psychotty, Firestone Airbags, Hellwig Rear Swaybar, Torklift Superhitch & Camper Tiedowns, Mag-Hytec Diff Cover, DD 4" Exhaust, US Gear Exhaust Brake, etc.

 

[Powder Extreme]

Stupid Email! I'll try sending it again #ad


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2001 Quad Cab Dually, ETH, SLT Plus, Isspro Pyro & 50lb Boost, 275 injectors, Banks Power Pack FINALLY .