Auxiliary fuel tank discussion

GONOVRIT

blue collar brotherhood
Joined
Apr 10, 2005
Location
Dallas NC
Lets talk auxiliary tanks! I have people ask why I have one fairly often. Most of these people don’t take long trips.

I run one because I hate wasting time. I like getting to my destination ASAP. I can fill up where I choose(in an effort to save$$), not necessarily when I have to.

I took at least 5 trips last yr over 1000 miles long. Most of our wheeling trips are well under 1000 but we didn’t spend any of our trip time filling up the truck.

Perfect example today. Had to take my aux tank out before a trip to pa and back TODAY. Normally we would have over a 1400 mile range and fill up at home where it’s cheapest. In around 1100 miles today we had to stop twice for fuel after leaving Home topped off. That’s a good 45-50 min off the interstate and fuel was roughly .35 more per gallon at close to 60 gallons purchased.

Cons of an aux tank?

Initial purchase
Loss of bed space(real trucks have long beds, no problem here)

Myself and a portion of my friends use a small pump with a filter. It’s plumbed into the filler neck. This allows you to transfer without making an unnecessary stop.

Some prefer to just use a ball valve and let it gravity feed.

I’ll probably be selling my 70 gal soon if anyone is interested. I need a different shape for my current situation.

@jeepinmatt
 
I would have one, but they cost too much. If I lived close to the SC border, I suspect it would pay for itself.

Fucking Golden Mountain is about 30 miles too far away to do on one refill. Pisses me off every time we go.
 
Never got the Aux tank thing til I rode with @GONOVRIT to RBD a few years ago. We still stopped when others in our group had to, but instead they had to buy more expensive fuel while we sat in the truck and heckled. Just don’t leave the pump switch on once the main tank is full and you’re fine. :lol: For the people that make long drives pretty regularly it’s a really handy addition. Living near cheaper gas in SC or VA makes it a little easier to justify.
 
I always think your 600lb ballast tank is silly, but I also hate driving and don't see the need to turn a trip into a job. What's wrong with stopping every 3-4 hours
 
What's wrong with stopping every 3-4 hours

Nothing, if you whip in a rest area, use the restroom and are back on the interstate in 5min :flipoff2:

To each there own.

I like to maximize my time. Less time on the road equals more time at your destination.

I stopped once on my last 8.5hr trip in December. I grabbed lunch and used the bathroom at the 6hr mark. Drove another 2.5hrs and was sitting in a tree stand with over 2hrs of daylight left. Im still not sure how I made it that long without urinating and no, I wasn’t using a she-pee :flipoff2:
 
Never got the Aux tank thing til I rode with @GONOVRIT to RBD a few years ago. We still stopped when others in our group had to, but instead they had to buy more expensive fuel while we sat in the truck and heckled. Just don’t leave the pump switch on once the main tank is full and you’re fine. :lol: For the people that make long drives pretty regularly it’s a really handy addition. Living near cheaper gas in SC or VA makes it a little easier to justify.

I think out of the 4 trucks towing together on that trip it was just @Naterade99 that didn’t have an aux tank. He has since fixed that with his new truck:lol:
 
My husband runs one,makes the Fl runs easier. Fuel in FL is about dollar more then SC. Jackson Hole WY was another run of his that hauling extra fuel was worth it due to price.
 
@GONOVRIT So how many gallons do you have on board with the 70 included?? I feel like the 42 gallon tank in my burb is a behemoth but if I ever go to the big block I was considering aux tank!
 
@StretchASU I've been really disappointed the last few times I've been to VA and diesel wasn't even ten cents cheaper than it is here!

@braxton357 104 gallons of fuel is more like 725 lbs plus the weight of the tank itself :D

I love the idea of the aux tank, but I know I'd have to stop to piss. If I ever did any long trips while towing, I'd probably have one though.
 
On a side note if anybody has an aux tank for sale at a reasonable price i'd be interested.

This. I wouldn't mind having an extra 30-40 gallons on-board, but it's not worth $600 to me. I've seen a few on CL here and there, but they go quick.

But then there's the hassle of pulling it out every time you need a real truck.

@GONOVRIT - do you feed the fuel hose in through the canopy window when you need to top up?
 
One of those toolbox/fuel tank combos would be kinda cool so you don't have to worry about taking it out or it taking up too much room. The one truck I have that's a short bed is the only one I'll haul a gooseneck with...go figure :rolleyes:

@shawn "the hassle of pulling it out every time..." :lol:
:D
 
One of those toolbox/fuel tank combos would be kinda cool so you don't have to worry about taking it out or it taking up too much room.

I have a chest-style box sitting on the floor at the front of the bed, but it comes out fairly regularly so that we can use the whole bed.
 
This. I wouldn't mind having an extra 30-40 gallons on-board, but it's not worth $600 to me. I've seen a few on CL here and there, but they go quick.

But then there's the hassle of pulling it out every time you need a real truck.

@GONOVRIT - do you feed the fuel hose in through the canopy window when you need to top up?
Yes. Not sure why anyone would want a topper without contractor windows.
 
This. I wouldn't mind having an extra 30-40 gallons on-board, but it's not worth $600 to me. I've seen a few on CL here and there, but they go quick.

But then there's the hassle of pulling it out every time you need a real truck.

@GONOVRIT - do you feed the fuel hose in through the canopy window when you need to top up?
I'm sure someone makes a bigger replacement tank for your truck, but as said it'd be $500-1k.
 
Wouldn't work. It sticks up above the bed rail, the trailer would hit the fill spout when turning left.
It hardly sticks up any, atleast in the pic. Surely your trailer isn't that close to the bedrail.
 
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